Many of Australia’s Christmas traditions also apply to New Zealand: as with its larger neighbour, New Zealand celebrates Christmas with traditional northern hemisphere winter imagery, though to some extent the symbols of the holly and ivy common to the British and North American Christmas are replaced by the Pōhutukawa tree, which blossoms annually in late December and is thus often called the “New Zealand Christmas tree”.
This does not stop New Zealand homes being decorated with the more standard pine tree however. Children in New Zealand are also told of the surreptitious visit of Father Christmas to leave presents.
Traditional winter-styled hot roast food also has a role in New Zealand’s festivities. One difference to the menu in New Zealand and Australia is the traditional dessert of pavlova. Read the rest of this entry »
In Commonwealth countries in the southern hemisphere, Christmas is celebrated on 25 December which falls during the height of the summer season.
The Australian traditions are quite similar to those of North America and similar wintry iconography is commonplace.
This results in such incongruities as a red fur-coated Father Christmas riding a sleigh, carols such as Jingle Bells, and various snow covered Christmas scenes on Christmas cards and decorations appearing in the middle of a hot summer.
As Christmas falls in summer, the watching of television is not a strong part of Australian Christmas traditions, unlike the UK where it is one of the most important television ratings days. Read the rest of this entry »
In Venezuela on December 16, families bring out their Nativity scenes which are a specially designed and thought out depiction of the nativity scene.
It is customary to attend one of nine carol services that are observed by most Venezuelans. Firecrackers explode and church bells toll to call worshipers from bed in the predawn hours.
The last of the Christmas services takes place on Nochebuena de Navidad Christmas Eve. Families attend a mass on this night and then return home to a huge and fancy dinner. Read the rest of this entry »
Christmas in Colombia is celebrated as a very religious holiday. Presents are brought by “El Niño Dios” (Baby Jesus) instead of “Papá Noél” (Santa Claus). He is still an important Christmas figure, but his role in gift giving has been downplayed by the church. His presence however is still felt in decorations, and Santa Clauses pose for pictures at malls.
While the Christmas decorations may have been put up since early November, the unofficial start of the Christmas festivities in Colombia takes place on December 7, Día de las Velitas, or “Day of the Candles”, when at night the streets, sidewalks, balconies, porches and driveways are decorated with candles and paper lanterns, illuminating the city in a yellow glow, all in honor of the Immaculate Conception which takes place the next day December 8. Many activities take place including musical events, firework displays, and many other events planned by the cities.
In many cities, and even in small rural towns, neighborhoods get together and decorate their whole neighborhood or street, making many streets feel like a tunnel of lights. Many radio stations, and some local organizations hold competitions for the best display of lights, making the competition for the best light show a serious event. Read the rest of this entry »
In most of Brazil, the Christmas is particularly a family celebration and it carries the European traditions, particularly from Portugal, brought by the Jesuits.
Between December 24th and January 6th, there is an event in the most traditional regions called Folia de Reis, which consist in processions through the city singing Christmas carols for the “Menino-Deus” (The “Baby Jesus”) and the Three Kings.
However, in most of the southern cities, as well as in the largest cities of the Southeastern Region, like São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte the celebrations resemble in many ways the traditions in Northern Europe and North America, with the Christmas Tree, the exchanging of gifts and Christmas cards, the decoration of houses and buildings with electric lights and the Nativity Scene.
The Christmas Eve is the most important day. In the midnight between December 24 and December 25, the churches celebrate the “Missa do Galo” (the Rooster’s Mass). Read the rest of this entry »
Religious themes predominate in Christmas celebrations in heavily Roman Catholic South America. The secular customs and gift-giving in these countries are an admixture of traditions handed down from European and Native American forebears, plus the increasing influence of American culture.
Gift giving traditions include Chile’s “Viejo Pascuero” (Old Man Christmas), and Brazil’s “Papai Noel”, the latter two resembling Santa Claus in many ways. South American “Santas” dress more lightly in keeping with the warmer Christmas there, and have adopted a number of means, from ladders to trampolines, to enter homes at night.
Gift giving in Argentina occurs both in Christmas and on January 6, “Kings’ Day”, when children leave shoes under their beds to be filled with snacks or small gifts by the Magi, who stop off on their way to Bethlehem. Read the rest of this entry »
In the United States and Canada, the Santa Claus traditions are essentially the same, except in Quebec and other French speaking areas, with its réveillon and the Père Noël (”Father Christmas” in French).
The Celebration of Boxing Day on the day after Christmas Day is a tradition practiced in Canada, as it is in the UK.
According to a study by FOX News, 96% of the people in the United States celebrate Christmas, while only 78% of Americans are Christian according to the CIA World Factbook. Read the rest of this entry »
Mexico’s Christmas traditions are centered on Mexican Catholicism and popular culture traditions also known as posadas.
Over a nine day period, groups of townspeople go from door to door, in a fashion reminiscent of when the soon to be parents of baby Jesus looked for shelter to pass the night when they arrived at Bethlehem, and are periodically called inside homes to participate in the breaking of a gift-filled piñata.
Mexican Christmas is not influenced by American Christmas since it is filled with over 30 traditions only found within Mexican Christmas.
Children don’t receive gifts on Christmas since it is the 6th of January the day when children expect a gift from the Three Wise Men by leaving a note in their shoes that they place below the tree so the kings can deliver on those requests while they bring baby Jesus their three gifts. Read the rest of this entry »
Jamaican Christmas is closely in line with its British heritage but with its own flavour. The traditional dances, the parties and festivities, the spirit of charity, and the food defines it
Source: Wikipedia
In Singapore, Christmas is a public holiday celebrated by almost everyone (Christian or otherwise). Typically it is also the boom time for retailers as Christmas season is also the time most people get their year-end bonuses.
The entire shopping district like Orchard Road and Marina Centre areas is decorated with colourful lights from mid November till New Year’s Day.
In recent years, a charitable organisation called Celebrating Christmas in Singapore Ltd (with links to the National Council of Churches of Singapore) organised the “Celebrating Christmas in Singapore” during Christmas period with carolling, concerts and parade down Orchard Road.
As Christmas is not a native festival here, there is nothing local except for maybe the warmer tropical climate. Christmas celebration in Singapore tends to be borrowed heavily from the American version with turkey dinner and decoration. Read the rest of this entry »
