Traditions: Mexican Christmas Traditions
Sep 10th, 2008 by Admin
People are taught not to eat anything on Christmas Eve until a ceremonial dinner is served, in order to be able to see a “golden pig”. Over nine days, groups of townspeople go from door to door in a fashion reminiscent of when the parents of unborn 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 pi”ata.
As Christmas falls in summer, the watching of television is not a strong part of Australian Christmas traditions, unlike in the United Kingdom, in which it is one of the most important television viewing days.
Among the Bulgarian Christmas traditions is koleduvane, which involves boy carolers visiting the neighbouring houses starting at midnight on Christmas Eve, wishing health, wealth and happiness and patting the backs of the people with decorated cornel sticks “”"‘, survachka ). Another custom is the baking of a traditional round loaf .
A Christmas tradition that started in Melbourne in 1938 and has since spread around the world is Carols by Candlelight, where people gather, usually outdoors, to sing carols by candlelight on Christmas Eve or other evening shortly before Christmas. They have been a Christmas tradition throughout much of the world since an American ambassador introduced it to South Carolina in the 1820’s.
You’ll discover a delightful array of seasonal traditions that make celebrating Navidad in Mexico a unique and unforgettable experience.
Their main Christmas celebration is called La Posada, which is a religious procession that reenacts the search for shelter by Joseph and Mary before the birth of Jesus.
A lthough the custom of putting up a Christmas tree has become very popular, the real Mexican tradition consists of setting up a nativity scene.
The actual Christmas gift-giving usually takes place on Christmas Eve. Children usually find their gifts under the Christmas Tree, with name stickers.
Religious themes predominate in Christmas celebrations in heavily Roman Catholic South America. This results in such incongruities as a red fur-coated Santa Claus 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.
In most of the southern cities, as well as in the largest cities of the Southeastern Region, like S”o 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.
Sviata Vechera or “Holy Supper” is the central tradition of the Christmas Eve celebrations in Ukrainian homes.
Many Britons still watch the Queen’s annual Christmas message. The Three Wise Men are popular in the South and P”re No”l in the North, but there is also another character which is well known in both sides of the Pyrenees, called Olentzero.
The Australian tradition of Carols by Candlelight is popular in New Zealand, especially in Auckland and Christchurch, where there is usually a large outdoor carol-singing gathering known as Christmas in the park.
Carol singing is another tradition on Christmas and New Year”s Eve. The Christmas meal usually includes lamb or pork and desserts such as kourabies and melomakarona .
The Russian traditions were largely kept alive by shifting some of them, including the visit by gift-giving “Grandfather Frost” and his “Snowmaiden”, to New Year’s Day. Many current Russian Christmas customs, including their Christmas tree, or “yolka”, were brought by Peter the Great, after his western travels in the late 17th century.
Romanian tradition has the smallest children going from house to house, singing carols and reciting poems and legends during the whole Christmas season. Other traditions include sending Christmas cards.
In most of Brazil, the Christmas is particularly a family celebration and it carries the European traditions, particularly from Portugal, brought by the Jesuits.
The tradition of celebrating Christmas has been revived since 1992, after decades of suppression by the communist government. It is centered on the Christmas Eve “Holy Supper”, which consists of twelve servings, one to honor each of Jesus’ apostles.
Christmas supper, without Lenten restrictions, does not have as many traditions connected with it as Sviata Vechera.
The Christkind is never seen. It is a tradition to lavishly decorate a Christmas tree in the days directly before Christmas or on the morning of Christmas Eve.
Presents are placed under the Christmas tree and are opened on New Year”s Day. In Greek tradition, Basil”s name was given to Father Christmas and is supposed to visit children and give presents on New Year”s Day , unlike other European traditions, where this person is Saint Nicholas and comes every Christmas.
According to tradition, children are told Father Christmas surreptitiously visits houses on Christmas Eve placing presents for children under the Christmas trees or in stockings or sacks which are usually hung by a fireplace.
Usually, aside from the already legal holidays which are Rizal Day and New Year’s Eve , other days in close proximity such as Christmas Eve , Ni”os Inocentes , and the Epiphany are also declared as non-working days.
In contrast to Western customs, Christmas Eve is a day for couples to date and groups to hold parties, while the official New Year’s Day holiday is a day of family celebration.
After the julbord on Christmas Eve, the presents are distributed, either by Jultomten or a family member, and usually from a sack or from under the Christmas tree where they have been laying all day or for several days.
Christmas Eve is the most important day of Christmas. During World War II, all celebrations and customs, especially those from America, were suppressed.
