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＜Inventory of unique Christmas customs in various countries around the world＞
When the familiar red Santa Claus and Christmas trees fill the streets and alleys,
The strong Christmas spirit tells us that it’s Christmas again.
What you are familiar with about Christmas is Santa Claus, Christmas trees, sending gifts to each other, eating big meals and other traditional customs, but you don’t know that Christmas customs in different countries are different and have their own advantages and disadvantages. Today, the editor will give you some popular science about Christmas customs in various countries!
·The Legend of Christmas·
· Santa Claus: It is said that Santa Claus was originally the bishop of the city of Myra in Asia Minor, named Saint Nicholas. He was revered as a saint after his death. He was an old man with a white beard wearing a red robe and a red hat. Every Christmas he comes from the north on a sleigh pulled by a deer, enters every house through the chimney, puts Christmas gifts in socks and hangs them on the children's beds or in front of the stove.
· Christmas tree: Behind the beautiful Christmas tree there is also a story full of gratitude.
A farmer received a hungry and cold child on a snowy Christmas Eve and gave him a sumptuous Christmas dinner. When saying goodbye, the child broke off a fir branch and stuck it in the ground and blessed him: "Every year. On this day, the branches are full of gifts, leaving this beautiful fir tree to repay your kindness." After the child left, the farmer found that the branch had turned into a small tree, and he realized that he was receiving a messenger from God. .
· Christmas Carols: There is also a legend about the origin of Christmas carols.
In 1818, in a small town called Oberndorf in Austria, there lived an unknown country priest named Moore. This Christmas, Moore discovered that the pipe organ in the church had been bitten by mice and it was too late to repair it. How to celebrate Christmas? Moore was unhappy about this. He suddenly remembered what was recorded in the Gospel of Luke. When Jesus was born, the angels announced the good news to the shepherds on the outskirts of Bethlehem and sang a hymn: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whose favor he is pleased." He had an idea and wrote a hymn based on these two verses, named "Silent Night." After Moore wrote the lyrics, he showed them to Gruber, a primary school teacher in this town, and asked him to compose the music. Gruber was very moved after reading the lyrics, composed the music, and sang it in the church the next day, which was very popular. Later, two businessmen passed by here and learned this song. They sang it for King William IV of Prussia. William IV greatly appreciated it and ordered "Silent Night" to be one of the songs that must be sung at Christmas in churches across the country. one.
· Christmas customs ·
❉Italy❉
Christmas is the most important holiday in Western countries. Italy is a religious country, and Christmas is the largest and most solemn holiday of the year. Because this is the day to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, an uncrowned king who came from a "grassroots" background. The chronology we use now is divided between BD BC and AD AD based on the birth of Jesus Christ.
At Christmas, Italians have a good custom that children compose essays or poems to express their gratitude to their parents for the education they have given them throughout the year. Their works are hidden in napkins, under plates or tablecloths before Christmas dinner, and their parents pretend not to see them. After they had finished their feast, they took it back and read it to everyone.
On Christmas Eve, the whole family has dinner together, exchanges gifts, and goes to church for mass; the children also look forward to receiving gifts from Santa Claus. During the holidays, Italians give each other Christmas cards, cakes or other gifts.
During the holiday season, cities and streets in Italy are decorated with lights and colorful decorations, and every household will have a "huge" Christmas stable ().
Let me first explain what "" is "": This is a major feature of Italian Christmas. Every household will decorate it, mainly to reproduce the scene of the birth of the Baby Jesus. There are big ones and small ones, the most important ones are the Holy Child, the Virgin Mary and Joseph, and usually there is straw, which means the birth of the stable.
Even at the church door,
People would put up 1:1 scale horse stalls.
According to the Bible, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. In this model, in addition to the Holy Child, the Virgin Mary and Joseph, there are mountain villages and lakes, children driving sheep, women washing clothes, men fetching water, carpenters and plasterers, and bakeries and chicken coops. There are angels above the Holy Child, and there are palm trees and the Three Magi in the other corner, which means that the Three Magi from the East saw the stars and learned about the birth of Jesus Christ, so they brought gifts to worship the Holy Child.
USA
Christmas is a traditional holiday in the United States. It is a day to celebrate the birthday of Christ. It is taken as seriously by Americans as China takes the Spring Festival.
However, the United States is also a country composed of many ethnic groups, so Americans celebrate Christmas in the most complicated way. Immigrants from various countries still mostly follow the customs of their home countries. However, during the Christmas period, Americans hang garlands and other unique arrangements outside their doors.
But in addition to decorating the Christmas tree, there is a more interesting traditional activity in the United States on Christmas Eve: "Good News." It symbolizes the angels reporting the good news of Christ's birth to the shepherds on the outskirts of Bethlehem.
The event consisted of some young people, a little girl dressed as an angel and a Santa Claus. When late at night comes, the church choir goes from door to door to the believers' homes and sings Christmas carols in unison. So the family would come out to welcome them warmly and sing together. Afterwards, the host invited everyone into the house and entertained them with refreshments. At this time, the host's family often goes along with him.
The team of "bringing good news" becomes larger and larger. They go on singing one by one, and the joyful atmosphere continues unabated, often lasting until dawn.
