There are many different ways to celebrate the holiday Christmas around the world. Whether you are in Asia, Europe, The United States or Australia, each group has their similarities and differences when it comes down to Christmas activities and the way the holiday is celebrated.
Christmas in the United States is based on many of the European traditions of Christmas. However, because of the various cultures and influences in the country there are some differences as well. One of the main holiday traditions celebrated in the USA is the Christmas stories surrounding Santa Claus
One major component of Christmas celebrations in America is the Christmas stories of Santa Claus. Santa Claus is widely celebrated and promoted during the holiday season. Charities dress workers up in Santa Claus outfits to raise funds during the holidays. Santa Claus appears on television and in advertising campaigns. Kids can even go to the mall to see Santa Claus and take pictures with him.
In Australia, December is the beginning of the summer season. As a result, Christmas is as much of an outdoor activity as it is an indoor activity. While the Australians do the traditional indoor stuff, like open Christmas presents and eat a big family dinner, outdoor activities like backyard fun and picnics are incorporated as well.
Religious worship is a major piece of the Christmas holiday in Australia. The majority of the population is Roman Catholic or Protestant so church plays a major role in the celebration of the holiday. Most churches have a midnight mass that you can attend and many families go to church together.
Japan is a country that celebrates Christmas despite the religious beliefs of its citizens. Since less than 1% of the population is Christian, Christmas is considered more of a commercial holiday as oppose to a spiritual celebration. In fact it's not even an official holiday in Japan where people get the day off.
Although people still have to work on Christmas day, the Japanese still find time to celebrate the holiday anyway. One of the most unique experiences of the Japanese approach to Christmas is their Christmas dinner activities. Most places of the world have a large, home-cooked dinner in the home. In Japan, it is common for people to order a special Christmas Chicken dinner from Kentucky Friend Chicken, or KFC.
China also celebrates Christmas more for its commercial aspects as opposed to its religious aspects. In China, the Chinese word for Santa literally means "Christmas Old Man" in English. The Chinese do a lot of shopping and other Christmas activities as well.
Although Christmas is celebrated in China, it is nowhere near as important a holiday as it is considered in other parts of the world. The equivalent to Christmas in Chinese culture comes in the following month, which is the Chinese New Year.
The people of France celebrate Christmas very similar to the Americans. One thing they do not do though is decorate Christmas trees. Instead, they spend more of their time creating Christmas stories out of their yards by creating massive displays of characters and ornaments.
One thing the French do spend a lot of time on is putting up nativity scenes and other scenes that illustrate Christmas stories outside of their homes and in public places. In French scenes, besides traditional characters, you may also see characters that represent French local influence and personality.
As you can see, holiday traditions and Christmas around the world is as diverse as many of the Christmas activities and traditions of the various nations of the world. Despite the differences, one theme that remains consistent is the value of family and the joy of the holiday season.
Kerry Beck offers free advent calendars with daily Christmas activities to prepare your family for Christmas. Your family will discover more about Christmas history with many of the daily activities. You can get her FREE Advent Calendar Countdown at http://www.ChristmasCelebrationIdeas.com
1 comment:
INCORPORATE CHRISTMAS IN YOUR SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
"If you homeschool, drop some of your formal schoolwork and have fun during this season. There are myriad of ways of incorporating math, writing & reading concepts as we do baking, shopping and preparing for Christmas day. At home, we still read aloud each morning and then proceed to work on a Christmas activity. It may be handwork type crafts or other quiet easy to do activity."
I so agree with this! My only trouble is that we have now closed for the Summer vacation. (I homeschool a special needs child - not my own.)
When my own children were still at home, I endeavoured to make Christmas decorations with them during the vacation, but they were much more into swimming and playing outside than indoor art activities. Christmas should ideally be in the middle of the winter! I think Northern Hemisphere people have an advantage here.
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