On January 13 , 20 days after Christmas, the Christmas celebrations come to an end and all Christmas decorations are removed.
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, D”a 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.
Christmas is a public holiday in Malaysia, however, much of the public celebration is commercial in nature and has no overt religious overtones. Occasionally, Christian activist groups do buy newspaper advertorials on Christmas or Easter but this is largely only allowed in English newspapers and permission is not given every year.
Some people have become disappointed that December 25 has ceased to be a holiday, but there are still unofficial celebrations of Christmas.
December 25 is less on celebration as Christmas Eve is considered Christmas Day in Colombia.
As in the West, Christian churches in Korea hold Christmas pageants and conduct special services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Other attributes of Christmas include Christmas trees, mistletoe, Christmas garlands, Bethlehem Cribs.
Many Christmas-related tourist attractions, such as the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and elaborate animated department store windows in New York City are heavily visited by non-Christian tourists from all over the world.
All Christian families put up a Christmas tree.
In 2004, the government organized a national-level Christmas celebration but allegedly imposed an unofficial ban on all Christian religious symbols and hymns that specifically mention Jesus Christ.
It is traditional to decorate graves at Christmas with a wreath made of holly and ivy.
On Christmas Eve After dinner some families go to Church to celebrate the Christmas Midnight Mass. Other families go to hotels, and have a Christmas party on both 24 and 25 of December.
The culinary feast either takes place at supper on Christmas Eve or on the first day of Christmas, and usually involves poultry .
What’s common is that people usually stay in close family circle. Staying alone during Christmas Eve is considered very sad, and many families “bring home” their grandparents at least for Christmas.
Christmas Eve is the most important day of Christmas in Colombia. Families and friends get together pray the last Novena and wait till midnight to open the presents, and parties go on till sunrise on Christmas Day, kids stay up playing with their toys, and fireworks fill the skies.
Some families perfer a lighter and simpler meal on Christmas Eve. They eat potato salad and sausages, carp or a hearty soup and eat goose, duck or pork roast on Christmas Day.
The main Christmas gathering and celebration occurs either on Christmas Eve or Christmas day Lunch.
If the celebration takes place on Christmas day the main food item is usually Mansaf, the traditional Jordanian meal consisting of a yogurt based sauce, rice, and lamb.
Hogmanay is traditionally the largest celebration in Scotland, because Christmas Day was a normal working day in Scotland until the 1960s and even into the 1970s in some areas.
Christmas Day and Boxing Day are of no big significance to Swedish celebrations.
In rural areas, people go to Christmas Day services, which in Urdu and Punjabi is called ‘Bara Din’, the ‘Big Day’. Bible Society of Pakistan conducts special programs on this eve.
Some people attend the julottan, an early morning church service on Christmas Day.
As large numbers of people continue to attend Christmas church services, the remaining churches are often too small to accommodate all congregants.
Church bells toll in the Christmas festival in the afternoon, and many people attend the church service thereafter.
Even though mainline church attendance has been falling over the decades, many people who don’t go to church often think it is still important to go on Christmas, so Church attendance increases significantly.
Traditional winter-styled hot roast food also has a role in New Zealand’s festivities, Christmas dinner is also the place where Christmas Crackers are used, people will pull a cracker with another before eating.
Just before the Christmas festivities begin, people visit the famous steam baths and dress up in clean clothes for the Christmas dinner, which is usually served at 5 pm to 7pm.
Rice porridge is also popular , an almond is often hidden in the porridge, and the person who finds it wins a treat or small gift.
Christmas gifts may be exchanged before or after the dinner. Children do not hang up stockings in Finland but Santa visits the household with about half a dozen Christmas elves to help him distribute the presents.
In Protestant Churches there is a service in the late afternoon intended to immediately precede the Christmas Eve meal and the exchanging of gifts. This service, called “Christvesper”, consists most often of scriptural readings, the Christmas Gospel from Luke 2, a “Krippenspiel” , favourite Christmas carols and festive music for organ and choirs.
In Bulgaria, Christmas is celebrated on 25 December and is preceded by Christmas Eve .
As in many other countries in northern Europe, the Jultomte brings the presents on Christmas Eve, the day generally thought of as Christmas, see Yule.
Part of the Christmas season, Colombians celebrate the “D”a de los Inocentes” or Day of the Innocents also known in English as the Massacre of the Innocents is a day for pranks, equivalent to April Fool’s Day in many countries.
In the Netherlands and some parts of northwestern Germany, the celebration of Saint Nicholas Day on December 6th resembles the Christmas of the English-speaking world.
