Despite the similarities in the celebration of Christmas in Europe and America, the peculiarities of different cultures and peoples make them unique.
The tradition of celebrating Christmas as a holiday appeared much later than the present Nativity of Christ: one of the first mentions of the day of its celebration dates back to the 4th century. According to Christmas Eve tradition, it is forbidden to start eating before the first star. That is why the celebration of the Nativity of Christ is associated with the rising of the evening star, which announced the hour of the Savior’s birth to the whole world.
Catholic Christmas in England and America is very green and red
Therefore, residents hang bright red ribbons, various lanterns and toys on evergreen trees. At the top of the Christmas tree is a figurine of an angel, symbolizing the harbinger of the birth of Jesus, or a star (indicating the path of the Magi to the Savior).
In Britain at Christmas the windows of many houses are lit by candles, so among the locals the night before Christmas is called “candle night”. Christmas lunch includes traditional dishes such as stuffed turkey (in English) or roast goose (in Wales, Ireland) and the indispensable plum pudding.
The second day of Christmas in the church calendar is dedicated to Saint Stephen. In England, this day is called Boxing Day. The name comes from the custom of placing special boxes in churches before Christmas, where offerings for the poor are dropped.
A kiss under the mistletoe
In English-speaking countries there is a funny custom, which, by the way, we often see in the movies – to hang a sprig of mistletoe over the door. According to tradition, once a year, on Christmas Eve, male representatives have the right to kiss any girl who stops under a decoration from this plant.
It’s loud and colorful in the US and Alaska
In the southern part of the United States, Christmas is celebrated especially loudly, with lots of fireworks. Evil spirits are believed to be driven away this way.
The tradition in cold Alaska is very different. On Christmas night, groups of boys and girls with lanterns in their hands carry a large cardboard star decorated with pieces of colored paper from house to house. The next day, the children turn into King Herod’s assistants and try to kill the baby Jesus. Thus they remind everyone of the events of two thousand years ago.
Quiet and cozy family celebrations in Germany
At Christmas in Germany everything is silent. Shops, restaurants and cafes are closed because according to tradition Christmas should be celebrated at home with the family. On Holy Evening, German families traditionally go to church and then sit down to dinner. At the Christmas table, seven or nine courses are usually prepared. The holiday is not complete without millet seasoned with milk, butter and honey, as well as stuffed goose, pork with sauerkraut, rubato. During Christmas dinner, people wish each other happiness, goodness and health and give each other presents, and the next morning little children find theirs under the tree. The Weihnachtsmann (analogue to Santa Claus) brings them presents, even if in Bavaria, for example, children wait for the Christmas angel.
Christmas in Hungary
Hungarians pay great attention to church service and singing on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. In the evening they gather in their courtyards around the fir trees and wait for the first star to appear. Then they prepare richly seasoned dishes: rolls with nuts and poppy seeds, dumplings with honey and poppy seeds, cookies with cumin, sesame and anise.
Poles bet on ‘sweet meat’
On December 24, Poles put hay on the floor and under the tablecloth – this should remind them of the inn, stable and manger where Jesus was born. In the evening, when the first star rises, the traditional Polish Christmas dinner begins. It includes beetroot soup, various types of fish, cabbage, mushrooms and “sweet meat”, which are actually honey and poppy seed cakes. Meat dishes can only be eaten at Christmas.
Despite the peculiarities of the customs of celebrating Christmas among different nations, today almost all of them are united by some common symbols, such as the tradition of giving gifts at Christmas, the obligatory character of the holiday: Santa Claus (Santa Claus), a Christmas tree decorated with toys and garlands. In the West, it is believed that Santa Claus enters the houses of the most obedient and diligent children not through the window or front door, but directly through the fireplace. Therefore, many residents of America and England decorate the roofs of their houses with figures of Santa Claus and reindeer.
Happy holiday!
