(lakeside.com)
Evergreen Trees, Decorations, Presents . . . As we have quickly approached the Christmas season, these things have become much more prominent. Oftentimes, Christmas traditions vary from family to family, but it doesn’t always go that way. In fact, many countries around the world celebrate differently than what we are accustomed to. Some traditions around the world may seem quite odd to people around here, while others may be fascinating. Let’s take a look around the world to see how others spread holiday cheer.
Japan - To begin, Japan does not celebrate Christmas as a national holiday, as there is a very low percentage of Christians within the country. However, the people that do celebrate Christmas have a unique way of celebrating. It is called “Kentucky for Christmas!” This is a tradition that began in 1974 when Christmas was celebrated by buying Kentucky Fried Chicken. While this may seem very peculiar to many people, it is the standard thing to do in Japan. Many reports say that there are instances when customers have to wait outside of local KFC’s for hours to get their meals. Because of this, Christmas Eve is by far the busiest time of the year for many Japanese KFC’s!
Sweden - Imagine Santa delivering Christmas gifts all around the world while being transported by a goat. This may seem extremely impractical, but Swedish legend has it that this is true. The name of this goat is ‘Yule goat’, and it is seen in many Christmas trees in Sweden as an ornament. Additionally, in Gävle, Sweden, a large goat that is made from straw stands tall during the Christmas season. Even with this interesting way of celebrating Christmas, pranksters every once in a while still find a way to ruin this tradition. They attempt to burn down the goat, which leads to many damages left on it. Since this large goat display began in 1966, it has been burned down 37 times as of 2019. Even with this struggle of keeping the goat standing, it is still a unique holiday tradition that the Swedish love to celebrate each year!
(humanities.byu.edu)
Mexico - Christmas trees are usually the main decoration around the Christmas season, right? Well, in Mexico, there is a twist to this. Instead of putting up a common Christmas tree, many Mexicans display incredibly fancy nativity scenes instead. Since Mexico is known for its artsiness and color, it makes sense that creative nativity scenes (also known as ‘nacimientos’) are displayed. In some places in Mexico, there are whole streets that are covered with these nativity scenes that are made by local craftspeople. As the season passes along, more and more characters are added to the display, with baby Jesus being added on Christmas Eve.
(tripsavvy.com)
Norway - Rather than the traditional idea of setting out cookies and milk for Santa Claus, the people of Norway hide their brooms. This dates back to an old Norwegian belief when people thought that evil witches came around on Christmas Eve and were in search of finding their brooms!
The Philippines - Even though people around us love to decorate, not many go all out as much as the people of the Philippines. In the city of San Fernando, lanterns are famously made from materials such as bamboo and paper. These lanterns symbolize the Star of Bethlehem and contain thousands of lights. Outside of this city, many other people decide to make smaller lanterns to hang around their houses. Not only do these decorations bring the symbol of hope and holiday cheer, but they are also very fascinating to look at!
Germany - Imagine a place where everything is Christmas. Live nativity scenes, large Christmas trees, a wide variety of shops, and choirs caroling Christmas tunes. These things are only a few examples of what is included in a German Christmas Market. These markets can be found in German cities such as Nuremberg, Munich, and Stuttgart. Even though they have spread all over the world, many people say that there is no place like these German markets. It sounds like this is the place to be if you are wandering around Germany during the holiday season!
(expatica.com)
By visiting the Christmas traditions of these select places around the world, you might feel as though your traditions are quite simple. From hiding your broom in a secret place on Christmas Eve to creating spectacular nativity scenes, many countries take traditions to another level. Whether your family has any interesting traditions or not, what matters most is that you get yourself into the holiday spirit.
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