I LOVE learning about different cultures and holidays! And Christmas is my favorite time of year. 🙂 I already instill several Christmas and winter holiday traditions into my life for my loved ones: fried chicken, like KFC, from Japan. Hanging the Christmas pickle from Germany. St. Nicholas Day, leaving shoes by the door for treats. The beauty of Hannukkah. Exchanging books like Finland. I enjoy educating my students on winter holidays around the world too each year too. What is better than sharing our unique, rich, and lovely cultures with each other, our hearts connecting?
So, I did research to find 10 Christmas/winter holidays I would like to incorporate into my holidays.
No matter where you’re from or how you celebrate, know you are a blessed light and I wish you all the health and happiness in the universe!
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Christmas Traditions I Want to Try (All Around the World)
Apparently, some organizations will take your live Christmas tree when you are done and turn it into goat food, like this one! How cool?!
Finland: Christmas sauna (who doesn’t want to warm up with a hot soak?)
Iceland: The Yule Cat- This would give people who were good workers a new pair of clothes. If they were lazy, the giant beast would eat them! Now, everyone in Iceland usually gets new clothes for Christmas. If I get any, I will make sure to thank my kitty for putting a good word in for me. 😉
Sweden: In 1958, a Christmas special was made featuring the number #1 fella, Donald Duck: “‘Donald Duck and his friends wish you a Merry Christmas’.” Since the 60s, families still gather on Christmas day to watch this special like clockwork at 3:00 PM. I will have to find it!
Denmark: I recall reading about this day with Kirsten in her “American Girls” series. But I never thought to celebrate it! On December 13th, the holiday season begins with the celebration of St. Lucia Day, where the eldest daughter wears a white dress with a wreath with nine candles on her head. I am the oldest (and only daughter,) so I can be the light maiden! But, I probably will not light my candles!
Caracas, Venezuela: In this festive city, people do not walk to church; they roller skate! If I knew how I so would do this! I will let my minister know.
Philippines: Their Christmas decor in the city consists of thousands of lanterns, several detailed and giant! I love lanterns so any excuse to get more, eh? 😉
Czechia: On Christmas, single women throw their shoes over their shoulders through an open doorway for the new year. If it points towards the door, you’ll get married. If not, another year of the single life. HA! If I was single, I would so do this!
Slovakia: The eldest of the family throws up the traditional sweet dessert to the ceiling. The more that can stick, the more luck for the family in the upcoming year. The treat has honey, poppy seeds, milk, and bread. A sweet mess that is allowed!
Ghana: Families drink from a cup then dump out some on the ground to honor their ancestors during the holidays. I think this is beautiful!
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Embrace your fellow brother and sister! Stay geeky! 🙂
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Educator of young minds by day, super nerdy savior of justice, and cute things by night, Morgan Straughan Comnick has a love for turning the normal into something special without losing its essence. Morgan draws from real-life experiences and her ongoing imagination to spark her writing. In her spare time, she enjoys doing goofy voices, traveling to new worlds by turning pages, humming child-like songs, and forcing people to smile with her “bubbliness.” It is Morgan’s mission in life to spread the amazement of otaku/Japanese culture to the world and to stop bullying; she knows everyone shines brightly.
For more information about Morgan and her works, check out her website, which also has links to all her social medias: http://morganscomnick.com
