Christmas [Christ's Mass], in the Christian calendar, feast of the nativity of Jesus, celebrated in Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches on Dec. 25. In liturgical importance it ranks after Easter Easter [A.S. Eastre, name of a spring goddess], chief Christian feast, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus after his crucifixion. In the West, Easter is celebrated on the Sunday following the full moon next after the vernal equinox (see calendar); thus, it
..... Click the link for more information. , Pentecost Pentecost [Gr.,=fiftieth], important Jewish and Christian feast. The Jewish feast of Pentecost, in Hebrew Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, one of the three pilgrimage festivals, arose as the celebration of the closing of the spring grain harvest, which began formally in
..... Click the link for more information. , and Epiphany Epiphany [Gr.,=showing], a prime Christian feast, celebrated Jan. 6, called also Twelfth Day or Little Christmas. Its eve is Twelfth Night. It commemorates three events—the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1), the visit of the Wise Men to Bethlehem (Mat.
..... Click the link for more information. (Jan. 6).
Christian festival celebrated on December 25, commemorating the birth of Jesus. December 25 had already been identified by Sextus Julius Africanus in AD 221 as the day on which Christmas would be celebrated, and it was celebrated in Rome by AD 336. During the Middle Ages Christmas became extremely popular, and various liturgical celebrations of the holiday were established. The practice of exchanging gifts had begun by the 15th century. The Yule log, cakes, and fir trees derive from German and Celtic customs. Christmas today is regarded as a family festival with gifts brought by Santa Claus (see St. Nicholas). As an increasingly secular festival, it has come to be celebrated by many non-Christians.
Christmas
..... Click the link for more information. , Pentecost Pentecost [Gr.,=fiftieth], important Jewish and Christian feast. The Jewish feast of Pentecost, in Hebrew Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, one of the three pilgrimage festivals, arose as the celebration of the closing of the spring grain harvest, which began formally in
..... Click the link for more information. , and Epiphany Epiphany [Gr.,=showing], a prime Christian feast, celebrated Jan. 6, called also Twelfth Day or Little Christmas. Its eve is Twelfth Night. It commemorates three events—the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1), the visit of the Wise Men to Bethlehem (Mat.
..... Click the link for more information. (Jan. 6).
The observance probably does not date earlier than A.D. 200 and did not become widespread until the 4th cent. The date was undoubtedly chosen for its nearness to Epiphany, which, in the East, originally included a commemoration of the nativity. The date of Christmas coincides closely with the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere, a time of rejoicing among many ancient cultures. Christmas, as the great popular festival of Western Europe, dates from the Middle Ages. In England after the Reformation the observance became a point of contention between Anglicans and other Protestants, and the celebration of Christmas was suppressed in Scotland and in much of New England until the 19th cent.
In the mid 19th cent. Christmas began to acquire its associations with an increasingly secularized holiday of gift-giving and good cheer, a view that was popularized in works such as Clement Clarke Moore Moore, Clement Clarke, 1779–1863, American educator and poet, b. New York City, grad. Columbia, 1798. A biblical scholar, he was professor of Asian and Greek literature at the Episcopal General Theological Seminary, erected in New York City on land that he had
..... Click the link for more information. 's poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (1823) and Charles Dickens's story A Christmas Carol (1843). Christmas cards first appeared c.1846. The current concept of a jolly Santa Claus was first made popular in New York in the 19th cent. (see Nicholas, Saint Nicholas, Saint, patron of children and sailors, of Greece, Sicily, and Russia, and of many other places and persons. Little is known of him, but he is traditionally identified as a 4th-century bishop of Myra in Asia Minor.
..... Click the link for more information. ).
The Yule Log [Yule, from O.E.,=Christmas], the boar's head, the goose (in America the turkey), decoration with holly, hawthorn, wreaths, mistletoe, and the singing of carols by waifs (Christmas serenaders) are all typically English (see carol carol, popular hymn, of joyful nature, in celebration of an occasion such as May Day, Easter, or Christmas. The earliest English carols date from the 15th cent. The carol is characterized by simplicity of thought and expression.
..... Click the link for more information. ). Gifts at Christmas are also English; elsewhere they are given at other times, e.g., at Epiphany in Spain. The Christmas tree was a tradition from the Middle Ages in Germany. The crib (crèche) with the scene at Bethlehem was popularized by the Franciscans. The midnight service on Christmas Eve is a popular religious observance in the Roman Catholic and some Protestant churches.
See also Advent Advent [Lat.,=coming], season of the Christian ecclesiastical year preceding Christmas, lasting in the West from the Sunday nearest Nov. 30 (St. Andrew's Day) until Christmas Eve.
..... Click the link for more information. and Twelfth Night Twelfth Night, Jan. 5, the vigil or eve of Epiphany, so called because it is the 12th night from Christmas, counting Christmas as the first. In England, Twelfth Night has been a great festival marking the end of the Christmas season, and popular masquerading parties
..... Click the link for more information. .
Bibliography
See M. Hadfield and J. Hadfield, The Twelve Days of Christmas (1961); P. L. Restad, Christmas in America (1995).
