The flickering lights, towering Christmas trees, carols ringing in the air, tinsel decorations in sight, Santa and his elves rolling through the streets, the smell of baked goods wafting around and so much more are telltale signs of the good ol’ Christmas approaching. While the event is originally religious, its traditions and spirit are infectious enough to be adopted as a global celebration.
Since prehistoric times, the last days of December have held festivities. In many parts of the world, Christmas is celebrated as the day when Jesus Christ was born. In other regions, the day is celebrated as Yule or the winter solstice. It marks the period when the days get longer and nights shorter, often celebrated as the rebirth of the sun itself or sun deities in the olden times. The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah begins in late November and goes on till late December. In some regions of the world, it rivals and often mirrors Christmas celebrations given the proximity of the two events.
Christmas is a joyous time for all ages and each country does it differently. Even though the holiday spirit takes over the entire world, people belonging to different countries celebrate the day in their fashion.
Pakistan is one of the countries of the world that is predominantly Islamic but one of its minorities includes Christians. The number of Christians is estimated to be around 5 million people in the country. As they are a minority, there are a few Christian-dominated areas in major cities. As 25th December nears, churches start filling up and the people begin their rituals. The areas which have a concentration of Christians are adorned with Christmas decorations and most of the houses put a star on top of their roofs.
On the day itself, masses congregate to the churches of their areas and engage in prayers and festivities. Pakistani Christians also take this day to spread joy in the neighborhood by caroling and sending sweets to their loved ones. Churches try to raise money for charity through different activities. In general, Christmas is a time of merriment, eating together, and connecting with families for people celebrating in the country. As there is a safety threat towards minorities in the country, security details are often observed if a procession takes place.
North America celebrates Christmas lavishly and lovingly. The event is celebrated by both religious and non-religious people. Groups that carol throughout the day, Santa appearances, food that warms up the soul and more are common in the U.S. It is a time when families band together in gift-giving, cooking, playing games, and feasts. One common tradition is to place and decorate a traditional fir tree and transform it into a Christmas tree to welcome the Christmas spirit in the house. Children observe the day by keeping out socks/stockings on Christmas Eve and wake up to gifts brought by Santa and his little workers. Christmas food is hearty like roasted ham, eggnog, baked goods, etc.
In Washington D.C., a nine feet Menorah lights up to celebrate Hanukkah or the Festival of Light. The Menorah is located on the grounds of the White House and each candle is lit up at 4 pm for eight consecutive days and nights. New Yorkers often flock in masses to observe traditions like viewing the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center or attending the Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the Rockettes.
To bring about the Christmas spirit, Austrians often dress up as a beast-like creature called Krampus that is seen on the streets during the festivities of St. Nicholas Day. Krampus is reserved for naughty children and he punishes them by taking them away. The creature has a monster-like face and wears chains and bells.
Christmas is celebrated with a bang in the Philippines as the celebrations go on for around four months. Marot Nelmida-Flores, a professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman said, “Christmas fever starts on Sept. 1 and ends the first week of January.”
One of the anticipated traditions is the event called Giant Lantern Festival (Ligligan Parul Sampernandu). It takes place in San Fernando where eleven villages try to outdo each other by building the most elaborate and eye-catching lanterns or paróls, which often go up to 6 meters.
Christmas in the UK is pretty similar to that in the US but the children hang their stockings over the edge of their beds. As is British humor, people wear paper crowns and bust open crackers to read jokes and share laughs with the family. Queen Elizabeth gives a speech on the day and the next day is Boxing Day, a holiday for all the local folks. The common Christmas food is pies, puddings, brandy, etc.
As Ukraine has a majority of Orthodox Christians, around 49%, their churches follow the Julian calendar hence many people celebrate Christmas on January 7. The Ukrainian Christians rejoice in the holiday spirit by donning their traditional garments and singing carols in the streets. Vertep, puppet theatre, is also a beloved and famous Christmas tradition. One dish that screams Christmas for them is kutya which is made with wheat, poppy seeds, nuts, and honey. Some households even through a bite of it up to the ceiling and if it sticks there, it indicates a good harvest.
Japan is perhaps one of the countries with the most bizarre Christmas tradition. As Christmas is not widely celebrated, KFC started a ritual in 1974 and named it “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” or “Kentucky for Christmas!”. The Christian population is around 1% in the country but each year, they celebrate by either placing their orders months to KFC before or standing in lines for hours upon end.
In Spain, Christmas Eve is called Nochebuena and people often go to a midnight mass called “La Misa Del Gallo” or The Mass of the Rooster. Seafood dishes are popularly eaten on Christmas Day and the famous desserts are ‘mazapán’, ‘turrón’, and ‘polvorones. Since the 1800s, an annual lottery is held called El Gordo or The Big One. The presents are received on Christmas itself but they are unwrapped on January 6 which is also called Epiphany. It is said to be the day when the Three Wise Men brought presents for baby Jesus.
Christmas in Kenya is focused on reconnecting with family through gatherings and food. The people partake in vigils and instead of using fir trees, they decorate Cyprus or local evergreen trees with lights and Christmas ornaments. The Christmas food involves dishes of rice and a variety of meat.
A most wonderful Christmas tradition in Sweden is that of a giant Yule Goat, 13 meters tall which is decorated heavily. The tradition has been going on since 1966 and it is located in the Gävle’s Castle Square. A mischievous linked tradition is that people often try to burn down the goat. It has been burned down around 29 times and the last torching took place in 2016.
Every country of the world celebrates Christmas in its own unique and beautiful way. It is a time when humans tend to gather together, spread love and joy, and enjoy each other’s company and the ensuing festivities. The range of traditions followed is wondrous and includes things like Secret Santa, fireworks, Yule Lads traipsing away, visits from Father Frost and so much more.
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