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  • Christmas Traditions by Abhishek Jaguessar

    Transféré par

    reedoye21
    79 vues17 pages
    When was the first Christmas card sent? Why do we kiss under the mistletoe? Learn the origins of Christmas and fun facts about some of our favorite christmas traditions and symbols. There are lots of Christmas traditions that are practiced by a number of countries all over the world during the holiday season. These traditions can be as diverse as the culture and religious practices of each and every country in the world. Read about some of the most common christmas traditions her. Origins of Christmas From the Old English 'Cristes Mæsse' ~ meaning the 'mass of Christ' ~ the story of Christmas begins with the birth of a babe in Bethlehem. It is believed that Christ was born on the 25th, although the exact month is unknown. December was likely chosen so the Catholic Church could compete with rival pagan rituals held at that time of year and because of its closeness with the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere, a traditional time of celebration among many ancient cultures. Luke, Chapter Two And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Santa Claus The origin of Santa Claus begins in the 4th century with Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, an area in present day Turkey. By all accounts St. Nicholas was a generous man, particularly devoted to children. After his death around 340 A.D. he was buried in Myra, but in 1087 Italian sailors purportedly stole his remains and removed them to Bari, Italy, greatly increasing St. Nicholas' popularity throughout Europe. His kindness and reputation for generosity gave rise to claims he that he could perform miracles and devotion to him increased. St. Nicholas became the patron saint of Russia, where he was known by his red cape, flowing white beard, and bishop's mitre. In Greece, he is the patron saint of sailors, in France he was the patron of lawyers, and in Belgium the patron of children and travellers. Thousands of churches across Europe were dedicated to him and some time around the 12th century an official church holiday was created in his honor. The Feast of St. Nicholas was celebrated December 6 and the day was marked by gift-giving and charity. After the Reformation, European followers of St. Nicholas dwindled, but the legend was kept alive in Holland where the Dutch spelling of his name Sint Nikolaas was eventually transformed to Sinterklaas. Dutch children would leave their wooden shoes by the fireplace, and Sinterklaas would reward good children by placing treats in their shoes. Dutch colonists brought brought this tradition with them t

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    When was the first Christmas card sent? Why do we kiss under the mistletoe? Learn the origins of Christmas and fun facts about some of our favorite christmas traditions and symbols. There are lots of Christmas traditions that are practiced by a number of countries all over the world during the holiday season. These traditions can be as diverse as the culture and religious practices of each and every country in the world. Read about some of the most common christmas traditions her. Origins of Christmas From the Old English 'Cristes Mæsse' ~ meaning the 'mass of Christ' ~ the story of Christmas begins with the birth of a babe in Bethlehem. It is believed that Christ was born on the 25th, although the exact month is unknown. December was likely chosen so the Catholic Church could compete with rival pagan rituals held at that time of year and because of its closeness with the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere, a traditional time of celebration among many ancient cultures. Luke, Chapter Two And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Santa Claus The origin of Santa Claus begins in the 4th century with Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, an area in present day Turkey. By all accounts St. Nicholas was a generous man, particularly devoted to children. After his death around 340 A.D. he was buried in Myra, but in 1087 Italian sailors purportedly stole his remains and removed them to Bari, Italy, greatly increasing St. Nicholas' popularity throughout Europe. His kindness and reputation for generosity gave rise to claims he that he could perform miracles and devotion to him increased. St. Nicholas became the patron saint of Russia, where he was known by his red cape, flowing white beard, and bishop's mitre. In Greece, he is the patron saint of sailors, in France he was the patron of lawyers, and in Belgium the patron of children and travellers. Thousands of churches across Europe were dedicated to him and some time around the 12th century an official church holiday was created in his honor. The Feast of St. Nicholas was celebrated December 6 and the day was marked by gift-giving and charity. After the Reformation, European followers of St. Nicholas dwindled, but the legend was kept alive in Holland where the Dutch spelling of his name Sint Nikolaas was eventually transformed to Sinterklaas. Dutch children would leave their wooden shoes by the fireplace, and Sinterklaas would reward good children by placing treats in their shoes. Dutch colonists brought brought this tradition with them t

