Love came down at Christmas;
love all lovely, love divine;
love was born at Christmas,
stars and angels gave the sign.
Christina G. Rossetti
Friday, 29 November 2013
Christmas Tradions from Around the World
Christmas Traditions From
Around The World
The United States and Canada celebrate in similar fashion
Christmas trees are decorated and stockings are hung on the fireplace
for Santa Claus to fill with gifts. Christmas is celebrated on
December 25th, with certain of the French Canadian communities
preferring December 24th. Many families celebrate on Christmas Eve with
presents, family feasts, and midnight Mass. Cards and gifts are
exchanged with friends and relatives. Nativity scenes, once an annual
appearance is even small town public squares have now been moved in
certain communities to church grounds. In addition to the typically
Catholic, and Protestant themed celebrations, there are also massive
public celebrations of the Christmas season with non-religious themes.
Additionally, in both the US and Canada, the people are known for
massive outreaches to the poor and homeless during this Christmas
celebration period.
China
The Christians in China light their homes with beautiful paper
lanterns during Advent. Santa is called Dun Che Lao Ren. The children
are encouraged to hang stockings like their counterparts in the US.
Many of the traditions for celebration among the Christian communities
in China were imported by the missionaries that delivered the message of
Advent.
Belgian
The children in Belgium are always excited by the approaching
Christmas season, and they celebrate the primary gift giving early,
December 6th. Saint Nicholas, riding a horse, and carrying great bags
of gifts, somehow makes the entire journey in one evening, and after
gift giving and celebration, the theme of Christmas switches to the Holy
celebration of the Christ Child.
Czechs
The Czechs celebrate Christmas by feasting, and gift giving. They
also traditionally set a place at the table for the Christ Child. In as
much as possible, the extended family celebrates Christmas together.
Denmark
The Danes celebrate the tradition of Saint Nicholas with Santa, known
as Julemanden. He arrives as in the US, in a sleigh pulled by reindeer
gifts for children of all ages. An additional tradition among the Danish
children concerns Santa’s helpers, the Elves. They are encouraged to
believe that they may live in the attic of their homes, and actually
leave milk and rice pudding for the helpers, to make sure they send the
word to Santa.
England
Other imported features of the English Tradition include the making
of Christmas lists, the giving of boxed gifts the day after Christmas to
visitors, the hanging of stockings by the fireplace, and the general
appearance of Santa with bright red robes. One tradition that even many
in England now ignore is waiting until late in the day on Christmas to
actually open gifts.
Few countries have more caroling groups then the English. The week
of Christmas, and particularly the weekend before the actual Christmas
day seems to pull every person with the slightest ability to carry a
tune into the public square and on walk about singing troops singing the
traditional Christmas melodies.
France
Many households have a type of Christmas Eve watch time, and actually
celebrate Christmas day right after the stroke of midnight with a meal
and celebratory cakes. When the children go to bed, they place their
shoes rather than their socks by the fireplace for the receipt of
special gifts, and rise early to celebrate Christmas on Christmas day.
Especially among Parisians, the manger scene figurines are dressed in
modern French fashion provincial clothing. The preparation and selling
of this years manger scene costumes is a big retailing event every year
in France.
Italy
The Italians are well known for celebrating Christmas throughout the
month of December, by do not actually have the significant exchanging of
gifts until the traditional day of the arrival of the Wise Men (January
6th) for the first Christmas family. Italy claims the first nativity
scene was actually demonstrated in Italy by Saint Francis as an object
lesson for children and today, in nearly every town and village they
have regular award as a result of contests the “best nativity scene.”
Because of this type of focus, it is said that there are more animals in
public squares in Italy during Advent, then perhaps in the rest of the
world combined.
India
Only a small percentage of the Indian households celebrate the
Christmas faith, and yet decorating for the season seems to permeate
even non Christian households in every village. Houses are typically
decorated in greenery, mango leaves, strings of light and the “Star of
Bethlehem” is hung inside the home. Small personalized gifts are the
norm and are exchanged even in non Christian homes.
Mexico and other Central American Countries
Mexicans celebrate Christmas, Navidad for a full nine days leading up
to Christmas or Holy Eve. Costumes are the norm, and either in the
public squares, or from house to house, families enjoy the theatre of
knocking on the door, being turned away as the “Inn is full”, and then
moving the party to either the back yard, or the public square. Music
is played throughout the celebrations, great regional dishes are served,
and the children are given sticks to strike the Pinata, a paper mache
creation, often in the shape of a nativity animal, filled with candy, is
made of paper mache and filled with all kinds of goodies. On the ninth
night they celebrate the Joseph and Mary were welcomed by God, Angels,
and shepherds into the Stable, enjoy a great feast, and when completed,
the entire family of all ages moves the celebration to the church to
celebrate the birth of the Christ Child.
The Netherlands
The traditions of celebration in the Netherlands are a combination of
traditions that even address their geography. They celebrate the
tradition of Saint Nicholas, known as Sinterklaas, and determined that
he originally visited Sweden by boat, setting out on December 6th, the
traditional day reserved in the church calendar, from Spain. Once
onshore, he immediately mounts a horse, and makes his gift deliveries of
candies, nuts, and small hard bread treats to the waiting shoes of
children. Old Sinterklaas is a very tricky person, able to appear,
whenever he is “accidentally witnessed in the act, as the father or
grandfather of the child. Very tricky indeed.
