Page 25 - 200912 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - December 2009

25 Christmas Around the World 25 Christmas Around the World Christmas Around the so they may receive their presents from Santa Christmas in Peru Christmas Around the World who goes around with a red-nosed reindeer. In Peru nativity scenes with Retablos World Continued from Page 24 Christmas in Mexico inside are very popular. When priests were first Continued from Page 24 taken to traveling they would carry small altars Mexicans share many traditions with the around with them for festival days. These Christmas in Italy Spanish. Their main Christmas celebration is gradually developed into portable boxes with called La Posada, which is a religious saints above the altar and scenes from everyday The Christmas season in Italy goes for procession that reenacts the search for shelter by life below it. Now the retablos depict Mary, three weeks, starting 8 days before Christmas Joseph and Mary before the birth of Jesus. Joseph and baby Jesus, with local people known as the Novena. During this period, During the procession, the celebrants go from crowding around. children go from house to house reciting house to house carrying the images of Mary and Christmas poems and singing. Joseph looking for shelter. Christmas in Russia In some parts shepherds bring musical Santa Claus is not predominant, but the instruments into the villages, play and sing bright red suit is represented in the traditional In Russia the religious festival of Christmas songs. flower of the season. This flower is the Christmas is being replaced by the Festival of In the week before Christmas children poinsettia, which has a brilliant red star-shaped Winter but there are some traditions that are still go from house to house dressed as shepherds, bloom. It is believed that a young boy walking kept up in some parts of the country. playing pipes, singing and reciting Christmas to the church to see the nativity scene showing In the traditional Russian Christmas, poems. They are given money to buy presents. the birth of Jesus had realized on the way that he special prayers are said and people fast, A strict feast is observed for 24 hours had no gift to offer the Christ child so he sometimes for 39 days, until January 6th before Christmas Eve, and is followed by a gathered up some plain green branches as he Christmas Eve, when the first evening star in celebration meal, in which a light Milanese cake walked in he was laughed at but upon placing appears in the sky. Then begins a twelve course called panettone features as well as chocolate. the branches near the manger they started to supper in honor of each of the twelve apostles - Presents and empty boxes, are drawn bloom a bright red poinsettia flower on each fish, beet soup or Borsch, cabbage stuffed with from the Urn of Fate - lucky dip, which always branch. millet, cooked dried fruit and much more. contains one gift per person. By twilight, The Mexican children receive gifts. On Hay is spread on the floors and tables to candles are lighted around the family crib Christmas day they are blindfolded and taken to encourage horse feed to grow in the coming known as the Presepio, prayers are said, and try and break a decorated clay piñata that year and people make clucking noises to children recite poems. dangles and swings at the end of a rope. Once encourage their hens to lay eggs. At noon on Christmas Day the pope the piñata has been broken, the children clamber On Christmas Day, hymns and carols are gives his blessing to crowds gathered in the to recover the candy that was inside the piñata. sung. People gather in churches which have huge Vatican square. Those children who have been good also on been decorated with the usual Christmas trees or In Italy the children wait until Epiphany, January 6th receive a gift from the Three Wise Yelka, flowers and colored lights. January 6, for their presents. According to Men. Christmas dinner includes a variety of tradition, the presents are delivered by a kind Mexicans attend a midnight mass different meats - goose and suckling pig are ugly witch called Befana on a broomstick. It service which is called la Misa Del Gallo or "the favorites. was said that she was told by the three kings that rooster's mass," and at the mass they sing Babushka is a traditional Christmas the baby Jesus was born, she was busy and lullabies to Jesus. figure who distributes presents to children. Her delayed visiting the baby. name means grandmother and the legend is told She missed the Star lost her way and has Christmas in Nicaragua that she declined to go with the wise men to see been flying around ever since, leaving presents Jesus because of the cold weather. (Ctd Pg 26) at every house with children in case he is there. Christmas begins officially on She slides down chimneys, and fills stockings December 6 in Nicaragua, but actual activities and shoes with good things for good children begin on December 16 with the performance of In Ottawa, Ontario, Canada In Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and it is said leaves coal for children who are the lodging difficulties of Mary and Joseph. The People Listen To not so good. People Listen To home where lodging is found, supplies wine and The ‘X’ Zone Radio Show The ‘X’ Zone Radio Show food. Every home contains a manger scene. Christmas in Japan with with From December 16 until Christmas Eve Mass, prayer is held each evening in the home, Rob McConnell Rob McConnell Only 1 per cent of Japanese people followed by refreshments and the singing of on believe in Christ. Even so, most Japanese carols. After Christmas Eve Mass, the on AM 580 CFRA people decorate their stores and homes with Christmas dinner is consumed with only the AM 580 CFRA evergreens during Christmas. adults in attendance. Christmas cards are They enjoy giving each other gifts, and exchanged which are white and plain. this is the part they celebrate. Christmas Day is celebrated with much They have a Buddhist monk called fun and eating, fireworks and dancing. The Hotei-osho who acts like Santa Claus. He brings main streets of the town and cities are decorated presents to each house and leaves them for the and have loud-speakers broadcasting Christmas children. Some think he has eyes in the back of carols. his head, so children try to behave like he is nearby. Christmas in Pakistan Among the Christian Japanese Christmas is not a day for the family. They do In Pakistan 25 December is a public not have turkey or plum pudding, rather than holiday it is however in memory of Jinnah the that the day is spent doing nice things for others founder of Pakistan. especially those who are sick in hospitals. In Christian homes they celebrate Christmas for those in Sunday schools is Christmas with the exchanging of gifts and the happiest day of the year. On Christmas Eve cards, the wearing of new clothes and the or Christmas night, the children put on visiting of houses of friends. programs that last for hours, they sing, they They have a church service which is recite and they put on a drama of the day Jesus packed on Christmas day which is called Bara was born in Bethlehem. Din the big day. Most children may not like Hotei-osho