Community Corner

Holiday Traditions the World Over

The United States has its own holiday customs, but what about other countries?

In New Jersey, Christmas Eve traditions can range from watching "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" to attending mass to catching "It’s a Wonderful Life" or taking a tour of the lights around town.

In some houses, the Yule Log (which I didn’t know existed until, a few years ago, an ex-boyfriend’s step mom had a bit too much wine and insisted we turn it on.) is a necessity since there’s no fireplace. In others, a celebration might include eating seven fish dishes for good luck, or building a Christmas tree out of sugar cookies.

But what about outside of America? The customs that seem traditional to us, like decking the house with outdoor light or watching the Grinch recruit Max as a reindeer, just don’t hold.

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Instead of the traditional five things that are happening around town—let’s face it, there’s not a whole lot going on today or tomorrow—take a look at the traditional celebrations in other countries.

All information is from The Magic of Christmas: Customs and Traditions from Around the World  by Linda Alchin.

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Here’s what you need to know about Christmas in other countries:

  1. You Need to Know About the Land Down Under: In Australia, Christmas is a summer holiday, so think about the beach rather than winter coats. Decorations include trees as well as Christmas Bushes— a native plant with small red-flowered leaves. Boxing Day, celebrated the day after Christmas, is also a holiday that Australians spend by cleaning up after the Christmas festivities and by watching sports—including the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race and the Boxing Day Cricket Test Match.
  2. You Need to Know About Deutschland: The Christmas holidays begin on Nikolaustag, when children leave a shoe outside their doors the night before the Dec. 6 holiday. If they’re good, they’ll find small gifts, but a rod if they’re bad. If the warning’s not enough, Knecht Ruprecht (a farmhand or servant named Ruprecht) will accompany Saint Nicholas (also Weihnachtsmann) and punish the kids who haven’t behaved.
  3. You Need to Know About India: Though most Indians don’t celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, many of its traditions passed into the culture during its time as a British colony. The celebration tends to coincide with the country’s winter solstice, Makar Sakranti, but it’s also knows as “bada din”—the big day. Many Indians will enjoy a day of community feasting that includes mutton stews, roast meats, homemade cookies and other sweets. Santa Claus doesn’t skip over India either—he’ll bring gifts to the good children there, too.
  4. You Need to Know About Peru: The main focus of Peruvian decorations is the nativity, which figure into the country’s folk art traditions. The country’s Quenchua people often carve manger scenes from wood. Noche Buena—“good night”—is when Nino Jesus—Santa Claus—will come to fill stockings kids placed near the manger scene. The festivities end on the Feast of the Epiphany, Jan. 6.
  5. You Need to Know About Portugal: Christmas is a primarily religious holiday for the Portuguese, and holiday decorations center around an elaborate nativity scene. Gift giving happens in several waves, with Pai Natal bringing gifts on Christmas Day and on the Feast of the Epiphany, and gift exchanges occurring on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the Feast of Holy Innocents. During the Christmas Day celebration, families will leave extra spaces at their tables and prepare extra food in honor of the dead—a custom that’s believed to bring them good luck in the coming year.


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