Holiday traditions around the world highlight the diversity of human cultures. I recently read an article about the tradition in Iceland of giving books as gifts on Christmas Eve. Families put on their new pajamas and head to bed early to read their new books. I intend to include this as a new tradition with my family this year.
I’ve continued many of my family’s Christmas traditions every year. My Mom made an Advent calendar that we add candy canes to and hang every December first. Many of the ornaments on our tree were handmade by my children or were collected on family vacations. Decorating the tree is always a delightful walk “down memory lane.”
The “Christmas pickle” was an addition years ago and is a fun hiding game for everyone, especially the first person to find it, they are supposed to receive a bonus gift and have good luck throughout the year.
Many years ago, a family friend gave us a spider tree ornament and shared the beautiful story from a Polish tradition. Spiders, according to legend, wove a blanket for Baby Jesus. In Poland, spiders are thought to be symbols of goodness and prosperity. The last year of buying a freshly cut Christmas tree, my husband was sitting near the tree and just happened to see movement out of the corner of his eye. That movement was the hatching of thousands of tiny baby spiders. We told ourselves that the hatchlings were good luck for the holiday season but we felt bad about disturbing the spiders’ habitat in winter and bought an artificial tree the next year.
We have always had several mushroom ornaments on our tree through the years. I have collected so many that the mushrooms now have their own little tree. Without knowing it while collecting, I learned that mushrooms are also considered good luck in the German culture. Found in forests, mushrooms are associated with the reverence of nature and beauty. Finding a mushroom in a forest is like finding a lucky penny-good fortune is surely right around the corner.
During one visit to London during Thanksgiving years ago, we were introduced to the greeting, “Happy Christmas.” While people don’t know exactly how this phrase started in England, people do know that King George V said it in 1932 during his first royal Christmas radio message.
While Christmas isn’t a traditional holiday in Japan, it has become a widely celebrated occasion. One unique tradition is enjoying a meal from Kentucky Fried Chicken. Thanks to an advertising campaign in the 1970’s, millions of Japanese families enjoy KFC for their Christmas feast, sometimes ordering weeks in advance. Not only is Colonel Sanders now synonymous with Santa Claus, but KFC in Japan now sells Christmas-themed “party barrels” to celebrate the day. The barrels include salad, cake, and lots of fried chicken.
The Christmas “cracker” has been a part of my Christmas Eve dinner for as long as I can remember. The brightly wrapped tube which contains a paper crown, a joke, and a prize is a festive table decoration. The crackers make a popping sound when opened. The tradition of wearing festive hats at parties is believed to date back to Roman times. Tom Smith, a bon-bon maker in London invented the “cracker” in 1847 out of necessity during a slump in candy sales. A Christmas cracker is the subject of one of Norman Rockwell’s iconic cover art for The Saturday Evening Post in 1919.
The holiday season is time of joy, connection, and celebration across the globe. While Christmas is one of the most widely recognized holidays, different cultures infuse this time of year with unique customs and traditions. While rooted in the story of Christ’s birth, Christmas traditions have evolved to include customs that blend religious, cultural, and local influences.
Kate Emery General is a retired chef/restaurant owner who was born and raised in Casper, Wyoming. Kate loves her grandchildren, knitting, and watercolor painting. Kate and her husband, Matt are longtime residents of Cambridge’s West End where they enjoy swimming and bicycling.
