Christmas 2023: 10 Xmas traditions from around the world

Ahead of Christmas 2023, check out these 10 Xmas traditions followed by the Christian community from around the world ...read more

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If you thought Christmas is the same all the world over, think again because depending on which part of the world you might already have booked your tickets to visit, you’ll want to be part of the festivities as local Xmas traditions vary around the world. Ahead of Christmas 2023, check out these Xmas traditions followed by the Christian community from around the world - (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP)

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1. There are several rituals associated with Christmas. Apart from bringing home a Christmas tree and decorating it with ornaments, people sing carols, hang mistletoes to symbolise love, donate to the needy, attend midnight mass at the Church on Christmas eve, exchange gifts, bake cookies and spend the day with loved ones. (Unsplash/Eugene Zhyvchik)

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2. Another popular ritual involves children leaving warm milk and cookies for Santa at night in the hope of receiving gifts from him. For a long time, Christmas has been associated with the mythical figure of Santa Claus. He is based on the traditions associated with Saint Nicholas, a 4th Century Saint. It is believed that Santa Claus lives in the North Pole with his many helper elves. Each year, on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus rides on his sleigh from the North Pole to give gifts to children. (PTI)

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3. People love decorating their houses and offices with wreaths, candy canes, holly, mistletoe and stockings and of course, a Christmas tree — whether really tall or miniature — with colourful ornaments, is a must. ( Jonathan Borba)

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4. A common custom is that many individuals and churches set up a nativity scene, depicting the birth of Christ where a manger or barn is recreated, and there are figures representing Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus. They are usually surrounded by angels, the biblical Magi, shepherds and animals like a donkey, ox and camels. ( REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana)

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5. Germans used to host a procession on Feast Day of Adam and Eve carrying “paradise trees” with apples representing the forbidden fruit. Santa’s reindeers were introduced in Clement Moore’s 1822 poem A Visit From Saint Nicholas now called Twas the Night Before Christmas while the legend of Santa Claus goes back hundreds of years to a monk named St Nicholas, who is said to have been born sometime around 280 AD in Patara, near Myra in present-day Turkey and became the subject of legends as he was admired for his piety and kindness. In modern times, Christmas has come to be associated with the mythical figure of Santa Claus, the traditional patron of Christmas in the United States and other countries, bringing gifts to children. Each year, on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus rides on his sleigh from the North Pole to give gifts to children all around the world and kids wake up early in the morning to open their presents.(ANI Photo/Utpal sarkar )

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6. In the run-up to Christmas, people often go door-to-door in small groups singing carols to add to the festive cheer while decorations form an integral part of the charm of Christmas. (REUTERS/Esa Alexander)

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7. Fruit cake became a universal offering for Christmas when it was discovered that plums and cherries could be preserved for a long time by soaking it in large solutions of sugar, which was cheap at the time.(Instagram/_foodandfitness___)

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8. The custom of kissing underneath mistletoe reportedly began in the Victorian era when people believed it lead to marriage and promoted fertility. (Unsplash)

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9. Christmas trees symbolise eternal life and were introduced in England when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert, who was a German. (Unsplash)

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10. The white stripes on the cherished candy canes represent the purity of Jesus Christ, the three red stripes stand for the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and the red stripe represents Jesus Christ’s blood. (Unsplash)