1. Holiday Christmas Traditions from around the world
Location: United States
In the Western Hempisphere, 48 contiguos States in north America,
the Alaskan pensinsula and Hawaii which is an archiprlho (a group of
islands)43°03’8’N 87°57’21”W=Milwaukee, WI
Holidays: Saint Nicholas,Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and
New Years
My Christmas traditions:
Making Gingerbread Cookies: Everyear around Christmas time my family and I make
gingerbread cookies. We bake them, frost them then give them to friends and family. The ones
that are left we eat.
Making a Gingerbread house : We also make gingerbread every year. Normally we do
something crazy, which I guess isn’t part of the traditions most of the time but this year we
made an actual house. Normally we give it away to realitives instead of eating it ourselves.
Getting a Christmas tree: Every year my family goes out to a
Christmas tree farm to get a tree. There’s the argument of that it’s
too small, or that it’s too big but we always decide on a tree and cut
it down and bring it home to decorate.
Other Info: Since the U.S is such a big country there are many
different traditions and ays of celebrating christmas there. My
tradiions are strongly German infleuenced but that’s proably
because I’m 75% German and Wisconsin is a particularly German
state.
Other Stuff: This year I went ot the Chicago Kriskindle market to
experience for myself a real Europian market. It was just like the ones I
have seen in photo’s and on Tv. There was a large varitity authenic
German foods and crafts inculding mulled wine, snitzel, and patato
pancakes as well as Wooden and glass Nucrakers and decorations from
the Black Forest in Germany. The only difference from an normal
Christmas market was it was packed to the max with people and stalls,
so much that you could hardly move! All in all though I thought it really
gave me a good idea of what Christmas is like in Europe.
Sources: Me, Myself, and I
Location: France, Capital Paris, 48° 52' 0 N, 2° 19' 60 E
2. Holiday Christmas Traditions from around the world
Holidays: Saint Nick’s day, la fete de lumieres ( a holiday honoring Mary), Christmas eve,
Christmas day, Epiphany.
Traditions:
Christmas Trees: The French like the Germans and us put up and decorate a tree during
Christmas time.
Gift Giving:French children put their shoes in front of the fireplace for Papa Noel to fill with
gifts. He will also leave candy, fruits, nuts, and small toys on the tree.
Letters to Santa: French children write letters to Santa every year telling him what they want,
and since the law in 1962 was passed all of them get written back.
Le Reveillion: In France people attend a mass on Christmas Eve, it is followed by Le
Reveillion. Le Reveillion is a huge feast on Christmas Eve which is supposed to symblise an
awakening to the birth of Christ and is also just a great time as many resturants and cafes
remain open allnight long.
Location: Germany , Capital Berlin, 52° 31' 0 N, 13° 24' 0 E
Holidays: St. Martins day on November 11th, Saint Nicholas day, Christmas eve, Christmas
day,New Years, and Epiphany or Three kings day. InGermany the Christmas season runs from
the start of advent in late November to Epiphany which is on January 6 th.
Traditions:
Gift Giving: On St. Martin’s day chilren receive small gifts and goodies, it is rather similar to
St.Nick’s day. On St. Niholas’s day good children recive toys, apples, candy, and nuts bad
ones recive switches. Children in Germany however are allowed open their presents on
Christmas eve instead of Christmas day. They recive they same types of things we do on
Christmas day, toys, candy, ect…
Putting up a Christmas tree:In Germany people put up and decorate Christmas trees in the
same maner that we do. In some cases however people hang their Christmas trees upside
down to better desplay the decorations.
Advant Wreaths and Advant Calendars: The traditions of hanging wreaths and using advant
calendars to count the days until Christmas comes from Germany.
Gingerbread houses: The tradition of making and eating gingerbread houses and cookies also
comes from Germany.
Santa Claus: The idea of Santa coming to houses and giving gifts to the good chldren and coal
to the bad comes from Germany. In addition his apperance and many other things about him
3. Holiday Christmas Traditions from around the world
were influenced by Germany. In fact the majortity of our Christmas traditions seem to have
come from there.
Christmas Markets: Most large villages and cities in Germany have Christmas or Kriskindle
Markets. Markets generally open at the beggining of advant and are open through Christmas.
