Christmas cultures around the world

 It is already December, the last month of 2018. There is Christmas in December. Christmas is a religious day, well known as the birthday of Jesus Christ. In English, Christmas means Mass of Christ. It is also called Noel in France, Natale in Italy, and Weihnachtenin in Germany. Also, the 25th is Christmas Day and the 24th is Christmas Eve. Then, let's take a look at the Christmas culture of some countries around the world

 First, in the United States, especially New York, there is a Christmas tree lighting ceremony a month before Christmas. Also, for some Americans, Christmas is a day for exchanging gifts with precious people around them. And, on this special day, people drink eggnog, a beverage like a shake; and eat gingerbread that resembles a character in a game.

 Next, in Europe, Christmas is a special day too. Especially in France, most families get together and have their own good time. In Britain, schools take several weeks off before and after Christmas, and workers are given three to four days off. So the day is considered an important holiday for the British people to spend time with each other. A special Christmas event in European countries, which is not seen in other countries, is the Christmas market. This large-scale market attracts many visitors.

In Europe, there are also food that is eaten on such special days: ‘Bush de Noel,’ meaning ‘The log of Christmas;’ ‘turron’ (a caramel confectionery made with honey in peanuts, almonds, macadamia, also called Spanish Nougat)’ in Spain; and 'mince pie' of England.

 Lastly, Oceania countries like Australia and New Zealand are located in the southern hemisphere, so the seasons are the opposite to us. So there is a unique mid-summer Christmas with shorts and Santa hats. Also, Australia has Boxing Day events on the 26th, so cities are full of people because it is a day of various sports events and huge sales.

 Even in the Asia region, the Christmas culture is different. If you look at Korean Christmas, it is a holiday as a ‘red day’ (a legal holiday), and people wear rudolph or santa costumes. Christmas trees and decorations are common everywhere that day. On the other hand, Japan, in the same East Asian region, is not a Christian culture, so there is no big Christmas tradition so far. In addition, other countries also have a unique Christmas culture.

 Since it's the last holiday of this year at the end of December, let's spend Christmas day time with our precious people.