Christmas
)
The Nativity, fresco by Giotto, c. 1305–06, depicting the …
(credit: SuperStock)
Christmas
1.
a. the annual commemoration by Christians of the birth of Jesus Christ on Dec. 25
b. Dec. 25, observed as a day of secular celebrations when gifts and greetings are exchanged
c. (as modifier): Christmas celebrations
2. the season of Christmas extending from Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve) to Jan. 6 (the festival of the Epiphany or Twelfth Night)
Christmas
Amahl and the Night VisitorsBefanacarolsChild’s Christmas in Wales, AChristmasChristmas treeChristmas, FatherDeck the Halls with Boughs of HollyFirst Noel, TheGift of the Magi, Thegold, frankincense, and myrrhGrinchHark! the Herald Angels SinghollyJingle BellsJoy to the World!Kringle, KrisLord of MisruleMiracle on 34th StreetmistletoeNight Before Christmas, TheO Come, All Ye FaithfulO Little Town of Bethlehemred and greenRudolph, the Red-Nosed ReindeerSanta ClausScrooge, EbenezerSilent NightStar of Bethlehemyule logWe Three Kings of Orient Are
lame shepherd boy gives crutch as gift for Christ Child; first opera composed for television (1951). [Am. Opera: EB, VI: 792–793]
fairy fills stockings with toys on Twelfth Night. [Ital. Legend: LLEI, I: 323]
custom originating in England of singing songs at Christmas. [Christian Tradition: NCE, 552]
nostalgic remembrance of Welsh Christmases. [Brit. Lit.: A Child’s Christmas in Wales]
feast of the nativity of Jesus Christ (December 25). [Christian Tradition: NCE, 552]
custom originating in medieval Germany of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas. [Christian Tradition: NCE, 552]
legendary bringer of gifts; another name for Santa Claus. [Children’s Lit.: Father Christmas]
traditional Christmas carol. [Western Culture: “Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly” in Rockwell, 146–147]
traditional Christmas carol. [Western Culture: “The First Noel” in Rockwell, 136–137]
O. Henry’s Christmas story of love and self-sacrifice. [Am. Lit.: Rockwell, 77–80]
given to the infant Jesus by the three Wise Men. [N.T.: Matthew 2:1–11]
hating the delights of Yuletide, he steals Christmas presents but eventually relents and joins in the merriment. [Children’s Lit.: Seuss How the Grinch Stole Christmas in Weiss, 210]
traditional Christmas carol. [Western Culture: “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” in Rockwell, 132–133]
symbol of Christmas. [Flower Symbolism: Flora Symbolica, 174; Kunz, 331
yuletide song composed by J. S. Pierpont. [Pop. Music: Van Doren, 200]
traditional Christmas carol. [Western Culture: “Joy to the World!” in Rockwell, 138]
Santa Claus in Germany. [Ger. Folklore: LLEI, I: 277]
formerly, person chosen to lead Christmas revels and games. [Br. Folklore: Misc.]
film featuring benevolent old gentleman named Kris Kringle. [Am. Cinema: Halliwell, 493]
traditional yuletide sprig under which kissing is obligatory. [Br. and Am. Folklore: Leach, 731]
poem celebrating activities of Christmas Eve. [Am. Lit.: “The Night Before Christmas” ]
traditional Christmas carol. [Western Culture: “0 Come, All Ye Faithful” in Rockwell, 142–143]
traditional Christmas carol. [Western Culture: “0 Little Town of Bethlehem” in Rockwell, 120–121]
traditional colors of Christmas. [Christian Tradition: Misc.]
his nose lights Santa on his way. [Am. Music: “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer”]
jolly, gift-giving figure who visits children on Christmas Eve. [Christian Tradition: NCE, 1937]
the great miser during season of giving. [Br. Lit.: A Christmas Carol]
traditional Christmas carol. [Western Culture: “Silent Night” in Rockwell, 130–131]
announces birth of the Christ child. [Christianity: N.T.: Matthew 2:2]
log burned at Christmas. [Western Tradition: NCE, 552]
traditional Christmas carol. [Western Culture: “We Three Kings of Orient Are” in Rockwell, 122–123]
Christmas
December 25
The most popular of the Christian festivals, also known as the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord, Christmas (from "Christ's Mass") celebrates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The exact date of Jesus' birth is not known, and for more than three centuries it was a movable feast, often celebrated on Epiphany, January 6. The Western Church chose to observe it at the end of December, perhaps as a way of countering the various pre-Christian festivals celebrated around that time of year. Some believe that Pope Julius I fixed the date of Christmas at December 25 in the fourth century. The earliest reference to it is in the Philocalian Calendar of Rome in 336. Although the majority of Eastern Orthodox churches have celebrated the Nativity on December 25 since the middle of the fifth century, those that still adhere to the old Julian calendar—called Old Calendarists—mark the occasion 13 days later, on January 7. The Armenian Churches continue to celebrate Old Christmas Day on January 6.
The Christmas season in the church begins on Christmas Eve and ends on Epiphany, unlike the commercial season that may begin any time after Halloween.
December 25th is a holy day of obligation for Roman Catholics, who must attend one of the three masses priests are permitted to say in honor of the occasion. These services are celebrated at midnight on Christmas Eve and at dawn and, usually, mid-morning on Christmas.
As a holiday, Christmas represents a strange intermingling of both Christian and the pagan traditions it replaced. Many of the secular customs now associated with Christmas—such as decorating with mistletoe, holly, and ivy; indulging in excessive eating and drinking; stringing lights in trees; and exchanging gifts—can be traced back to early pagan festivals like the Saturnalia and ancient Winter Solstice rites. Another example is burning the Yule log, which was part of a pre-Christian winter solstice festival celebrating the return of the sun in the middle of winter. Even the Christmas tree, a German custom introduced in Britain by Queen Victoria's husband, Albert, may trace its history back to ancient times
One of the most universal Christmas traditions is the creche, a model of the birth scene of Christ, with Jesus in the manger, surrounded by the Holy Family and worshipping angels, shepherds, and animals. Many families have their own creche, with the three Wise Men set apart and moved closer each day after Christmas until they arrive at the manger on Epiphany. In Austria, the creche is not put away until Candlemas Day.