The Vendors at these markets sell a dazzling array of foods, drinks, and decorations for the
local population and tourists to enjoy. Christmas tres or nativity secens often take up the center
of the Chistmas market and are often lavishly decorated.
Other information: Christmas in Germany is really a mix Christan and Pagan traditions. For
instance in Germany men often don hideous masksand animal skins and roam around town to
scare away demons for the following year.
Location: England , Capital London, 51° 30' 0 N, 0° -8' 60 W
Holidays: Christmas eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day.
Traditions:
Christmas Carols: During Christmas time many groups of carolers
roam the streets singing and raising funds for
varios charities.
Christmas Pudding: Every year people in Britian make Christmas
pudding the same exact way. The whole familly
works together to make it following special
instructions and drop a silver coin in it before
baking it ( yes they bake pudding ).Whoever finds it
when it is served is supposed to be blessed with
wealth, health, and hapiness for the year to come.
Christmas tree: Although originally from Germany the tradition of
getting and decorating a christmas tree has spread
like wildfire through England.
Gift Giving: In England it is good old Santa Claus who stuffs
stockings and puts presents under the tree for the
little kids.
Other Info: Boxing day is a holiday celebrated in England and most
of the contries in the Commonwealth that falls on
the day after Christmas. It originally began as a
day to distribute toy and food donations to the poor
for the hoiday season. But as time went on it
changed and now is more of a extended
Christmas afternoon. People usually and eat
Christmas dinner left overs, play with presents, and
watch soccer. Nowidays it also dubbles as a type of
Black Friday event too.
4. Holiday Christmas Traditions from around the world
Location: Russia, Capital Moscow, 51° 30' 0 N,0° -8' 60 W
Holidays: Christmas Eve, Chrismas Day ,Epiphany, and New Years
Traditions:
The Holy Supper: Family’s get together to celebrate Christmas and
eat the Holy supper. The holy supper is basically a
big Christmas dinner in which 12 different types of
food are eaten.
Feast of the Nativity: Nieghbors, family, and friends get together and
go house to house singing, eating, and drinking for
a whole day.
Other Info: Christmas in Russia is celebrated on January 7th instead
of December 25th.
In Soviet Russia religiose celebrations were banned. In response to
this the Russians invented Ded Moroz or
“Grandfather Frost” to replace Santa Claus. Ded
Moroz came and delivered gifts on New Years
instead of Christmas and therefore was not illegal.
To this day New Years is more important in Russia
than Christmas.
Location: Ukraine, Kyiv also spelled Kiev, 50° 25' 60 N,
30° 31' 0 E
Holidays: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day,and New Years.
Since Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union so they have the same
New Years celebrations as well. They also have
the same Christmas traditions a Russia. Basically
their holiday celebrations and traditions are the
same.
Location: Italy, Capital Rome, 41°54’_’N 12°27’__”E
Holidays: New Years, Christmas eve and Christmas day
Source: Christmas in Italy , World book Inc., 1979
5. Holiday Christmas Traditions from around the world
Traditions:
Making nativity scenes : Just as Christmas trees are the focal point
of Christmas time in america the Nativity scene is the focus of
Christmas in Italy. Nativity scenes really began in Italy in the early
1200’s when a man named St. Francis organized a live renactment
of the birth of Christ. Afterwords and particualry after his death it
caught on. During the 160’s the idea of making wood or clay nativity
scenes caght on with the nobility. They proceeded to hire the best
artists of the time and tried to make theirs bigger and better than
everyone elses. They not only made the scenes about Christ’s birth
also about other bible stories.
Christmas Markets:
Christmas Markets in Italy are often held in public squares and have
generally more of a party atmosphere than their german
counterparts to the North. The markets are normally centered
around an open square with various venders and musicians. In th
center and around the sides. There is often a large nativity scene for
the public to admire.
Other Information :
Christmas really began in Italy. Despite the fact that Christ was born
in Judea his birthday was first celebrated nearly 300 years later in
Rome when the Emperor Constantine adopted Christianity. The
preists of the time decided to celebrate his birthday on the feast day
of the old pagan god Mirthras which was on december 25 th. In fact
Christ most likely wasen’t even born on Christmas.