Christmas Around the World

Out of 195 countries worldwide, more than 150 celebrate Christmas - in these countries, Christmas is a national holiday. Many perceive Christmas as a religious holiday, while others simply enjoy joining in this festive season. Although Christmas is not an official public holiday in all countries, it is still one of the most common holidays around the world. Does your family celebrate Christmas? Did your ancestors celebrate Christmas, and if so, do you know how they did it? Talk to your family to find out how this holiday has affected different generations of people in different countries. But here we will discuss some different festive traditions around the globe as Christmas is the season when the whole world comes together.

Christmas music

Sometimes listening to Christmas music or singing Christmas carols marks the beginning of the festive season. You may be familiar with the situation when you hear popular holiday tunes in the store at the end of November. In some countries, like the Philippines, Christmas music can be heard as early as September! (The Christmas season in the Philippines is called Kapaskuhan and lasts for several months). Christmas music is one of the most widespread traditions around the world, and many songs have moved beyond their country of origin as people travel, migrate, and pass their music down to the next generation. Carols such as the German song "O Tannenbaum" or the Ukrainian "Shchedryk" (English "Carol of the Bells") are old holiday classics that can be heard in many places. More modern songs like “All I Want for Christmas Is You” from the USA, or the Venezuelan “El Burrito de Belén” and the Cantonese “Lonely Christmas” are becoming more and more popular. You can share your Christmas playlist with family or friends and find something as your new favorite Christmas tune!

Festive decorations

The Christmas season is inextricably linked with Christmas decorations. This tradition exists all over the world. While the variety of decorations and what they are made of may vary by culture, religious beliefs, location, resources, and even climate, you can feel the approach of Christmas with some similar holiday signs. The most common Christmas decoration is the Christmas tree, and it can be an easy way to get your home ready for the holidays. Usually, the Christmas tree is decorated with lights and ornaments. In countries where there are not many trees, people use other Christmassy plants to decorate their homes and create a festive atmosphere. For example, mango and banana trees are decorated in India, wooden Christmas trees (charamicos) are made by hand in the Dominican Republic, and some people in Australia decorate colourful flowering Christmas trees!

Illustration by Sheryl Ho

Nativity scenes are also a popular Christmas decoration in many cultures. They are very different: from uneven wooden figurines to exquisite porcelain and detailed scenes carefully carved from pumpkins. St. Francis of Assisi is credited with creating the first nativity scene to remind others of the purpose of this holiday. In some regions of the world, for example in South America, they like to put the baby Jesus in a manger on Christmas morning to mark his birth.

In the Christmas story, a new star appeared in the sky to announce the birth of Jesus Christ. Therefore, stars have become a very popular Christmas decoration on top of the Christmas tree, in the window or in garlands in the town square. You can see the Moravian star in Suriname, the star-shaped paróls Christmas lanterns in the Philippines or the Froebel star in Germany!

How did your family decorate the house for Christmas when you were growing up? Did you start decorating your home before or after Thanksgiving? Did you have real trees, bushes and greenery or artificial plants? Maybe you have a nativity scene that has been passed down through the generations, or maybe your hobby is collecting them! Whatever your Christmas decorating traditions are, cherish those memories. Future generations will want to know how you created a festive mood at home.

Delicious Christmas dishes

Many people associate Christmas with certain foods and tastes. For residents of Brazil and Italy, the taste of panettone indicates that the Christmas season is now in full swing. For the people of Japan (a country with a small Christian population but many still celebrating Christmas), KFC fried chicken has become a Christmas staple.

Here are some interesting traditions from around the world shared by the students of Coopers Coborn!

Germany:

According to an ancient tradition, on the 11th day of the 11th month at 11:11 a.m., the season of Christmas holidays begins in Germany, which is called the "fifth season." Grand fairs are held on ancient city squares, where thousands of people gather. They hug, drink hot mulled wine, eat, dance and sing. At the same time, children begin to open sweet calendars (they are designed for 24 days, and a candy is hidden in the window of the calendar each day).

Japan:

In Japan, the main figure of the holiday is the god Hoteyosho, who has eyes... on the back of his head. The traditional Japanese Christmas menu is rice, beans, mushrooms and bamboo. And of course the favourite fun drink sake. Even at Christmas, the Japanese hang bundles of straw near their houses on high poles and set them on fire to scare away evil spirits.

Venezuela:

The Christmas tradition of Venezuela can claim the title of the most unusual. Why not make Christmas special without snow and sleighs? Residents of Caracas have found an unusual alternative - to get to the church for service on roller-skates. And so that everyone is guaranteed to get to the place, the roads are blocked that morning.

Austria:

When decorating the Christmas tree, local residents do not use ordinary toys, but shaped chocolate and marzipan (dough products filled with crushed almonds). At the same time, local residents do not lock the doors of houses either on the eve of Christmas or during the holiday itself. This means that anyone can enter at any time and taste sweet jewellery with a cup of aromatic tea or cocoa.

Ukraine:

The holy evening starts with prayer and the host of the family blessing the table of 12 dishes. On the corners of the table it is compulsory to put garlic under the table cloth for health and luck. During the evening the whole family sing traditional carols and enjoys their meal. The main dish is Kutya, which is served from the youngest to the eldest in order. By the evening, people go around neighbouring houses and carol, blessing their households and Christ receiving sweets of money.

Iceland:

In this country, since the beginning of the century, children have been celebrating Christmas earlier than anyone else: as early as December 12, they put shoes on the windows in anticipation of gifts. There will be many presents, because not just Santa Claus will give them, but 13 fairy-tale characters - the Jolasveinars. But trolls are happy to bring a gift only to obedient children, others will get only potatoes from their shoe. And if you have behaved completely intolerably, wait for the visit of Grilu-triok, a fanged cat with terrible warts! As for adults, they prepare white partridge, puff bread, and rice pudding with almonds for the holiday. And on Christmas Eve, the family listens to church masses.

By Angelina Pozdnii