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I<br />
t's interesting to know how<br />
people celebrate Christmas<br />
in different parts of the<br />
world.<br />
Traditions vary a great deal and<br />
the weather obviously plays an<br />
important part in how people<br />
celebrate. In the northern<br />
hemisphere it's easy to picture a<br />
winter<br />
wonderland<br />
outside,<br />
whilst<br />
enjoying family<br />
celebrations<br />
around a blazing<br />
fire - just like a<br />
traditional<br />
Christmas card.<br />
How different it<br />
must be south of<br />
the Equator - a<br />
blazing fire would<br />
hardly be<br />
welcome, though the<br />
thought of snow might<br />
come as a refreshing<br />
alternative to the intense heat! I<br />
spoke to several people at St.<br />
Chad's and asked them about<br />
Christmases spent in their native<br />
lands.<br />
India<br />
Sam Jacob recalled his memories:<br />
"Christmas was different in Kerala,<br />
South India. We used to have two<br />
Christmases annually! The<br />
Catholics and Protestants had theirs<br />
in December, like most of the world,<br />
and the Orthodox Churches<br />
celebrated theirs in early January.<br />
“There was hardly any<br />
commercial involvement as the<br />
giving of gifts and feasting on food<br />
and alcohol were not customary.<br />
Christians kept a star-shaped<br />
lantern in front of the house during<br />
the season and, on the day, there<br />
would be a mini firework display in<br />
the garden. The Catholic Church<br />
had a Midnight Mass extending in to<br />
the early hours of the morning,<br />
Protestant Churches a traditional<br />
carol service on Christmas Eve and<br />
the Orthodox<br />
Churches an<br />
early morning<br />
service before<br />
sunrise. Many<br />
older folk observed<br />
25 days of Lent prior<br />
to Christmas,<br />
abstaining from<br />
meat, fish and dairy<br />
products. On the<br />
whole it was a<br />
happy time of the<br />
year and often a<br />
peaceful time".<br />
Norway<br />
Mary Diskin's daughter lives in<br />
Norway and Mary has spent several<br />
Christmases there with the family.<br />
The Norwegians love candles and<br />
candlelight, which is not surprising<br />
as their winters are long and dark.<br />
Mary remembers her first<br />
Christmas there, driving from the<br />
airport past houses with branch<br />
candles alight in every window - "It<br />
was magical", she says, "especially<br />
with lots of snow everywhere". In<br />
Norway, as in many European<br />
countries, Christmas is celebrated<br />
on Christmas Eve. Unlike Britain,<br />
where Christmas trees appear in<br />
many houses weeks before 25th<br />
December, Norwegians wait until<br />
Christmas Eve. They decorate their<br />
houses in traditional style with little<br />
St Chads Church, Linden Avenue, Woodseats<br />
email: office@stchads.org<br />
Church Offices: 15 Camping Lane, Sheffield S8 0GB Page 8 website: www.stchads.org<br />
Tel: (0114) 274 5086
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