Christmas is a religious holiday and increasingly a secular holiday heavily influenced by local culture. As a result, Christmas traditions are as diverse as the world is culturally diverse.
In the United States, for example, Christmas traditions are a literal potpourri of Christmas traditions brought by immigrants, mostly Europeans. For example, Yule log (English), Christmas tree (German), carols or noels (France), Santa Claus (Dutch). In more recent times, new Christmas traditions have arrived with the more recent immigrants, such as luminarias (Mexico City) and “Merry Christmas!” salute (Latin America in general).
Here’s a whirlwind tour of some of the fun and different Christmas traditions from around the world.
Africa
Christmas traditions in Africa are culturally rich and diverse. In Ghana, Christmas Eve is marked by children parading through the streets singing Christmas songs and shouting “Christ is coming, Christ is coming! He is near!” Church services are held on both Christmas Eve and Christmas. After church services, family and close friends celebrate a meal of fufu, a dish made from rice and yams, with okra stew or soup, porridge, and meats.
In Liberia, oil palms decorated with bells are used as a Christmas tree. On Christmas Day, simple gifts are exchanged among friends and family, such as cotton cloth, soap, candy, pencils, and books. Church services on Christmas morning often have a re-enactment of the first Christmas. The Christmas dinner, consisting of rice, beef and biscuits, is held outdoors. Friends and family enjoy nightly games and fireworks.
Asia
While the peoples and cultures of Asia are far removed from Christianity and its Christmas traditions, local Asian Christians have uniquely blended their Christian faith with their local cultures. For example, Christmas in China (the Festival of the Holy Birth) has many of the traditional Christmas symbols. Chinese Christian families decorate Christmas trees, or Trees of Light, with red paper strings (red is the color of happiness in Chinese cultures), lanterns, and flowers. The children eagerly await the arrival of Dun Che Lao Ren, who in Chinese means “Old Man of Christmas.” When permitted by local law, Asian Christians gather in churches on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to celebrate the birth of Christ.
Although the vast majority of Asians are not Christians, the secular aspects of Western Christmas traditions—Christmas trees and gifts—have caught on among many of Asia’s upper and middle classes. All over Asia at Christmas, you can find department stores decorated with Christmas trees, Christmas lights, and the occasional Santa Claus.
Europe
An American would be very comfortable with Christmas celebrations all over Europe, since many of the Christmas traditions in the United States originated in Europe. Of course, many Christmas traditions in England have been adopted in America: mistletoe, Christmas logs, Christmas hymns (“Listen! The Herald’s Angel Sings,” “Deck the Halls”), Christmas carols, Christmas stories (“A Christmas Carol “Dickens’s). , roasted chestnuts, wassail, stockings lying by the fireplace.
But even in England, there are unique Christmas traditions: Christmas dinners with turkey stuffed with chestnuts, roast goose with currants, Yorkshire pudding, Christmas cake. On Christmas Day, the Queen gives a Christmas greeting on radio and television. Perhaps the most perplexing for her American cousins is Boxing Day, the day after Christmas when people hand out small gifts to the service providers and merchants they deal with throughout the year.
Each European country has its unique Christmas traditions, as well as traditions that are shared with other Western cultures. In Germany, children enthusiastically count down the days before Christmas with an Advent calendar. In the Netherlands, children anticipate the arrival of Sinterklaas on Saint Nicholas Day on December 6 with a letterbanket, a cake in the shape of the first letter of the family’s last name. In Sweden In Sweden, the Christmas festivities begin on December 13 with the day of Saint Lucia, the patron saint of light. Early in the morning on Saint Lucia Day, the eldest daughter of a Swedish family dresses up as the “Queen of Light” (in a long white dress and a crown of leaves). She goes into each family member’s room to serve them treats.
Latin America
Navidad (Christmas) is a colorful and exciting holiday throughout Latin America. While the celebrations vary widely, the religious significance remains the focus of the celebration. Mexico is a typical example of the focus on the original Christmas story. In Mexico, Las Posadas, the nine-day recreation of María and José’s journey to Bethlehem begins on December 16. For the next 8 nights, celebrants re-enact Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging by going door to door with two costumed children carrying images of Mary and Joseph. On Christmas Eve (Buena Noche), the children lead the procession to the local church and place Mary and Joseph in the nativity scene (manger or manger). Mass is held at midnight followed by church bells and fireworks.
Poinsettia, piñatas, farolitos (luminaries), and tamales are a joyous part of the Christmas season in Mexico. Poinsettia flowers, with their star-shaped red flowers, decorate Mexican homes and serve as a memory of the child who went to church to see the manger but had no gift for baby Jesus. On his way, he found some green twigs that he brought and placed next to the nativity scene as a gift. Some people laughed at the sincere but humble gift from him. However, these little branches soon bloomed with beautiful red poinsettia flowers.
During the holiday season and on Christmas Day, piñatas, papier-mâché Christmas figures and symbols, are filled with candy and suspended in the air on a string while blindfolded children attempt to break them with a stick. When the piñata breaks, the candy spills all over the floor and the kids rush to retrieve what they can.
January 6 (Three Kings Day) marks the end of almost month-long Christmas celebrations throughout Latin America. In Mexico, on the eve of January 5, children leave their shoes on the windowsill and find them full of sweets and small gifts the next morning. In Venezuela, children leave straw by their beds on January 5, only to discover the next morning that the straw has been replaced by gifts.
No matter where in the world one visits, joyous and colorful holiday celebrations await. Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Froehliche Weihnachten, Mele Kalikimaka!