Christmas is a huge holiday for the Christians around the world. As you know, different places around the world have unique traditions and ways to celebrate Christmas.
Africa:
Africa is known for the enthusiasm for festivities on Christmas. It is every bit as festive if not more so than how other nations celebrate it. In Africa, the main emphasis is on the worship, feasting, dancing, and then presents, of course. The African Church traditionally starts on Christmas day, not Christmas Eve. Instead of going straight to presents, they go straight to worship service. In countries like the Congo,it is normal for people to leave gifts at the altar for Jesus. Afterwards, the families feast, majorly. There is wonderful music and custom dancing and just an all around good time! At this festivity, presents are given. Presents are not found under the Christmas tree after Santa puts them there. English-speaking countries in Africa also celebrate Boxing Day, which is British.
Brazil:
Brazil is strongly influenced by the Catholic Church. Christmas in Brazil is a month-long celebration ending on January 6. This includes “Three Kings Day” which is strictly Catholic, which celebrates when the 3 Wise Men brought gifts to Jesus. Brazilians build huge nativity scenes which are known as Presepios. Unlike Africa, they do a Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, which is similar to what we do here in the U.S. Brazilians do believe in Santa Claus, but not our traditional “North Pole Santa”. They believe that Santa, or Father Christmas, lives in Greenland.
Austria:
Austria has some of the oldest holiday traditions. You may even know some of these. 🙂 Instead of Santa Claus, or to them “Saint Nicholas”, visiting on December 25th, he visits on December 6th with the devil. Together, Santa and the devil acknowledge the good and bad actions of the previous year. If they were good, they get yummy sweets and fun toys. If naughty, I can only imagine they get coal or bad luck. Austrians put up their Christmas tree on Christmas Eve because they believe that Christ comes in and brings them the tree. The famous Christmas carol “Silent Night” originated in Austria because caroling is such an important part of the season.
Mexico:
Their main Christmas celebration is called La Posada, which is a religious procession that reenact the search for shelter by Joseph and Mary before the birth of Jesus. Celebrants go house to house holding picture of Mary and Joseph.Santa Claus’ red suit is represented in the traditional flower of the season. This flower is the poinsettia.On Christmas day they are blindfolded and taken to try to break a decorated clay piñata that dangles and swings at the end of a rope. Once the piñata has been broken, the children clamber to recover the candy that was inside the piñata instead of all of their presents on Christmas Day. Those children who have been good also on January 6th receive a gift from what they think are represented as the Three Wise Men.The Mexican Christmas season is joyously extended up to February 2 ! – when the nativity scene is put away, and another family dinner of delicious tamales and hot chocolate is served with great love and happiness.”
I will be updating this frequently on more of the world’s traditions 🙂
Comment any special countries you may enjoy!