In Belgium, the manger also appears in shop windows, constructed of the material sold by the shop: bread at the bakery; silks and laces at dressmakers; a variety of materials from the hardware store; butter and cheese from dairies; and cravats and neckties at the haberdashers.
In Chile the creche is called a pesebre . Some homes leave their doors open so people passing by can come in and say a brief prayer to the Niño Lindo (beautiful baby).
In Italy it is a presÉpio and is placed on the lowest shelf of a ceppo, which is a pyramid of shelves, lit with candles, used to display secular Christmas decorations and ornaments.
In Poland, where the creche is called a yaselko, it is believed to be the origin of the Christmas folk play called the King Herod play, based on Herod's order to kill all male babies in Bethlehem ( see Holy Innocents' Day). Thirteenth-century Franciscan monks brought the creche to Poland. Eventually the wax, clay, and wooden figures were transformed into szopka, puppets that performed Christmas mystery plays, which told of the mysteries of Christ's life. Later, the monks acted the parts played by the puppets and were called "living szopka." In time, the plays were blended with characters and events from Polish history. The performers are called "Herods" and go from house to house in their villages where they are invited in to sing carols, act, and later to eat and drink with the family.
In Burkina Faso (until 1984 called Upper Volta), in western Africa, the population is mostly in Ouagadougou, the capital, and there the children make nativities (manger scenes) around the entrance to their compound. They are ready on Christmas Day so friends and neighbors can come by and, if they like them, leave a few coins in the dish provided. Some are made of paper and set on a pedestal, others of mud bricks with a thatch roof, while others are in the form of the local round house and have the bricks covered with a coat of concrete and a masonry dome instead of thatch. All of this is ornately decorated with strings of plastic packing peanuts, bits of shiny metal, tinsel, plastic, and flashlight bulbs. Some are modeled after pictures of European churches, but the child who can build a multi-storied nativity is thought very clever. On the wall of the compound behind the nativity is painted a white panel on which are affixed pictures of the Holy Family, crosses, hearts, arrows, stars, and anything else that comes to the mind of the young creator.
In Japan, since the end of World War II, Christmas has become a very popular holiday, even for non-Christians. Christmas dinner is replaced with a commercial Christmas cake, called "decoration cake," ( dekoreshon keki ), covered with ridges and waves of frosting. Grandfather Santa Claus brings the gifts, but stockings are hung on the pipe for the bathtub stove, which is the nearest equivalent to a fireplace in Japanese homes. New Year's postcards are much more important than Christmas cards, and the most elaborate use of evergreen trees is also saved for New Year's. Christmas parties are a kind of blending with bonenkai, "closing of the year parties," which may only be attended by men and professional women: geishas, waitresses, entertainers. All women can attend Christmas parties, which is one of the reasons why the Japanese consider Christmas to be democratic.
Secular Christmas customs have continued to evolve. The Christmas card didn't become popular until the 19th century in England; Santa Claus's reindeer were an American invention at about the same time. Modern Christmas celebrations tend to focus on the worldly—with such traditions as the office Christmas party, sending out greeting cards, and Christmas specials on television taking the place of church services and other religious observances for many. The movement to "put Christ back into Christmas" has not lessened the enjoyment of this holiday as much for its social and commercial events as for its spiritual significance. The way Christmas is celebrated today is actually no worse—and in many ways much less excessive—than the hedonistic medieval celebration, where the feasting and revelry often extended all the way from Christmas to Candlemas (February 2).
See also Ganna; Koledouvane; Lighting of the National Christmas Tree; Misa de Gallo; and Posadas
The Christmas season in the church begins on Christmas Eve and ends on Epiphany, unlike the commercial season that may begin any time after Halloween.
December 25th is a holy day of obligation for Roman Catholics, who must attend one of the three masses priests are permitted to say in honor of the occasion. These services are celebrated at midnight on Christmas Eve and at dawn and, usually, mid-morning on Christmas.
As a holiday, Christmas represents a strange intermingling of both Christian and the pagan traditions it replaced. Many of the secular customs now associated with Christmas—such as decorating with mistletoe, holly, and ivy; indulging in excessive eating and drinking; stringing lights in trees; and exchanging gifts—can be traced back to early pagan festivals like the Saturnalia and ancient Winter Solstice rites. Another example is burning the Yule log, which was part of a pre-Christian winter solstice festival celebrating the return of the sun in the middle of winter. Even the Christmas tree, a German custom introduced in Britain by Queen Victoria's husband, Albert, may trace its history back to ancient times
One of the most universal Christmas traditions is the creche, a model of the birth scene of Christ, with Jesus in the manger, surrounded by the Holy Family and worshipping angels, shepherds, and animals. Many families have their own creche, with the three Wise Men set apart and moved closer each day after Christmas until they arrive at the manger on Epiphany. In Austria, the creche is not put away until Candlemas Day.
In Belgium, the manger also appears in shop windows, constructed of the material sold by the shop: bread at the bakery; silks and laces at dressmakers; a variety of materials from the hardware store; butter and cheese from dairies; and cravats and neckties at the haberdashers.
