Christmas is a Christian holiday celebrated on December 25th each year to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. The English term “Christmas” – a combo of Christ and mass – is relatively new. In other countries, the day of celebration may be called “Navidad” in Spanish, “Natale” in Italian and “Noel” in French, deriving from the term “nativity”. Whether you’re celebrating a religious festival, such as Hanukkah or Christmas, or a more secular festival, you’re bound to have your own set of religious ceremonies or customs that make the holiday season so special. Some of the world’s favourite Christmas traditions are loud, proud, and guaranteed to provide hours of festive fun. However, some of the ways in which Christmas is observed around the world may surprise you.
Giant Lantern Festival (Ligligan Parul Sampernandu) is held each year before Christmas Eve in the city of San Fernando, Philippines. Originally, the lanterns were simple creations around half a metre in diameter, made from ‘papel de japan (Japanese origami paper) and lit by candle. Today, they are made from a variety of materials and have grown to around six metres in size. A 13-metre-tall Yule Goat has been built in Gävle’s Castle Square for Advent, but this Swedish Christmas tradition has led to people trying to burn it down. In Austrian tradition, St. Nicholas rewards nice little boys and girls, while Krampus is said to capture the naughtiest children and whisk them away in his sack.
In Japan, a new, quirky “tradition” has emerged in recent years – a Christmas Day feast of the Colonel’s very own Kentucky Fried Chicken. however, St. Nicholas travels by donkey in the middle of the night on December 6 (Nikolaus Tag) and leaves little treats for good children all over Germany. In exchange for sweets or a small present, each child must recite a poem, sing a song or draw a picture. St. Nick often brings along Knecht Ruprecht (Farmhand Rupert), a devil-like character dressed in dark clothes covered with bells and a dirty beard. Since 1979, a giant nine-metre Menorah has been raised on the White House grounds for the eight days and nights of Hanukkah.
In Oaxaca City, an annual event known as Noche de Los Rabanos is held on December 23. Radishes have always been an important ingredient and decorative garnish in Oaxaca’s Christmas cuisine. The annual radish carving competition began in 1897 as part of the Christmas market that year. The custom is still practised today.
