1. United States
The inhabitants of the
United States have emigrated from all over the world. As a result, many
traditions have mingled to form modern American Christmas celebrations and
folklore. Some Swedish American communities hold Santa Lucia festivals to
honor a young girl who was killed in the 4th century for her Christian
beliefs. German Americans in Pennsylvania create elaborate landscapes,
called putzes, beneath their Christmas trees. These displays�made of moss,
pine branches, stones, and logs�depict the birth of Christ. Christmas Eve
bonfires illuminate the banks of the Mississippi River in Louisiana so that
Papa No�l (French for �Father Christmas�) will be able to find his
way to the homes of the local Cajun children. In the southwestern United
States, Mexican Americans hold festivals called posadas that recreate
Mary and Joseph�s search for a place to stay where Mary could give birth to
Jesus (see Virgin Mary and Joseph). In addition to these Christian
celebrations, the eight-day Jewish festival of Hanukkah and the seven-day
African American festival of Kwanzaa are increasingly popular celebrations
that coincide with the Christmas season.
Despite this variety of people and faiths, there is a striking unity to Christmas celebrations in the United States. For many people, the holiday season begins with the arrival of Santa Claus in the annual Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City sponsored by Macy�s department store. Television advertisements heralding the beginning of the Christmas shopping season can begin even earlier in autumn. Many Americans participate in a communal sense of holiday spirit: Cities decorate their streets with Christmas lights; stores fill their shelves with extra merchandise; friends and relatives exchange holiday cards; communities decorate public Christmas trees; and volunteers from the Salvation Army ring bells on city streets to solicit charity donations.
Most people who celebrate Christmas also participate in special holiday rituals in their homes. Families often decorate evergreen trees and place colorfully wrapped presents beneath them. A family member might give a reading of �A Visit from Saint Nicholas� or read passages from the Bible. Or families might gather around the television to watch old movie favorites such as It�s a Wonderful Life (1946) and Miracle on 34th Street (1947), or holiday cartoons such as �How the Grinch Stole Christmas� and �Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.� Each year as Christmas approaches, many families attend church pageants that recount the story of Jesus� birth in Bethlehem. On Christmas Eve, children often hang stockings; they awake in the morning to find the stockings filled with gifts from Santa Claus. Many families attend church on Christmas Eve and open their gifts that evening. Others wait until the next morning to exchange gifts.
2. Canada
Canada, like the United
States, combines sacred and secular customs brought from many parts of the
world. Canadians with an English Protestant heritage are likely to enjoy a
feast of turkey and plum pudding and focus their holiday celebrations on
December 25. The French Catholic population generally attends midnight Mass
on Christmas Eve, then holds a Christmas feast known as a r�veillon.
Many Dutch Canadians begin their Christmas on December 6, when children
leave their shoes filled with grain for Santa�s horse, Sleipner. Ukrainian
Canadians in the western part of the country celebrate the season much as
their ancestors in the Eastern Orthodox church did, by feasting on a
12�course dinner and distributing gifts on January 6.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, an old English custom called mummering has shown signs of being revived. Mummering takes place sometime during the 12 days of Christmas, usually on the night of January 5, the eve of Epiphany which is usually referred to as the Old Twelfth, or Twelfth Night. Adults practice the custom by disguising themselves with masks or by dressing in the clothing of the opposite sex. They visit the homes of friends and neighbors, where they perform a short song or dance while trying not to be identified. In return for their performance, they receive small cakes and wine or perhaps a glass of eggnog, which is a blend of eggs, cream, sugar, and alcohol.
Despite these varied customs, Canadians share the traditions of most modern Christmas celebrations around the world. The holiday helps create a sense of unity among Canadians as they decorate Christmas trees, attend church, shop for and exchange gifts, and join in Christmas feasts.
Among Eastern Orthodox Christian
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).
2. In Russian
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.
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.