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Celebrating Christmas Around the World

The holidays are being celebrated differently this year. For that reason, now it is the perfect time for foreign language classes to look into Christmas around the world. Every country has its own unique holiday celebrations.

Christmas Around the World: Argentina

In Argentina the weather is warm in December. To make sure they have a white Christmas, some people like to put cotton balls on decorations for snow. Many Catholics will go to a Mass in the late afternoon on Christmas Eve and their main meal is also during Christmas Eve, often starting 10pm. Christmas in Argentina is a dazzling event. Another Christmas Eve night tradition are “globos,” paper decorations with a candle and also fireworks that both light up the sky.

Christmas Around the World: Iceland

On the other hand, it is almost certain Iceland will have a white Christmas. While evergreen trees are not native in Iceland, they are now grown locally so people can have their own Christmas tree. Christmas in Icelandic is “jól”—a word that is actually similar to the English word yule, one of the most commonly misused words around the holidays. Christmas Day itself is spent with the family, eating food, playing games, and reading books, which are a popular gift in Iceland.

Christmas Around the World: Japan

In Japan, Christmas in known as more of a time to spread happiness rather than a religious celebration. Christmas Eve is thought of as a romantic day, with a lot of couples going out on a dinner date. KFC for Christmas is also popular after cross-cultural training inspired the slogan “Kentucky for Christmas.” Another popular activity around Christmas time is visiting Tokyo Disneyland to see the decorations and parades, making customer service language training a must.

Christmas Around the World: Croatia

Many saints days are celebrated throughout Advent in Croatia. With each passing Sunday during December, families light another candle, traditionally during their Sunday lunch. The wreath symbolizes eternity, while the candles stand for different emotions. Families also plant wheat grains starting on St. Lucy's Day. It's believed that the taller the wheat grows, the more prosperous the coming year will be.

 

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