Christmas

VII

Christmas Around the World

Christmas customs around the world reflect the variety of cultures that celebrate the holiday. For some people, Christmas is primarily a holy day marked by religious services. For others, gift giving, feasting, and good times figure more prominently. At its root, Christmas celebrates one of the fundamental events of Christianity, the birth of Jesus. However, the celebration of Christmas also incorporates many secular customs that have been handed down through families and borrowed from other cultures. This complex layering of sacred and secular observances creates celebrations that vary from nation to nation, and from culture to culture.

A

Among Eastern Orthodox Christians

In Greece and Russia, countries where the Orthodox Church is strongest, Christmas is not as prominent a holiday as it is in the West. Epiphany holds more significance for members of the Orthodox Church, while New Year’s Day is the more popular secular festival in these countries.

A

1

In Greece

The Greek Christmas, or Christougenna, pays homage to the Nativity of Christ while also incorporating popular folklore and superstitions. On Christmas Eve, Greek children go from house to house knocking on doors and singing Greek songs that herald the arrival of the Christ child. The family celebration focuses on a Christmas Eve dinner, which, in the Greek Orthodox tradition, follows several weeks of fasting. According to legend, mischievous, often hideous–looking elves called Kallikantzaroi wreak havoc in houses for the next 12 days. Burning incense or leaving a peace offering may offer some protection against the elves. Most families decorate a small wooden cross with basil and dip it into a shallow bowl of water. This is believed to give the water holy powers. The water is then sprinkled throughout the house to keep the mischievous spirits away. In the Greek Orthodox Church, the water bowl and cross are also part of an important Epiphany rite known as the Blessing of the Waters (see Holy Water).

A

2

In Russia

After the Russian Revolution of 1917, authorities of the newly formed Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) prohibited the practice of all religions. Millions of Russian Orthodox Christians could no longer openly celebrate Christmas or Epiphany. After the USSR dissolved in 1991, however, the Russian Orthodox Church revived Christmas rituals. Like the Greeks, some Russians fast during a period before Christmas. Then, at the sight of the first star in the sky on Christmas Eve, a 12-course supper begins, with one course for each of Jesus’ 12 disciples. The meal includes borscht, or beet soup; stuffed cabbage; and kutiya, a dish of kasha (whole-wheat grains) soaked in water for hours and seasoned with honey, nuts, and crushed poppy seeds.

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Despite the widespread influence of Western culture in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union, the American custom of holiday shopping has not spread among Russians. In fact, December 25th holds little religious or secular significance for most Russians. New Year’s Day remains the most festive holiday in the country. The Russian Pryaznik Zimy (Winter Festival) is celebrated during the Christmas and New Year’s season. Festivities include carnivals, sports, and special circus performances. During this festival, Russians decorate evergreen trees, which they call New Year’s trees. Like Santa Claus, Dyed Moroz (Grandfather Frost) has a white beard and appears dressed in red, with black boots. He arrives on New Year’s Day to give children toys, ginger cakes, and perhaps a traditional set of Matryoshka dolls, which open to reveal smaller dolls nested inside one another.

B

Among Roman Catholics

Among Catholic populations in Europe, Latin America, and the Philippines, Christmas celebrations have distinctive local variations. Nevertheless, Catholics in all these regions share customs that have become longstanding Catholic traditions of the Christmas season. People in many Catholic cultures celebrate the days before Christmas with elaborate public reenactments of Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging before the birth of Jesus. Official Catholic observations of Christmas Day center on three Masses: at midnight, dawn, and during the day. However, the Christmas season among Catholics usually begins with special prayers and church services on or around December 16. Since 1969 the Roman Catholic Church has also observed a holiday known as the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, on January 1. This holiday replaced the traditional Feast of the Circumcision, which commemorated Jesus’ circumcision. The Catholic Christmas season does not end until the Sunday after Epiphany.

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