Page 39 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - December 2015 Late Edition

Celebrating Christmas Around The World 39
Celebrating Christmas
Around The World
Continued from Page 38
Christmas in Portugal Continues
The wood for this Madeiro was
traditionally stollen - it should not be bought! If
the boys were caught by the owners of the trees,
then they have to pay for it. However, nowadays
the wood is normally paid for after christmas or
it is discretely donated by the boy's parents; or
relatives who tell them where some trees that are
sick, or which need felling are, so they can get
them from there!
In Portuguese Happy/Merry Christmas is
'Feliz Natal or Boas Festas'.
Christmas in Puerto Rico
Songs and singing are very popular at Christmas
time in Puerto Rico. People like to carol singing,
known as Parrandas (also sometimes called
Asalto or Trulla). Friends gather late in the
evening (about 10pm) and visit different houses.
People are meant to be surprised and woken up
by the music and singing of the 'parranderos'
(those taking part in the 'parranda'), although
most people have 'arranged' that they will be
visited; because the custom is that when you've
been 'woken up' you have to join in the parranda
so it grows during the evening as more party go-
ers join in! The fun can last all night, finishing at Año' or 'Año Viejo'. When the clock strikes
dawn!
Another popular type of music at
Christmas in Puerto Rico are 'Aguinaldos'
(Christmas songs). Some are religious and
they're called 'villancicos'. Some have a
creole/criollo rhythm called 'décimas
navideñas'. Popular and traditional Christmas
songs are also sung and played.
Puerto Rican home are decorated with
greenery, often with branches from palm trees as
well as Christmas decorations similar to those in
the USA like Christmas Trees (normally
artificial). Nativity Scenes 'nacimientos' or
'pesebres' are also popular. The figures of the
Three Kings are very important. People also like
to wear a traditional straw hat called a 'pava' at
Christmas celebrations.
Christmas Eve is known as
'Nochebuena'. The main celebrations and
Christmas meal happen on Nochebuena.
Christmas Day ('Navidad') is the day that you
recover from the Nochebuena!
'Misa de Aguinaldos' are special Catholic
Masses which are held from the 15th to the 24th
December. The services are nearly all sung and
use traditional Puerto Rican musical instruments
such as the cuatro (a Puerto Rican guitar),
guitars, güiros (a percusion instrument you rub a
stick up and down), and maracas. The masses
are held at dawn (about 6am).
On Christmas Eve there's a special Misa
de Aguinaldo at midnight called the Misa de
Gallo (mass of the rooster). It is a very important
and festive mass which includes carols, a
nativity play with children dressed people from
the Christmas Story and there's lots of candles.
It's traditional for families to go to the mass to
celebrate Christmas.
The main Christmas meal is normally
'lechón asado' (roast pork often cooked on a spit)
served with 'arroz con gandules' (rice, pigeon
peas and pork which is cooked in sofrito sauce),
'plátano' (plantains) and 'pasteles' (a dough made
from mashed green bananas filled with meat and
wrapped/cooked in banana leaves). Cooking the
roast pig can take all day and starts early in the
morning. Lots of Christmas music is played
during the day to keep people entertained.
lar Christmas desserts are 'arroz con
dulce' (a kind of rice pudding) and 'tembleque' (a
set custard made with coconut milk). The
desserts are eaten cold. People like to drink
'coquito' (a drink like eggnog made with rum!).
Guests often bring the desserts.
On December 28th Holy Innocents Day
'Día de los Inocentes' is celebrated. It's a bit like for singing well. Adults go carol singing on
April Fools day where people try to trick each
other. But in the town of Hatillo there's an old
custom of a carnival on that day. Men dressed as
King Herod's soldiers 'kidnap' children and
people have to give the soldiers sweets and
candy to get the children back!
New Year's Eve is called 'Despedida de
midnight, it's traditional to eat a grape on each
chime for good luck! Then everyone hugs each
other and people celebrate the new year letting
of fireworks and firecrackers and honk their car
horns! People then like to listen to a traditional
poem called 'El Brindis del Bohemio' (A
Bohemian Toast) which is played on the radio.
