How is Christmas celebrated around the world?
Christmas (Nativity) is among the most famous holidays celebrated all over the world. In Bulgaria, it is celebrated on December 25, and its celebration begins on the so-called Christmas Eve, or little Christmas, which is on the evening of December 24.
. But how is Christmas celebrated around the world?
The Netherlands
The Dutch Saint Nicholas is known as Sinter Klaas. He, according to their traditions, was a bishop who was extremely generous and kind to people. Once he realized that a poor merchant could not marry his daughters because there was not enough money for their dowries, so he threw three bags full of gold coins down the chimney, which the next day the merchant’s three daughters found in their stockings, which were hung in the fireplace to dry at night. Thanks to this legend, today people in the Netherlands and in many other countries around the world hang stockings around the hearth and have gifts waiting for them in the morning.
USA
Since America is a multicultural country where people of various nationalities live, there are more ways to celebrate Christmas. For Americans, preparations for Christmas begin as early as August, when they choose original decorations and decorations for their homes and yards, but the holiday really comes to life six weeks before Christmas. Then on the streets you will come across many Santa Clauses, whom the locals call Santa Claus.
The American Santa Claus symbolizes the protector of children, Saint Nicholas. In addition to the multi-colored garlands, Christmas trees and angels that decorate the streets of America, yards and gardens located near the Mexican border are decorated with candles in paper packages, typical of Mexico.
Surfing for the holiday
Unlike the cold weather that characterizes Christmas around the world and in our country, in the American Southwest, people spend Christmas afternoon surfing and Christmas decorations are hung on palm trees. In the northeast, where it is cold, people cut down their own Christmas trees from special farms and decorate them with garlands, popcorn, silk and other ornaments.
Special scenes
There are not a few Americans who create whole scenes in their gardens: for example, Santa Claus riding a sleigh with reindeer. Just like Father Christmas and Father Christmas, Santa Claus sneaks into people’s homes through the chimney while they are sleeping at night and fills colorful stockings hanging above the fireplace with Christmas presents.
Mexico
Mexicans start preparing for Christmas from the middle of December. For this purpose, they decorate their homes with moss, green plants, lanterns, as well as with a manger, which they place in the middle of the living room. The little Mexicans take figurines of Mary and Joseph and go round the houses of the neighbors, acting out the Christmas scene in which Joseph and Mary seek shelter. In the evening, the youth and children play a special game called Piñata. Small clay pots filled with gifts and candies are hung from the ceiling and each child blindfolded tries to break the pot to get the gift and treats it contains.
Canada
Here, Christmas certainly arrives with a lot of snow, and Canadians prepare to welcome the holiday with trees decorated with garlands and balls. All over the country you will see Santa’s horse and hundreds of lights twinkling around churches. At the entrances of the houses and on the doors, Canadians, like Europeans, like other countries of the world at Christmas, hang Christmas wreaths of Christmas tree branches. One of their customs, however, which differs from that of the Europeans, is to collect dainties and money at night for the poor, and then distribute them to them. Children receive gifts at the holiday dinner.
India
In India, the Nativity of Christ is celebrated by Christians and is a symbol of brotherhood. On this day, families visit each other, share sweets and fruits, give each other flowers, sing songs and play percussion instruments to create more Christmas spirit. The non-Christian part of India on this day celebrates the festival of human charity.
Australia
Here, Christmas is celebrated in the midst of the summer heat, when the temperature is often 40 degrees. It’s not like the typical Christmas around the world. This holiday coincides with the holidays of Australians and school holidays, so everyone stays up all night, lighting candles and torches in their gardens, singing songs, participating in impromptu choirs with a candle in hand. Candles are usually sold for charity.
. But how is Christmas celebrated around the world?
