Here is a brief history
of the many American versions of Christmas
America is such a large country that there are a variety of different
customs and traditions within it. Decorations and celebrations are strongly
British oriented, and other communities have settled in America and kept
their own festivals as well.
Father Christmas became Santa Claus in America and he now has two
homes there. There is Torrington, Connecticut, a Christmas village where
Santa and his elves give out presents. In Wilmington, New York, on the side
of Whiteface Mountain, a man called Arto Monaco designed a permanent home
for Santa Claus. It has a blacksmith (for the reindeer), a chapel, and a
post office. 100,000 people visit the village every year. There is also a
town called Santa Claus, in America. All the letters which are posted in
America addressed to Santa go there to be dealt with, an average of three
million a year. A twenty-three foot colored statue stands in Santa's
honor.
In 1924, the first national living Christmas tree was planted in
Washington, D. C. Every year since, the President of the United States
ceremonially turns on the lights.
In the South, the custom has been to celebrate noisily with fireworks
and the shooting of firearms. Early settlers had sent greetings to their
distant neighbors in this way. It was thought to also frighten off evil spirits
and spread to Hawaii and the Philippines.
In Alaska ‘going round with star' is a feature of the season.
Boys and girls with lanterns on poles carry a large figure of a star, covered
with bright colored paper, from door to door. They sing carols and are welcomed
in for refreshments. On the next night another party of boys and girls, dressed
as Herod's men, try to destroy the infant Jesus.
In New Mexico, semi-nomadic Navajo have a ‘big feed' at
‘Kismus' given by friends of the native American people. Meat, beans,
potatoes and onions are boiled in huge iron pots over campfires. Coffee with
donuts, bread and buns complete the menu. In other parts of New Mexico,
luminaires are placed along the streets and on flat roof tops. These candles
in paper bags filled with sand, ‘light the way for the Christ
Child'.
Polish Americans keep up their homeland customs. They spread hay
on the floor and under the tablecloth to remind them of an inn or the stable
and manger. No meat is eaten until Christmas Day. In the evening when the
first star appears, the traditional Polish Wigilia feast is set upon the
table. Beetroot soup, various fish, cabbage, mushrooms and sweetmeats (not
meat, but a confection made from honey and poppy seeds) are features of the
meal. An oblong wafer called an oplatek is given out by the head of the house.
It has the Nativity scene imprinted on it. As the family and guests recall
the birth of Jesus and wish each other a happiness in the coming year, they
break off a piece of the oplatek. An extra place is set at the table in case
Mary and the Christ child should come by seeking shelter.
Hungarian Americans place greater emphasis on church services and
carol-singing on Christmas Eve and Day than many fellow Americans. They gather
around their tree on Christmas Eve and presents are handed out at the appearance
of the first star of the evening. After the presents, seasonal foods are
baked, rolls of walnut and poppy seed, dumplings with honey and poppy seed,
and biscuits with caraway, sesame, or aniseed
And here us a brief history of
Canadian Christmas traditions
Canada's Christmas celebrations are drawn from a mixed cultural
background - French, English, German, Ukrainian, and First Nations. This
mixture brings about much diversity in the customs and traditions of Canada's
Christmas festivities. French explorer, Samuel de Champlain, founded the
city of Quebec in 1608. In these early days the French Canadians began their
Christmas celebration at the end of November, on the first Sunday of Advent.
Great preparation was given to the food for the grand Christmas Eve meal,
the whole week of parties that would follow, the many visitors that would
be received and finally, the New Year's Day Celebrations.All of this activity
provided for social gatherings. One such event was the taffy pull. It was
held on November 25th in honor of the patron saint of single women, Saint
Catherine. While taffy was indeed pulled, single women were afforded time
to meet the eligible bachelors before the Christmas parties that would soon
follow.
"Merry Christmas" In
Languages From All Over The World!
Afrikaans - Een plesierige kerfees
Arabic - I'D MIILAD SAID OUA SANA
SAIDA
Argentine - Felices Pasquas Y felices ano Nuevo
Armenian - Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand
Azeri - Tezze Iliniz
Yahsi Olsun Basque - Zorionak eta Urte Berri
On! Bohemian - Vesele Vanoce
Brazilian - Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo
Breton - Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat
Bulgarian - Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo
Hristovo Chinese - (Mandarin) Kung His Hsin Nien
bing Chu Shen Tan (Catonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung
Haw Sun Cornish - Nadelik looan na looan blethen
noweth Cree - Mitho Makosi Kesikansi
Croatian - Sretan Bozic
Czech - Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy
Rok Danish - Glædelig Jul
Dutch - Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig
Nieuwjaar! English - Merry Christmas Esperanto
- Gajan Kristnaskon Estonian - Ruumsaid juulup|hiFarsi
- Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad Finnish - Hyvaa
jouluaFrench - Joyeux Noel Frisian - Noflike
Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!
German - Froehliche Weihnachten
Greek - Kala Christouyenna!
Hawaiian - Mele
Kalikimaka Hebrew - Mo'adim Lesimkha. Chena tova
Hindi - Shub Naya Baras Hungarian - Kellemes
Karacsonyi unnepeket Icelandic - Gledileg Jol
Indonesian - Selamat Hari Natal
Iraqi - Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Irish - Nollaig Shona Dhuit
Italian - Buone Feste Natalizie
Japanese - Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
Korean - Sung Tan Chuk Ha
Latvian - Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno
Gadu! Lithuanian - Linksmu Kaledu
Manx - Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa
Maori - Meri Kirihimete
Marathi - Shub Naya Varsh
Navajo - Merry Keshmish Norwegian - God
JulPennsylvania German - En frehlicher Grischtdaag un
en hallich Nei Yaahr! Polish - Wesolych Swiat Bozego
Narodzenia Portuguese - Boas Festas
Rapa-Nui - Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua
Romanian - Sarbatori vesele
Russian - Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva
is Novim Godom Serbian - Hristos se rodi
Slovakian - Sretan Bozic or Vesele vianoce
Sami - Buorrit Juovllat Samoan - La Maunia Le
Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga FouScots Gaelic - Nollaig
chridheil huibh Serb-Croatian - Sretam Bozic. Vesela
Nova Godina Singhalese - Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak
Vewa Slovak - Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok
Slovene - Vesele Bozicne. Screcno Novo Leto
Spanish - Feliz Navidad
Swedish - God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År
Tagalog - Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong
Taon Tamil - Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal Thai
- Sawadee Pee Mai Turkish - Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz
Kutlu Olsun Ukrainian - Srozhdestvom Kristovym
Urdu - Naya Saal Mubarak Ho Vietnamese
- Chung Mung Giang Sinh Welsh - Nadolig Llawen
Yugoslavian - Cestitamo Bozic Papua
New Guinea - Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas
na Nupela yia i go long yu. Il Maltese-Milied it-tajjeb
