Although celebrating Christmas holiday might be a normal thing to some people, I also want you to know that, it is not always normal for others as well. Therefore, you should know that our world is richly diverse in so many areas such as cultural heritage, traditions etc. And these are the glimpses of what you shall be learning from this post.
Whether you are celebrating a religious holiday like Hanukkah or Christmas or a more secular event, you must choose your own rituals and customs that make the holiday season so special. Our favorite Christmas traditions around the world are strong, proud and guarantee for holiday entertainments.
The holiday season is an exciting time around the world and every culture celebrates a little differently. You may be surprised to learn what some children fear every year during the holidays or what replaces Santa in the folklore of another country.
So, before visiting any country to spend your Christmas holidays, you should know that each country has a tradition that is very normal to them, and you have to be aware of these. And before trying to visit any country to spend your Christmas holidays, please ensure to have read and understood their Christmas traditions and every other traditions before making the decision to visit. Below, we detailed the most common Christmas traditions around the globe. And after reading his article, ensure to add yours at the comment section below the post.
1.Giant lantern, Philippines
Source: Giant Lantern Festival 2011
As Christmas is fast approaching, one of the traditions in the World that makes people excited and traveling, is the Giant Lantern festival in Philippines. Filipinos attach great importance to the symbolism of light, the star also, being regarded as a source of light and a sign of hope in a predominantly Christian country in Asia. Such a creation did not however, come without Fernandinos' unwavering efforts, and more so with ingenuity and innovation. The city, Dan Fernando, has been tagged "Christmas Capital of the Philippines" as a result of the popularity of Giant Lantern Festival. This festival usually take place around 14th December to
Presently, the Giant lantern which were initially small and made from simple materials, are now very large – 6 meters high and are illuminated by electric lamps.
2.Hockey for Christmas – Ethiopia
Source:Ethiopian Christmas hockey
Ethiopian which still uses the ancient Julian calendar, celebrate the birth of Christ on every January 7th .In Ethiopia and Eritrea, the Christmas holiday is on 7 January. It is accompanied by colorful celebrations of music and dance led by priests, followed by the celebration of Epiphany twelve days later. The afternoon of Christmas Day is devoted to a hockey-like game, , called Gaana. I hid game is believed to have been originated by some shepherds who guarded their flocks the night of the birth of Jesus. However, Ganna is a day of piety, on which, everyone wears white to attend church. The preceding twelve days after Ganna, Ethiopians celebrate Timkat, which commemorates the baptism of Christ.
3.Christmas log, Spain.
Source: Caga Tió
In Catalan, Tió de Nadal is roughly translated into a Christmas log and is a widespread tradition in many parts of Spain. The Christmas diary or log brings small gifts on Christmas , according to Catalan mythology, in the same way that gifts are placed under Christmas trees in the United States. Until now, the Tió de Nadal was just a piece of dead wood, but now the log often has a face to which are attached a nose and two small legs, and a small red hat similar to a barretina.
Everything begins on Immaculate Conception Day, December 8th. According to the tradition, households begin to "feed" the log every night from that time. And it is also usually covered with a small blanket during this time to keep it warm during the cool weeks before Christmas.
The tradition however, got its second name, Caga tió, or shit log, as on the Christmas eve, household members usually bash the log with sticks, commending it to give out presents.
4.Sweden
The Christmas log is customary in European Christmas traditions. On many American TVs, it crackles like a fake fire. The French usually prepared a confectionery version of the holiday tree theme party. However, goat is usually gone for instead of the normal wood by the Sweden’s.
But note that the Christmas goat is not a real animal though; it is usually composed almost entirely of straw. In Swedish, the Christmas goat is known as Julbok. The origins of Julbok are rooted in mythology, but the Swedes have warmly embraced it within the framework of the modern Christian tradition - perhaps too warmly.
Source: The Gävle Goat Wikipedia
The Swedish city of Gävle has erected a giant version of the Christmas goat since 1966. Since then, every year, people have been trying to burn it, remove it and harass the seemingly costly symbol of Christmas joy. At least 28 of the 45 goats have succumbed to what the authorities have described as "vandals".
However, according to The Local, an English-language Swedish newspaper, "half of Gävle's inhabitants are proud of this giant animal, while the other half is also proud to want to burn it."
5.Legend of the Christmas spiders.
Believe it or not, it's like a Christmas spider. In Ukraine, you have Christmas spider as a tradition where Christmas trees are decorated with cobwebs. This is not to scare anyone however, as they are ornaments that look like cobwebs, supposed to bring good luck in its entirety. The origin of the story goes back to a poor woman who could not afford ornaments to decorate her tree. The next morning, she awoke and her tree was covered with spider webs that were bright and beautiful in the sunlight.
Source:Christmas spider ornaments ukraine
Other countries, such as Poland or Germany, consider that he is happy to find a spider or spider web in the Christmas tree.
It is rumored that the cobweb either changed to silver or gold by Santa Claus or Baby Jesus, this is another tale of the story. That being said, Ukrainians still decorate their trees with Christmas spider ornaments.
Conclusion.
And up there, you have five of the best Christmas traditions around the world. Should you intend visiting any of the countries, please ensure you’re fully aware of any of the traditions as not to be taken by surprise on arrival.
