The Thought of Christmas
THE thought of Christmas usually conjures images of dazzling Christmas trees and a fat, bearded man in a red suit bearing Christmas gifts. The idea of Christmas is very much influenced by the American tradition, but all around the world, almost every country has its own unique way of celebrating Christmas. Some even have their own versions of Santa Claus.
In Brazil, for example, Papai Noel (Father Christmas) is believed to have come from Greenland; he dresses in silk due to the tropical heat.
In China, people hang lanterns to light their houses, and Christmas trees – or “trees of light” as they are known in Chinese – are decorated with paper flowers and paper lanterns. Santa Claus over there is known as dun che lao ren, which literally means “Christmas old
In Greece, St Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors and he rescues sinking ships.
In place of a Christmas tree, a Greek home has instead a wooden bowl containing a wooden cross wrapped in basil, which is believed to keep goblins away.
In Sweden, there is the Feast of St Lucia, complete with processions and special events, but no one knows how a Sicilian saint came to be celebrated by the Swedes. Then there’s the gnome called tomte who supposedly comes out from under the house bearing gifts.
In Malaysia, they have their special way of celebrating any festive season with “open houses.” And so, too, with Christmas. While more and more Christians may be reminded that Christmas is a time for self-reflection rather than big parties, still, Christmas decorations can be seen in malls and our multi-cultural make-up naturally leads to boisterous open houses.
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