It's Christmas the world over

 

Annie (at A Stitch in Time) is taking the week off, so there will be no Friday Smiles this week.  Instead, I am sharing my take on Christmas around the world.

It's time to celebrate Christmas around the world.

 

This is how Iceland celebrates Christmas.  It includes a combination of regional folklore and religious symbols.

In the Philippines, they celebrate with a giant lantern festival.

Krampus, Santa's evil twin comes out at Christmastime in Austria to scare young children into being good.

 

As I learned from Valerie's blog, in Germany, Santa Claus generally appears as the traditional Roman Catholic bishop St. Nicholas.

 

If you are in Columbia on the eve of the Immaculate Conception, be prepared to experience Día de las Velitas, or Day of the Little Candles.

 

Possibly the most unusual and, I daresay weird tradition comes from Catalonia.  These are called Caga Tio, a hollow log that children feed food scraps, after which Caga Tio "poops" out presents when children hit it with a stick while singing.  I didn't make this up, folks, just don't ask me how it's done.

 

Apparently this yule log is traditional in New York City.  It is the televised burning of the WPIX yule log. The broadcast debuted on Christmas Eve 1966, live from Gracie Mansion.  Hallmark does something similar for three hours every Christmas with their yule log fireplace which also features Happy the Dog and Happy the Cat who meander in and out of the area over the three hours.

 

You are looking at Mari Lwyd, or gray mare.  If you live in Wales, you will actually create one of these gray mares from a real horse skull then attach it to a pole.  Bells and reins are added for realism. 

In New Zealand, your Christmas tree will probably be the pohutukawa kiwi tree.

 

Fasting is still practiced by many Catholics in Portugal.  After the midnight Christmas eve mass, there is the Consoada feast. Wouldn't you love to get invited to that feast?

 

What is it about shoes that fit so prominently in so many Christmas ceremonies?  In the Czech Republic, young women throw their shoe over their shoulder.  If the toe points to the house, the young lady will be married soon.  If it points the other way, she will stay single at least another year.   Again, I can't possibly make this up.

In Sweden, an almond is hidden in traditional risgrynsgröt which is a rice pudding.  If the person who finds the almond is unmarried, they will soon wed.  Even more interesting is the excess pudding is placed outside after the meal for a mischievous Christmas elf.  However, if this is created for a family, one person often adds more than one almond, so each child has the potential of finding one.

Leave it to Guatemala to raise the level of global climate change by releasing carbon dioxide in the air at Christmas.  Their tradition is to create an effigy of the devil and set it on fire on December 7 each year.

Remedios, one of the oldest cities in Cuba is the home of Las Parrandas de Remedios, one of the region's most popular Christmas celebrations. From Dec. 16 to Dec. 26, rumba dancers and conga groups fill the streets alongside floats for 10 days of fireworks and festivities. 

I'm sure many countries have carp during the Christmas season, but in Slovakia, the carp must swim in the family bath tub for a number of days before it is killed and eaten.  During that time, the family treats the carp like a pet and no one bathes.  Again, too strange to make up.

Finland has a tradition I would possibly enjoy and appreciate.  Many families spend Christmas eve lighting candles and placing them on the graves of loved ones in a cemetery.

Apparently in Bavaria, highlanders fire hand held mortars in the air on Christmas day.

In Ethiopia, the Orthodox community celebrates Christmas on January 7. The many festivities are known as Ganna.

In Italy, children believe in La Befana, the beloved Christmas witch who comes down their chimney to give them gifts on Epiphany, January 6.  I keep something similar year round in my refrigerator!

If you are headed to Iceland for the holidays, you might run into Jólakötturinn, the fierce Yule Cat that stalks the country on Christmas night, eating any child who didn't receive new clothes for Christmas.  Again, I didn't make this up!

If you visit Estonia, you are actually in for a treat, especially since Christmas there is a blend of traditional, modern, secular, and religious customs.   Before the Christmas religious services, enjoy a trip to the sauna, then put on your newly received clothes to attend the service.

I hope you aren't afraid of spiders because if you visit Ukraine you will find them sitting in Christmas trees, bringing good fortune. 

In the Netherlands, you will encounter Zwarte Piet or Black Pete, who is one of Santa's helpers.  Dutch actors paint their faces black, which has received a backlash of protests by anti-racism activists. 

I would love to visit Toronto where they start their Christmas season with a Cavalcade of Lights.  This includes lighting the city Christmas tree and other festivals, including ice skating.

 

If you're in Venezuela on Christmas eve, and you're a Catholic, prepare to put on Santa hats and roller skate your way to midnight mass.

Norwegians typically believe witches arrive on Christmas eve, so they hide their brooms in Norway so witches can't ride them into town.  What is it about Christmas and witches, anyway?

Kentucky Fried Chicken is a favorite meal on Christmas day in Japan.  Seems it's only a minor holiday there, certainly not national, and when KFC hit the Japanese shores in 1970, they devised a marketing blitz that still dominates Japan's love of KFC on Christmas day today.

In 1966 someone decided to create a massive straw homage to the traditional holiday Gavle Goat.  Now it's traditional for locals to try to burn it, run it down with cars, or otherwise sabotage the giant barnyard animal, which appears on the first Sunday of Advent every year.  According to the official website, the goat is more than 42 feet high, 23 feet wide, and weighs 3.6 tons. Each year, the massive goat is constructed in the same spot.

 

If you live in Berlin, although the city is decorated, you are more than aware the beloved Christmas markets are not present this year due to the coronavirus.

 

If you live in Angola, be prepared for a feast.  Dessert is often one of these Bolo Rei cakes.

Living in Australia can be challenging, since Christmas is often celebrated in the heat of summer.  Santa often gives his reindeer time off and arrives using kangaroos to guide his sleigh.

Christmas lights are big business in Singapore.  There's even a theme park called "Christmas Wonderland."

Personally, I find South Africa's choice of Christmas day snacks disgusting.  These are deep fried caterpillars that natives say are crispy and delicious.  To each his own.

If you are in Ireland over Christmas, the Irish leave a tall red candle in their window to welcome visitors and to show there is warmth and shelter.

If you are in Barbados for Christmas day, you will be served a baked ham decorated with pineapple and sorrel glazes.  Dessert will consist of a rum cake.  Note the Brussels sprouts in the background, too.  They are one of my staples each Christmas.

In Switzerland, Swiss families create their own advent calendars for the holiday season. These calendars are either given to children as a surprise or made together as a fun activity. The biggest gift is given on Christmas eve.

 

How will you spend your Christmas today?  Will it be traditional or something new this year due to the virus that rages across the land and around the world.  However you spend it, be sure to wear a mask, social distance, stay safe, and have a wonderful time.

 

I will not be by to join Friday Smiles next week, because we at Art Journal Journey are welcoming a new host on Friday the 1st of January.  Guess that means I'll see the Friday Smilers sometime next year.