Welcome
to Animated CyberKisses's Christmas
From Around the World Page..
Christmas From Around The
World.
Christmas the celebration of the
birth of Jesus. Is rich in many traditions and customs.
It seems that each country has it own particular way to celebrate. These are just a
few
that I've found on my travels.
The custom of hanging stockings comes
from England. Father Christmas once dropped some gold coins while coming down the chimney.
The coins would have fallen through the ash grate and been lost if they hadn't landed in a
stocking that had been hung out to dry. Since that time children have continued to hang
out stockings in hopes of finding them filled with gifts.
Actually, the hanging of stockings
by the fire supposedly dates back to the actual Saint
Nicholas, a bishop in Lycia in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey) during the fourth century
AD.
According to the legend there was a poor man with three daughters who could not provide a
dowry for them to be married. One night, Nicholas secretly dropped a bag of gold into an
open window of the house. The oldest daughter was then allowed to be married. This was
repeated later with the second daughter.
Finally, determined to uncover his benefactor, the father secretly hid each evening by
his daughter's window until he caught the saint tossing in a bag of gold. Nicholas
begged the man to not reveal what he had done, not wanting to bring attention to
himself. Word got out anyway, and when anyone received a gift from an unknown source,
it was attributed to Saint Nicholas. The stockings come into play in one legend, in
that the third daughter had hung her stockings by the fire to dry them out after
washing them, and when St. Nicholas tossed in the bag of gold it landed in one
of the stockings. Thus the tradition began.
Children write letters to Father Christmas listing their requests, but instead of
dropping them in the mailbox, the letters are tossed into the fireplace. The draught
carries the letters up the chimney and Father Christmas reads the smoke.
The hanging of greenery around the house, such as holly and ivy, is a winter tradition
with origins well before the Christian era. Greenery was brought into the house to
lift sagging winter spirits and remind people that spring was not far away.
The needlelike points of holly leaves are thought by some to resemble the crown of
thorns that Jesus wore when He was crucified. The red berries may symbolize the
drops of blood He shed.
Mistletoe is found on willow and apple trees (and garden centers) and the practice
of hanging it in the house goes back to the times of the ancient Druids. It is
supposed to possess mystical powers which bring good luck to the household and ward
off evil spirits.
The fir tree has a long association with Christianity, it began in Germany almost
a 1000 years ago when St Benefice, who converted the German people to Christianity,
was said to have come across a group of pagans about to sacrifice a young boy while
worshipping an oak tree. In anger, St Benefice is said to have cut down the oak
tree and to his amazement a young fir tree sprung up from the roots of the oak tree.
St Benefice took this as a sign of the Christian faith. It was not until the 16th
century that fir trees were brought indoors at Christmas time. The decorating of
Christmas trees, though primarily a German custom, has been widely popular in
England since 1841 when Prince Albert had a Christmas tree set up in Windsor
Castle for his wife Queen Victoria and their children. At that time the tree would
have been decorated with candles to represent stars but because of the danger
of fire an American telephones invented the electric Christmas lights we know today.
A Nordic tradition of burning the Yule
log goes back to medieval times. The Yule log was originally an entire tree, carefully
chosen, and brought into the house with great
ceremony. The large end would be placed into the hearth while the rest of the tree
stuck out into the room. The log would be lit from the remains of the previous year's log
which had been carefully stored away and slowly fed into the fire through the twelve days
of festivities.
Having the remains of the Yule log
in the house throughout the year was thought to give
protection against fire and it was considered important that the re-lighting process be
carried out by someone with clean hands. Nowadays of course, most people have
central heating so it is very difficult to burn a tree!
On Christmas Eve children leave out mince pies, brandy or some similar warming
beverage for Father Christmas, and a carrot for the reindeer.
