Traditions Around the World

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The poll from my readers on Monday's giveaway post was so enlightening.  First of all, a HUGE thank you to all of you who commented.  I had people from HALF of the United States (25 states!) as well as Austria, Canada, France Germany, Greece, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Turkey, and the U.K.!  (And that was only the people who told me where they were from.)  I think it is a wonderful thing that you all, though you are so far away, can be as close as my computer!  

My husband and I have been talking about traditions lately, because we would like to start some with our children.  We follow Jesus Christ and want to give our children the understanding of why we celebrate Christmas, but aside from the spiritual, there are things that are just plain fun to do during this season!  That is why I asked you about your traditions (that and the fact that different cultures are very interesting to me!).  So here's what I found out from you, my dear readers, in those comments.

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First of all, there were several holidays mentioned, including Winter Solstice, Christmas, Diwali, Thanksgiving, Easter, Hanukkah, and Yule.  If you are looking for traditions to start with your family, maybe you could adopt one of these:

Giving and receiving presents, putting Santa's footprints in talc on Christmas morning, attending church or temple services, advent calendars, watching "It's a Wonderful Life", putting up a nativity (or seeing a live one), putting up a tree (better yet, cutting your own tree and/or greenery), decorating, hanging lights (or driving through neighborhoods to see theirs), caroling, and drinking hot chocolate.

St. Nicholas shoe

Some more traditions involve St. Nick's shoes, having family devotions, sending holiday cards, seeing "The Nutcracker" (or dancing in it!), Christmas pageant, cleaning and/or painting the house, making gifts for others, inviting others for dinner, "adopting" a military family for the season, reading special stories, such as "The Velveteen Rabbit", "Twas the Night Before Christmas", or the Christmas story from the Gospels in the Bible.

Wow.  That's a LOT of traditions right there!

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!!!  I've saved some of my favorite comments for last!  

Did you know that in Austria, they do not have Santa, but they have "Christkind"?

Sunrise - Christchurch, New Zealand

Or that New Zealand sees the sunrise first in the world? (How cool would that be, to have sunrise church service on the beach overlooking the ocean?!!!)

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Or, did you know that in Germany, they do not do any washing during the "Rauhnächte" (rough nights), which go from December 24 to January 6 as it's said to bring bad luck to hang washing up to dry because who knows what strange creatures might use them to play tricks on you ...  

Here are a few unique traditions from the U.S. that you may want to adopt, like:
- Have Thanksgiving dinner, complete with spaghetti for the vegetarians (or baked tilapia (fish) for the "health-conscious") 
- Go out to a restaurant for Christmas breakfast and "leave an obscenely large tip".
- And last, but not least, is the tradition that I am going to start with my family today:

Making garlands for the Christmas tree from Fruit Loops! 

(You knew I'd be adding in some home-made creative stuff here, right?)

So from my family to yours, Merry Christmas.  May the light of God shine on you, no matter what holidays or traditions you hold to!

:) Caren

p.s. - Stay tuned to cadamsCREATIONS - the winner of the giveaway will be announced later today!