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    79 vues17 pages

    Christmas Traditions by Abhishek Jaguessar

    Transféré par

    reedoye21
    When was the first Christmas card sent? Why do we kiss under the mistletoe? Learn the origins of Christmas and fun facts about some of our favorite christmas traditions and symbols. There are lots of Christmas traditions that are practiced by a number of countries all over the world during the holiday season. These traditions can be as diverse as the culture and religious practices of each and every country in the world. Read about some of the most common christmas traditions her. Origins of Christmas From the Old English 'Cristes Mæsse' ~ meaning the 'mass of Christ' ~ the story of Christmas begins with the birth of a babe in Bethlehem. It is believed that Christ was born on the 25th, although the exact month is unknown. December was likely chosen so the Catholic Church could compete with rival pagan rituals held at that time of year and because of its closeness with the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere, a traditional time of celebration among many ancient cultures. Luke, Chapter Two And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Santa Claus The origin of Santa Claus begins in the 4th century with Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, an area in present day Turkey. By all accounts St. Nicholas was a generous man, particularly devoted to children. After his death around 340 A.D. he was buried in Myra, but in 1087 Italian sailors purportedly stole his remains and removed them to Bari, Italy, greatly increasing St. Nicholas' popularity throughout Europe. His kindness and reputation for generosity gave rise to claims he that he could perform miracles and devotion to him increased. St. Nicholas became the patron saint of Russia, where he was known by his red cape, flowing white beard, and bishop's mitre. In Greece, he is the patron saint of sailors, in France he was the patron of lawyers, and in Belgium the patron of children and travellers. Thousands of churches across Europe were dedicated to him and some time around the 12th century an official church holiday was created in his honor. The Feast of St. Nicholas was celebrated December 6 and the day was marked by gift-giving and charity. After the Reformation, European followers of St. Nicholas dwindled, but the legend was kept alive in Holland where the Dutch spelling of his name Sint Nikolaas was eventually transformed to Sinterklaas. Dutch children would leave their wooden shoes by the fireplace, and Sinterklaas would reward good children by placing treats in their shoes. Dutch colonists brought brought this tradition with them t

    Droits d'auteur :

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Téléchargez comme PPT, PDF, TXT ou lisez en ligne sur Scribd
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    sur 17

    By Abhishek Jaguessar

    C H R I S T M A S
    2 0 0 7

    4/13/2012

    Christmas Traditions Around the World


    Canada Chile England Finland Greenland Hungary Ireland Korea Mexico New Zealand Portugal Russia Sweden Thailand Ukraine Vietnam

    4/13/2012

    Christmas in Canada
    During the twelve days of Christmas small groups of belsnicklers, or masked mummers, appear in neighborhoods, ringing bells, making noise, seeking candy or other treats. Hosts may try to guess who the mummers are and if they guess right the mummer removes his or her disguise and stops making rude noises and actions. The Christmas Banquet is called reveillion. After attending midnight mass, families serve pork pies. In Quebec they display Crches or nativity scenes in their homes as the Christmas decoration.

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    Christmas in Chile
    Little figures made of clay are placed under the Christmas tree called pesebre. Father Christmas is known as Viejito Pascuero. He wishes everyone a Feliz Navidad and Prospero Anc Nuevo. (Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year) A drink called Rompon {eggnog} is served. Families eat a Christmas pudding made with dried fruit. At midnight families will sit around the tree to open presents. On Dec. 25 people usually go to the beach, park or other interesting place.
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    Christmas in England
    One of England's customs is mummering. The English gift giver is called Father Christmas. He wears a long red or green robe, and leaves presents in stockings on Christmas Eve. The day after Christmas is called boxing day because boys used to go round and collect money in clay boxes. When they were full they would break them open. Eggs, fruit, spice, lumps of meat and dried plums were added. The whole mixture was wrapped in a cloth and boiled. This is how plum pudding began.

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    Christmas in Finland
    In the Scandinavian countries, a little gnome named Julenisse puts presents under the tree at night. The children leave porridge out for him. It is from the Scandinavian countries that we derive most of our Yule Log traditions. The dark cold winters inspired the development of the traditions concerned with warmth and light. The Yule log was originally the entire tree. The tree was brought into the house with quite a ceremony. The end of it would be placed into the hearth while the rest of the tree stuck out into the room. The tree was fed into the hearth slowly so that it lasted throughout the Yule season. Return to Index 6

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    Christmas in Greenland
    Family gatherings, drinking coffee and eating cakes, as well as giving of brightly wrapped presents which might consist of a model sledge (sleigh) or a pair of tusks. Everyone in the village gets a gift and children go from hut to hut, singing songs. After eating and singing, everyone gets a piece of Mattak, which is whale skin with a strip of blubber inside. It tastes like coconut but is very tough to chew. Another food is Kiviak which consists of raw flesh of an auk (bird), which has been buried whole in sealskin, for several months. This is the one night of which the women are waited on by the men.

