{"id":47247,"date":"2022-12-20T13:41:38","date_gmt":"2022-12-20T18:41:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/?p=47247"},"modified":"2022-12-20T15:41:24","modified_gmt":"2022-12-20T20:41:24","slug":"christmas-around-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/blog\/christmas-around-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Fun Christmas Traditions Celebrated Around The World"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christmas Day is Celebrated All Around the World in Many Different Ways<\/h1>\n

Although traditionally a Christian holiday, people from all cultures now celebrate Christmas.<\/p>\n

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There is No One Way of Celebrating Christmas<\/h2>\n

The observance of Christmas around the world varies by country. The day of Christmas, and in some cases the day before and the day after, are recognized by many national governments and cultures worldwide, including in areas where Christianity is a minority religion.<\/p>\n

Every culture that celebrates Christmas also has its own festive ways to make the holiday special. Some of those involve dishes or treats that only appear once a year. Others give gifts that carry a particular meaning, and still others decorate in a particular way, hold festivals, parades or parties to ring in the season.<\/p>\n

Japan: KFC for Christmas Dinner<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Japanese<\/p>\n

In Japan, celebrating Christmas is still relatively new. It’s only been widely recognized for the past couple of decades, and is typically seen as a time to spread joy and cheer, or even a romantic couple’s day.\u00a0 Yup that’s right, one of the most shocking things people find about Japanese Christmas is that it’s a couple orientated holiday instead of being for families!<\/p>\n

Another thing people find shocking is instead of the traditional Christmas meal (which consists of roast turkey for UK people!) Japanese people eat KFC! Why?\u00a0 Back in 1974, the American fast food restaurant KFC released a festive marketing campaign in Japan. The seemingly simple slogan “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” (Kentucky for Christmas!) spawned a national tradition that still thrives to this day.<\/p>\n

Although Christmas isn’t a national holiday in Japan, families from all over the country head to their local KFC for a special Christmas Eve meal.
\n\"Wander<\/a><\/p>\n

Poland: People Share a Pre-Dinner Wafer<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"oplatek<\/p>\n

Nothing says “I love you,” at least in my Polish-American family, quite like the sharing of a thin, flat, tasteless wafer called an oplatek<\/em> at Christmas.<\/p>\n

In Poland, and many Polish communities worldwide, Christmas Eve dinner or (Wigilia) begins with sharing the Oplatek. The paper-thin square wafer is made of flour and water has an image of the Nativity on it. Everyone at the table breaks off a piece and shares a holiday greeting before passing it along.<\/p>\n

Ethnographers believe that the tradition may have gotten its start with the sharing of a ritual flatbread called podplomyk<\/em>, Knab says. Pieces of the thin bread, usually baked before other loaves of dough were placed in the oven, were shared with members of the household, and with neighbors, as a gesture of goodwill.<\/p>\n

“Bread was very hard to come by” in the Middle Ages, Knab says. “Sharing of this bread was a caring kind of exchange.”<\/p>\n

Sometimes, even pets get in on the fun.<\/p>\n

Iceland:\u00a0 The Yule Lads<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"YuleLad\"<\/p>\n

Icelandic kids don\u2019t just get one Santa Claus, they get 13 mischievous trolls roaming the country in the fortnight before Christmas. Like Snow White\u2019s seven dwarves, each of the 13 \u2018j\u00f3lasveinar\u2019 (Yule Lads) has his own personality \u2013 including Doorway-Sniffer, Spoon-Licker, Sausage-Swiper, Candle-Stealer, Curd-Gobbler, and the ominously named Window-Peeper. Each takes turns visiting children who leave shoes in their bedroom window, dropping off pressies for the good kids and rotting potatoes for the bad ones.<\/p>\n

Norway: Hide Your Broom<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Hide<\/p>\n

Norwegians believe that Christmas Eve coincides with the arrival of evil spirits and witches. It is only logical then, that Norwegian householders hide all their brooms before they go to sleep.<\/p>\n

After all, nothing spoils\u00a0Christmas\u00a0quicker than finding your broom in broken pieces at the foot of a tree, trashed by some joy-riding witch.<\/p>\n

Greece: Christmas Trees and Boats<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Christmas<\/p>\n

In the seafaring country of Greece, decorating Christmas trees and<\/em> boats has been popular for centuries. The first known Christmas tree in Greece was put up by King Otto 1833 next to a large decorated boat, which families traditionally erected to celebrate men’s return from sea voyages.<\/p>\n

An old traditional custom on Greece\u2019s islands and its coastal regions dictates that people should decorate a boat rather than an evergreen tree at Christmastime.<\/p>\n

Despite this, nowadays, almost every Greek city and household does decorate a Christmas tree, but there are still a number of public spaces in Greece where one can see a Christmas boat right next to a tree.<\/p>\n

The tradition of the \u201cKaravaki,\u201d which is Greek for \u201csmall boat,\u201d is deeply rooted in the folkways of a country with a symbiotic relationship to the sea.<\/p>\n