Some unique Christmas traditions and what they mean to world
Although celebrating Christmas holiday might be a normal thing to some people, I also want you to know that, it is not always normal for others as well. Therefore, you should know that our world is richly diverse in so many areas such as cultural heritage, traditions etc. And these are the glimpses of what you shall be learning from this post.
Whether you are celebrating a religious holiday like Hanukkah or Christmas or a more secular event, you must choose your own rituals and customs that make the holiday season so special. Our favorite Christmas traditions around the world are strong, proud and guarantee for holiday entertainments.
The holiday season is an exciting time around the world and every culture celebrates a little differently. You may be surprised to learn what some children fear every year during the holidays or what replaces Santa in the folklore of another country.
So, before visiting any country to spend your Christmas holidays, you should know that each country has a tradition that is very normal to them, and you have to be aware of these. And before trying to visit any country to spend your Christmas holidays, please ensure to have read and understood their Christmas traditions and every other traditions before making the decision to visit. Below, we detailed the most common Christmas traditions around the globe. And after reading his article, ensure to add yours at the comment section below the post.
1.Giant lantern, Philippines
Source: Giant Lantern Festival 2011
As Christmas is fast approaching, one of the traditions in the World that makes people excited and traveling, is the Giant Lantern festival in Philippines. Filipinos attach great importance to the symbolism of light, the star also, being regarded as a source of light and a sign of hope in a predominantly Christian country in Asia. Such a creation did not however, come without Fernandinos' unwavering efforts, and more so with ingenuity and innovation. The city, Dan Fernando, has been tagged "Christmas Capital of the Philippines" as a result of the popularity of Giant Lantern Festival. This festival usually take place around 14th December to
Presently, the Giant lantern which were initially small and made from simple materials, are now very large – 6 meters high and are illuminated by electric lamps.
2.Hockey for Christmas – Ethiopia
Source:Ethiopian Christmas hockey
Ethiopian which still uses the ancient Julian calendar, celebrate the birth of Christ on every January 7th .In Ethiopia and Eritrea, the Christmas holiday is on 7 January. It is accompanied by colorful celebrations of music and dance led by priests, followed by the celebration of Epiphany twelve days later. The afternoon of Christmas Day is devoted to a hockey-like game, , called Gaana. I hid game is believed to have been originated by some shepherds who guarded their flocks the night of the birth of Jesus. However, Ganna is a day of piety, on which, everyone wears white to attend church. The preceding twelve days after Ganna, Ethiopians celebrate Timkat, which commemorates the baptism of Christ.
3.Christmas log, Spain.
Source: Caga Tió
In Catalan, Tió de Nadal is roughly translated into a Christmas log and is a widespread tradition in many parts of Spain. The Christmas diary or log brings small gifts on Christmas , according to Catalan mythology, in the same way that gifts are placed under Christmas trees in the United States. Until now, the Tió de Nadal was just a piece of dead wood, but now the log often has a face to which are attached a nose and two small legs, and a small red hat similar to a barretina.
Everything begins on Immaculate Conception Day, December 8th. According to the tradition, households begin to "feed" the log every night from that time. And it is also usually covered with a small blanket during this time to keep it warm during the cool weeks before Christmas.
The tradition however, got its second name, Caga tió, or shit log, as on the Christmas eve, household members usually bash the log with sticks, commending it to give out presents.
4.Sweden
The Christmas log is customary in European Christmas traditions. On many American TVs, it crackles like a fake fire. The French usually prepared a confectionery version of the holiday tree theme party. However, goat is usually gone for instead of the normal wood by the Sweden’s.
But note that the Christmas goat is not a real animal though; it is usually composed almost entirely of straw. In Swedish, the Christmas goat is known as Julbok. The origins of Julbok are rooted in mythology, but the Swedes have warmly embraced it within the framework of the modern Christian tradition - perhaps too warmly.
Source: The Gävle Goat Wikipedia
The Swedish city of Gävle has erected a giant version of the Christmas goat since 1966. Since then, every year, people have been trying to burn it, remove it and harass the seemingly costly symbol of Christmas joy. At least 28 of the 45 goats have succumbed to what the authorities have described as "vandals".
However, according to The Local, an English-language Swedish newspaper, "half of Gävle's inhabitants are proud of this giant animal, while the other half is also proud to want to burn it."
5.Legend of the Christmas spiders.
Believe it or not, it's like a Christmas spider. In Ukraine, you have Christmas spider as a tradition where Christmas trees are decorated with cobwebs. This is not to scare anyone however, as they are ornaments that look like cobwebs, supposed to bring good luck in its entirety. The origin of the story goes back to a poor woman who could not afford ornaments to decorate her tree. The next morning, she awoke and her tree was covered with spider webs that were bright and beautiful in the sunlight.
Source:Christmas spider ornaments ukraine
Other countries, such as Poland or Germany, consider that he is happy to find a spider or spider web in the Christmas tree.
It is rumored that the cobweb either changed to silver or gold by Santa Claus or Baby Jesus, this is another tale of the story. That being said, Ukrainians still decorate their trees with Christmas spider ornaments.
Conclusion.
And up there, you have five of the best Christmas traditions around the world. Should you intend visiting any of the countries, please ensure you’re fully aware of any of the traditions as not to be taken by surprise on arrival.
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