Christmas is a Christian holiday to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. Celebrating, Christmas by gathering with family is a long-awaited moment. This moment is an opportunity to gather with loved ones.
Together with our family we can do fun activities at Christmas. One of the things that is always synonymous with Christmas celebrations around the world is the Christmas tree. As Christmas approaches, Christians begin to prepare, one of which is by decorating a Christmas tree and hanging legs for gifts.
So what about Christmas celebrations in various parts of the world, do they have different ways or are they the same? Check out the following.
Christmas Celebration Traditions in Different Countries
Paris, France
Bishop Philippe Marsset presided over midnight mass at the church of Saint Germain l’Auxerrois. For the first time in 200 years, Christmas mass was not held at Notre-Dame Cathedral after a fire destroyed the church in April.
India
Christmas celebrations in India have a tradition where children light candles at the entrance to the Sacred Heart Cathedral in the capital Delhi. Christians in India generally use banana trees and mango trees as Christmas trees. They also decorate banana and mango trees like people in other parts of the world decorate Christmas trees. Although in India Christianity is not the main religion, Christians in the country celebrate Christmas as usual by attending Christmas Eve Mass and sharing happiness with each other like people in the world.
Vatican City
During his seventh Christmas Mass, Pope Francis said God loves “even the worst of us” a message that could be interpreted as referring to the scandal in the Catholic church.
Inggris
For Christmas in England, residents of Woodend Village, Northamptonshire, decorate their homes for Christmas. Every year the whole extended family gets together and enjoys a meal together. Roasted turkey as well as boiled potatoes and mini cabbage known as ‘sprouts’ drizzled in meat sauce, are regular mains on British family tables.
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan Catholic children wear nymphs at St Anthony’s Church. This year’s Easter Sunday celebrations, the church was one of those targeted by suicide bombers. A total of 54 people died in this church, and more than 300 died across the country.
German
The families warmed up before heading into the woods to chop down their own Christmas tree and drag it back home. Christmas in Germany begins when we enter Advent, which is four weeks before Christmas.
Advent is marked by a Christmas faucet formed from a wreath of fir branches with four advent candles. Every week one candle is lit. This is done to show how many weeks people, especially children, have to be patient until the Christmas celebrations arrive. This tradition has existed since the 19th century.
Mexico
People in Santa costumes swim with fish in an aquarium and bring joy to children at a zoo in the city of Guadalajara. In addition to National Day and Day of the Dead, Mexicans have another colorful celebration: Christmas. Mexicans have their own way of celebrating this religious celebration, which includes the 3P traditions, namely: Posadas, Piñatas and Pastorelas.
Sweden
The Yule goat is a Christmas symbol in Sweden that dates back to an ancient pagan festival. But in 1966, the tradition was renewed after the idea emerged to create a giant hay goat, now known as the Gävle Goat.
The goat was over 42 feet (12.8 meters) high, 23 feet (7.01 meters) wide and weighed 3.6 tons. Every year, a big goat is built in the same place. The public can even watch the live broadcast from the first week of Advent until after the New Year when the video is broadcast.
Those are some of the Christmas celebrations in various parts of the world. Hope it is useful!