5 Christmas Traditions From Around The World
Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope Santa has brought you everything that you could wish for and that your bellies are full from that yummy Christmas dinner! As we all settle down to watch classic Christmas Day TV with a glass of mulled wine let’s take a journey around the globe and take a look at 5 classic Christmas traditions from around the world.
UK
While the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe stems from Norse tradition where it was seen as a symbol of love and friendship, its appearance in UK homes at Christmas time stems from the ancient Druids. Sprigs of mistletoe were hung in doorways or archways during the winter solstice as they were believed to have mystical properties that would ward off evil spirits. These two traditions have been combined over the years to accommodate the ideas of spreading love during the festive season and it makes a great talking point at all those office parties!
Italy
In 1223 in Italy, St Francis of Assisi and his followers acted the first Nativity play to remind the local people that Jesus was born into humble beginnings and not privileged ones, just like them. The original play was enacted using wooden characters that were later replaced by real life actors as the nativity grew in popularity. These wooden characters have now become one of the most important features of Christmas in Italy with every home displaying a crib and nativity scene in their home. The Museo Nazionale di S. Martino in Naples is actually home to the world’s largest nativity scene that features 162 people, 80 animals and 450 smaller items.
Germany
Christingles were first introduced in Germany in 1747 where children at the church service were given a candle with a red ribbon to symbolise that Jesus is the light of the world. Over the years the symbolism has grown to include more aspects of Christian teaching that have been incorporated into the Christingle design. The orange is there to symbolise the world, the candle is a light in the dark just like God. The red ribbon that is tied around the orange symbolises the blood of Jesus Christ, the four sticks symbolise the points of a compass or the seasons and the addition of nuts, fruit (or sweets) represent the fruits of the earth. The Christingle service usually takes place in churches on the Sunday before Christmas or Christmas Eve
Netherlands
The Netherland’s has perhaps one of the more unusual Christmas traditions but it is in fact a very old one. On St Nicholas Eve (5th December) children leave their shoes or a pair of clogs by the fire place or windowsill in the hope that Sinterklaas will leave them some presents. They believe that if they leave some carrots or hay inside their shoes for the Reindeer then in return Sinterklaas will fill their shoes with yummy sweets or small gifts. Many people hold Sinterklaas parties where they host treasure hunts for the children where they follow clues and riddles to find a trail of presents from Sinterklass, making the evening a fun and exciting occasion.
Mexico
Poinsettias grow in an area of southern Mexico called Taxco del Alarcon and they flower during the winter months. There is a story that tells how the Poinsettia came to be associated with Christmas: A poor Mexican Girl named Pepita had no present to give to baby Jesus and was extremely sad. Her cousin Pedro tried to make her feel better by saying ‘I’m sure that even the smallest gift given by someone who loves him will make Jesus happy’. So Pepita picked a small bouquet of weeds from the roadside and placed them by the nativity scene on the Chapel alter. Suddenly the bouquet sprouted large red flowers and all that saw them knew that they had seen a miracle. It is also believed that the shape of the leaves represent the Star of Bethlehem that led the wise men to Jesus.
For more Christmas traditions from around the world take a look at our latest Pinterest board – Pinterest – Christmas Around The World