Christmas Around The World
Tis The Season
What Is The Christmas Spirit
It is a mood or attitude appropriate to the Christmas season, especially one involving feelings of goodwill, benevolence and a willingness to enjoy oneself.
Hope, charity and redemption characterize the Christmas spirit.
How Many Countries Celebrate Christmas
Christmas is celebrated in ninety countries around the world. Some have different traditions and celebrate in different ways.
How Do People Celebrate Christmas
Usually the way people celebrate Christmas is by exchanging gifts, decorating their homes, celebrating with parades or parties, dedication prayer and sharing food and drink. There are some twists and turns about how they celebrate and we will discuss this in this article.
Five Weird And Wonderful Christmas Traditions Around The World
1. Philippines - Giant Lantern Festival- This included a competition to build the most elaborate lantern.
2. Norway - Never leave a good broom behind in Norway over Christmas, it just might get stolen. One of the most unorthrodox Christmas Eve traditions can be found in Norway, where people hide their brooms. It is a tradition that dates back centuries to when people believed that witches and evil spirits came out on Christmas Eve looking for brooms to ride on. To this day many people hide their brooms in the safest place in the house to stop them from being stolen.
3. Germany - St.Nicholas Day - Saint Nicholas with his three amigos--Santa Clause, Kenecht Ruprecht and a donkey. It is not to be confused with Father Christmas. Nickolaus travels by donkey in the middle of the night on December 6, and leaves little treats, like coins, chocolate, oranges, and toys in the shoes of good children all over Germany and particularly in the Bavarion region. Saint Nicholas also visit children in schools or at home and in exchange for sweets or a small present, each child must recite a poem, sing a song or draw a picture.
4. The Yule Lads - Iceland- Icelandic Yule Lads run amok this time of year in one of the more mischievous Christmas traditions. In the 13 days leading up to Christmas, 13 tricky troll-like characters come out to play in Iceland. The Yule Lads visit the children across the country over the 13 nights leading up to Christmas. For each night of yuletide, children place their best shoes by the window and a different Yule Lad visits, leaving gifts for nice girls and boys and rotting potatoes for the naughty ones. Clad in traditional Icelandic costumes, these fellas are pretty mischievous, and they have names that hint at the type of trouble they like to cause.
5. The United States of America - This is probably the most common belief and it is shard by millions around the world. In America, the holilday, celebrates the birth of Christ, and is celebrated by giving of gifts, brightly lit decorations , a decorated tree, and a celebratory dinner, that is enjoyed by family and friends.
6. Venezuela - Enjoy a Christmas dinner consisting of "Tamalas" in Venezuela. Vist Caracus Venezuela for a bazarre twist of celebrating. Every Christmas Eve, the cities residents head to church in the early morning, and for reasons only known to them, they do it on roller skates. The unique tradition is so popular that roads across the city are closed to cars so that people can skate to church safely, before heading home for the less-than-traditional Christmas dinner of Tamalas ( a wrap made out of cornmeal dough and stuffed with meat, then steamed).
Remember, no matter what you believe and how you celebrate, we are all under the same stars at night, and we will all always be more alike than we are different.
Merry Christmas To Everyone And Thank You For Reading
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!!!!!!!
About the Creator
Gregory Payton
I am retired Air Force. I like to write poetry, and about the economy, and about current event. I have lost a lot in my life and I also write about processing grief.
I hope you find my work interesting.
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Comments (15)
Roller skates to church, never heard of. A fun read, totally enjoyed it.
Thank you for this! Very interesting. I don't know why I didn't know any of this.💗💕💖
Loved this article. Learned a lot more about Christmas! Thanks to sharing!
Learned a lot about Christmas. Great article. Congrats on the top story well deserved
Gregory, thanks for sharing this story, and congratulations on top story! I am familiar with Germany's traditions. When I was small my father was stationed there. I like the ritual of the shoes. My mum said I got lots of chocolates during Christmas. As for Venezuela's roller skates and tamalas, I think that is pretty awesome.
I found these facts interesting. The staking to church is cool and I like the Yule Lads. A good way to make sure kids are being good.
90 countries celebrate this holiday. I do not think I would have guessed that. Congratulaions
Very interesting article. Congrats on the TS.
Congrats to TS. In Denmark we walk around the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve singing the old Danish songs or carols, or you do the fast with "Now it's Christmas again" (nu er det jul igen) running around the tree and around in the house...
Congratulations on earning TS :)
It's so interesting how similar customs have developed throughout the world, Venezuela sounds like an especially fun time ✨great work!
I think the Christmas trees we love in the UK and the USA were also originally from Germany weren't they?
This was a fun read, I have always been interested in how other countries celebrate Christmas. Iceland's has a fascinating way! I have to look up the Yule Lad trolls!
Iceland also has an awesome tradition of giving books away on Christmas Eve! Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!
Happy holidays! Love that Norwegian tradition of hiding the broom!