In Chile the creche is called a pesebre . Some homes leave their doors open so people passing by can come in and say a brief prayer to the Niño Lindo (beautiful baby).
In Italy it is a presÉpio and is placed on the lowest shelf of a ceppo, which is a pyramid of shelves, lit with candles, used to display secular Christmas decorations and ornaments.
In Poland, where the creche is called a yaselko, it is believed to be the origin of the Christmas folk play called the King Herod play, based on Herod's order to kill all male babies in Bethlehem ( see Holy Innocents' Day). Thirteenth-century Franciscan monks brought the creche to Poland. Eventually the wax, clay, and wooden figures were transformed into szopka, puppets that performed Christmas mystery plays, which told of the mysteries of Christ's life. Later, the monks acted the parts played by the puppets and were called "living szopka." In time, the plays were blended with characters and events from Polish history. The performers are called "Herods" and go from house to house in their villages where they are invited in to sing carols, act, and later to eat and drink with the family.
In Burkina Faso (until 1984 called Upper Volta), in western Africa, the population is mostly in Ouagadougou, the capital, and there the children make nativities (manger scenes) around the entrance to their compound. They are ready on Christmas Day so friends and neighbors can come by and, if they like them, leave a few coins in the dish provided. Some are made of paper and set on a pedestal, others of mud bricks with a thatch roof, while others are in the form of the local round house and have the bricks covered with a coat of concrete and a masonry dome instead of thatch. All of this is ornately decorated with strings of plastic packing peanuts, bits of shiny metal, tinsel, plastic, and flashlight bulbs. Some are modeled after pictures of European churches, but the child who can build a multi-storied nativity is thought very clever. On the wall of the compound behind the nativity is painted a white panel on which are affixed pictures of the Holy Family, crosses, hearts, arrows, stars, and anything else that comes to the mind of the young creator.
In Japan, since the end of World War II, Christmas has become a very popular holiday, even for non-Christians. Christmas dinner is replaced with a commercial Christmas cake, called "decoration cake," ( dekoreshon keki ), covered with ridges and waves of frosting. Grandfather Santa Claus brings the gifts, but stockings are hung on the pipe for the bathtub stove, which is the nearest equivalent to a fireplace in Japanese homes. New Year's postcards are much more important than Christmas cards, and the most elaborate use of evergreen trees is also saved for New Year's. Christmas parties are a kind of blending with bonenkai, "closing of the year parties," which may only be attended by men and professional women: geishas, waitresses, entertainers. All women can attend Christmas parties, which is one of the reasons why the Japanese consider Christmas to be democratic.
Secular Christmas customs have continued to evolve. The Christmas card didn't become popular until the 19th century in England; Santa Claus's reindeer were an American invention at about the same time. Modern Christmas celebrations tend to focus on the worldly—with such traditions as the office Christmas party, sending out greeting cards, and Christmas specials on television taking the place of church services and other religious observances for many. The movement to "put Christ back into Christmas" has not lessened the enjoyment of this holiday as much for its social and commercial events as for its spiritual significance. The way Christmas is celebrated today is actually no worse—and in many ways much less excessive—than the hedonistic medieval celebration, where the feasting and revelry often extended all the way from Christmas to Candlemas (February 2).
See also Ganna; Koledouvane; Lighting of the National Christmas Tree; Misa de Gallo; and Posadas
CONTACTS:
Christian Resource Institute
4712 N. Hammond
Warr Acres, OK 73122
www.crivoice.org
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
242 Cleveland St.
Redfern, NSW 2016 Australia
61-2-9698-5066; fax: 61-2-9698-536
www.greekorthodox.org.au
Christian Resource Institute
4712 N. Hammond
Warr Acres, OK 73122
www.crivoice.org
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
242 Cleveland St.
Redfern, NSW 2016 Australia
61-2-9698-5066; fax: 61-2-9698-536
www.greekorthodox.org.au
SOURCES:
AmerBkDays-2000, pp. 3, 851
BkDays-1864, vol. II, pp. 733, 744
BkFest-1937, pp. 10, 11, 20, 35, 49, 62, 73, 93, 99, 108, 117, 130, 140, 150, 155, 175, 192, 216, 223, 234, 247, 254, 256, 272, 281, 287, 296, 305, 314, 323, 333, 345
DaysCustFaith-1957, pp. 319, 351
DictFolkMyth-1984, pp. 182, 193, 229, 501, 554, 571, 591, 628, 689, 761, 779, 854, 1063, 1065, 1133
EncyChristmas-2003
EncyRel-1987, vol. 3, p. 460
FestSaintDays-1915, p. 231
FestWestEur-1958, pp. 20, 30, 53, 83, 104, 148, 158, 186, 208, 222, 241
FolkAmerHol-1999, p. 497
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 716
HolSymbols-2009, p. 125
OxYear-1999, pp. 514, 601
RelHolCal-2004, pp. 86, 116
SaintFestCh-1904, p. 37
AmerBkDays-2000, pp. 3, 851
BkDays-1864, vol. II, pp. 733, 744
BkFest-1937, pp. 10, 11, 20, 35, 49, 62, 73, 93, 99, 108, 117, 130, 140, 150, 155, 175, 192, 216, 223, 234, 247, 254, 256, 272, 281, 287, 296, 305, 314, 323, 333, 345
DaysCustFaith-1957, pp. 319, 351
DictFolkMyth-1984, pp. 182, 193, 229, 501, 554, 571, 591, 628, 689, 761, 779, 854, 1063, 1065, 1133
EncyChristmas-2003
EncyRel-1987, vol. 3, p. 460
FestSaintDays-1915, p. 231
FestWestEur-1958, pp. 20, 30, 53, 83, 104, 148, 158, 186, 208, 222, 241
FolkAmerHol-1999, p. 497
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 716
HolSymbols-2009, p. 125
OxYear-1999, pp. 514, 601
RelHolCal-2004, pp. 86, 116
SaintFestCh-1904, p. 37
Celebration day: Dec 25
Celebrated in: Albania, Andorra, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, Greece, Malta, Marshall Islands, Nepal, Norway, Republic of Congo, Romania, Rwanda, Samoa, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Syria, Timor-Leste
Christmas (Greece)
December 25
According to Greek folklore, supernatural beings with unusual powers are present upon earth during the 12 days between Christmas Eve and Epiphany. The name for these spirits is kallikantzari, and they wander about during the Christmas season causing mischief. They are ugly and unkempt, and their favorite way of getting into the house is through the chimney, much like the traditional Santa Claus. Christmas masqueraders often dress in animal skins to represent these demons of the Winter Solstice, and their jangling bells are supposed to drive the spirits away. Children born on Christmas must be baptized immediately to rid them of the evil influence of the kallikantzari.