Christmas crackers are a party favorite in England. Conceived in 1850 by a London
confectioner called Tom Smith whilst sitting in front of his log fire. His attention
was focused on the sparks and cracks emanating from the flames when suddenly he
thought what an added attraction it would be if his sweets and toys could be revealed
with a crack when their fancy wrappings were pulled in half. Today's crackers are
short cardboard tubes wrapped in colorful paper and traditionally there will be
one cracker next to each plate on the Christmas dinner table. When the crackers are
pulled, out falls a colorful party hat, a toy or gift and a festive joke. The party
hats look like crowns and we assume these symbolize the crowns worn by the three kings.
Gifts are opened Christmas morning. The younger children will awake very early in the
morning to find a stocking at the end of their bed and some presents on the floor.
Later, the family will gather together to open all the presents that have been left under
the Christmas tree.
"Wassailing" is an ancient custom that is rarely practiced today. The word
"wassail"
is derived from the Anglo-Saxon phrase waes hael, which means "good health".
Originally, wassail was a beverage made of mulled ale, curdled cream, roasted apples,
eggs, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and sugar. It was served from huge bowls, often of
silver or pewter for the purpose of enhancing the general merriment of the season.
The legend says that a beautiful Saxon maiden named Rowena presented Prince Vortigen
with a bowl of wine while toasting him with the words "Waes hael". Over the
centuries
a great deal of ceremony developed around the custom of drinking
wassail. The bowl was carried into a room with great fanfare, a traditional carol
about the drink was sung, and finally, the steaming hot beverage was served.
The celebration of Boxing Day, which takes place on December 26 - the feast of St.
Stephen,
is a part of the holiday season unique to Great Britain and Canada. Traditionally, it is
on this day that the alms box at every English church is opened and the contents are
distributed to the poor. Also, this is the day that servants traditionally got the day
off to celebrate with their families. It became traditional for working people to break
open their tip boxes on this day.
In Scotland they celebrate Christmas rather somberly and reserve their merriment for New
Year's Eve which is called Hogmanay. This word is derived from a kind of oat cake that
was traditionally given to children on New Year's Eve.
Also in Scotland, the first person to set foot in a residence in a New Year is thought to
profoundly affect the fortunes of the inhabitants. Generally strangers are thought to
bring good luck. Depending on the area, it may be better to have a dark-hared or
fair-hared stranger set foot in the house. This tradition is widely known as
"first footing". In England it is said that a stranger coming through the door
carrying
a lump of coal will bring good luck.
Many years ago in Czechoslovakia,
children were asked to take a gift to put beside the
crib in church. One family had no money for gifts but were determined to take something.
They found an orange which they felt would be okay, but were disappointed to find it
was going moldy at the top. However, they thought they would scoop out the bad bits and
put a candle in the top and turn it into a lantern. Thinking that it looked a bit
ordinary,
one of the girls took a red ribbon from her hair and tied it around the middle. They had
difficulty getting it to stay in place, so fastened it with four small sticks, on the ends
of which they put a few raisins. They took their lantern to church and were afraid of the
reactions of the other children. However, the priest acknowledged their gift and told the
congregation how special it was for the following reasons; the orange is round like the
world the candle stands tall and straight and gives light in the dark like the love of
God the red ribbon goes all around the 'world' and is a symbol of the blood Jesus shed
when he died for us the four sticks point in all directions and symbolize North, South,
East and West - they are also said to represent the four seasons the raisins represent
the fruits of the earth, nurtured by the sunshine and the rain.
Some children in the UK make their own Christingles in their classrooms and gather
together to light them in a church service that raises money for the Church of England
Children's Society.
United
States
Christmas Traditions in The United States
The United States boasts one of the most diverse ranges of cultures in the world. So many
different peoples, brought together, for various reasons, living within one country. This
makes for a society, rich in contrast....varied in their customs.
I cannot hope to bring all the beliefs practiced by these sundry cultures, nor do i presume
to speak for all living within the United States, for that task would take incredible amounts
of time. Just to do the research, would take years.
What i hope to tell you of, is the traditions of one family. My family.
My family. Mom, Dad three brothers, and myself. By the way, I was the only girl child, and
a more spoiled little princess, there never was!
When i was growing up, every holiday was celebrated outrageously! Fourth of July, Halloween,
Thanksgiving! It didn't matter! A holiday in my home meant fun with a capital F!
