Download - Christmas around the world
Christmas Around The
World
• Camilo Salgado Castaño
Christmas Christmas Day is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus
Christ, observed most commonly on December 25 as a religious and cultural
celebration among billions of people around the world.
FranceIn some parts of France, Christmas comes early when Father Christmas, le Père Noël, brings small gifts and sweets for children on December 6th, the feast day of
Saint-Nicolas. In other parts of the country, children place their shoes by the fire and wake up on Christmas Day to find them filled with presents from le Père Noël and fruit, nuts and small
toys hanging on the tree. Christmas Day is mainly a day of celebration for children.
This usually consists of oysters, les huîtres, snails, les escargots, seafood, les fruits de mer, smoked salmon,
saumon fumé or le caviar as a starter, followed by goose, l'oie, or some other roasted bird for the main course, all
washed down with wine, le vin or le champagne.
Japan Christmas is not widely celebrated in Japan as not many
people there are Christians. However, several customs have come to Japan from the USA such as sending and receiving
Christmas Cards and Presents.In Japan, Christmas in known as more of a time to spread happiness rather than a religious celebration. Christmas
eve is often celebrated more than Christmas Day. Christmas eve is thought of as a romantic day, in which couples spend
together and exchange presents. In many ways it resembles Valentine's Day celebrations in the UK and the
USA. Young couples like to go for walks to look at the Christmas lights and have a romantic meal in a restaurant. Christmas is not a national holiday in Japan, so schools and
businesses are normally open on December 25th.
Germany Christmas starts early in Germany. On the night of December
5th-6th, Nikolaustag, St. Nicholas Day, children leave their shoes or boots outside the front door.
That night, Santa Claus, Nikolaus, visits and fills them with chocolates, oranges and nuts if they’ve been good. Nikolaus
also has a sidekick, in the form of his servant Knecht Ruprecht, who leaves bundles of twigs in the shoes if the children have
been naughty and are listed in his ‘black book’.The Germans often have special baking evenings for making
spiced cakes, cookies and gingerbread houses.