CONTACTS:
Greek Embassy
Press and Information Office
2211 Massachusetts Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
202-332-2727; fax: 202-265-4931
www.greekembassy.org
Greek Embassy
Press and Information Office
2211 Massachusetts Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
202-332-2727; fax: 202-265-4931
www.greekembassy.org
SOURCES:
BkFest-1937, p. 154
EncyChristmas-2003, pp. 312, 401
FestSaintDays-1915, p. 230
BkFest-1937, p. 154
EncyChristmas-2003, pp. 312, 401
FestSaintDays-1915, p. 230
Celebration day: Dec 25
Celebrated in: Greece
Christmas (Malta)
December 25
The Republic of Malta is a small country in the central Mediterranean that consists of seven islands. The Maltese Islands have a strong Catholic population that celebrates many religious holidays throughout the year. Because of the strong Catholic influence, several of the holy days are national holidays in Malta.
Religious holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, are widely celebrated in Malta. Maltese families tend to be very close-knit, and the holidays are a time to strengthen the sense of community and reinforce family bonds.
On Christmas Eve, it is traditional to attend Midnight mass and then eat a large Christmas breakfast. In most churches, at 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve there is the "Priedka tat-Tifel," which consists of a young boy (or girl, in some parishes) reciting by heart the events leading up to the Nativity.
On Christmas Day, families prepare large Christmas lunches and give thanks with their relatives for all that they have. Also, the streets are lined with carts selling a wide assortment of foods, including the more traditional sweets and delicacies. As in many other countries around the world, Maltese families exchange presents at Christmas time.
Religious holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, are widely celebrated in Malta. Maltese families tend to be very close-knit, and the holidays are a time to strengthen the sense of community and reinforce family bonds.
On Christmas Eve, it is traditional to attend Midnight mass and then eat a large Christmas breakfast. In most churches, at 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve there is the "Priedka tat-Tifel," which consists of a young boy (or girl, in some parishes) reciting by heart the events leading up to the Nativity.
On Christmas Day, families prepare large Christmas lunches and give thanks with their relatives for all that they have. Also, the streets are lined with carts selling a wide assortment of foods, including the more traditional sweets and delicacies. As in many other countries around the world, Maltese families exchange presents at Christmas time.
CONTACTS:
Malta Tourism Authority
Auberge D'Italie
Merchants St.
Valetta VLT 1170 Malta
www.visitmalta.com
Malta Tourism Authority
Auberge D'Italie
Merchants St.
Valetta VLT 1170 Malta
www.visitmalta.com
Celebration day: Dec 25
Celebrated in: Malta
Christmas (Marshall Islands)
December 25
The United Church of Christ in the Marshall Islands of Micronesia has an unusual approach to the traditional lighting of the Christmas tree. Members of the church's Stewardship Council conceal a decorated tree inside a large wooden cross. While they are singing Christmas carols and hymns, the cross opens slowly and the tree rises from it. The singers set off firecrackers as the tree rises, and then lower their voices and sing more softly as the tree descends back into the cross. When their singing is over, the two sides of the cross come apart and the tree remains standing, symbolic of the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ.
See also Kurijmoj
See also Kurijmoj
SOURCES:
BkFestHolWrld-1970, p. 154
EncyChristmas-2003, p. 462
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 743
BkFestHolWrld-1970, p. 154
EncyChristmas-2003, p. 462
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 743
Celebration day: Dec 25
Celebrated in: Marshall Islands
Christmas (Norway)
December 25-26
Christmas, known as Juledag in Norway, is generally a quiet day. After attending morning church services, most Norwegians return home to be with their family and friends. December 26, however, is another matter. Referred to as Second Christmas Day, or Anden Juledag, it is spent eating, drinking, and going to parties, festivities that continue until January 13. Holiday breakfasts are popular, often accompanied by aquavit and other strong drinks. Traditional foods served at these Christmas get-togethers include lutefisk (dried cod), lefse (a thin potato roll served with butter or cinnamon and sugar), and fladbröd (a flat, hard Norwegian bread).