Almost the entire workforce is finished by lunchtime on Christmas Eve or often a few days beforehand.
On late Christmas Eve the tree is shown to the children and presents are exchanged.
Fir trees are cut and taken to homes by sleds on Christmas Eve and are decorated beautifully.
Olentzero was a pagan coal worker who went to adore Jesus in Bethlehem. Nowadays, it is said that he brings presents to all good people at Christmas Eve.
The night of Christmas Eve Churches offer nightly masses called “Misa de Gallo” at midnight.
Ukrainian Churches offer services starting before midnight on Christmas Eve and on Christmas morning.
Since the late 20th century, some Protestant churches have held services on Christmas Eve.
A large family dinner is celebrated on Christmas Eve and can last until 6 o’ clock in the morning.
In the Czech Republic, Christmas is celebrated mainly on December 24, or Christmas Eve - “t”dr” den . Christmas is officially celebrated at the Rashtrapati Bhavan by the President of India.
Houses are also decorated and beneath the Christmas tree, families will place a nativity scene or creche representing Jesus, St. Some people put additional Santons in their nativity scenes, which are bought at special Christmas fairs before the holidays.
A traditional part of the Jordanian Christmas decorations is the nativity scene under the tree.
Even in the most un-devout of homes in Ireland the traditional crib takes centre-piece along with the Christmas tree as part of the family’s decorations.
After the meal is complete, the family gather around the Christmas tree and sing Christmas songs. Family Christmas meals are very important, and their contents are as varied as the number of countries on the continent.
Christmas celebration in Russia is not as widely followed as in Western countries in favor of the New Year celebration.
Encouraged by the commercial sector, the secular celebration of Christmas is popular in Japan, though Christmas is not a national holiday. The Japanese have adopted the character of Santa Claus in their celebrations.
The first recorded Christmas in Japan was celebrated with a mass held by Jesuit missionaries in Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1552, although some believe that unrecorded celebrations were held prior to this date, starting in 1549 when Saint Francis Xavier arrived in Japan to begin missionary work.
For many Japanese, celebrating Christmas is similar to participating in a matsuri, where participants often do not consider which kami is being celebrated, but believe that the celebration is a tribute nevertheless.
After Christmas Eve, the Christmas celebrations have more or less come to an end.
The capital city of Edinburgh has a traditional German market from late November until Christmas Eve.
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” and the Three Kings.
January 13 is the official end of Christmas.
On the first day of Christmas, many carolers walk through the streets of the towns and villages, holding a star made of cardboard and paper on which are depicted various scenes from the Bible.
Christmas celebration in Singapore tends to be borrowed heavily from the American version with turkey dinner and decoration.
In Hungary, celebrations begin with Christmas tree decoration and gift packaging during daytime on 24th December, then comes a family dinner with traditional Christmas meals, and in the evening the Little Jesus delivers the presents. This is the most intimate moment of Christmas, featuring warmly lit Christmas tree and candles, soft Christmas music, family singing of religious songs and gift pack openings.
Celebrations begin with the decoration of the Christmas tree during daytime on 24th December, and in the evening Mo” Cr”ciun delivers the presents.
This festival, which coincides with the Epiphany, is also known as Women’s Christmas in Cork.
Santa Claus, known in Ireland simply as Santy or Daid” na Nollag in Irish, brings presents to children in Ireland, which are opened on Christmas morning.
The local name of Santa Claus is Dyado Koleda , with Dyado Mraz being a similar Russian-imported character lacking the Christian connotations and thus popular during the Communist rule. This events are usually sponsor by the local church, and in there neighbors organize themselves and sell typical Christmas food, hot chocolate, hallaca, cookies, etc.
Christmas in Scotland was traditionally observed very quietly, because the Church of Scotland - a Presbyterian Church - never placed any great emphasis on the Christmas festival, for various reasons.
Stephen’s Day are public holidays and many people do not return to work until after New Year’s Day.
Prayers and carols start to be said and sung on Christmas night and continue till the new year’s eve.
Most Christmas decorations come down on the 25th and are replaced by New Year’s decorations.
However many shops sell Christmas decorations beforehand. It lasts until 6 January , as it is considered bad luck to have Christmas decorations up after this date.
Increasing numbers of stores and buildings are displaying Christmas decorations.
December in general is a very busy month for the bigger shopping centers and smaller specialized stores for the Christmas decorations trade.
