09 dezembro, 2013

Christmas Traditions Around the World

Postado por Camila Rafaela Felippi às 12/09/2013 07:05:00 AM
Christmas in Latin America known as Las Posadas, Navidad and Dia de los Tres Reyes. Throughout the season are a lot of bright flowers and brilliant nights. They celebrate with holiday foods, songs. Those songs and foods eaten are greatly influenced by the different indigenous people of the region but all share the strong Latin influence dating from the arrival of Roman Catholicism hundreds of year’s ago. Christmas is very much a religious holiday centered around the age-old story of the Nacimiento, Christ's Child.
In China, only about one percent of people are Christians, so most people only know a few things about Christmas. Because of this, Christmas is only often celebrated in the major cities. In these big cities there are Christmas Trees, lights and other decorat
ions on the streets and in department stores. Santa Claus is called 'Shen Dan Lao Ren' and has grottos in shops like is Europe and America. In Chinese Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Sheng Dan Kuai Le or 诞快乐' in Mandarin and 'Seng Dan Fai Lok or 聖誕快樂' in Cantonese.Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages. In China, Santa is known as 'Sheng dan lao ren' (Traditional: 聖誕老人, Simplified: 诞老人; means Old Christmas Man). One a few people have a Christmas Tree (or celebrate Christmas at all!). If people do have a tree it is normally a plastic one and might be decorated with paper chains, paper flowers, and paper lanterns (they might also call it a tree of light). The Christmas Trees that most people would see would be in shopping malls! Christmas isn't that widely celebrated in the rural areas of China, but it's becoming more well known. The strange thing is that most of the world's plastic Christmas Trees and Christmas decorations are made in China, but the people making them might not know what they are for. A tradition that's becoming popular, on Christmas Eve, is giving apples. Many stores have apples wrapped up in colored paper for sale. People give apples on Christmas Eve because in Chinese Christmas Eve is called 'Ping An Ye' (which means quiet or silent night) and the word for apple in Chinese is 'Ping Guo' which sounds similar. Some people go Carol singing, although not many people understand them or know about the Christmas Story. Jingle Bells is a popular Carol in China! People who are Christians in China go to special services. Going to Midnight Mass services has become very popular.
The popularity of the Nativity scene, one of the most beloved and enduring symbols of the holiday season, originated in Italy. St. Francis of Assisi asked a man named Giovanni Vellita of the village of Greccio to create a manger scene. St. Francis performed mass in front of this early Nativity scene, which inspired awe and devotion in all who saw it. The creation of the figures or pastori became an entire genre of folk art. In Rome, cannon are fired from Castel St. Angelo of Christmas Eve to announce the beginning of the holiday season. A 24-hour fast ends with an elaborate Christmas feast. Small presents are drawn from the Urn of Fate. The main exchange of gifts takes place on January 6, the feast of the Epiphany, the celebration in remembrance of the Magi's visit to the Christ Child. Children anxiously await a visit from La Befana who brings gifts for the good and punishment for the bad. According to legend, the three wise men stopped during their journey and asked an old woman for food and shelter. She refused them and they continued on their way. Within a few hours the woman had a change of heart but the Magi were long gone. La Befana, which means Epiphany, still wonders the earth searching for the Christ Child. She is depicted in various ways: as a fairy queen, a crone, or a witch. 

9 comentários:

Anônimo disse...

Oi foi interessante saber a tradição do natal ao redor do mundo,neste blog .gostei.
Uma ótima semana pra você.
Deixo meu carinho e paz.

SG on 12/09/2013 1:25 PM disse...

Thanks for the wonderful information on Christmas traditions.

Lisabella Russo on 12/09/2013 8:38 PM disse...

Wonderful to learn more about this holiday around the world. I really like the expression "tree of light" for the Christmas tree. Thanks for such a interesting post!

Rajesh on 12/10/2013 4:08 AM disse...

Wow! very well covered.

Nal Pontes on 12/10/2013 5:05 AM disse...

Oi, Camila, interessante ver como é visto e comemorado o Natal ao redor do mundo. Que ao menos nenhum deles esqueçam que Natal é simplemente o nascimento das boas novas em nossos corações e como os anjos anunciaram aos pastores naquela noite,"É que hoje na cidade de Davi vos nasceu hoje o Salvador que é Cristo o Senhor" Te desejo um dia maravilhoso. bjssss

Tara Tyler on 12/10/2013 1:06 PM disse...

i loved this post! so glad you taught me about Christmas in Latin America & China and i especially love the story of epiphany!!

SG on 12/13/2013 4:00 PM disse...

Feliz Natal para você e para a sua família.

Felicity Grace Terry on 12/19/2013 1:03 PM disse...

Loving this and your previous Christmas posts. It really is nice to read how others celebrate these ocassions.

Nal Pontes on 12/25/2013 8:45 AM disse...

Oi,Camila vim aqui te desejar um dia maravilhoso neste dia de Natal. desejo que hoje e sempre o amor de Deus seja constante em tua vida. Amo vc. Deus abençoe a vc e sua família. FELIZ NATAL. BJSSS

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