Christm

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HISTORY
Christmas is celebrated on December 25
and is both a sacred religious holiday and
a worldwide cultural and commercial
phenomenon. For two millennia, people
around the world have been observing it
with traditions and practices that are both
religious and secular in nature.
 Christians celebrate Christmas Day as
the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of
Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose
teachings form the basis of their religion.
Popular customs include exchanging gifts,
decorating Christmas trees, attending
church, sharing meals with family and
friends and, of course, waiting for Santa
Claus to arrive. December 25—Christmas
Day—has been a federal holiday in the
United States since 1870.
 Scandinavia
In Scandinavia, the Norse
celebrated Yule from December 21, the
winter solstice, through January. In
recognition of the return of the sun, fathers
and sons would bring home large logs,
which they would set on fire. The people
would feast until the log burned out,
which could take as many as 12 days. The
Norse believed that each spark from the
fire represented a new pig or calf that
would be born during the coming year.
 Japa
The Japanese New Year (called 'o
n
shogatsu') is more like a traditional Western
Christmas. New year is the period where
families get together, have a special meal,
pray and send greetings cards. New year is
celebrated over five days from December
31st to January 4th and is a very busy time.
Japanese children usually get only one gift
at Christmas (which young children
believe is from Santa). During the New
Year holiday, children receive gifts of
money, in special envelopes, from their
parents, grandparents and other relatives.
Japanese children very seldom give
Christmas gifts to their parents, siblings or
relatives. Only some special friends
exchange Christmas gifts.
 South/North
Korea
Unlike Japan, Christmas is an official public
holiday in South Korea - so people have the day off
work and school! But they go back on the 26th.
There's a longer official winter break in the New
 A popular Christmas food is a Christmas
Year.
Cake, but it's often a sponge cake covered
in cream brought from a local bakery! Or
you might even have an ice cream cake
from a shop like 'Baskin Robbins'!

If you live in North Korea (Democratic

People's Republic of Korea) Christmas will be
very different. Being a Christian is 'officially'
allowed but you can go to prison, or even be
killed for being a Christian or even having a
Bible. Christians in North Korea have to meet
in secret and any celebrations of Christmas will
also be held in secret.
 Botswana
Botswana is in the southern hemisphere, so
Christmas comes during the summer when it is
very hot.
During the spring, families who own cows and
goats take their livestock to live far away from
their fields in a place called cattlepost. Some
cows and goats always live at the cattleposts,
but others are moved to the cattlepost in the
spring and back to the village area in the fall.

On Christmas Day, many people walk or drive out to

their cattlepost. Each family's cattlepost is about six
kilometres from the next family's cattlepost. The families
go to visit other cattleposts and sing Christmas songs
acapella in beautiful four part harmony. The people of
Botswana often dance as they sing. Some choirs have
new choir uniforms made before Christmas. Then the
choir walks or drives from one cattlepost to another that
are associated with their village singing for the different
families.
 Slovakia
In Slovakia, Christmas celebrations begin
with Advent. Many Slovaks are Roman
Catholics so this is the start of the important
spiritual preparations for Christmas.
Slovaks also celebrate St. Nicholas' day on the
6th December. In Slovakia he is known as
Svätý Mikuláš. He comes on the evening of the
5th December and gives presents to good
children. Young children place their shoes near On Christmas Eve morning the carp is killed
the door so Svätý Mikuláš can fill them with and gutted (or some other kind of fish is taken
sweets and fruit. out of the freezer!). During the day the supper
is cooked. It used to be the custom to fast (not
to eat anything) all through Christmas Eve.
This was a direction given by the Catholic
Church. It was said that if you manage to get
by without food for the whole day, you will see
a little golden pig in the evening (after the
Midnight Mass service)!
 Ireland
In Ireland, people celebrate Christmas in
much the same way as people in the UK and
the USA, but they also have many of their own
Christmas traditions and customs.
Christmas for Irish people, who are
Catholics, lasts from Christmas Eve to the feast
of Epiphany on January 6th, which some Irish
people call 'Little Christmas'. Epiphany isn't
now widely celebrated in Ireland.
There is an old tradition that in some Irish
houses (although now not many), people put a
tall, thick candle on the sill of the largest
window after sunset on Christmas Eve. The
candle is left to burn all night and represents a
welcoming light for Mary and Joseph.
 Marry
Christmas
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