Christmas Around The World

Christmas is celebrated on different days and in different ways all around the world. Although many countries celebrate Christmas we may not quite recognize it as such because it is done in a very different way.

In China, Christian children decorate ornaments made from paper. For example flowers, chains and lanterns to hang from the trees. The Chinese Christmas tree is called ‘tree of light’.

The non-Christian Chinese call this season the spring festival; which they celebrate and pay their respect to their ancestors. The children are the main focus of these celebrations and they receive candy and clothes. The Chinese call Santa Claus Dun Che Lau Ren, which means Christmas old man.

In Egypt the Coptic is an Orthodox church where Christmas is celebrated on the 7th day of January. Advent is observed for forty days and during this period people can not eat meat, poultry or dairy products. Everyone goes to church on Christmas Eve night. After church they go home to eat a special dinner know as fata, which is bread, rice, garlic and boiled meat. On Christmas morning people visit family and friends and take with them kaik to give to them, it is to be eaten with a drink called shorbat. Christmas is a public holiday for Christians.

In Ireland Christmas lasts from Christmas Eve to the Feast of Epiphany on January 6, which is also known as Little Christmas. Little red candles are usually placed in the windows as a guide for Joseph and Mary as they might be looking for a shelter. Irish women make a seed cake for each person in the family.

After the Christmas meal bread and milk are left the door and the door is left opened to show hospitality. It is an Irish tradition to leave minced pies and a bottle of Guinness as a snack for Santa.

In Belgium they have two Santas. St Nicholas visits the kids who speak the Walloon language and Pere Noel visits the kids who speak French. St Nicholas actually visits the kids twice. He comes first on December 4th to ask the kids if they have been good throughout the year and then again on December 6 to give the good kids their present. The bad kids will usually get sticks or twigs left in their shoe or in a small basket inside their room. Christmas is on December 6th; it is a religious occasion and celebrated in a church with a nice service.

The world is a huge place with lots of different countries and ways of doing things. It’s interesting to compare and contrast our beliefs and traditions. No matter where you are or how you celebrate I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas.