At Hardin-Simmons University we celebrate Christmas by making our whole campus light up at the Christmas Lighting, but how do other places celebrate Christmas?
When you were a kid you may have gone to a grandparents house for good food or maybe you had special traditions like getting to open a single present on Christmas Eve. In my house, my parents would buy us Christmas Pajamas to wear the night before and set up our stockings so we did not wake them up too early on Christmas morning.
These things, presents, stockings, a big meal, are all very “Christmasy” in our minds, but in other cultures the things that make Christmas what it is look very different. As a child of missionaries, I have been able to see many different cultures and traditions surrounding the Christmas holiday. Here are three examples of some I have witnessed.
You might think Christmas is important in the United States, but in Papua New Guinea (PNG) it is more important than your birthday. Instead of asking someone “how old are you?” in PNG they ask “How many Christmases have you had?” to determine someone’s age. It is an unfortunate place to live if you were born in January.
In Japan (and many other parts of Asia) Christmas is not Christmas without a Bucket of KFC. While that might seem out of the ordinary, it is actually due to a very successful ad campaign that was conducted in Japan. These ads showed American families gathering around the table for a Christmas dinner that consisted solely of buckets of their signature chicken. Due to the success of this, KFC releases a “Christmas Bucket” every year in Japan that has chicken, sides, drinks and even Christmas-themed desserts. Most Japanese people are convinced that this is an “American tradition” to this day and are shocked when they find out Americans do not celebrate the holiday with a bucket of chicken.
Arguably the strangest named tradition is the Catalan “Tió de Nadal” or, as it is said in English, The Poop Log. In this tradition a log is hollowed out and given a little face, four legs and a sock hat. The parents tell the children that they must take care of the log and keep it warm so that it will defecate presents for them on Christmas.
Then, on Christmas day, they put the log just the smallest bit into the fireplace and command it to poop, or they beat with sticks and sing songs demanding their gifts. The gifts the log “poops” are typically sweets, nuts, candles and small toys. I believe this tradition's strange name is aptly given.
Whatever you do for Christmas, whether you have presents or not, celebrate boxing day or have a strange log that poops for you, Christmas is a time of togetherness for every culture, so spend time with those who care about you and you care about in return.
Have a wonderful Christmas!
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