Poland
Spain
The citizens of Spain, largely Catholic, have traditionally
celebrated all the great themes of Christmas but the gift giving
tradition assumes that Wise men on horseback actually give the gifts to
the children in some type of annual reenactment of the first Christmas
gift giving. Special care is made to provide food for the horses and
treats for the wise men.. They typically celebrate Christmas Eve,
Nochebuena, with their families and friends with a meal. Nearly every
family will have a Nativity scene, and some are incredibly elaborate.
Families move from home to home to see their neighbor’s nativity scene.
Sweden
The eldest daughter has the privilege of serving the entire family a
special treat on Saint Lucia’s Day, December 13th. She dresses for the
part with traditional white robe like dress, special jewelry for
headdress, and wakes the family to a very traditional celebratory
breakfast of fresh baked buns, and cookies. Later in the same day, the
traditional dinner of fish is topped off with Christmas rice pudding.
Russia
The celebration of Christmas in Russia changed dramatically after the
Revolution of 1917. Many are not aware that the many traditions of
celebrating Christmas observed pre-1917 that were church based were
actually made illegal. Long Christmas parades with costume, the star of
Bethlehem on poles, and meals celebrated together before attending
Christmas Mass after visiting the Nativity scenes in the public squares
were all banned.
A different gift giver personality was created, and Saint Nicholas was replaced with Grandfather Frost.
The Russian communities now seem, in a more relaxed post USSR
atmosphere to have a mixed theme celebration during the Christmas New
Years season. The celebration with decorated tree takes place typically
on New Years, and special children’s parties are sponsored by parents,
grandparents, and even some churches. Gifts, when delivered come from
Grandfather Frost, and his helper, the Snow Maiden.
Switzerland
http://www.catholic.org/clife/advent/advent.php?id=28
Legend of the Little Drummer Boy
The Little Drummer Boy
This little Christmas Carol has always been one of my favorites. I remember thinking when I was very young that what could I give to the Baby Jesus for Christmas.. and I thought I will live my life for Him....
You may
have already heard the legends associated with Christmas, the day on which
Jesus took birth on earth. You may also know about the wise men who visited the
newborn with gifts for him. There are many such legends associated with
Christmas and you may have heard many but those unheard are still more.
Christmas, being a universally celebrated festival, has adopted and adapted to
the cultures and traditions of every part of earth. It is thus that there are
so many regional differences in the celebration and the celebrated Christmas
legends. In the legend of Christ's birth, we have heard about Mary and Joseph,
the shepherds and even the animals that came to the scene to witness the divine
moment. We're also told of the wise men who, came with expensive gifts. But,
have you heard the story of the drummer boy who accompanied the three wise men?
You may not find this legend in the bible but the message it delivers is
relevant nonetheless. Read on for details
The Story Of The Drummer Boy
Zack, a little boy, a passionate drummer, was sleeping on his bed when he was awakened by some people passing by his house. To his surprise, he saw richly dressed men mounted on camels, led by servants. Zack, who thought it was a parade, was overwhelmed with joy as he liked parades very much. He grabbed his drumsticks and joined the group and started playing his drum. The people woke up, lit candles and shouted at him for playing drum in the midnight. Even the three important people mounted on their camels weren't pleased, but Zack, the genuine parade lover, was not ready to give up the parade for any reason and thought that no parade is good without drums.
The Story Of The Drummer Boy
Zack, a little boy, a passionate drummer, was sleeping on his bed when he was awakened by some people passing by his house. To his surprise, he saw richly dressed men mounted on camels, led by servants. Zack, who thought it was a parade, was overwhelmed with joy as he liked parades very much. He grabbed his drumsticks and joined the group and started playing his drum. The people woke up, lit candles and shouted at him for playing drum in the midnight. Even the three important people mounted on their camels weren't pleased, but Zack, the genuine parade lover, was not ready to give up the parade for any reason and thought that no parade is good without drums.
They were passing Bethlehem when day gave way to night and Zack noticed a
bright star in the sky. He noticed that the important three men are also
watching the star. Finally, he saw that the star had risen on the top of a
little house and the caravan stopped in front of that small shed and the kings
went inside. Zack peeped through the window and saw a newborn baby inside,
receiving expensive gifts from the three men. Zack felt sad as he did not have
anything to give to the baby and he thought maybe he could play the drum for
the baby. Just then, Mary saw him and welcomed him inside. He played drum for
the baby and, to his surprise, he saw the baby and the three men smile.
Years later Zack died at an early age, leaving behind a beautiful and religious
wife in poverty. Once she came to know that a preacher was in town and she went
over with the last two coins that she was left with. She was embarrassed at
others' expensive gifts and quietly dropped her pennies into the box.
Yes, god values your thoughts and emotions rather than expensive gifts.
A prayer from
a sincere heart
is worth more than any amount
of expensive gifts for Him.
There are many renditions of this little song by different artists such as Bing Crosby and others but the one I love the most is by the Harry Simone Chorale... take a listen...
Have a very Blessed Christmas
with the Christ Child smiling
upon you and yours.
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