December is well known for Christmas but you know how people in countries around the world celebrate it? Here are some customs from various parts of the world.
Australia
Greeting - Merry Christmas
Name of Father Christmas - Santa Claus. Children leave him a piece of cake or biscuits and a glass of milk or a bottle of beer.
Food - Many Christmas dinners include roasted meats and vegetables, special fruit cakes and desserts with a coin baked inside. Since the temperature can reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit, people are starting to eat cold meats and salads, tropical fruits like mango and stone fruits like plums. Often, the main meal is eaten for lunch.
Gifts - These are left under the Christmas tree and opened Christmas morning.
Decorations - Shops and homes are decorated with tinsel, Christmas trees, decorations for the festival, and special lights.
Customs - Australian traditional songs are sung by candlelight on Christmas Eve and are broadcast on television. On Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, two sporting events take place:
The Boxing Day Test Match (cricket game) and the start of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
Brazil
Greeting - Feliz Natal
Name of Father Christmas - Papai Noel (Father Noel), who is wearing a red silk dress with boots.
Food - Many people eat a traditional feast with roast turkey and vegetables, while others eat chicken and rice or beans. Beer and wine are served. Some regions begin eating around 9:00 on Christmas Eve, while others eat around midnight.
Gifts - Local charities take in donations but do not seem to have enough presents for all children.
Decorations - Brazil has a mixture of people so Christmas is celebrated in different ways. In the northeast, is common to find cribs in the south, snow is simulated with small pieces of cotton on pine trees.
Customs - Brazilians sing a number of Christmas carols.
Greece
Home - Christougenna Eftihismena
Food - Special holiday cakes are baked.
Gifts - Most Greek people exchange gifts on the day of St. Basil, January 1.
Customs - in honor of Saint Basil, the holiday cakes are gold coins hidden inside them. The cakes are cut at midnight on New Year's Day. Who has a gold coin in his slice of cake will have good fortune the following year.
Hungary
Name of Father Christmas - in fact, the Child Jesus is said to bring gifts on Christmas Eve. A bell sounds signaling that the Angels have brought the tree and gifts.
Customs - On December 5, children leave their shoes. During the night, Mikulas and Black Peter come to fill them with goodies for good children and switches for naughty children.
India
Decorations - Sometimes, houses are decorated with mango leaves, mango and banana trees are decorated. Small, clay, wood lamps are placed on the edges of flat roofs as decorations.
Israel
Greeting - Chag Séméac (Happy Chanukah)
Name of Santa Claus - Actually, parents, grandparents and other family members gifts to children.
Food - because oil is an important part of the holiday, many foods are prepared with it. A favorite is potato latkes (pancakes).
Gifts - Since Chanukah lasts eight days, children can receive the current one every night.
Decorations - Jewish stars, blue or silver foil garlands,
dreidels (spinning tops), Chanukah Gelt (chocolate coins), and pictures of Macabees (Jewish army that recaptured the Holy Temple and Jerusalem by the Assyrian king greek Antiochus) are found around the house.
Customs - the Menorah (candelabra) is lit each night. During the first night one candle is lit on the second night, two candles, and so on until all candles are lit in the night eighth. After lit the candles, families eat a festive meal, dance, games, open presents. They also participate in Hanukkah celebrations.
Japan
Home - Kurisumasu Omedeto
Name of Father Christmas - Santa Kurohsu. He does not appear in person but is pictured in advertisements as a kind old man with a lot round the back.
Food - according to the customs of the family, eat turkey on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve. Japanese families also eat Christmas cake.
Gifts - Stores sell merchandise for men, women and children, on Christmas Day, families exchange gifts.
Decorations - More and more artificial Christmas trees begin to appear. They are decorated with small toys, gold paper fans, dolls, lanterns, paper ornaments, and wind chimes. A popular ornament is the origami swan. Other decorations are mistletoe, evergreen, tinsel and lights. An amulet is put on the door for good luck and children exchange 'birds of peace,' pledging there must be no more war.
Customs - The daiku, or Great Nine, refers to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and is performed many places.
Mexico
Greeting - Feliz Navidad
Customs - Beginning on December 15, some families carry colorful lanterns and walk from house to house in their neighborhood every night until Christmas Eve. This is called La Posada, which means 'the procession.' On each of the nights, families are invited into several homes where they become guests at a party. There is plenty to eat and drink. Children play the pinata game, trying to break the cardboard figure with a stick while blindfolded, when you split, candy and small gifts fall.
Netherlands
Home - Hartelijke Kerstroeten
Name of Santa Claus - Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas), who wears a red bishop's hat and bishop's cloak and has white hair and white beard. Arrives on a white horse with his servant, Black Pete, to put in the role of small wooden gifts for children.
Food - The Dutch people eat lots of marzipan, spiced ginger biscuits, tall chocolate letters, and 'bankletter' - the initials of dough and filled with almond paste. When I'm around the tree singing Christmas songs, eat 'Kerstkrans' - a Christmas ring.
Gifts - On December 6, after hearing a knock at their door, children find a bag full of toys, nuts, and gifts.
Decorations - The Christmas tree is known as the Tree of Paradise. Decorations of the season include dolls, musical instruments, fruits, candies, and lights.
Customs - The Dutch sing Christmas carols, the most popular one "O Christmas tree or Christmas tree."
Sweden
Home - God July
Food - coffee, cakes and special cakes are served on Saint Lucia Day, December 13.
Customs - Saint Lucia Day honors Saint Lucia, who helped the blind. The eldest daughter in each Swedish family is dressed in a white dress with a red sash, wears a crown of evergreens
with seven candles in it, awakens the family with a song and serves coffee, cakes and buns. Each city also chooses a young woman to be Lucia for the day. It then serves coffee and food for the villagers to schools, hospitals and other public buildings. From these women, a national Lucia is chosen, followed by a parade, party and dance.
Now that you have this information, let your children put the information in a comparison chart. Label the left side with the names of countries and the Fund with the various information (ie: Greeting, Food, and so on). Then fill in the boxes!
Let your children to do research to find the information I have left out.
Conduct research to find the same customs of other countries, particularly countries in the heritage of the students in your class or your family.
However you celebrate the holidays, have a safe, wonderful season and a Happy New Year!
I hope these ideas are useful and inspire your creative thinking.
And remember ... Reading is fundamental!
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