The Striezelmarkt, Germany’s Dresden region, is arguably a worldwide Christmas gift production center which continues for nearly one month. This is the time when Dresden Stollen fruitcake, Pulsnitzer gingerbread, wood carvings from the Erzgebirge Mountains, Dresden Pflaumentoffel, Lusatian indigo print, Silesian ceramics, Bohemian glass, and Meissen porcelain dominate the lives of visitors who come from all over to thoroughly immerse themselves in Christmas.
Almost all Swedish families celebrate Christmas on December 24 with a Christmas sm”rg”sbord . The common part of almost all julbord is the julskinka , but there are also other common dishes such as meatballs, pickled herring, square ribs, lutfisk, pork sausage, Janssons frestelse , and rice pudding.
In many families it is still a custom to sing Christmas songs around the tree before opening up the presents.
In some families the Christmas story from Luke 2 will be read from the old family Bible.
At the end of the Sviata Vechera the family often sings Ukrainian Christmas Carols.
Traditional Christmas desserts are also consumed, i.e. Christmas Pudding, Trifle, Christmas Cake and Mince Pies.
On the whole, although Christmas has become commercialized, the British Christmas is still very traditional.
The main traditional dish of the Christmas dinner is boiled codfish served snowy white and fluffy, roast suckling pig or a roasted fresh ham and vegetables. Only after birds eat their dinner, the farmers partake of their Christmas dinner.
A small enclave of Japanese Christians, known as Kakure Kirishitan , continued to practice underground over the next 250 years, and Christianity along with Christmas practices reemerged at the beginning of the Meiji period.
Christmas is a state holiday in India, though only 3% of the population is actually Christian.
Christmas is a state holiday in Lebanon, a country in which 40% of the population is Christian.
Christmas in Romania falls on December 25 and is generally considered one of the most important religious holiday.
In most parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Christmas is the most important holiday of the year.
In recent years, a charitable organization called Celebrating Christmas in Singapore Ltd organized the “Celebrating Christmas in Singapore” during Christmas period with carolling, concerts and parade down Orchard Road.
Internationally famous fashion designer, Elie Saab, donates a giant Christmas tree of 25m high for public display every year.
A local variant of the Christmas tree, called Chichilaki, is made of soft wooden material with curled branches.
As in other countries, a Christmas tree is typically set up and the entire house is decorated.
The Christmas Tree is first put up and decorated on the morning of the 24th.
Candles are lit on the Christmas tree, which is decorated using apples and other fruits, candies, paper flags, cotton and tinsel.
Western customs of Christmas tree are also popular and have been imported from Russia.
Traditionally, Christmas Eve would be the climax of the Nativity Fast, and thus only an odd number of lenten dishes are presented on that evening.
Churches and Cathedrals across the country hold masses, with many people, going to midnight mass, or a service on Christmas morning.
Some Australian-produced programs have a Christmas special though often it will be shown early December and not on Christmas Day itself. Many television stations rerun old Christmas-themed films on Christmas Day/Eve, such as Miracle on 34th Street.
Television is widely watched: for many television networks, Christmas Day is the most important day of the year in terms or ratings.
Two major sporting events traditionally commence on the day after Christmas Day in Australia: the Boxing Day Test cricket test match, and the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
Commercialization and open markets are bringing a more secular celebration of Christmas to the public.
From the 1960s, with the aid of a rapidly expanding economy, and influenced by American TV dramas, Christmas became popular, but mostly not as a religious occasion.
In Spain, the Christmas holidays last from December 24 to January 6 and are referred to as “Navidad”.
Christmas lights are a near-universal holiday feature, and with the summery weather, fireworks displays are also found, especially over the cities of Brazil and Argentina.
South Korea is the only East Asian country to recognize Christmas as a public holiday.
There was already an official holiday on that date designated in 1963 by the Executive Yuan, which is largely, though unofficially, treated as if it were Christmas.
The Christmas season is celebrated in different ways around the world, varying by country and region.
Christmas is celebrated on the 7th of January .
In Denmark, Christmas is celebrated on December 24, which is referred to as Juleaften.
In the secular side of Irish society, Christmas is the biggest event of the year.
Starting with the expulsion of missionaries in 1587, Christianity was banned throughout Japan beginning in 1612, a few years into the Edo Period, and the public practice of Christmas subsequently ceased.
Lebanese Christmas food is a mixture of European and Middle Eastern fare, for example, Taboule, Kebbe, Turkey and wine, and for dessert a ” buche de noel ” French is widely spoken, and the greeting, ” Joyeux Noel ” is used.
Though Jordan is located in the heart of the Muslim world, the Christian community make up 6% of the population celebrates Christmas freely.
