Christmas Around the World-NaKayla Williams

Lights shining bright as the sun, a mountain of presents under the tree, garland wrapped around the staircase, milk and cookies for Santa, and a reef on the door to complete a tradition celebrated for years. But Christmas is more than just giving presents and a big dinner, but a time where families gather together and spend time with one another. A holiday that dates back to the biblical era, Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays in America. But what about outside of America? How is Christmas celebrated in other countries? Is Christmas celebrated in other countries? America is known as the melting pot filled with people of different races, religions, and beliefs, but yet we do not take interest in their culture and traditions. So let’s take a trip around the world and see how “Merry Christmas” is said in a different language. Traveling down south 2804.28 to Latin America, Christmas is known as Las Posadas, Navidad and Dia de los Tres Reye. Throughout the season there are many bright flowers and beautiful nights. They sing Christmas carols and eat many of the traditional holiday food influenced by the indigenous people of the land and the arrival of the Roman Catholics hundred years ago. Christmas is centered on the story Nacimiento, Christ's Child just like America centering Christmas on the birth of Jesus in the manger. 2354 miles south of Latin America is Argentina where Merry Christmas means Feliz Navidad. In Argentina most families go to church and then come home for a big feast. At midnight they toast and the adults dance while the children play and watch the fireworks. The houses are decorated with beautiful long red and green garland. Similar to American tradition dinner consists of roasted turkey, roasted pork, but Argentina adds a little twist adding Christmas's bread and puddings and stuffed tomatoes, mince pies. Their toast(drink) is made of different fruit mixed with cider and juice. 6575 miles east of Argentina off the coast of Africa is the Congo. Christmas is first celebrated with carolers singing through the village. Their voices are heard through and fro all the villages waking up Africa to get ready for their early morning church service. They have a love offering in church as a gift to honor Jesus. Then at about 8 or 9 o’clock they make way for the celebration of Jesus’’ birthday. After service dinner is served. Enough tables are served for everyone so every intimate friend is invited. But even before all the celebration the Congo prepares for a Christmas pageant to be put on during dinner. Further down south, Christmas is no longer greeted with snow and freezing temperatures but the hot blazing sun, as it is a summer holiday. Instead of hitting the beach, the people in South Africa are hitting the beach. School is closed and gorgeous flowers are bursting out at the seams. On Christmas Eve, the carolers make their rounds and church services are held on Christmas morning. At home, pine branches are used as decorations and stockings are put up for Father Christmas. Depending on what part of Africa Merry Christmas can be said as Geseënde Kersfees, Een Plesierige Kerfees and, Rehus-Beal-Ledeats. Continuing going 6537 miles west across the India Ocean to Australia , Christmas is also hot. A traditional dinner includes turkey, ham, and pork and a Christmas plum pudding for dessert which usually contain gold nugget. Their dinner usually takes place on the beach or other familes have a picnic. If one decides to stay home , the day is completed with swimming, Crircket, and various outdoor activities. The unusual warm weather allows the people of Australia to practice their tradition of Carols by Candlelight which started in 1937. It is held every year on Christmas Eve. Thousands of people gather in Melbourne to sing their favorite carols. The night is lit by hundreds of candles. Making the night even better, the Southern Cross stars shine bright in the night mirroring the light of the candles. They surround themselves with Christmas Bush, a native plant with red flowered leaves. Heading north to Asia, the little children of China decorate their trees with colorful ornaments. They are made from paper in the shapes of flowers, chains and lanterns. They hang stockings hoping that, Dun Che Lao Ren, which is Chinese for “Christmas Old Man” or Santa Clause, fills them with treats and gifts. They call this season the Spring Festival in which they celebrate with many appetizing meals and pay respects to the ancestors. The children are the main focus, as they are in every country on Christmas, they receive new clothes and toys while eating and watching firecrackers. In India, mango and bananas trees are decorated. They light small lamps as Christmas decoration and fill their churches with the poinsettias. They are perfectly yin bloom during Christmas time. They give presents to their family members and to charity. In southern India the Christian put small clumps of clay of the rooftops of their house just as the Hindus do in a celebration called Diwali. Westward toward Europe, Christmas in England is similar toward America’s. They enjoy beautiful music and hang up evergreen tree branches. They have a custom called mummering where they act out Christmas plays while wearing masks. Their Santa Clause is known as Father Christmas. He wears a long green and red robe and leaves presents in the stockings or pillowcase on Christmas Eve. The day after Christmas is known as Boxing Day because the young boys go around collecting money in clay boxes. Their dinner is ate midday and consists of turkey with vegetables and sauces. For dessert rich, fruity Christmas pudding with brandy sauce is served and mince pies, pastry cases filled with a mixture of chopped dried fruit. In France, the children leave their shoes by the fire place in hope of Pere Noel filing them with gifts. In the cathedral square the story of Christ is reenacted in by both players and puppets. Christmas trees are not really a tradition held by the French, but they do eat this cake called the buche de Nol, which means "Christmas Log”. In southern France is a log is burned in the home from Christmas Eve till New Year’s Eve. On Christmas Eve churches and cathedrals ring out carols with church bells. In the north of France, gifts are given on December 6th instead of Christmas day and the adults give/receive gifts on New Year’s. Christmas is more than just a holiday for giving gifts, but a time to worship and spend time with the ones who has made that year special. Christmas can be celebrated in a million of creative , fun ways that involvess huge feasts , carols, and worship. So Shuvo Naba Barsha, Sheng Dan Kuai Le, Joyeux Noel, Fröhliche Weihnachten, Buone Feste Natalizie, and Merry Christmas to all.