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1217 DECEMBER
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by jan pierce we know we love
christmas
here in america, but
christmas
is also
celebrated
across the globe in ways you cannot even imagine. ?e religious significance of the holiday is the celebration of the birth of jesus, while the secular festivities involve a gift-giving character who brings presents and treats to good children. ?ough the holiday customs vary from country to country, all include some sort of decorations, music, and
special
ty foods. let?s take a look at some of the most interesting ways
christmas
is
celebrated
all around the world. india
christmas
is
celebrated
on december 25th with church services for believers. a midnight service is very popular. people of all faiths decorate their homes and gardens with star-shaped paper lanterns and some set up nativity scenes. father
christmas
is the one who brings presents to children from a horse and cart.
special
christmas
cakes and sweets such as newries and kulkuls are baked and open houses abound. madagascar on this island off the east coast of africa, it is very warm at
christmas
time. still, decorations include holly and ?snow,? though neither exist there. santa is known as dadabe noely and only small gifts are exchanged. on
christmas
day, people everywhere, even strangers, greet one another with ? arahaba tratry ny noely ? which means merry
christmas
. ?e malagasy go to their families to eat dinners of chicken or pork with rice and a
special
cake. another favorite
christmas
food is the lychee, a fruit which is peeled and eaten with great enjoyment. new zealand
christmas
also falls in the hot summer months. families are often celebrating their summer holidays by camping or staying at the beach. imagine being in your bathing suit by the
christmas
tree opening gifts! presents are opened on
christmas
day before the
special
christmas
meal of barbecued meats or seafood. desserts, such as pavlova, the country?s favorite, hot fruit pudding or meringues, are served to end the feast. ethiopia
christmas
is
celebrated
by the orthodox church, not in december, but on january 7 and called ganna . people fast on january 6th, and then, on the morning of the 7th, they wear a traditional thin white cotton toga-like garment called a shamma . ?e shamma is worn to a
special
service held in the circle-shaped church where candles are held in a procession and communion is taken.
special
foods eaten at this time of year are meat and vegetables called wat and flatbread known as injera . for ganna gifts, children usually receive gifts of clothing. wales carol singing is the highlight of the festivities in wales. carolers sing at dawn of
christmas
morning and are invited in for snacks. ?ere is a prize for the best new
christmas
carol written that year, and it is added to the list of carols sung in future
christmas
celebrations. families love spending time together making taffy and singing carols. russia orthodox christians celebrate
christmas
in russia. once banned by the communist regime,
christmas
is again
celebrated
with
special
church services and wonderful meat and cabbage pies called pirogi and meat dumplings known as pelmeni . a porridge, kutya , is served along with honey and poppy seeds to bring happiness, success, and peace. children carry a star and go house to house in the cold winter snows singing carols and receiving sweets. all around the world 5 4 b r p a r e n t s . c o m | d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 7
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