Christmas all over the world is celebrated on Christmas Day, the 25th of December. Some countries however have different Christmas traditions and Christmas traditions and celebrations take place over a longer period of time.Christmas is one of the biggest celebrations for the people belonging to the Christian faith. But it would be wrong to assume that it is only celebrated among the Christians. With the world becoming a global village, Christmas is now celebrated in many countries around the world.This is a collection of historical Christmas celebrations for many different countries.
Christmas in India
In Christian households, preparations for Christmas begin atleast a month in advance. People get their homes whitewashed and indulge in spring cleaning of the house to give it a fresh new look. Ladies start preparations for the traditional Christmas cake which is anxiously awaited not just by the entire family but also by the neighbors! Hectic shopping activity takes place as everyone buys new clothes for the festival. People staying in different cities for job or higher studies rush back to their homes to celebrate Christmas with their near and dear ones.Customs for Christmas celebrations vary in the vast expanse of India.
These variations are largely because of the local cultural influence. In
South India, for instance, Christians light clay lamps on the rooftops
and walls of their houses, the same way as Hindus decorate their homes
during the Diwali Festival. Besides, in several states of India a
popular custom is to decorate banana or mango tree instead of
traditional pine tree. In northwest India, the tribal Christians of the
Bhil tribe go out night after night for a week during Christmas to sing
their equivalent of carols the whole night through. In Mumbai, which has
one of the largest Roman Catholic communities in India, there is a
tradition to depict nativity scenes and decorate home with big stars.Christmas in USA
People celebrate Christmas Day in many ways. In the days or even weeks before Christmas Day, many people decorate their homes and gardens with lights, Christmas trees and much more. It is common to organize a special meal, often consisting of turkey and a lot of other festive foods, for family or friends and exchange gifts with them. Children, in particular, often receive a lot of gifts from their parents and other relatives and the mythical figure Santa Claus. This has led to Christmas Day becoming an increasingly commercialized holiday, with a lot of families spending a large part of their income on gifts and food.Many Sunday schools, churches and communities organize special events. These can include decorating the neighborhood or a shopping mall, putting up a Christmas tree and planning a Nativity display, concert or performance. A lot of plays and songs have a aspect of Christmas as a theme. Some groups arrange meals, shelter or charitable projects for people without a home or with very little money.Christmas in France
Every country does Christmas slightly differently, and the French - who, to their credit, rarely do things like the rest of the world - naturally have their own Christmas traditions, that they have just about held on to over the years. From a British perspective, for example, the big downside of Christmas in France is the absence of Boxing Day, but then the French don't generally need a second day off to recover from a Christmas pudding or turkey-induced hangover. And they make up for it in other ways, with their festive season stretching out over weeks rather than 48 hours. So if you're spending Christmas in France this year, or you're abroad and just wondering what the Gallic way of celebrating "Noël" is, then here are ten traditions that mark "Christmas à la française".
Christmas in Australia
In Australia, it is tradition in the weeks up to Christmas to join in Christmas picnics organized by various churches and sing Christmas carols on the beach. As Australia is on the southern hemisphere, Christmas is in summer time and thus it is easy to understand that during Christmas time friends and family often gather at the beach.Young people, families and friends gathering in Bondi Beach near Sydney on Christmas Day.Christmas in Italy
In Italy, a nativity scene, a ‘presepe’, is usually put up in churches, town squares and often in houses and is for many the most important parts of Christmas decorations. The nativity scene display with a crib filled with straw, originally stems from Italy and is now common occurrence in many countries around the world. In Italy, ‘Babbo Natale’, that's how Father Christmas is called in Italian, hands out presents to children on Christmas Day. Still in many families, gifts are exchanged only on January 6 that is the day of Epiphany. The people wish each other ‘Buon Natale’, which means Merry Christmas.
Christmas in Germany
Both December 25 and 26 are legal holidays in Germany and are known as the First and Second Christmas Day respectively. What originally started out as a church celebration of Christ's birth has gradually become a family celebration. Businesses are closed, and time is spent visiting with extended family. Goose is the traditional fare on the First Christmas Day, or perhaps rabbit or a roast. These are accompanied by traditional German fare such as apple and sausage stuffing, red cabbage, and potato dumplings. The second Christmas day is usually a quieter time, a day for peaceful contemplation.On Christmas Eve, German families ,whether Protestant or Catholic and even those who are not regular church-goers - often attend mass or a church service. While the mass traditionally takes place at midnight, in recent times the services have moved into the earlier evening hours.Christmas in United Kingdom
Most people in the UK celebrate Christmas, even if they are not religious. There will be Christmas trees, presents, carol singing, mulled wine (warm, spiced red wine), mince pies (small pies with a sweet fruit filling) and if it snows, snowmen and snowball fights! The traditional Christmas dinner is a whole roast turkey with roast potatoes, vegetables, gravy and Christmas pudding for dessert (a steamed sponge pudding with dried fruit) – but each family has its own variations.In many towns and cities, the shopping streets are also decorated with lights and large pine trees, often specially imported from Norway.Many people spend Christmas Day with family members, with whom they exchange gifts and cards. Many children wake up to find a sock or stocking filled with small gifts on their bed or somewhere else in the house. These have supposedly been brought by a mythical figure called 'Father Christmas' or 'Santa Claus', who lives for most of the year at the North Pole. Later in the day, people may attend special church services, even if they do not usually go to church. Nearly everyone prepares and eats a special meal.
All World Countries are grand Celebrations Christmas Festival with joy and fun.Happy Christmas all.