❉UK❉
British people pay the most attention to food at Christmas. Food includes roasted pig, turkey, Christmas pudding, Christmas mince pies, etc. Everyone in the family had a gift, and so did the servants, and all the gifts were delivered on Christmas morning. Some Christmas carolers go from door to door to sing good news. They will be invited into the house by the owner and treated with refreshments or given small gifts.
It is said that a candy vendor in London made the first Christmas cracker in 1850. The popular Christmas cracker is a tube made of cardboard, shaped like a particularly large fruit candy.
The two of them each pulled one end, and a small explosion sounded when the paper tube was broken. The person who gets the big head gets a small gift, usually including a paper hat with a crown, a small toy, a note with a joke, a riddle or a brain-teaser story, etc. After the Christmas party and Christmas dinner, guests usually fire Christmas crackers.
Traditionally, before Christmas, students in primary schools in the UK will put on costumes and perform a play about the birth of Jesus Christ. The audience includes students, parents and relevant people in the community where the school is located. The scene of the play is the stable, the birthplace of Christ, and the plot tells the story of the shepherds and the three saints who came to visit the Christ Child, Joseph and Mary.
Nowadays, many British people have begun to use the Christmas holidays to travel.
❉Germany❉
In Germany, Christmas is not only celebrated on December 25, but lasts for more than 40 days, starting from the first Sunday after November 26 to December 24, which is called "Advent".
Germans celebrate Christmas mainly in the following stages and festivals: from the first Sunday after November 26th to December 24th, it is Advent; December 4th is Santa Claus Day; December 6th is Santa Claus Day ; December 24th to 26th is Christmas Day; January 6th of the next year is The Three Magi Day.
Christmas Eve in Germany is a time for family reunions. Usually, instead of going out to eat and drink in restaurants, they enjoy traditional poultry dishes such as roast goose at home. At this time, a discerning family will put out a complete set of tableware from their collection, carefully decorate the home, and celebrate the birth of God under warm candlelight and in a joyful atmosphere.
Many Germans carefully prepare many gifts at Christmas and send Christmas cards to relatives and friends. There are long queues at the post office every day since the beginning of December. These small things are warm and sweet and make people realize that giving is sometimes happier than receiving. !
On Christmas Eve, one of the most typical customs of German families is to bake Christmas dried fruit and almond cake. Christmas dried fruit almond cake is a long cake covered with white powdered sugar and containing fruit particles inside.
People usually start baking weeks before enjoying the cake. The cake making process is very complicated. The dried fruits must be soaked in wine, and then the wine-soaked dried fruits and almond paste are kneaded into the butter dough. After baking, the wrinkled surface must be sprinkled with a thick layer of white powdered sugar.
To allow the cake to rise, the carefully packaged cake is left in a dry, cool environment for several weeks after baking. People also bake cookies. Depending on personal taste and technique, Christmas cookies can be pressed out with a mold, kneaded by hand or extruded with tools. Among the raw materials for making cookies, cinnamon and fennel are commonly used, and almonds are also essential. Then sprinkle with taiko powder. Pour over chocolate or syrup, and finally sprinkle with various bright beads or decorate with star-shaped marzipan. Put it on the plate and it will be colorful, very festive and attractive.
❉France❉
France has many festivals, among which Christmas is even more important. Generally, France has two weeks of Christmas holiday. For the French, this is a good day for family reunion and leisure.
Basically every city in France has a tradition of holding a Christmas market. Generally, on Christmas Eve, the city government will choose to set up a Christmas market on an open space in the city center. That is to say, many small tent-like buildings began to be built. Christmas gifts, Christmas ornaments, delicious snacks and rides such as the carousel are all available here. In addition, there are often bands playing happy songs. It can be said that this is a small Christmas playground.
In France, everyone has a Christmas tree, sometimes decorated in the traditional way with red ribbons and real white candles. The fir trees in the courtyard are often decorated and lit with fairy lights all night long. Santa Claus is called "Christmas Father". The Christmas party is an important family gathering filled with wine and food, and not everyone sends Christmas cards.
Most adults in France go to church to attend midnight mass on Christmas Eve. After the ceremony, the family goes to the home of the eldest married brother or sister to have dinner together. This gathering is used to discuss important family matters, but if there is any discord in the family, the feud will be resolved and everyone will be reconciled as before. Therefore, Christmas is a kind day in France.
❉Finland❉
Finland has always been considered the hometown of Santa Claus. It is said that there is a place on the back of the Arctic Circle that receives hundreds of letters from all over the world, all addressed to Santa Claus.
Santa Claus Village is located on the Arctic Circle 8 kilometers north of Rovaniemi in Finland's Lapland region.
Every year, a steady stream of tourists from all over the world flock here to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus. In the gift shop in Santa Claus Village, visitors can buy beautifully designed gifts with Finnish characteristics, and can also get a certificate for crossing the Arctic Circle.
What’s exciting is Santa’s post office, which offers a variety of fairy-tale stamps, greeting cards and gifts. Those looking for Christmas legends will of course be happy to buy them as gifts to take home. All letters sent from here will also be specially stamped with the postmark of Santa Claus Post Office in the North Pole.
People who choose to go during the Christmas period do so on the one hand to feel the rich Christmas atmosphere in Santa Claus Village, and another important reason is to go to Finland to see the Aurora. Christmas is the best time to watch the aurora every year. During this time, the sunspots are most active and the aurora shines brighter.
Are you excited when you see this? Start planning now,
Give yourself a unique Christmas this year!