The Netherlands
The Dutch Saint Nicholas is known as Sinter Klaas. He, according to their traditions, was a bishop who was extremely generous and kind to people. Once he realized that a poor merchant could not marry his daughters because there was not enough money for their dowries, so he threw three bags full of gold coins down the chimney, which the next day the merchant’s three daughters found in their stockings, which were hung in the fireplace to dry at night. Thanks to this legend, today people in the Netherlands and in many other countries around the world hang stockings around the hearth and have gifts waiting for them in the morning.
USA
Since America is a multicultural country where people of various nationalities live, there are more ways to celebrate Christmas. For Americans, preparations for Christmas begin as early as August, when they choose original decorations and decorations for their homes and yards, but the holiday really comes to life six weeks before Christmas. Then on the streets you will come across many Santa Clauses, whom the locals call Santa Claus.
The American Santa Claus symbolizes the protector of children, Saint Nicholas. In addition to the multi-colored garlands, Christmas trees and angels that decorate the streets of America, yards and gardens located near the Mexican border are decorated with candles in paper packages, typical of Mexico.
Surfing for the holiday
Unlike the cold weather that characterizes Christmas around the world and in our country, in the American Southwest, people spend Christmas afternoon surfing and Christmas decorations are hung on palm trees. In the northeast, where it is cold, people cut down their own Christmas trees from special farms and decorate them with garlands, popcorn, silk and other ornaments.
Special scenes
There are not a few Americans who create whole scenes in their gardens: for example, Santa Claus riding a sleigh with reindeer. Just like Father Christmas and Father Christmas, Santa Claus sneaks into people’s homes through the chimney while they are sleeping at night and fills colorful stockings hanging above the fireplace with Christmas presents.
Mexico
Mexicans start preparing for Christmas from the middle of December. For this purpose, they decorate their homes with moss, green plants, lanterns, as well as with a manger, which they place in the middle of the living room. The little Mexicans take figurines of Mary and Joseph and go round the houses of the neighbors, acting out the Christmas scene in which Joseph and Mary seek shelter. In the evening, the youth and children play a special game called Piñata. Small clay pots filled with gifts and candies are hung from the ceiling and each child blindfolded tries to break the pot to get the gift and treats it contains.
Canada
Here, Christmas certainly arrives with a lot of snow, and Canadians prepare to welcome the holiday with trees decorated with garlands and balls. All over the country you will see Santa’s horse and hundreds of lights twinkling around churches. At the entrances of the houses and on the doors, Canadians, like Europeans, like other countries of the world at Christmas, hang Christmas wreaths of Christmas tree branches. One of their customs, however, which differs from that of the Europeans, is to collect dainties and money at night for the poor, and then distribute them to them. Children receive gifts at the holiday dinner.
India
In India, the Nativity of Christ is celebrated by Christians and is a symbol of brotherhood. On this day, families visit each other, share sweets and fruits, give each other flowers, sing songs and play percussion instruments to create more Christmas spirit. The non-Christian part of India on this day celebrates the festival of human charity.
Australia
Here, Christmas is celebrated in the midst of the summer heat, when the temperature is often 40 degrees. It’s not like the typical Christmas around the world. This holiday coincides with the holidays of Australians and school holidays, so everyone stays up all night, lighting candles and torches in their gardens, singing songs, participating in impromptu choirs with a candle in hand. Candles are usually sold for charity.
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an island country located between North and South America, where Christmas is celebrated at 30 degrees. The inhabitants of the country are called Antilleans. They do not know what it means to celebrate the holiday with snow, as is the case in many places at Christmas around the world. The preparation for the holiday starts a week in advance, and since there is only tropical forest in this place, there is nowhere to buy trees, so they use artificial Christmas trees, piled with garlands and balls.
