Holiday traditions reflect culture
Christmas meals and customs vary around the world
By Jane Plumberg Special to the Kansan
Lene Jensen, Copenhagen, Denmark graduate, student, said the tradition of Christmas lunches made the holidays special.
"You would have many Christmas lunches, usually at work or in sports groups and things like that," she said.
No matter the culture or locale, Christmas has a common thread of goodwill and peace. But the individual traditions that different cultures bring to the holiday make their celebrations unique.
Jensen said the traditional Christmas
meal was goose or duck, rice pudding and cherry sauce.
"It's the same meal every year, no exceptions," she said.
Ian Coleman, Bristol, England, graduate student, said that in Bristol, England, a popular tradition during the holidays was an novelty called crackers.
Crackers are made of cardboard and wrapped in paper. When pulled at the ends, the friction sets off a spark.
Coleman said that crackers usually were put at each place setting before a meal.
"Inside the cracker is usually a silly joke, a small gift and a hat," he said.
England also celebrates Boxing Day, the first weekday after Christmas, Coleman said. Boxing Day originally was a day when servants were given the day off because most of them would work on Christmas.
"Land-owners would give the servants boxes full of gifts," Coleman said.
Although Boxing Day originated this way,
people still are given two days off work, he said.
Alex Karam, Beirut, Lebanon, graduate student, said that although the majority of people in the Middle East were Muslim, there also were Christians in his country.
He said that his family was Christian and celebrated Christmas.
"Religion plays a big role in the holiday," Karam said. "It pretty much comes before anything else."
Families get together and also have the tradition of Santa Claus, Karam said. In some towns, people will contribute money for gifts, and a Santa Claus will go door to door with presents.
Although the climate in Central America is warm, Eric Herrera, Puerto Armuelles, Panama, graduate student, said that Christmas in Panama had the same feeling but no snow.
"There are no stockings because there are no fireplaces, but we have everything else,"
he said.
Herrera said that Christmas trees were imported from the United States and Canada.
Mireya Aqui, Lawrence resident from San Juan, Puerto Rico, said Christmas in Puerto Rico was different because of the hot weather.
She said the average temperature on Christmas was 80 degrees.
"That's why I like it here," she said. "I think there should be snow and cold weather."
The traditional meal for Christmas day is pork, rice and beans, Aqui said. An entire pig is roasted outside all day at a low temperature.
She said that she used to go from house to house with friends singing carols.
"We would start singing at the door, so that they would give us food and drink." Aqui said. "Usually they let you in, but we would never stay at any house for more than an hour."
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December 5,1996 The Hill
Holiday On The Hill
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