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Cultures<br />

<strong>sig</strong>.<strong>biz</strong>/<strong>combibloc</strong> 03/03<br />

In the USA, everything has to be just right –<br />

especially the lighting.<br />

people and shopping is a must in December.<br />

Another favourite activity is decorating the<br />

house with Christmas decorations. These<br />

can cover all possibilities, from a fully illuminated<br />

reindeer sledge made of plastic in<br />

the front garden to a Father Christmas<br />

figure on the roof.<br />

Father Christmas is “Santa Claus” in<br />

the USA, and was brought by the Dutch<br />

when they immigrated 300 years ago. The<br />

legend goes that he lives at the North Pole<br />

and spends all year supervising the production<br />

of Christmas presents. However,<br />

despite all the hurly-burly, the Christian<br />

background to Christmas has not been<br />

forgotten. The American greeting “Merry<br />

Xmas” is not a modern abbreviation. The<br />

X stands for the Greek word “Christ”.<br />

Mexico: posadas and piñatas<br />

Christmas traditions also came to the<br />

land of the Aztecs 465 years ago, brought by<br />

the Spanish conquerors. One important part<br />

of the Mexican Christmas are the “posadas”,<br />

colourful processions that represent Mary<br />

and Joseph’s search for an inn. For the children<br />

there are “piñatas”, nine decorated<br />

clay pots that are filled with fruit and sweets<br />

A familiar <strong>sig</strong>ht at Christmas in many<br />

countries – a turkey with stuffing.<br />

and are let down on strings from the ceiling<br />

of the church after the mass. Children who<br />

have come to mass are blindfolded and can<br />

try and break the piñatas with a stick and, if<br />

they strike lucky, eat the contents. However,<br />

they are only allowed three attempts.<br />

Great Britain: paper hats and<br />

plum pudding<br />

The Christmas festivities in England<br />

have some carnival-like aspects. The excitement<br />

begins for children on the 24th of<br />

December. They hang up their stockings by<br />

the fireplace and, before going to bed, they<br />

leave cake and wine for Santa Claus and<br />

carrots for his reindeer. The huge family<br />

Christmas meal is eaten on the 25th of<br />

December. After presents have been exchanged<br />

in the morning, everyone sits<br />

down at table and pulls crackers with each<br />

other and puts on paper hats. Among other<br />

things, turkey with sage and onion stuffing<br />

as well as plum pudding is served. At three<br />

o’clock in the afternoon, the entire nation<br />

switches on the television when the Queen’s<br />

Christmas speech is broadcast.

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