At Christmas, the festive table includes blood pudding and punch, into which they also grate sun-dried peels of tangerines and oranges. And pork is one of the traditional foods for Christmas, and the Antilles combine it with rice and ripe beans. At midnight everyone gathers in the church and sings carols while Father Christmas visits their houses and leaves presents
Russia
Russia celebrates Christmas according to ancient Slavic customs. One of them is to hide a cage with white doves among the fir branches, to be opened on Christmas Eve. The hope of the Russians is that the released pigeons will return and bring much happiness and good luck to the home. Another custom is the fast before Christmas, which lasts 39 days and ends on December 25, when 12 types of dishes are placed on the table in honor of the 12 apostles of Christ.
Bulgaria
We talked about the celebration of Christmas around the world, but let’s also share something interesting and positive about our country. For several years, volunteering has been revived in Bulgaria and Bulgarians perceive the Christmas holidays as the ideal time to do good, to donate funds for the treatment of a sick child, to make someone’s life easier. Practically throughout December, charity Christmas bazaars and concerts are organized precisely for this purpose. Since 2003, the “Bulgarian Christmas” charity initiative has also been held, and the funds collected from it are used for the purchase of medicines, medical equipment, machinery and ambulances.
Diana Dimova-TRAXI promotes and participates in the Campaign “We continue” – In the name of life!
Which has already hung paintings in hospitals in the cities of Sofia, Burgas, Smolyan, Ruse, Vidin, Vratsa and now in the city of Sliven!
Our efforts to help, healing not only the body but also the spirit of patients, will not stop.
Together, we can do more!
The initiative “We continue” was made possible thanks to the joint and free efforts of a number of Bulgarian artists.
Among them are the gallerist Bistra Stoycheva, the composer Eftim Chakarov, the musician Stefan Ilchev, the poet Margarita Petkova, the artist Dimitar Anastasov and the singer Toni Dimitrova.
Guadeloupe is an island country located between North and South America, where Christmas is celebrated at 30 degrees. The inhabitants of the country are called Antilleans. They do not know what it means to celebrate the holiday with snow, as is the case in many places at Christmas around the world. The preparation for the holiday starts a week in advance, and since there is only tropical forest in this place, there is nowhere to buy trees, so they use artificial Christmas trees, piled with garlands and balls.
At Christmas, the festive table includes blood pudding and punch, into which they also grate sun-dried peels of tangerines and oranges. And pork is one of the traditional foods for Christmas, and the Antilles combine it with rice and ripe beans. At midnight everyone gathers in the church and sings carols while Father Christmas visits their houses and leaves presents
Russia
Russia celebrates Christmas according to ancient Slavic customs. One of them is to hide a cage with white doves among the fir branches, to be opened on Christmas Eve. The hope of the Russians is that the released pigeons will return and bring much happiness and good luck to the home. Another custom is the fast before Christmas, which lasts 39 days and ends on December 25, when 12 types of dishes are placed on the table in honor of the 12 apostles of Christ.
Bulgaria
We talked about the celebration of Christmas around the world, but let’s also share something interesting and positive about our country. For several years, volunteering has been revived in Bulgaria and Bulgarians perceive the Christmas holidays as the ideal time to do good, to donate funds for the treatment of a sick child, to make someone’s life easier. Practically throughout December, charity Christmas bazaars and concerts are organized precisely for this purpose. Since 2003, the “Bulgarian Christmas” charity initiative has also been held, and the funds collected from it are used for the purchase of medicines, medical equipment, machinery and ambulances.
Diana Dimova-TRAXI promotes and participates in the Campaign “We continue” – In the name of life!
Which has already hung paintings in hospitals in the cities of Sofia, Burgas, Smolyan, Ruse, Vidin, Vratsa and now in the city of Sliven!
Our efforts to help, healing not only the body but also the spirit of patients, will not stop.
Together, we can do more!
The initiative “We continue” was made possible thanks to the joint and free efforts of a number of Bulgarian artists.
Among them are the gallerist Bistra Stoycheva, the composer Eftim Chakarov, the musician Stefan Ilchev, the poet Margarita Petkova, the artist Dimitar Anastasov and the singer Toni Dimitrova.
How will YOU celebrate Christmas?