The annual “Christmas Around the World” exhibit at Museum of Science and Industry. (Credit: Heidi Peters / Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago)
‘Tis the season for snowy weather, delicious home cooked meals, and holiday decorations. This time of year can get a bit overwhelming and stressful with holiday preparations, one can easily overlook the pillars of what makes the holiday season special. During a recent trip to Chicago, the city hosted the annual lighting up of the Christmas tree – as the tree was lit up, the crowd in attendance cheered and applaud. During the roar of the crowd, there was a faint voice of a child amongst the crowd asking their parents “How come people are cheering about a Christmas tree, do they not have one? Do they also celebrate lighting up a tree in other parts of the world?” Honestly, that is a good question!
Recently, The Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) opened a new exhibit aptly called “Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light,” now running through 1/07/2024. Families and organizations from Chicago came to MSI to decorate their country’s Christmas tree, representing 57 countries. When researching on how other countries celebrate in terms of illuminations, decorations, food, and traditions to name a few – some countries have a unique and overall charm on how they celebrate Christmas.
Christmas in Mexico City.
Mexico
Mexico celebrates Christmas with a month long of events, apparent with family feasts and piñatas to name a few. The indigenous inspirations (primarily Mayan art and agriculture) have left quite a mark on how we recognize the culture of Mexico today. About 80% of Mexicans identify as Catholic, Christmas in Mexico makes the holiday vastly popular in the country. Beginning on the 12th of December and lasting until the 6th of January, Christmas festivities in Mexico have their own style and flair.
There are decorative nativity scenes, Spanish Christmas carols, candlelit marches, dancing, and fireworks. On December 28, Mexicans celebrate Dia de Los Santos Inocentes (Day of Innocent Saints), which honors the babies King Herod ordered to be killed in his attempts to kill Baby Jesus. As grim as the celebration sounds, the day of Los Santos Inocentes resembles that of April Fool’s Day in the U.S., with traditions that includes joke and trickery at the expense of the innocent.
The Dresden Striezelmarkt is Germany’s oldest Christmas market.
Germany
Most German folks use an Adventskranz (The advent wreath) with four candles on it to celebrate the four Sundays before Christmas day. Each Sunday, a candle is lit, preceding Christmas Eve. When the first candle is lit, Christmas season officially kicks off. To Germans, December 6th is a special day to them, because it’s Saint Nikolaus Day. Saint Nikolaus Day is dedicated to bishop Nikolaus from Myra, who helped women and children in 300 A.D. On the night of Dec. 5th, it’s tradition for people to put their boots in front of the door, once folks wake up in the morning, Saint Nikolaus will fill their boots with small gifts. Customary gifts include oranges, walnuts, and chocolates. Saint Nikolas visits children with his companion Knecht Ruprecht (servant Ruprecht) or the Krampus as he’s known in America.
KFC has become a Christmas tradition in Japan. Photo: Korn Vitthayanukarun/Dreamstime
Japan
Christmas has only been celebrated in Japan for a few decades. It’s not seen as a religious holiday since there aren’t many Christians or Catholics in Japan. Japan has adopted some popular Western customs, such as sending and receiving Christmas gifts. Japan observers Christmas as more of a time to spread happiness than as a religious celebration. A funny fact about Christmas in Japan is that on December 24, it’s considered the most romantic day of the year – the Japanese version of Valentine’s Day. In fact, if you’re single on Christmas Eve, you never want to be caught outside without a date.
The most common holiday meal for Japanese families on Christmas day is Kentucky fried Chicken. Colonel Sanders KFC has somehow become a traditional meal in Japan during Christmas, this somehow captures and embodies the Japanese Christmas spirit. Demand for KFC skyrockets on Christmas Day, it’s quite common to place an order for your meal several weeks in advance. People experience long lines and wait hours when stopping by to grab a meal on Christmas Day, you’ll most likely miss out on some finger-licking goodness on Christmas with poor planning.
Trees representing different countries are featured at the Museum of Science and Industry. (Angel Idowu : WTTW News)
This article only scratches the surface on how most countries around the world celebrate Christmas, even the countries mentioned here are only ankle deep in the vast richness and traditions on how they celebrate Christmas. But to really understand on how the world celebrates Christmas, that requires an experience that needs to be felt and seen. It’s highly recommended that everyone heads on over to The Museum of Science and Industry and experience the Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light exhibit, a perfect way to enjoy the festivities and learn about what the Christmas spirit means each of us in this planet. Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas to all!
For more information, please visit msichicago.org.
