Christmas Traditions Around the World
Canada
German settles migrated to Canada from the United States in the
1700's. They brought with them many of the things associated with
Christmas we cherish today: Advent calendars, gingerbread houses,
cookies--and Christmas trees. When Queen Victoria’s German husband,
Prince Albert, put up a Christmas tree at Windsor Castle in 1848, the
Christmas tree became a tradition throughout England, the United
States and Canada.
Mexico
In most Mexican homes the principal holiday adornment is el Nacimiento
(Nativity scene). However, a decorated Christmas tree may be
incorporated in the Nacimiento or set up elsewhere in the home. The
typical arbolito (little tree) is often an artificial one, a bare
branch cut from a copal tree (Bursera microphylla) or some type
of shrub collected from the countryside.
Britain
The Norway Spruce is the traditional species used to decorate homes in
Britain. The Norway Spruce was a native species in the British Isles
before the last Ice Age and was reintroduced there before the 1500's.
Greenland
Christmas trees are imported, as no trees live this far north. They
are decorated with candles and bright ornaments.
Guatemala
The Christmas tree has joined the "Nacimiento" (Nativity scene) as a
popular ornament because of the large German population in Guatemala.
Gifts are left under the tree on Christmas morning for the children.
Parents and adults do not exchange gifts until New Year’s Day.
Finland
The earliest account of a Christmas tree in a Finnish home is from the
year 1829, when a Helsinki nobleman, Barön Klinckowstrom, had eight of
them indoors. Within the next hundred years the Christmas tree
tradition spread from the west and the south to all parts of Finland.
The first outdoor Christmas tree decorated with electric lights stood
in the market square in the town of Pietarsaari in 1905. The city of
Helsinki has erected a Christms tree in the Senate Square since 1930.
Since 1954, Helsinki has donated a Christmas tree to the Belgian
capital, Brussels. Source:
Christmas With Virtual Finland
Brazil
Although Christmas falls during the summer in Brazil, sometimes pine
trees are decorated with little pieces of cotton that represent
falling snow.
Ireland
Christmas trees are brought in anytime in December and decorated with
colored lights, tinsel, and baubles. Some people favor the angel on
top of the tree, others the star. The house is decorated with
garlands, candles, holly and ivy. Wreaths and mistletoe are hung on
the door.
Sweden
Most people buy Christmas trees well before Christmas Eve, but it’s
not uncommon to take the tree inside and decorate it just a few days
before. Evergreen trees are decorated with stars, sunbursts and
snowflakes made from straw. Other decorations include colorful wooden
animals and straw centerpieces.
Norway
Nowadays Norwegians often take a trip to the woods to select a
Christmas tree, a trip that their grandfathers probably did not make.
The Christmas tree was not introduced into Norway from Germany until
the latter half of the nineteenth century, to the country districts it
came even later. When Christmas Eve arrives, there is the decorating
of the tree, usually done by the parents behind the closed doors of
the living room, while the children wait with excitement outside. Then
follows a Norwegian ritual known as "circling the Christmas tree."
Everyone joins hands to form a ring around the tree and they then walk
around it singing carols. Afterwards, gifts are distributed.
Ukraine
Celebrated on December 25th by Catholics and on January 7th by
Orthodox Christians, Christmas is the most popular holiday in the
Ukraine. During the Christmas season, which also includes New Year’s
Day, people decorate fir trees and have parties.
Spain
A popular Christmas custom is Catalonia, a lucky strike game. A tree
trunk is filled with goodies and children hit at the trunk trying to
knock out the hazel nuts, almonds, toffee and other treats.
Italy
In Italy, the presepio (manger or crib) represents in miniature the
Holy Family in the stable and is the center of Christmas for families.
Guests kneel before it and musicians sing before it . The presepio
figures are usually hand-carved and very detailed in features and
dress. The scene is often set out in the shape of a triangle. It
provides the base of a pyramid-like structure called the ceppo. This
is a wooden frame arranged to make a pyramid several feet high.
Several tiers of thin shelves are supported by this frame. It is
entirely decorated with colored paper, gilt pine cones and miniature
colored pennants. Small candles are fastened to the tapering sides. A
star or small doll is hung at the apex of the triangular sides. The
shelves above the manger scene have small gifts of fruit, candy and
presents. The ceppo is in the old Tree of Light tradition which became
the Christmas tree in other countries. Some houses even have a ceppo
for each child in the family.
Germany
Many Christmas traditions practiced around the world today started in
Germany. It has been long thought that Martin Luther began the
tradition of bringing a fir tree into the home. According to one
legend, late one evening Martin Luther was walking home through the
woods and noticed how beautifully the stars shined through the trees.
He wanted to share the beauty with his wife so he cut down a fir tree
and took it home. Once inside he placed small lighted candles on the
branches and said that it would be a symbol of the beautiful Christmas
sky. Hence, the Christmas tree.
Another legend says that in the early sixteenth century, people in
Germany combined two customs that had been practiced in different
countries around the globe. The Paradise tree (a fir tree decorated
with apples) represented the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden.
The Christmas Light, a small pyramid-like frame, usually decorated
with glass balls and tinsel and with a candle on top, was a symbol of
the birth of Christ as the Light of the World. Changing the tree’s
apples to tinsel balls and cookies; and combining this new tree with
the Light placed on top, the Germans created the tree that many of us
know now.
Today, the Tannenbaum (Christmas Tree) is traditionally decorated
in secret with lights, tinsel and ornaments by the mother and is lit
and revealed on Christmas Eve with cookies, nuts and gifts under its
branches.
South Africa
Christmas is a summer holiday in South Africa. Although Christmas
trees are not common, windows are often draped with sparkling cotton,
wool, and tinsel.
Saudi Arabia
Christian Americans, Europeans, Indians, Filipinos and others living
in Saudi Arabia have to celebrate Christmas privately in their own
homes. Christmas lights are generally not tolerated. Most families
place their Christmas trees somewhere inconspicuous.
Phillipines
Fresh pine trees are too expensive for many Filipinos, so handmade
trees in an array of colors and sizes are often used. Star lanterns or
parol, appear everywhere in December. They are made from bamboo
sticks, covered with brightly colored rice paper or cellophane and
usually feature a tassel on each point. There is usually one in every
window, each representing the Star of Bethlehem.
China
Of the small percentage of Chinese who do celebrate Christmas, most
erect artificial trees decorated with spangles and paper chains,
flowers and lanterns. Christmas trees are called "trees of light."
Japanese
For most of the Japanese who celebrate Christmas, it’s purely a
secular holiday devoted to the love of their children. Christmas trees
are decorated with small toys, dolls, paper ornaments, gold paper fans
and lanterns and wind chimes. Miniature candles are also put among the
tree branches. One of the most popular ornaments is the origami swan.
Japanese children have exchanged thousands of folded paper "birds of
peace" with young people all over the world as a pledge that war must
not happen again.
Adapted from History Channel website at
http://www.historychannel.com/.
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