During the German occupation of Norway, when King Haakon was living in England, a Norwegian boat stationed there would be sent to Norway to bring back a Norway spruce each year as a gift for the king at Christmas. The custom of bringing a Norwegian tree to England was continued after the war, and every Christmas a huge Norwegian spruce stands in London's Trafalgar Square.
During the German occupation of Norway, when King Haakon was living in England, a Norwegian boat stationed there would be sent to Norway to bring back a Norway spruce each year as a gift for the king at Christmas. The custom of bringing a Norwegian tree to England was continued after the war, and every Christmas a huge Norwegian spruce stands in London's Trafalgar Square.
CONTACTS:
Norwegian Embassy
2720 34th St. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
202-333-6000; fax: 202-337-0870
www.norway.org
Norwegian Embassy
2720 34th St. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
202-333-6000; fax: 202-337-0870
www.norway.org
SOURCES:
BkFest-1937, p. 254
BkFestHolWrld-1970, p. 140
EncyChristmas-2003, p. 567
FestWestEur-1958, p. 158
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 745
BkFest-1937, p. 254
BkFestHolWrld-1970, p. 140
EncyChristmas-2003, p. 567
FestWestEur-1958, p. 158
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 745
Celebration days: Dec 25; Dec 26
Celebrated in: Norway
Christmas (Puerto Rico)
December 25
Christmas celebrations in Puerto Rico combine island traditions with more contemporary customs, such as Santa Claus and imported Christmas trees. Singers, often dressed as the Three Kings (or Magi), go from door to door singing ancient carols known as aguinaldos to the accompaniment of guitars. It is customary to offer gifts to the singer, and over the years the term "aguinaldos" has also come to stand for the gift itself. Sometimes the strolling carolers are asked inside to sample special Christmas dishes, such as roast pig and rice pudding. Christmas pageants and parties, which begin in early December, often extend right up until the Feast of the Three Kings on Epiphany (January 6).
In the Dominican Republic, on the island of Hispaniola just west of Puerto Rico, a major Christmas attraction is the animated nacimiento (Nativity scene) at the Church of San JosÉ. This mechanized toy village features miniature trains and figures of people going about their jobs.
In the Dominican Republic, on the island of Hispaniola just west of Puerto Rico, a major Christmas attraction is the animated nacimiento (Nativity scene) at the Church of San JosÉ. This mechanized toy village features miniature trains and figures of people going about their jobs.
SOURCES:
FolkAmerHol-1999, p. 509
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 751
(c)
FolkAmerHol-1999, p. 509
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 751
(c)
Celebration day: Dec 25
Celebrated in: Puerto Rico
Christmas (Romania) (Craciun)
December 25
From Christmas Eve until New Year's Eve, boys in Romania go from house to house singing carols, reciting poetry and legends, and carrying the steaua, which is a large wooden star covered with gilt paper, decorated with ribbons and bells, and illuminated from within by a burning candle. Dramatic performances of the story of Jesus' birth can be seen in many Romanian towns and villages, with a cast of traditional characters that includes King Herod, the Magi, a clown, and a comical old man. Puppet shows are also popular.
Turte, a special kind of cake consisting of many layers of thin dough with melted sugar or honey and crushed walnuts in between, is the food most often associated with Christmas in Romania. The many-layered dough is representative of the swaddling clothes of the infant Jesus. As the housewife prepares the turte on the day before Christmas Eve, she walks into the yard followed by her husband wielding an ax. They go around to each tree in the yard, and the husband threatens to cut it down because it no longer bears any fruit. The wife intervenes, persuading the husband that the tree will be full of fruit the following summer. The custom may derive from a pagan ceremony.
Turte, a special kind of cake consisting of many layers of thin dough with melted sugar or honey and crushed walnuts in between, is the food most often associated with Christmas in Romania. The many-layered dough is representative of the swaddling clothes of the infant Jesus. As the housewife prepares the turte on the day before Christmas Eve, she walks into the yard followed by her husband wielding an ax. They go around to each tree in the yard, and the husband threatens to cut it down because it no longer bears any fruit. The wife intervenes, persuading the husband that the tree will be full of fruit the following summer. The custom may derive from a pagan ceremony.
CONTACTS:
Embassy Of Romania
1607 23rd St. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
202-332-4846; fax: 202-232-4748
www.roembus.org
Embassy Of Romania
1607 23rd St. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
202-332-4846; fax: 202-232-4748
www.roembus.org
SOURCES:
BkFest-1937, p. 281
BkFestHolWrld-1970, p. 142
DaysCustFaith-1957, p. 351
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 751
BkFest-1937, p. 281
BkFestHolWrld-1970, p. 142
DaysCustFaith-1957, p. 351
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 751
Celebration day: Dec 25
Celebrated in: Romania
Christmas (Russian Orthodox)
January 7
This celebration of the birth of Jesus is observed by the Russian Orthodox Church under the Julian calendar. The calendar trails behind the Gregorian calendar by 13 days.
Before the 1917 Revolution, Orthodox Christmas was widely observed in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Georgia. After the Revolution, churches were closed and people practicing religion were persecuted. In 1991, after the Soviet Union had been officially dissolved, Christmas was observed openly and as a state holiday in Russia for the first time in 70 years.