Epiphany is also a popular celebration in
Puerto Rico. Epiphany Eve on the 5th of January
is called 'Víspera de Reyes'. Traditional
Catholics go to church to pray the rosary to
honor the Three Wisemen/Kings. Children also
hope that they be left gifts by the Wisemen and
leave fresh grass in shoeboxes under their beds
for the King's camels to eat.
Epiphany on the 6th January is called
'Día de Reyes' (Day of the Kings). Children
wake up early to check out what the Kings have
left them! On the 6th, 7th and 8th people also
remember the three Wisemen/Kings: 6th =
Gaspar; 7th = Melchor; 8th = Baltazar.
Traditionally after Epiphany and starting on the
9th where the Octavas and Octavitas. There are
special services honouring Jesus and the
Kings/Wisemen. They last eight days each - so
another sixteen days of celebrations! But not
many people take part in them these days and
Christmas and New Year celebrations often
finish after 'Día de Reyes'.
Christmas in Romania
In Romania, Christmas and mid-winter
celebrations last from 20th December to 7th
January. The 20th is when people celebrate St.
Ignatius's Day. It is traditional that if the family
keep pigs, one is killed on this day. The meat
from the pig is used in the Christmas meals.
Sfantul Nicolae's Day (St Nicholas) is
celebrated on the 6th December. On the evening
of the 5th December children clean their shoes
or boots and leave them by the door and hope
that Sfantul Nicolae will leave them some small
presents! Sfantul Nicolae might also be called
'MoÅŸ Nicolae' (Old Man Nicholas) and although
he is celebrated in December, it's not part of the
Christmas celebrations! A tradition says that if it
snows on December 6th, Sfantul Nicolae has
shaken his beard so that winter can begin.
The Christmas celebrations really begin
on Christmas Eve, 24th, when it's time to
decorate the Christmas Tree. This is done in the
evening of Christmas Eve. In Romanian,
Christmas Eve is called 'Ajunul Craciunului'.
Carol singing (known as 'Colindatul') is
also a very popular part of Christmas in
Romania. On Christmas Eve, children go out
carol singing from house to house performing to
the adults in the houses. They normally dance as
well. The children get sweets, fruit, traditional
cakes called 'cozonaci' and sometimes money
Christmas Day evening and night.
A traditional Romanian Carol is the 'Star
Carol'. The star, made of colored paper and often
decorated with tinsel, silver foil and sometimes
bells, is put on a pole. In the middle of the star is
a picture of baby Jesus or a nativity scene. Carol
singers take the star with them when they go
carol singing. The words of the Star Carol are:
"The star has appeared on high,
Like a big secret in the sky,
he star is bright,
May all your wishes turn out right."
Other popular carols to sing include 'Oh, What
Wondrous Tidings' ('O, ce veste minunata') and
'Three Wise Men coming from the East' ('Trei
Crai de la rasarit').
In many parts of Romania, it's also
traditional that someone dresses up as a goat,
with a multicolored mask, and goes round with
the carol singers. The goat is known as the
'Capra' and it jumps and dances around getting
up to lots of mischief!
Another Christmas Eve tradition is a
drumming band or 'dubasi'. This is normally
made up of un-married men. A band can have up
to 50 or 60 men in it! As well as the drums
there's often a saxophone and violin. The band
will practice for about a month before Christmas
so they are really good. The go round the streets
and are given presents.
In Romanian, Merry Christmas is
'Crặciun Fericit'.
In Romania Santa Claus is known as
'Moş Crăciun' (Old Man Christmas), & 'Moş
Gerilă' (Old Man Frost).
Traditional Romanian Christmas foods
include Roast Gammon and Pork Chops (made
from the killed pig!), 'Ciorba de perisoare' which
is a slightly sour vegetable soup made with
fermented bran and pork meatballs; 'Sarmale'
cabbage leaves stuffed with ground pork and
served with polenta; 'Cozonac' a rich fruit bread;
Romanian doughnuts called 'gogosi' and
cheesecakes.
New Year's Eve is also an important
celebration in Romania. It's sometimes called
Little Christmas. Traditionally a small,
decorated plough called a 'Plugusorul' is paraded
through the streets on New Year's Eve.
(Continued on Page 40)