The Christmas season starts at Advent, where holly wreaths are made with three pink, one pink and one purple candle.
The Philippines has earned the distinction of celebrating the world’s longest Christmas season.
The singing of carols is a very important part of Romanian Christmas festivities.
It plays an extremely important role in both religious and secular aspects of Irish life.
Saint Lucy’s Day is the first major Christmas celebration before Christmas itself.
In older days a yule goat was an alternative to Jultomten, nowadays it is used as an ornament, ranging from sizes of 10 cm to huge constructions like the G”vle goat, famous for being vandalized almost every Christmas. If one has two families to celebrate Christmas with, it is common that one of the families move their celebrations to Christmas Day or the first Saturday before Christmas Eve .
In India, most educational institutions have a mid-academic year vacation, sometimes called Christmas vacation, beginning shortly before Christmas and ending a few days after New Year’s Day.
Local companies normally arrange gift exchange programs on the last working day before Christmas.
Christmas tree in Rovaniemi, Finland. Dessert is a very rich selection of Christmas pudding, Christmas cake, and mince pies with equally rich sauces such as brandy butter.
A prayer is said and the father says the traditional Christmas greeting, “Chrystos rodyvsya!” which means “Let Us Glorify Him!”.
Christmas Eve on December 24 is the much-anticipated ” noche buena ” ” the traditional Christmas feast after the midnight mass.
On Christmas Eve, presents are supposedly delivered in stockings and under the Christmas tree by Father Christmas, who previously had been something like The Ghost of Christmas Present in Charles Dickens ‘ A Christmas Carol, but has now become mainly conflated with Santa Claus.
In the United States and Canada, the Santa Claus traditions are essentially the same, except in Quebec and other French speaking areas, with its r”veillon and the P”re No”l .
December 5 and December 6 are traditionally recognized as the main gift-giving days of the Low Countries, with December 25 being a lower-key, more religious event. Since the 1990s, Mexican society has embraced a new concept linking several celebrations around Christmastime into what is known as the Guadalupe-Reyes Marathon.
Children in New Zealand are also told of the surreptitious visit of Father Christmas to leave presents.
Like Father Christmas in Germany, Sinterklaas is often accompanied by a black helper named Zwarte Piet who punishes disobedient children.
Traditionally, extended families would gather for a Christmas lunch similar to a traditional Christmas meal including decorated hams, roast turkey, salads and roast vegetables, followed by fruit mince pies and plum pudding.
Cinemas, night clubs and bars are full, and there are lots of private gatherings and parties, where all kinds of traditional Christmas cookies and sweets are enjoyed.
The Christmas season continues unabated in Mexico through Epiphany, which is called Dia de los Reyes .
Dreaming of a white Christmas? Holiday festivities culminate on Noche Buena with the celebration of a late-night Misa de Gallo .
Christmas festivities begin with Las Posadas, nine consecutive days of candelight processions and lively parties starting December 16.
The scene will not be completed until Christmas Eve when the newborn Baby Jesus is finally laid in the manger bed.
Nowadays a decorated Christmas tree may be incorporated in the Nacimiento or set up elsewhere in the home.
Afterwards families head home for a traditional Christmas supper which may feature a simple fare of homemade tamales and atole or other regional dishes.
In Mexico it is celebrated as day akin to April Fool’s, an occasion for jokes and pranks.
The government offices and the other institutions connected with the government close during those two weeks.
The Posadas are now nine parties that are celebrated in differentes friends homes before Christmas.
Although the Pinata was originally from Italy, it has become a Mexican tradition for celebrations where there are children involved.
Christmas Day has no special celebration though many have adopted the American style Christmas with a Christmas tree and Santa Claus.
On Christmas Eve another verse is added to the Ave Marias, telling the Virgin Mary that the desired night has come.
Nick this year, but many have another special Christmas spirit who brings gifts and joy.
Many Mexican families attend a midnight mass on Christmas Eve. The Christmas trees have to travel a good way, and that drives up the price.
In the spirit of a warm holiday, the outdoor markets offer sunny shopping and cool Christmas crafts.
It is said that he liked the flower so much that he dedicated the last years of his life to making the ‘poinsettia’ the Mexican symbol of Christmas throughout the world.
Christmas itself is usually celebrated on Christmas eve in Mexico with a midnight mass and a late dinner.
The nativity scene is put away on this date until the next year when the new Christmas season begins.
A few days ago it was filled with cempasuchitl flowers, sugar skulls, papel picado and pan de muerto or Day of the Dead bread, and today it is getting ready for the Christmas season.