But Christmas held a special place....fun... exciting... reverent.... Coming from a middle
class family with Catholic teaching firmly entrenched in our psyches, Christmas could be
nothing but a very special holiday.
The day after Thanksgiving. God! i loved that day! That was the day my Mother's special
nativity scene came out of the box, where it had been so carefully packed the year before.
Brought forth, so that we could all remember the reason for the celebration. Mother would
tell the same story every year, as she so lovingly unwrapped each fragile ornament of that
display.
And Christmas hymns would reverberate through the house. Sweet soft strains of Silent Night,
Angels We Have Heard on High, Away in a Manger, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, and so many
others playing softly as she set each piece in it's proper place.
My Mother's voice was soft, mellow, as she would once again weave the tale of the "Blessed
Birth"....How Jesus was born, in humble surroundings. How His Life, and His work teaches us
of the joy of giving.
And that the true message of Christmas...is in that sharing. The giving of yourself.
And give my Mother did. Each evening an hour spent, making decorations. We made
Christmas balls out of tinfoil. We made wreaths out of holly. We made impossibly long strings out of
construction paper and glitter. .....cranberries and popcorn strung with needle and thread.
Put aside each night, until the time came to decorate the tree.
i recall one Christmas, when colored cornels of corn were used. it does bring a smile to my
heart to remember that time. the cornels were bright red, green, blue, and yellow. they
were so pretty unpopped, in the jar. when the time came to pop them i was so excited. you
see, i thought that as the cornels exploded, the color on covering the shell, would also be
the color of the finished product.
When Mother lifted the lid on the popper, and white fluffy popcorn came tumbling out of the
pan, i was bewildered. only then did she realize what my mind had conjured. she picked up
on piece....peeled back the fluff...and showed me the color hidden beneath.....
she smiled, and told me..."See how pretty on the inside? That is where we have to look for
true beauty." i wonder if she knew how long that lesson would stay with me?
The tree! My Father would take the boys, and off into the woods they went. The "girls"
stayed home, and prepared special things for the men's return. We made eggnog and cookies.
We baked a ham with all the trimmings. We gathered all the goodies we had painstakingly
made, and we waited for the tree.
My Father always brought home the tallest, fullest tree in the forrest. well it seemed that
way to me anyway. He would set it in front of the window in the living room. sometimes he
used fishing string to get it to stand just so. And we had dinner.
After dinner, the decorations went on the tree. We took turns placing the ornaments. It
helped that we were several years apart, it was almost like each of us got a different
section of the tree to decorate.
My Father being the tallest would set the Angel atop, and place the lights. The sting of
lights....they were the only store bought decoration we had. The rest were home made, and as
beautiful as any that could ever come from the store.
My Mother made the Angel. Each Christmas, a new one adorned the top of the tree. It was
papier-mâché, painted brilliantly, with rhinestones and feathers to fill it out. Each year,
different. Each year more beautiful than the last.
After the tree was trimmed, presents would magically appear around the base. Big boxes,
little boxes. Set just so. Tags with our names, prominent. And us kids, delighted!
Wanting so badly to explore those brightly wrapped gifts. knowing we must WAIT! but
still...chomping at the bit!
Those last days before Christmas Eve, spent baking. Shopping. Caroling. Trying in vain to
contain the excitement! Touching the boxes, giving them a little shake. Trying hard to
ascertain what that pretty paper and ribbon might conceal.
Then, Christmas Eve. 4 children gathered round the tree. Mother and Father watching. The
joy..the love...flowing. Excitement! Allowed to open one package. Just one.
But which one?
The choice most important you understand. Never the big box. Never the small box either.
One more neutral in size. One perhaps with a pretty little doll, or God! Forbid! a pair of
socks! The fun always in the choosing.
Preparing for bed. leaving cookies and a glass of milk for Santa, and carrots for his
reindeer.
