Page 24 - 200912 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - December 2009

24 Christmas Around the World 24 Christmas Around the World Christmas Around the Gifts are exchanged on January 1st, St Basil's dipped into water to bless it. People would take Christmas Around the World Day. On Christmas Eve, groups of people the water home with them drink three sips World before eating anything. Continued from Page 21 gather around the holiday table. Figs, dried on Continued from Page 21 rooftops are served with the spicy golden Christmas in India Chrisopsomo bread. Christmas in Ethiopia As people are they greet one another by Christians in India decorate banana or saying Hronia polla or many happy years. The mango trees. They also light small oil-burning Gift giving is a very small part of Christmas celebration. Children usually receive table filled with food may include such dishes lamps as Christmas decorations and fill their as kourambiethes, a Greek nut cookie. very simple presents such as clothing. churches with red flowers. In Ethiopia Christmas day is January 7, They give presents to family members so on Christmas Eve the city is crowded with Christmas in Holland and baksheesh, or charity, to the poor people. pilgrims from all parts of the country. They In India, the poinsettia is in flower and St Nicholas arrives early in Holland with remain outdoors all night, praying and chanting. his gifts, in November. He is dressed in Bishop's so the churches are decorated with this brilliant In the morning, a colorful procession makes its robes and journeys in a boat with his helper who bloom for the Christmas Midnight Mass. way to a nearby hilltop where a service is held. is called Black Peter and who wears Spanish In South India, Christians put small Three young men march at the head of the clothes. It is said that the pair live most of the clay lamps on the rooftops and walls of their crowd, lashing whips from left to right to keep houses at Christmas, just as the Hindus do the people in line. Those who worship are fed year preparing lists of presents and writing during their festival called Diwali. every child's behavior in a very large book. with bread and wine that has been blessed by Many people go to Amsterdam docks to greet priests. After the service is over the rest of the him. He mounts a snow horse and rides through Christmas in Iran (Persia) day is spent dancing, playing sport and feasting. the streets in a great parade, amid many Christmas in Iran is known as the Little festivities. Christmas in Greece Feast. For the first 25 days of December, a great December 5th is Sinterklaas Eve or fast is observed, during which no meat, eggs, Sinterklass Eve, and presents are given and St. Nicholas is important in Greece as milk, or cheese is eaten. It is a time of peace and the patron saint of sailors. According to Greek received. meditation; a time for attending services at the Farmers in Holland blow long horns at tradition, his clothes are drenched with brine, church. When the fast is over, the feast is begun, his beard drips with seawater, and his face is sunset each evening during the Christmas for plenty of meat is prepared for the Christmas period. The horns are blown over water wells covered with perspiration because he has been which makes the sound extremely loud. This is dinner. working hard against the waves to reach sinking done to announce the coming of Christmas. Christmas Eve is the last day of the fast. ships and rescue them from the angry sea. Greek All Dutch children know that Almost before dawn on Christmas Day, the ships never leave port without some sort of St. people attend Mass to receive Communion and Nicholas icon on board. Sinterklaas or Sinterklass lived in Spain, where it is not until they have received this he spends his time recording the behavior of all On Christmas Eve small boys to the the children in his little red book, while Piet Communion that they are permitted to break beating of drums and the tinkling of triangles stocks up on the presents. fast. usually sing carols. They go from house to Christmas Day is a religious time, and The boys and girls of Iran have never house and are given dried figs, almonds, heard of Santa Claus, so they do not exchange walnuts and lots of sweets or sometimes small the day is spent with visits to Church. In the gifts at Christmas. But they do receive new afternoon, people sit around the tree, sing carols gifts. and tell stories. clothes, which they proudly wear all during the After 40 days of fasting, the Christmas happy Christmas week. feast is looked forward to with great Christmas in the Holy Land A dish eaten for Christmas day is a kind anticipation by adults and children alike. Pigs of chicken stew. It is cooked in large quantities are slaughtered and on almost every table are Christmas in the Holy Land where and lasts several days. loaves of christopsomo or "Christ Bread". This Christ is believed to have been born is often full bread is made in large sweet loaves of various of travelers come to celebrate Christmas. Here Christmas in Iraq shapes and the crusts are engraved and in a grotto there is a 14-pointed Silver Star on decorated in some way that reflects the family's In the Christian homes an unusual profession. the floor is where the birthplace is supposed to ceremony is held in the courtyard of the home have been. Christmas trees are not commonly used There are three Christmas Eves in the on Christmas Eve. One of the children in the in Greece. In almost every home the main Holy Land. One on the 24th December family reads the story of the Nativity from an symbol of the season is a shallow wooden bowl celebrated by the Protestant and Catholic Arabic Bible. The other members of the family with a piece of wire is suspended across the rim; hold lighted candles, and as soon as the story from that hangs a sprig of basil wrapped around Churches. The second for the Greek Orthodox, has been read a bonfire is lit in one corner of the Coptic (Egyptian) and Syrian churches. The a wooden cross. A small amount of water is kept third is the Armenian Church. At times, all three courtyard. The fire is made of dried thorns and in the bowl to keep the basil alive and fresh. services are going on at the same time, but, in the future of the house for the coming year Once a day, a family member, usually the different parts of the church, as well as in depends upon the way the fire burns. If the mother, dips the cross and basil into some holy thorns burn to ashes, the family will have good water and uses it to sprinkle water in each room different languages. For lunch they eat turkey, fortune. While the fire is burning, a psalm is spiced with pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg and of the house. This ritual is believed to keep the stuffed with rice, meat,, pine nuts and almonds. sung. When the fire is reduced to ashes, Killantzaroi away from the house. Early in the evening, members of the everyone jumps over the ashes three times and There is a tradition kallikantzeri, where makes a wish. the mischievous goblins appear from the earth Protestant church groups would go around On Christmas day a similar bonfire is during the 12 days of Christmas. singing carols. On Christmas morning children built in the church. While the fire burns the men would open their presents before breakfast. At Christmas very few presents are After breakfast Protestant people would go to of the congregation chant a hymn. Then there is given to each other. Instead, small gifts are church, and visit friends to wish them a happy a procession in which the officials of the church given to hospitals and orphanages. Christmas. march behind the bishop, who carries an image Priests sometimes go from house to of the infant Jesus upon a scarlet cushion. The The Catholic Church priests would house sprinkling holy water around to get rid of come a bless water from which all members of long Christmas service always ends with the the bad spirits who may be hiding in people's the family would take a sip. blessing of the people. The bishop reaches forth houses. The member of the Greek Orthodox and touches a member of the congregation with In most Greek homes an evergreen tree his hand, putting his blessing upon him. That is decorated with tinsel and a star placed on top. Church Epiphany is very important. They have person touches the one next him, and so on, a special church service at which a cross was until all have received "the Touch of Peace."