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CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD

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CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONSIN TEN DIFFERENT

COUNTRIES

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1.BRAZIL

Papai Noel or Father Noel is the gift-bringer inBrazil.

According to legend, he lives in Greenland.When he arrives in Brazil, he usually wears silkclothing due to the summer heat.

A Brazilian Christmas dinner might includeturkey, ham, coloured rice, and wonderfulvegetable and fruit dishes

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2.CANADA

Canada is a HUGE country and has severaldifferent traditions, depending on where youlive! Here are just a couple…

In Nova Scotia, a country settled by Scottishhighlanders, songs and carols brought fromBritain two centuries ago are sung eachChristmas morning.

In an area called Labrador, turnips are savedfrom the summer harvest and are given tochildren, with a lighted candle pushed into ahollowed out hole.

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3.CHINA

The Christian children of China decorate treeswith colorful ornaments. These ornaments aremade from paper in the shapes of flowers,chains and lanterns. They also hang muslinstockings.

The Chinese Christmas trees are called ‘Trees ofLight’. Santa Claus is called Dun Che Lao Ren(‘Christmas Old Man.’).

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4.CZECH REPUBLIC

Father Christmas is called Svaty Mikalas. It isthought that he climbs down from heaven on agolden rope accompanied by an angel and adevil!

Celebrations begin with his visit on 6thDecember and ends with the visit of the ThreeKings on 6th January.

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5.FINLAND

Everybody's house is given a very good clean inreadiness for Christmas.

The Christmas tree is set up on Christmas Eve.Apples and other fruits, candies, paper flags,cotton and tinsel are used as decorations andcandles are used for lighting it.

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6.FRANCE

Father Christmas is called Pére Nöel. He‘travels’ with his companion Pre Fouettard whoreminds Pére Nöel how each child has behavedthis year!

On Christmas Eve, children leave their shoes bythe fireplace to be filled by Pére Nöel. In themorning they may also find that sweets, fruits,nuts and toys have also been hung on theirChristmas tree.

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7.INDIA

Christians in India decorate banana or mangotrees. They also light small oil-burning lamps asChristmas decorations and fill their churcheswith red flowers. They give presents to familymembers and charity to poorer people.

In South India, Christians put small clay lampson the rooftops and walls of their houses atChristmas, just as the Hindus do during theirfestival called Diwali.

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8.ITALY

On January 6th, Italian children receive giftsfrom a friendly witch called ‘Le Befana’. Sheflies around on her broom giving presents tothe good children and coal to the naughtyones!

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9.NORWAY

Some Norwegian children (particularly thosethat live in the countryside) remember a littlegnome called Nisse at Christmastime.

He guards all the farm animals, and he playstricks on the children if they forget to place abowl of special porridge for him.

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10.SOUTH AFRICA

Christmas in South Africa is a summer holiday!Do you know why?

Homes are decorated with pine branches and aChristmas tree. At bedtime on Christmas Eve,children may also hang up their stockings.

Most people spend their Christmas Day outsideor on the beach. Carol singers make theirrounds on Christmas Eve and Church servicesare held on Christmas morning.

Many South Africans have their ChristmasTurkey dinner in the open-air or have abarbecue.

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