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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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