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What are your plans for this time next week? Carols and colored lights? Cookies and egg nog? Midnight church service and a family dinner? Just a restful night in before a relaxing day off? Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning? Or will you be doing none of the above?
The winter holidays being such a charged, stressful time of year, regardless of whether or not one observes them, the best recommendation for what to do with one’s time off at Christmas might be “whatever makes you happy”. And there’s some comfort in knowing that at this time of year, in much of the world, people of different cultures are focusing on the same things: generosity, family, tradition, happiness… and indulging in delicious things to eat and drink. It’s the cultural differences that make the similarities stand out all the more – do you know how they celebrate the season elsewhere in the world?
– if you’re from the States, but have to be out of the country for Christmas, the best place to be might be Germany. The festivities begin on December 6th, St. Nicholas’ Day, and continue all the way through the end of the month. Traditionally, St. Nicholas’ Day is when children leave out their biggest pair of shoes, to be filled with small presents. But then, on the 24th the Weihnachtsmann (more like our jolly American Santa) will come with another delivery… two rounds of presents! Every sizable town will have its own Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market), where shoppers can buy beautiful handmade crafts and ornaments, and partake of Christmas cakes and gingerbread, washed down with hot Glühwein (mulled wine).
– in France, Père Noël (Father Christmas) goes from house to house with presents for the good children (again, often left in their shoes), accompanied by his trusty donkey, whose name is Gui (mistletoe). Wise children can angle for better presents by leaving a treat for Gui. No reindeer over Paris at Christmas!
– no reindeer in Russia, either, where Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) dashes through the snow in a troika, a sled drawn by three horses. He doesn’t travel alone, though – next to him in the sled is his granddaughter Snegurochka (Snow Maiden). Let’s hope she takes over the driving once in a while. Russia has an awful lot of ground to cover, after all.
– children in Brazil are eager for Papai Noel to visit them with gifts. Papai Noel greatly resembles the European Father Christmas, but differs in one important respect: his clothes are made of light silk instead of fur and leather. Why? Because Christmas in the southern hemisphere falls at the height of summer, that’s why. Who could wear a fur coat in summer in Rio de Janeiro?
– ever heard of a witch delivering Christmas presents? That’s who does the job in the Italian Christmas tradition – her name is La Befana, and she flies from home to home on Epiphany Night (January 5th), dropping presents down the chimneys of all the children in Italy. According to legend, she was once an ordinary woman caught up in her housework, when the Three Magi stopped by her door on the way to greet the Christ child. Too busy with her cleaning to go with them, she sent them on their way. But she soon changed her mind and took off after them, without even putting down her broom. She never did catch up with the Magi or see the baby, so to this day, she gives presents to every child whose home she passes, just to be safe… one of them is bound to be the right one. She’s very thorough!
– in Japan, as with Halloween, Christmas is all but entirely a secular matter. Observant Christians make up perhaps 1% of the Japanese populace. Therefore, some surprising Japanese Christmas traditions have arisen. For instance, Christmas in Japan has taken on much of the romance associated with Valentine’s Day in the United States; it is the prime day of the year for romantic dinners, roses, and snuggling on the sofa. Santa Claus and his bag of presents have been imported, and children look forward to his visit, but since there’s no gift-giving associated with the day apart from Santa, children don’t give gifts to their parents (because only Santa gives gifts, obviously). And given that turkey is impossible to find there, Japan’s favorite Christmas bird may not be that surprising… can you guess what it is?