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    Christmas in Hungary
    The main Christmas celebrations take place on Christmas Eve. The evening is called Szent-este or Holy Evening. On December 6th the children receive a visit from Mikulas or St Nicholas. He arrives wearing the robes of a bishop, with a red miter on his head, a staff in one hand and a sack full of small presents. Accompanying him a "Devil" boy in a black costume, complete with horns and long tail. He holds a switch made of dry twigs, ready to smack any "naughty" children. The presenting of nativity plays is an important part of the Hungarian Christmas tradition.

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    Christmas in Ireland
    Christmas in Ireland lasts from Christmas Eve to the feast of the Epiphany on January 6, which is referred to as Little Christmas. Irish women bake a seed cake for each person in the house. St Stephen's Day, the day after Christmas, is almost as important with football matches. For children, the Wren Boys Procession is their big event. Boys go from door to door with a fake wren on a stick, singing, with violins, accordions, harmonicas and horns to accompany them. The reason for the ceremony is to ask for money 'for the starving wren', that is, for their own pock.

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    Christmas in Korea
    South Korea is the only East Asian country to recognize Christmas as a public holiday. The children call Santa Claus Santa Haraboji (Grandfather Santa) Many of the Western holiday customs have been embraced by the people, such as gift-giving, sending Christmas cards and decorating trees. After church services and fellowship they will go caroling to church members homes and are treated to snacks and hot drinks.

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    Christmas in Mexico
    Their main celebration is called La Posada. This is a procession of the re-enactment of the search for shelter by Mary and Joseph, before the birth of Jesus. Santa is not predominant, but the bright red suit is represented in the traditional flower of the season, the poinsettia. The belief is that a young boy, on his way to see the nativity scene gathered green branches to give as a gift. He was laughed at as he walked. Upon placing the branches near the manger, bright red poinsettia flowers started to bloom. On Christmas day a piata is broken. Those children that have been good also receive a gift on January 6, from the Three Wise Men.
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    Christmas in New Zealand


    It is combined with summer holidays, so as well as present-buying and parties, families are preparing for trips to the beach. The persona of Fr. Christmas has changed and he has become more like the Santa Claus in the United States and Ireland. As well, people have been forced to change as a result of the Maori culture. The spirits and creatures of this culture resemble the elves and gnomes of the European Christmas traditions. The story of the birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated with a special service. This is appropriate to New Zealanders way of life as they had no motels, and they have many shepherds who take care of their flocks, in doing so, they can see the true meaning of Christmas. Return to Index

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    Christmas in Portugal
    The tradition of gift-giving was defined mostly by the strong Christian religious beliefs of the people. On the eve of January 5, the children place their shoes along the windowsills and doorways and fill them with carrots and straw. They do this hoping to lure the Wise Men to their homes to fill their shoes with gifts and treats. The Portuguese "Christmas log," is a piece oak that burns on the hearth all day.
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    Christmas in Russia
    The feast of St. Nicholas (December 6) was observed for many centuries, but after the communist revolution, the celebration of the feast was suppressed. During the communist years St. Nicholas was transformed into Grandfather Frost. Babouschka brings gifts for the children. Like Italy's La Befana, the story is that Babouschka failed to give food and shelter to the three wise men during their journey to visit the Christ Child.
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    Christmas in Sweden
    Christmas season begins with the St. Lucia ceremony. This begins at dawn on Dec. 13th. The youngest daughter from each family puts on a white robe with a red sash. She wears a crown of evergreens with tall-lighted candles attached. She wakes her parents and serves them coffee and Lucia buns. (Swedish pastry) Christmas trees are usually put up in the home 2 days before. Decorations consist of apples, candles and little red capped gnomes. After Christmas Eve dinner, someone dresses up as Tomte or Christmas gnome. The tomte, unlike Santa Claus is supposed to live under the floorboards of the house or barn and ride a straw goat. He distributes gifts.
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    Christmas in Thailand
    It is not a holiday in Thailand but is enjoyed and celebrated by the people. The children attend school on Christmas Day but Santa is usually at the school passing out candy to them. Schools have beautifully decorated Christmas trees in the middle of the playground. Many students go to school, that day, with party hats on.

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    Christmas in Ukraine
    Sviata Vechera OR "Holy Supper" is the central tradition of the beautiful Christmas Eve celebration. The table is set with a few straws of hay on it, as a reminder of the manger in Bethlehem. When the children see the first Star in the eastern evening sky (symbolizing the trek of the Three Wise Men) the Holy Supper may begin.. At the end of the Sviata Vechera the family sings Kolyadky, Ukranian Christmas carols. Father Frost visits all the children on a sleigh, pulled by only 3 reindeer. The celebration of Christmas takes place on January 7 and is usually a peaceful and quiet event.
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