Today, in cities like Athens and Thessaloniki, large lit-up boats appear alongside trees.<\/p>\n

\"RushMyPassport.com\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ethiopia: Christmas Processions<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Celebrating<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The most remarkable fact about Ethiopia is that they still follow the Julian calendar and therefore observe Christmas on 7th January and not on December 25! Christmas, according to the orthodox Ethiopian Church, is termed as “Ganna”. The Christmas celebrations in Ethiopia are conducted in all ancient and modern churches with much fervor. People fast on Christmas Eve which is 6th January, which is broken the next day. Following the tradition each individual enters the church with a candle in his or her hand and is also dressed in white robes. Unlike many other parts of the world, Christmas is not much commercialized in Ethiopia. The focus is more on the family gatherings and the spiritual aspects of the festival. People spend a lot of time praying the Lord and singing in his reverence. A strict observance of fast itself tells of their profound spiritual association with Christmas.<\/p>\n

Germany: Christmas Markets<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Germany:<\/p>\n

Granted, the magic of Christmas markets has spread to many other countries and continents, but the origins of Christmas markets can be traced back to the German-speaking part of Europe in the Middle Ages.\u00a0 Probably the most iconic Germany Christmas Tradition is the famed Christmas Markets (Weihnachtsmarkt<\/em>). In large open plazas or market squares, small wooden huts appear with vendors selling locally made jewelry, crafts, holiday decor, and toys.<\/p>\n

The air is alive with the sounds of carolers or holiday musicians and the smells of hot mulled wine (Gl<\/em>\u00fchwein<\/em>), crepes, sausages, and roasted chestnuts (Kastanien, Maronen or Maroni<\/em>). Twinkling christmas lights illuminate the night sky to the delight of young and old alike.<\/p>\n

WEIHNACHTS MARKT SAUSAGES<\/em><\/h4>\n

Simply put: there is nothing quite like the magic of the German Christmas Markets.<\/p>\n

There is a bit of debate on the exact <\/em>start of the German Christmas tradition. However, Dresden\u2019s Strietzelmarkt<\/em> may have been the first real Christmas Market, dating from 1434. The Dresdner Striezelmarkt, considered the first genuine Christmas market in the world, has roots dating all the way back to 1434, when it was just a one-day event. Aside from its massive size \u2014 there are well over 200 stalls \u2014 other notable features include the world\u2019s tallest step pyramid and a Ferris wheel with views over the market. It\u2019s no wonder nearly three million people visit the Dresdner Striezelmarkt each year.<\/p>\n

Although you can warm yourself from the inside out with hot mulled wine (Gl\u00fchwein) and hot cocoa, it\u2019s best to bundle up while strolling through these outdoor markets.<\/p>\n

Portugal: I Feed Dead People<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Consoda<\/p>\n

In Portugal, you should feed your dead relatives at Christmas<\/p>\n

Christmas is much more solemn than other places in the world where Pagan roots still run deep. Aside from setting up the nativity scene and attending church services, many families in Portugal also have a consoda.<\/p>\n

In the early hours of Christmas morning, families partake in a huge feast, making sure to leave additional places for alminhas a penar<\/em> or the souls of the dead. The consoda is reminiscent of the Mexican holiday D\u00eda de Muertos in November with its respect and acknowledgment of ancestors and family members that are no longer with us. It is believed that if families offer gifts to their deceased family members, the following year will be good to them.<\/p>\n

Another aspect of consoda is leaving breadcrumbs in the hearth. This goes back to the ancient tradition of leaving seeds with the dead in the hopes of having a bountiful harvest.<\/p>\n

So if you\u2019re celebrating Christmas without all of your family and loved ones with you, perhaps you can incorporate the customs of consoda into your celebration (I know I will).<\/p>\n

\"best<\/a><\/p>\n

Austria: Krampus Hunts for Naughty Children<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Krampus\"<\/p>\n

Every year in early December, children in Austria get ready for St. Nicholas to visit them. If they\u2019ve been good, he\u2019ll reward them with presents and treats. But if they\u2019ve been bad, they\u2019ll get a lot more than a lump of coal\u2014they\u2019ll have to face Krampus. \u00a0 Austrian kids who end up on Santa\u2019s naughty list also have to worry about Krampus: a horned, hairy beast that snatches misbehaving children in his wicker basket, serving as Saint Nicholas\u2019 creepy enforcer. Many towns in Austria (and neighbouring countries), especially the alpine villages around Salzburg and Tyrol, celebrate Krampusnacht on December 5th, when dozens of men dressed as the half-goat demon parade through the streets brandishing sticks and terrorising children.<\/p>\n

Interestingly enough, in Germany, St. Nicholas Day and Krampusnacht fall within 24 hours of one another. Since the two legendary figures are said to work side-by-side, well-behaved children are treated to visits from St. Nicholas during the day, while poorly-behaved children believe the threat of Krampus might come around instead. In Europe, Krampus can be found in the following Christmas parades:<\/p>\n