Our ears automatically tune up and reconnect to Christmas memories when we hear the Jingle Bells! While initially deemed to be just a religious festival, Christmas is now commemorated globally. In fact, if there is one thing you can get the world to do together in harmony, it would be celebrating Christmas festively together. For kids in many nooks of the world, the jubilee of Jesus Christ’s birthday is even more auspicious than their own birthdays.
Despite being renowned around the globe, Christmas is predominantly celebrated in the Western world. Bred in a Western background myself, I can vouch for the bubbling excitement and glee that pervades through not just the children, but also through the schools, neighbourhoods, shopping malls and even the working adults. After all, who would ever mind finally getting a break from their year-long jobs to instead lavish time on their family?
Western world children:
Children in countries like America and Canada carry the legacy and celebrate Christmas as per their still lasting traditions. Western Christmas revolves around Christmas carols being sung down the streets, in shopping malls, and even through the wall cracks from the next-door neighbours. Many houses are decorated with spectacular Christmas lights and trees that are later heavily adorned with hanging lights, garlands, Christmas-ornaments, and crispy paper snowballs. But the most stand-out feature of the Western Christmas is the awaiting of Santa Claus – the bearded, old man who brings in presents and joy!
Even though these features of Christmas are prevalent around the world, kids from other countries – Christian or not – sometimes have their own traditions entwined with the Western traditions.
Japanese children:
Even though the vast majority of Japan is not Christian, one Christmas tradition among the children persists: a trip to KFC. Since a “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” (Kentucky for Christmas!) marketing campaign was launched in Japan in 1974, the American chain has become a popular Christmas Eve hot spot.
Swedish children:
In Swedish towns, the Swedish construct a 30-foot tall giant straw “Yule Goat” as tradition while the children follow the tradition of trying to burn the goat down. According to the tourist board records, the goat has been burned down 25 times since its construction became an annual tradition in 1966.
Children in Italy:
In Italy, Christmas is celebrated a little more uniquely. The witches are thought to supplant Santa Claus and instead bring gifts to children. The infamous witches are supposedly La Befana, a broom-flying, kindly witch who apparently takes over from Santa about two weeks after Christmas to deliver gifts to the good, and ashes to the bad. The town of Le Marche in north-western Italy especially looks up to her and celebrates her as the icon who visits them every January.
Children in India and Bangladesh:
While the South-Asian countries are not particularly legendary for celebrating Christmas, the kids do still enjoy the festival that fetches them their winter breaks. More often than not, kids celebrate the advent of Christmas, winter and New Year together by going out and enjoying the day with their friends or families. The religious and cultural holiday for them becomes a day of relaxation and enjoyment with their loved ones.
Regardless of how Christmas is celebrated, the important thing to note is that Christmas is a joyous, festive celebration that ties together people from all around the world and brings them closer for a day. Differences disintegrate and happiness only doubles as the joys merge!