In Moscow, banners were strung up and Nativity scenes were displayed in Red Square. On radio and television, there were nonstop programs telling the Christmas story and showing villagers wearing embroidered folk costumes and carrying tambourines as they made the rounds to offer Christmas bread at every house. On Christmas Eve, tens of thousands jammed Red Square for performances by choirs and bellringers and gala fireworks over the multi-colored onion domes of St. Basil's Cathedral. Midnight services were celebrated in churches. At the Kremlin, a Christmas charity ball was held to raise money for orphan children.
Before the Revolution, Christmas in Russia was a great feast celebrated with decorated trees, strolling carolers, and gifts. There was a legend of "Father Frost" or "Grandfather Frost," who wore a red robe and black boots and had a long white beard. Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite" was, of course, associated with the holiday. When Joseph Stalin was in power, some aspects of the old Christmas, such as the tree and the gifts from Grandfather Frost, were added to the New Year's celebrations. Then January 7 became a holiday observed only by those who dared to go to church.
See also Old Christmas Day; Russian Winter Festival
Before the 1917 Revolution, Orthodox Christmas was widely observed in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Georgia. After the Revolution, churches were closed and people practicing religion were persecuted. In 1991, after the Soviet Union had been officially dissolved, Christmas was observed openly and as a state holiday in Russia for the first time in 70 years.
In Moscow, banners were strung up and Nativity scenes were displayed in Red Square. On radio and television, there were nonstop programs telling the Christmas story and showing villagers wearing embroidered folk costumes and carrying tambourines as they made the rounds to offer Christmas bread at every house. On Christmas Eve, tens of thousands jammed Red Square for performances by choirs and bellringers and gala fireworks over the multi-colored onion domes of St. Basil's Cathedral. Midnight services were celebrated in churches. At the Kremlin, a Christmas charity ball was held to raise money for orphan children.
Before the Revolution, Christmas in Russia was a great feast celebrated with decorated trees, strolling carolers, and gifts. There was a legend of "Father Frost" or "Grandfather Frost," who wore a red robe and black boots and had a long white beard. Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite" was, of course, associated with the holiday. When Joseph Stalin was in power, some aspects of the old Christmas, such as the tree and the gifts from Grandfather Frost, were added to the New Year's celebrations. Then January 7 became a holiday observed only by those who dared to go to church.
See also Old Christmas Day; Russian Winter Festival
SOURCES:
AmerBkDays-2000, p. 35
BkFest-1937, p. 296
BkFestHolWrld-1970, p. 142
DictFolkMyth-1984, p. 230
EncyChristmas-2003, p. 651
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 752
AmerBkDays-2000, p. 35
BkFest-1937, p. 296
BkFestHolWrld-1970, p. 142
DictFolkMyth-1984, p. 230
EncyChristmas-2003, p. 651
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 752
Celebration day: Jan 7
Christmas (South Africa)
December 25
Because South Africa is in the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas is a summer holiday. The tinsel and evergreen boughs that decorate homes, churches, parks, and shopping malls offer a stark contrast to the weather, which encourages people to spend the day at the beach or in the shaded mountains. But Christmas traditions persist: English-speaking children hang up their stockings in anticipation of the arrival of Father Christmas, carolers sing by candlelight on Christmas Eve, and Christmas pageants are performed. One of the most popular activities for children is to produce pantomimes based on such classic tales as "Babes in the Woods." Boxing Day, December 26, is also observed as a holiday, a time for giving boxes of food and clothing to the poor.
For black South Africans Christmas is a day for feasting and exchanging gifts. It marks the culmination of a Carnival-like week of singing, dancing, and eating.
For black South Africans Christmas is a day for feasting and exchanging gifts. It marks the culmination of a Carnival-like week of singing, dancing, and eating.
SOURCES:
BkFestHolWrld-1970, p. 152
EncyChristmas-2003, p. 728
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 753
BkFestHolWrld-1970, p. 152
EncyChristmas-2003, p. 728
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 753
Celebration day: Dec 25
Celebrated in: South Africa
Christmas (Spain) (Pascua de Navidad)
December 25
The Feast of the Birth is observed in Spain by attending church services, feasting, and listening to Christmas music. It is a Spanish custom for public servants—such as the mail carrier and the garbage collector—to leave cards with holiday messages for their customers, a reminder of the services they have rendered in the past or hope to render in the coming year. In return, they are given aguinaldos, or gifts of money. In Madrid and other large cities, it is not uncommon to see a police officer directing traffic on Christmas Day, surrounded by parcels of all sizes and shapes. Christmas is also a time for processions of the gigantes, or giant figures, which dance to the music of fife and drum.
Spanish children receive their gifts at Epiphany, which commemorates the coming of the Magi to Bethlehem, bearing gifts for the Christ child. Children leave their shoes on the window sill or balcony and fill them with straw and carrots or barley for the Magi's horses to eat. In Cadiz, children still observe the traditional rite of "Christmas swinging" on swings that are set up in the courtyards. At one time the custom may have been intended to help the sun in its climb to the highest point in the sky.
Spanish children receive their gifts at Epiphany, which commemorates the coming of the Magi to Bethlehem, bearing gifts for the Christ child. Children leave their shoes on the window sill or balcony and fill them with straw and carrots or barley for the Magi's horses to eat. In Cadiz, children still observe the traditional rite of "Christmas swinging" on swings that are set up in the courtyards. At one time the custom may have been intended to help the sun in its climb to the highest point in the sky.
