Where you go, Christmas traditions you can find. While in Italy nativity scenes, trees and rich dinners based on fish and meat dominate, in Norway they hide brooms to ward off witches, in Japan they eat fried chicken, in Australia they go to the beach and in Germany there are Krampus. While the majority celebrate it on December 25, Orthodox Christians (Russia) celebrate it on January 7, and countries like North Korea, Saudi Arabia e Mongolia they don’t officially recognize it. Some cultures (for example in Japan and India) have adopted it with unique uses.
So how is the Christian holiday celebrated around the world? In Great Britain Christmas is highly anticipated and heartfelt, with great symbolic meaning and characterized by intense fervor. As in ItaliaDecember 25th is Children’s Day. In the United Kingdom, children have been waiting for it since November, when they write the famous letter in which they list the gifts they would like to find under the tree. The one to leave the packages under the tree will be “Father Christmas”, the British equivalent of Santa Claus, accompanied by the reindeer Rudolph. To thank him, English children usually leave him some milk and a mince pietypical English dessert.
In the United States and in Canada, families decorate trees, put on lights and hang stockings for Santa above the fireplace. Vigils are celebrated on December 24th, while December 25th is the actual day of celebration, dedicated to family lunch and the exchange of gifts. The Christmas markets, parades and concerts make the festive atmosphere particularly lively, while the cities light up with spectacular decorations, especially large ones like New York: there, Christmas is a spectacle to be experienced at least once in a lifetime. The tree of Rockefeller Center is the indisputable symbol of Christmas in New York, a true institution, and its lighting is a globally known event and officially kicks off the Christmas holidays: it is usually held on the Wednesday following Thanksgiving. The tree remains available to visitors until January 7th.
The peculiarity of Christmas in Brazil is that it falls during the summer, with the heat and the sun: a little different than usual. However, it is celebrated with a mix of religious and convivial traditions. Eve, called Christmas nightis dedicated to Mass and large family dinners with typical dishes such as turkey, rice and dried fruit. Cities are lit up with lights and decorations, and open-air shows and concerts are organized in many places. December 25th is more intimate and dedicated to lunches and visits to relatives. Here too the festive atmosphere continues until the Epiphany.
Sun, heat, and outdoor barbecue: in AustraliaChristmas coincides with the height of summer. This means long days, high temperatures and lots and lots of sun. It’s not uncommon to see Santa Claus riding the waves on a surfboard or people wearing Christmas hats on the beach.
Like many other Northern European countries, also the Germania It is festively decorated during the months leading up to Christmas Day. Here, as in Great Britain, the Christmas spirit is felt as early as the end of November, when the first Christmas markets begin to be set up in the squares and streets of every city in the country. Almost all the products on display are the result of local craftsmanship, including candles, puppets, toys, decorated balls for the Christmas tree and even gastronomic products. According to Germanic tradition, the actual dances begin on December 6, on Nikolaustag day. Legend has it that, during the night of December 5th, the children prepare for the arrival of St. Nicholas leaving your shoes on the windowsill or outside the front door. During the night, Saint Nicholas wanders around the houses, holding a large book in his hand in which he has written down the behavior of each child and carrying a bag full of sweets and wooden twigs on his shoulder.
The Christmas period is also very popular in Japan, where it is experienced differently than in the West. Christmas is seen as a time of widespread happiness rather than a religious celebration. December 24th is celebrated party for lovers and for families with small children: couples go out to dinner, specifically to eat fried chicken and the famous one Christmas Cakethat is, a simple sponge cake with whipped cream and decorated with strawberries and images of Santa Claus. Even in Japan it is tradition to exchange a gift, but only between lovers.
The comet star The famous Star of Bethlehem that guided the three Magi to Jesus is a symbol of the birth of Jesus and its appearance, in Poland, is a kind of signal to sit at the table. After dinner comes the moment long awaited especially by the children with the exchange of gifts. Tradition affects the whole world. In Poland it recalls the gifts received by baby Jesus from the Three Wise Men.
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