In celebration of
Christmas, I thought it would be fun to see how Christmas is celebrated outside
the United States and Canada. I found the following information at http://www.santas.net/aroundtheworld.htm. There are far more countries’ traditions
listed on that page if you want to read about them.
I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.
Australia:
Christmas in Australia is often very hot. Whereas the
northern hemisphere is in the middle of winter, Australians are baking in
summer heat.
The
warm weather allows Australians to enjoy a tradition which commenced in 1937. Carols by Candlelight is
held every year on Christmas Eve, where tens of thousands of people gather in
the city of Melbourne to sing their favorite Christmas songs. The evening is
lit by as many candles singing under a clean cut night sky. The sky with its
Southern Cross stars is like a mirror. Australians surround themselves with Christmas Bush, a native plant which has little red flowered
leaves.
Egypt:
On
the Eve of Christmas everyone goes to church wearing a completely new outfit.
The Christmas service ends at midnight with the ringing of church bells, and
then people go home to eat a special Christmas meal known as fata, which
consists of bread, rice, garlic and boiled meat.
On
Christmas morning people in Egypt visit friends and neighbors. They take with
them kaik which is a type of shortbread, which they take with them to give to
the people they visit and eaten with a drink known as shortbat. Christmas Day
is a public holiday for Christians.
Japan:
Only
1 per cent of Japanese people believe in Christ. Even so, most Japanese people
decorate their stores and homes with evergreens during Christmas.
They
enjoy giving each other gifts, and this is the part they celebrate. A Buddhist monk called Hotei-osho acts like Santa Claus and brings
presents to each house for the children. Some think he has eyes in the back of
his head, so children try to behave like he is nearby.
Among
the Japanese Christians, Christmas is not a day for the family. They do not
have turkey or plum pudding.
Instead the day is spent doing
nice things for others especially those who are sick in hospitals.
Wales:
The Welsh are great lovers of
music and so every year at Christmas, carol singing is the most enjoyed
activity. In the churches, they are sung to the harp. They are sung in people's
homes around the Christmas tree and at the doors and windows of the houses.
Taffy making is one of the
most important of the Welsh Christmas traditions, which is a special kind of
chewy toffee from brown sugar and butter. The Christmas goose is also essential.
Liberia:
Most homes have an oil palm for a Christmas tree,
which is decorated with bells. On Christmas morning, people are woken up by
carols. Presents such as cotton cloth, soap, sweets, pencils, and books are
exchanged. A church service is held in
the morning during which the Christmas scene is enacted and hymns and carols
are sung. Dinner is eaten outdoors with everyone sitting in a circle to share
the meal of rice, beef and biscuits. Games are played in the afternoon, and at
night fireworks light up the sky.
I
want to take this opportunity to wish all my IBO friends and associates (and everyone
who may read this post) a wonderful Christmas - and a great holiday season!
Whatever you are celebrating during the winter season, I hope it is your
best ever!
May
we all enjoy a healthy, safe, happy and prosperous 2014!
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