Christian Peterson
reporter.riverbendnews@gmail.com
“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and 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 among those with whom he is pleased!’” Luke 2:8-14 (ESV) Christmas is, without question, the most popular holiday in the United States. It may even be the most popular holiday in the world. It is the celebration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the son of God and God in human flesh incarnate. In the United States, the celebration annually falls on Dec. 25, and there are a plethora of traditions that accompany it. The most common is gift-giving. On Christmas morning, families gather around their Christmas tree and open gifts they have gotten for and from each other. The first official acknowledgment of Christmas was in Rome in 336 AD, when Pope Julius I, the bishop of Rome, asserted Dec. 25 as the official date of Christ’s birth. Since then, the celebration of the birth of Christ has become a worldwide holiday. In Angola, Christmas is celebrated very seriously. Well over half of the country claims to be Catholic, and the rest still claim another denomination of Christianity. Most people attend a Christmas Mass before heading to a Christmas meal at their homes. In the more rural parts of Angola, families will rear a special animal specifically to eat on Christmas. According to whychristmas.com, “the meal traditionally consists of ‘pirao’ or ‘funge’ (a type of polenta made of corn meal or cassava flour) with rice, spaghetti, french fries, turkey, fried chicken and dishes like ‘ozido de bacalhau’ (cooked cold fish with vegetables), ‘calulu’ (a dish of fired fire or beef with tomatoes, garlic, okra, sweet potatoes and spinach).” Meanwhile, in Norway, presents are actually exchanged on Christmas Eve. Sometimes, the gifts are left by Santa Claus. Other times, they are left by tiny gnomes known as “Nisse.” Similar to Finland, families can also be found leaving a sheaf of wheat out for birds to eat over Christmas. Sometimes, rice porridge is left out for the Nisse due to the local superstition that the gnomes guard farm animals. Another fascinating tradition is that families will light a candle every night from Christmas Eve until New Year’s. “Maybe the most famous custom about Christmas in Norway is the big Christmas tree that Norway gives to the United Kingdom every year. The tree is given as a present to say ‘thank you’ for the help that the people of the UK gave to Norway during World War II.” Christmas is especially unique in Japan. Due to Japan’s isolationist history, Christmas celebrations have only been widely celebrated in Japan for a few decades. The holiday is much less of a religious holiday than in other parts of the world. In fact, Christmas Eve is the more popular day, treated as a romantic holiday similar to Valentine’s Day. Interestingly, fried chicken is one of the most popular meals in the country. Citizens even place orders in advance at their local fast-food restaurants, including the famed Kentucky Fried Chicken. “The traditional Japanese Christmas food is Christmas cake, but it’s not a rich fruit cake, but is usually a sponge cake decorated with strawberries and whipped cream,” whychristmas.com says. “The ‘shortcake’ emoji is Japanese Christmas cake!” Peru also has some unique traditions. Before Christmas, families and friends host special events called “chocolatadas,” where they will meet, drink hot chocolate and eat “panettone.” Nativity scenes, or as they are referred to, “nacimientos” or “pesebre,” are usually large and elaborate but miss an essential part. Baby Jesus is not placed in the scene until Christmas day. Interestingly, families stay up all night eating together, then open presents at midnight. Families then get some sleep, and Christmas Day is spent hanging out and attending local Christmas parades. Australia has incredibly similar celebrations to the United States. However, the time of year is one significant difference from that of the United States. While the celebration still takes place in December, this is right at the beginning of summer for Australian citizens. Some portions of Australia will see large bunches of “Christmas Bush,” a native Australian tree that has cream-colored flowers. However, the flowers will bloom into a deep red by Christmas. Santa also gets an overhaul for the Aussies. He trades out his reindeer for kangaroos, and his winter clothes disappear for a more suitable outfit for the desert/beach climate of Australia. It seems that no matter where you go, Christmas is celebrated. Everyone around the world loves the time of peace, camaraderie and joy that comes with it. Above all else, it gives individuals a chance to be grateful for friends, family, peace and for the birth of Jesus Christ.