Christmas Around The World

1. Christmas Around The
World
• Camilo Salgado
Castaño

2. Christmas
Christmas Day is an annual festival
commemorating the birth of Jesus
Christ, observed most commonly on
December 25 as a religious and
cultural celebration among billions of
people around the world.

3. France
In some parts of France, Christmas comes early when
Father Christmas, le Père Noël, brings small gifts and
sweets for children on December 6th, the feast day of
Saint-Nicolas.
In other parts of the country, children place their shoes
by the fire and wake up on Christmas Day to find them
filled with presents from le Père Noël and fruit, nuts and
small toys hanging on the tree. Christmas Day is mainly a
day of celebration for children.
This usually consists of oysters, les huîtres, snails, les
escargots, seafood, les fruits de mer, smoked salmon,
saumon fumé or le caviar as a starter, followed by goose,
l'oie, or some other roasted bird for the main course, all
washed down with wine, le vin or le champagne.

4. Japan
Christmas is not widely celebrated in Japan as not many
people there are Christians. However, several customs have
come to Japan from the USA such as sending and receiving
Christmas Cards and Presents.
In Japan, Christmas in known as more of a time to spread
happiness rather than a religious celebration. Christmas eve is
often celebrated more than Christmas Day. Christmas eve is
thought of as a romantic day, in which couples spend together
and exchange presents. In many ways it resembles Valentine's
Day celebrations in the UK and the USA. Young couples like to
go for walks to look at the Christmas lights and have a
romantic meal in a restaurant.
Christmas is not a national holiday in Japan, so schools and
businesses are normally open on December 25th.

5. Germany
Christmas starts early in Germany. On the night of December 5th-
6th, Nikolaustag, St. Nicholas Day, children leave their shoes or
boots outside the front door.
That night, Santa Claus, Nikolaus, visits and fills them with
chocolates, oranges and nuts if they’ve been good. Nikolaus also has
a sidekick, in the form of his servant Knecht Ruprecht, who leaves
bundles of twigs in the shoes if the children have been naughty and
are listed in his ‘black book’.
The Germans often have special baking evenings for making spiced
cakes, cookies and gingerbread houses.