SOURCES:
BkFest-1937, p. 305
BkFestHolWrld-1970, p. 145
EncyChristmas-2003, p. 731
FestWestEur-1958, p. 208
BkFest-1937, p. 305
BkFestHolWrld-1970, p. 145
EncyChristmas-2003, p. 731
FestWestEur-1958, p. 208
Celebration day: Dec 25
Celebrated in: Spain
Christmas (Sweden) (Juledagen)
December 25
Swedes rise early on Christmas to attend Julotta, six o'clock church services. The church is lit with hundreds of candles and the congregation sings nativity hymns. In rural areas, lit candles are placed in farmhouse windows and people travel to church by sleigh. Each sleigh carries a torch, and when people arrive at the church they all throw their torches into a bonfire.
Unlike the American Santa Claus, the Swedish Father Christmas, or jultomte, is small and thin, more like a leprechaun than a jolly, white-bearded man. The tomte, "little man," is a mythical character similar to an elf who can be either troublesome or benevolent, depending on how well he is treated. Because midwinter was considered a dangerous season in pre-Christian times, full of evil spirits, it was important to treat the tomte well by putting out food and drink for him. Over the generations, the jultomte has become a more generous spirit, who distributes gifts rather than receives them. Even when he appears in a red costume with a white beard, however, he is always depicted as being very thin.
See also St. Knut's Day; St. Lucy's Day
Unlike the American Santa Claus, the Swedish Father Christmas, or jultomte, is small and thin, more like a leprechaun than a jolly, white-bearded man. The tomte, "little man," is a mythical character similar to an elf who can be either troublesome or benevolent, depending on how well he is treated. Because midwinter was considered a dangerous season in pre-Christian times, full of evil spirits, it was important to treat the tomte well by putting out food and drink for him. Over the generations, the jultomte has become a more generous spirit, who distributes gifts rather than receives them. Even when he appears in a red costume with a white beard, however, he is always depicted as being very thin.
See also St. Knut's Day; St. Lucy's Day
CONTACTS:
Scandinavian Tourism Inc.
P.O. Box 4649, Grand Central Sta.
New York, NY 10163
212-885-9700; fax: 212-885-9710
www.visit-sweden.com
Scandinavian Tourism Inc.
P.O. Box 4649, Grand Central Sta.
New York, NY 10163
212-885-9700; fax: 212-885-9710
www.visit-sweden.com
SOURCES:
BkFest-1937, p. 314
EncyChristmas-2003, pp. 392, 393
FestWestEur-1958, p. 222
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 755
BkFest-1937, p. 314
EncyChristmas-2003, pp. 392, 393
FestWestEur-1958, p. 222
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 755
Celebration day: Dec 25
Celebrated in: Sweden
Christmas (Syria)
December 25; January 1
The Syrian Santa Claus is the camel, who brings gifts to children on New Year's Day. According to legend, the youngest of the three camels that carried the Magi to Bethlehem fell down, exhausted by the journey. The Christ child blessed the animal and granted it immortality. Syrian children set out water and wheat for the camel before they go to bed, and when they awake in the morning, they find gifts, or, if they've been naughty, a black mark on their wrists. Another custom associated with the Magi is carried out on Christmas Eve, when vine stems are burned in the middle of the church to warm the Magi after their long journey.
Christmas itself is a family festival in Syria. A special dinner is prepared, and afterward friends and relatives pay social calls on one another. Among Syrian Americans, it is customary to serve guests Oriental coffee and holiday cakes such as baklawa, burma, and mulabas, as well as nuts, oranges, candies, and Syrian wines.
Christmas itself is a family festival in Syria. A special dinner is prepared, and afterward friends and relatives pay social calls on one another. Among Syrian Americans, it is customary to serve guests Oriental coffee and holiday cakes such as baklawa, burma, and mulabas, as well as nuts, oranges, candies, and Syrian wines.
SOURCES:
BkFest-1937, p. 333
BkFestHolWrld-1970, p. 150
EncyChristmas-2003, p. 751
BkFest-1937, p. 333
BkFestHolWrld-1970, p. 150
EncyChristmas-2003, p. 751
Celebration day: Dec 25
Celebrated in: Syria
Christmas
one of the principal Christian holidays, established, according to church teaching, in honor of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Christmas is observed on December 25 (in certain countries by the Gregorian calendar and in others by the Julian calendar, which coincides with January 7). The source of the holiday is to be found in the pagan cult of “dying and resurrecting” deities, which was especially widespread among agricultural peoples, who every year timed the celebration of the regular days of the winter solstice (December 21–25) with the “birth” of a saviorgod, who would awaken nature to a new life. Early Christianity did not celebrate Christmas. As late as the second century, Christians were celebrating merely the winter holiday in January of the “appearance and baptism of Christ.” In the mid-fourth century the Christian church, which was striving to supplant the cult of Mithra, modified the Mithraist holiday of the “birth of the invincible sun-god” (which was held on December 25) and converted it into the holiday of Christmas.
The Christian communities of Rome were the first to celebrate Christmas. The earliest reference to the holiday dates back to A.D. 354. The celebration was legalized at the Council of Ephesus in 431. During the tenth century, along with Christianity itself the holiday spread in Rus’, where it merged with the ancient Slavic winter holiday in honor of the ancestor-spirits (sviatkï). Vestiges of the ancient holiday have been retained in yuletide (sviatochnye) rituals, such as mummery and fortune-telling, which are observed at the same time as Christmas.
REFERENCE
Belov, A. V. Rozhdestvo khristovo, 2nd ed. Moscow, 1974.Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content.
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