Christmas Traditions and Customs

Interesting rituals and traditions abound during the Christmas in USA. Some of these Christmas rituals and traditions are firmly religious, while others are more secular and laid-back. Christmas customs in some countries have a distinct national flavor. As a result, Christmas customs and traditions are neither unique nor uniform over the globe. These continue to differ from region to region and country to country. Exchanging gifts, decorating the Christmas tree, the Yule log, the holly bough, kissing under the mistletoe, and other popular Christmas rituals are more or less universal.

Christmas has become the most economically significant holiday of the year in Christian countries. In the United Kingdom, Christmas is celebrated for twelve days after December 25. The Twelfth Night, also known as the Feast of the Epiphany, is the culmination of a twelve-day Christmas custom marked by massive celebrations and feasting. The practice of extending Christmas celebrations is becoming more common each year. In the United States and the United Kingdom, Christmas celebrations begin weeks before the actual day to extend the Christmas shopping season and to offer more time for gatherings and pleasantries.

Countries that celebrate Christmas on December 25 refer to the day before as 'Christmas eve,' and the day following as 'Christmas day.' Some countries, such as Germany and Poland, refer to the day following Christmas as "Second Christmas Day," while the Irish and Romanians refer to it as "St. Stephen's Day." Some Christian missionaries have absorbed some pagan Christmas customs and traditions into their Christmas celebrations, but conservative Christians refuse to participate in such celebrations. Christmas celebrations were outlawed in the Soviet Union for 75 years following the Russian revolution, and fanatical Christian fundamentalists still regard Christmas as a pagan holiday that is not sanctioned by the Bible, and hence rigorously avoid it.

Aside from these religious and solemn connotations in Christmas customs and traditions, there are also secular and less solemn Christmas celebrations. Giving Christmas gifts, for example, is one of the most widely observed holiday customs, regardless of area or country. Friends and families exchange gifts and greetings, and in the United States, youngsters hang stockings or maintain empty toy boxes for Santa Claus to fill with toys, sweets, and other items. On Christmas Eve, it is a custom and tradition in some places for children to lay their shoes on window sills.

The Christmas card is one of the most popular and inseparable Christmas rituals and traditions. Everybody gets a Christmas card, whether it's your best friend or a distant relative, your instructor or your coworkers, your family or your neighbor. Even if friends are separated by thousands of miles, a 'Miss You' Christmas card is likely to be received.

Christmas customs and traditions such as decorating homes and putting up a Christmas tree are well-known. It's a lot of fun to get the whole family together to decorate the halls and doorways with streamers, candles, stars, or holly boughs, or to decorate the Christmas evergreen with the complete group of friends. Candy canes are a popular Christmas treat that can also be used as a decoration. People traditionally decorate the outside of their homes just as much as the insides. Municipalities occasionally finance Christmas decorations.

Christmas parties are a pleasant element of the holiday that are more of a celebration than a Christmas custom or tradition. In many nations, special Christmas lunches with a particular Christmas menu are served. Families in various parts of the world, particularly in Eastern Europe, fast for a few days before the Christmas feast.

Every year, Christmas dances and Christmas pageants (retellings of the Christmas story) are held in numerous nations. Another common Christmas habit and tradition is going caroling in groups. People walk around singing carols from door to door to keep the festive mood alive and well. People may also visit neighbors' homes for a good purpose, such as to raise donations and finances for the poor and impoverished.

Despite the loud Christmas celebrations, many people around the world still observe Christmas as primarily a religious festival. It is a time for introspection, spiritual refreshment, silent prayers, reading Bible verses aloud, seeking religious blessings, and wishing everyone joy and good tidings for the days ahead. In a Christian Christmas celebration, the rites are usually more subdued. Carols and hymns are sung in churches and houses, money is donated for a worthy cause, volunteer work is done, and people gather at the homes of friends, neighbors, and loved ones for get-togethers and traditional Christmas feasts. There's a beautiful calmness and warmth in the air. A general sense of happiness and well-being pervades the area. People exchange greetings of peace, prosperity, joy, and a merry Christmas.

Advent (the day when Jesus Christ's birth was expected) kicks off the religious customs and traditions of Christmas. It's about the beginning of December. Advent carols and calendars are among the customs and traditions of this religious holiday, as are candy and other treats for the youngsters. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, a midnight service or a Nativity Mass, incorporating Christmas carols, prayers, and hymns, is generally held.

Other major religions, such as Islam and Judaism, are incorporating some secular Christmas traditions into their own winter festivals. In Islamic countries, Jesus is referred to as a prophet, and Jews celebrate Hanukkah, a winter festival that is similar to Christmas, in December. As a result, there are numerous Christmas customs and traditions, each of which is adapted or incorporated differently by different civilizations and ethnicities around the world.