Christmas Morning. The smell of turkey baking. Sage filling the house and making the mouth
water. Santa's visit. He always ate all his cookies, finished his milk, left nothing but
crumbs. But his reindeer, well they were more choosey. they left bits of carrots, teeth
marks prominent laying on the dish.
Santa always brought games. Games for the family to enjoy. Many a Christmas day spent
playing Tip-It, Monopoly, Hands Down, and so many others i can't even remember. We all
played.
Those are my memories. Togetherness. Warmth. Family. Love.
Christmas.
Canada
A traditional Canadian Christmas
Whether it is a traditional Canadian Christmas I wasn't to sure, until I
started putting it down in writing.
My background is varied, French Canadian, Native Indian, Irish and
English, and I married an Arabic man. How much more traditional
could our Christmas be. Our family has intertwined both our nationalities
and have come up with our own traditions.
We start Christmas on the 24th of December, where both families get
together and have a traditional meal, of turkey, dressing, potatoes,
vegetables, kibba (a raw meat dish) cooked kibba, rice, Arabic salad
and desserts galore. While we are eating, we usually have home movies
from past Christmas playing on a huge screen. So there are a lot of
smiles, laughs and tears, from watching antics of small children, now
grown, or from seeing a familiar face that has now passed on. There is
a lot of kissing hugging and I love you, at this dinner. Being together as
a family is the mainingredient that makes it work. Later after, dinner is
finished, and just as the kids are starting to get a little antsy, Papa Noel,
or Santa or good old St. Nick, makes his appearance.
After all the cleaning up, and the dividing of the food, which is another
tradition, it is back luck, if you are the host, if every guest does not take
home at the very least a plate of food: we bundle all the children and take
them home and get them off to bed to wait for the REAL Santa to come
and fill there stockings, and place their gifts beneath the tree. The oldest
child, will then stay home, while all the adults get ready to go to Midnight
Mass. When we get home, the first thing that my husband and I do, is to
tiptoe in to each of the children's rooms, and bless them by saying,
May God keep them with us, and as happy as they are this holy night.
Christmas Day morning is spent the same as many families across
North America, sitting beneath the gaily decorated tree, opening gifts, a
huge traditional lunch. After lunch, the children 14 and older, start their
Christmas rounds, this is where they visit all their Aunts and Uncles, they
spend between 15 and 20 minutes at each home, wishing them a Merry
Christmas and prosperity in the new year.
But Christmas is not quite over, because we also celebrate Boxing Day,
which is the 26th. From what I have been told, this holiday comes from
England, and the day after Christmas, the affluent people would make up
boxes of food and fruit and leave them on the doorsteps of the poor people.
The way I celebrate boxing day, is I spend the day at our local nursing home,
taking packages of fruit and myself just to visit.
Belgium
On Christmas Eve (le réveillion de Noël, a special meal is
common. It starts with a drink (apéritif) and 'nibbles',
followed by a 'starter' course such as sea-food, and then
stuffed turkey. The dessert is 'la bûche de Noël,
('Christmas log') - cake made with cream. Father
Christmas is called 'Saint Nicholas' and he brings presents
to children on December 6th, 'St. Nicholas Day', a long
time before Christmas.
Small family presents are given at Christmas too, under the tree,
or in stockings near the fire-place, to be found in the morning.
Christmas breakfast is a special sweet bread called 'cougnou' or
'cougnolle' - the shape is supposed to be like baby Jesus. Some
families will have another big meal on Christmas day.
Brazil
Father Christmas is called Papai Noel. Many Christmas
customs are similar to USA or UK. For those who have
enough money, a special Christmas meal will be chicken,
turkey, ham, rice, salad, pork, fresh and dried fruits, often
with beer. Poorer people will just have chicken and rice.
Finland
Finnish people believe that Father Christmas (Santa Claus)
lives in the north part of Finland called Korvatunturi,
north of the Arctic Circle. People from all over the world
send letters to Santa Claus in Finland. (It is only fair to say
that the people of Greenland say that really, Father Christmas
lives in Greenland!) There is a even big tourist theme
park called 'Christmas Land' in the north of Finland, near
to where they say that Father Christmas lives.
