Christmas in Asia
Aug 22nd, 2008 by Admin
It is only August yet, but yet Christmas is approaching - fast. We are all very familiar with our own Christmas traditions, but what about the rest of the world, do they celebrate this Christian holiday?
Let’s take a look at Asia.
We start with the obvious choice - The Philippines - as they are christians and as such of course celebrate Christmas.
Decorated palm trees when Christmas is celebrated in Asia
Philippines
Chinese sweet ham is a popular centrepiece for Christmas Eve dinnerin the Philippines, where the affluent serve up roast pig or turkey.Filipinos pride themselves on celebrating the longest Christmas inthe world, with decorations going up in September.
Caroling adds life to Christmas. In this way, people really feel the Christmas spirit. It shows that Fiipino families are hospital because they willingly accept the carolers and give them prizes like money, food and others especially if they are children.
The celebration of local community action across the country involved teams of volunteers in local congregations competing in three areas: writing and performing a brief Christmas pageant, choosing a service project in the local community and collecting food for local Adventist Development and Relief Agency’s food banks.
A jury comprising community leaders and household names from government, business and entertainment were on hand along with church leaders to serve as the event’s judges.
Japan
Christians constitute only 1% of Japanese population. Yet, most Japanese people decorate their homes and shops with evergreens during Christmas and exchange gifts.
A priest called Hoteiosha acts like Santa Claus in Japan and distributes gifts and presents to all children, going door to door. It is said that he has eyes on the back of his head, so children try to be nice when he is nearby.
Japanese Christian do not consider Christmas as a family holiday and do not have turkey or plum pudding. Rather, they spend the day doing social work and charity such as helping the sick and the poor.
In Sunday schools, programs and events are organized for children on Christmas Eve or Christmas night that last for hours. They may include singing, recitations and Nativity plays.
The hugely popular Japanese Christmas cake is a new holiday dessert. But the small white cake tied with a red ribbon, and sold in December, is not a Western borrowing. If anything, the cake borrows from the August Chinese moon cake tradition.
Vietnam
It might come as a surprise that Santa Claus is a big sucess in Vietnam.
Last year in this Buddhist country, stores recorded a huge spike upward in the sales of artificial Christmas trees, and other holiday paraphernalia, according to the official Vietnam news service.
Singapore, Hong Kong
Singapore and Hong Kong recognize Christmas as a public holiday and short of a white, snowy Christmas, most Singaporeans and Hong Kongers feel “the spirit of Christmas” as much as one would in the United States.
Christmas is not purely secular in Singapore and Hong Kong or as suggested by the author, imported “globalized product.” Carolers in different groups sing at shopping malls thronged with holiday makers and participate in bringing cheer to the less fortunate as well.
Astute Singapore supermarket retailers started offering preparations of turkey and ham with the trimmings, since many household helpers would not know how to cook a traditional Christmas meal.
In many cases, domestic kitchens would not be suitable for such food preparation. Stores have now expanded their delicatessen offerings to include local Chinese favorites such as pork ribs and other treats.
Retailers in Singapore think that more people are now celebrating the season with special foods. Also, many Asians receive year-end bonuses from their employers and like to treat their families to special foods.
Each of the three places in Asia - Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong - offered a little something different. But each elicited that familiar Christmas something buried amongst a feelings of being sort of adrift “somewhere else.” Entertaining, though, and enjoyable.
India
Christmas is an important festival of India. It is celebrated differently in different parts of India.
Christians in India decorate banana or mango trees. There are several old churches in Goa which are frequented by locals as well as the foreign tourist during Christmas.
One should make an advance booking in Goa Hotels if planning a visit to Goa during Christmas & New Year.
Thailand
The biggest Christmas Tree in the world - outside Central World Plaza in Bangkok, Thailand
Shopping, in fact, along with eating and partying the night away, takes high prominence on everyone’s agendas. The newly-revamped CentralWorld, which also happens to be Bangkok’s official New Year countdown venue, is sporting the biggest (tallest) Christmas tree in Southeast Asia this year - and the fact that it is of the artificial kind in no way makes it any less of a spectacle to behold.