Everyone cleans their houses ready for the three holy days of
Christmas - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Christmas
Eve is very special, when people eat rice porridge and plum fruit
juice in the morning. They will then decorate a spruce tree in the
home. At mid-day, the 'peace of Christmas' is broadcast on radio and
TV from the Finnish city of Turku by its Mayor. In the evening, a
traditional Christmas dinner is eaten. The meal will include 'casseroles'
containing macaroni, rutabaga, carrot and potato, with cooked ham or
turkey. Many families will visit cemeteries and grave-yards to place
a candle onto the burial graves of family members. Cemeteries are very
beautiful at Christmas-time.
Children receive their presents on Christmas Eve, usually with a family
member dressing as Father Christmas. As children grow older, they come
to realize that 'Father Christmas' is really a bigger brother, sister
or family member.
France
In France, Christmas is always called 'Noël. Everyone has
a Christmas tree, sometimes decorated in the old way
with red ribbons and real white wax candles. Fir trees in
the garden are often decorated too, with lights on all night.
Father Christmas is called Père Noël. The Christmas meal is an
important family gathering with good meat and the best wine.
Not everyone sends Christmas cards.
Germans love to decorate their houses at Christmas.
Many houses will have little wooden frames holding
electric candles in their windows, and colored
pictures of
paper or plastic which look beautiful from the outside at
night. Often too, they will have an 'Adventskranz' - a
wreath of leaves with four candles. (Advent - meaning
'coming' - is the 4 week period before Christmas). On
each Sunday of Advent, another candle is lit. Most homes
will also have little wooden 'cribs' - a small model of the
stable where Jesus was born, with Mary, Joseph, Baby
Jesus, and animals.
Father Christmas - 'Der Weihnachtsmann' - brings presents
in the late afternoon of Christmas Eve (December 24th),
after people have been to a church meeting. The presents
are then found under the Christmas tree. One person in the
family will ring a bell and call everyone to come to the room.
On Christmas Day, fish (carp) or goose will be cooked.
Latvia
Latvians believe that Father Christmas brings presents on
each of the 12 days of Christmas starting on Christmas
Eve. Usually the presents are put under the family
Christmas tree. (What a good idea to spread Christmas
out longer!)
The special Latvian Christmas Day meal is cooked brown
peas with bacon (pork) sauce, small pies, cabbage and sausage.
Portugal
People pretend that Father Christmas brings presents to
children on Christmas Eve. The presents are left under the
Christmas tree or in shoes by the fireplace. A special
Christmas meal of salted dry cod-fish with boiled potatoes
is eaten at midnight on Christmas Eve.
Russia
In the days of the Soviet Union, Christmas was not
celebrated very much. New Year was the important time
- when 'Father Frost' brought presents to children. With
the fall of Communism, Christmas can be openly
celebrated - either on December 25th; or more often on
January 7th. This unusual date is because the Russian
Orthodox church uses the old 'Julian' calendar for religious
celebration days. Special Christmas food includes cakes,
pies and 'meat dumplings'.
Sweden
The most important day is Christmas Eve. A special Christmas
meal is eaten on Christmas Eve - ham (pork), herring fish,
and brown beans - and this is the time when families give
presents to each other. Many people attend a church meeting
early on Christmas Day.
SCANDINAVIA
In Scandinavia, Christmas season starts on December 13, which is
known as St. Lucia Day, when the oldest daughter dresses in white, wears a wreath
with seven lighted candles, and serves coffee and buns to her family. Most
Scandinavian nations favor a roast goose on Christmas Eve, freeing up Christmas
Day for other delicacies, such as rice pudding and lutefisk.
SPAIN
A national passion for almonds and marzipan pervades the Iberian peninsula
during the Christmas season. Turrón is a nougatlike sweet made from
honey and almonds, and has ancient origins in pre-Christian Mediterranean
cultures. In Madrid and the surrounding countryside, a besugo, or white sea bass,
is roasted with lemons, onions, olive oil, and breadcrumbs for a traditional
family feast.
