The Dodger
The Official Newsmagazine of Dodge City High School • Dec. 21, 2010 • Volume 91 • Special Edition Issue #3
Holidays Around the World
Issue #3
02 Holidays Around the World
www.dchsdodger.com • THE DODGER
Lineup
Dodger Staff Luke Bunker......................Co-Editor Erin Finley........................Co-Editor Leann Manriquez.................Opinion Deena Shaath.......................Opinion
HOLIDAYS AROUND THE WORLD • UNITED STATES * AFRICA * ASIA * EUROPE...
Alysia Garvalena...........Student Life
Holidays & Traditions
Josie Zordel...................Student Life Natalie Cabello.........................News
Austin Ridenour......................Sports Brayden Whitaker...................Sports
Cindy Moore........................ Adviser
04-05 | Judaism
Dane Edwards...............Photo/Video
Alonso Acevedo............Photo/Video
Shannon Thomas... Photo Consultant
www.dchsdodger.com “Like” us on Facebook
Editorial Policy The Dodger is a publication produced by the Dodge City High School journalism department. The newspaper attempts to inform and entertain its audience in a broad, fair, and accurate manner on all subjects that affect the readers. The publication seeks also to provide a forum for the opinion of students, the staff of the paper, and the faculty to encourage an exchange of ideas on all issues of prominence to readers. The Dodger staff encourages letters to the editors, as they constitute avenue for student opinion. Due to space limitations, not all letters can be published. The editors reserve the right to edit all letters for appropriate placement as long as the meaning and intent remain unchanged. The letter must be signed to be considered for publication. The opinions expressed throughout the publication are not necessarily those of the faculty, the administration, or USD #443. Unsigned articles are a general consensus of the staff, while signed articles are the personal forum of the writer. All letters, columns, stories, photos and art become legal property of The Dodger at the time they are submitted. Snow Globe. Throughout the world, traditions and symbols of winter are plentiful. The snow globe is a traditional object depicting this. • Photo David Hepworth; Photo Illustration Shannon Thomas
History of Hanukkah Traditions, Food
06-07 | Islam
Islamic traditions and way of life Family Profile
08-09 | Europe
France Italy Sweden
10-11 | Foreign Exchange Students
Eva Willer Magnus Mariegaard Hendrik Kronsbein
12-13 | Christianity
Christmas traditions vary around the world
14-15 | Africa
Celebrating in the Sahara Christmas in Cameroon
16 | Asia
China, Japan, Vietnam
18-19| Central America
Memories of Christmas in Mexico
20 | The Legend of Santa Claus
Traditions and legends of Santa Claus
For more stories on holidays around the world and profiles on students that celebrate those holidays please visit www.dchsdodger.com
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THE DODGER • www.dchsdodger.com
From one corner of the world to the other, across expansive oceans, majestic mountains and glorious fields, winter is the time to celebrate!
-Luke Bunker
Throughout the year, different religions, regions and peoples celebrate a host of holidays with their own unique spins and traditions. Winter is no exception. From one corner of the world to the other, across expansive oceans, majestic mountains and glorious fields, winter is the time to celebrate. Whether it’s the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah with the menorah and latkes, the Muslim holidays with their traditional foods and rituals,
the Central American tradition of drinking champurrados and knocking on doors for entrance or the U.S. traditions of Santa Claus, Christmas trees (such as at right) and shopping, each region and religion is unique in their celebrations. Whether you are celebrating Christmas or another holiday this winter break, we want to wish you a happy holiday season and, if you are traveling for the holiday, a safe journey to your destination. From all of us on the Dodger staff, enjoy! Luke Bunker, Co-Editor
The Dodger Online - December Poll
What holiday do you observe in the winter months?
• Photo Bunker
For current news, sports, reviews, photo slideshows and so much more, visit us at:
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Find us on Facebook. Search for “The Dodger” 65 votes
Sou’Wester 2010-2011 Over 240 Pages Hardback, Partial Color Preserve memories Christmas: 91% / 59 votes Don’t Celebrate: 3% / 2 votes Other: 3% / 2 votes Hanukkah or Kwanzaa: 3% / 2 votes
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Holidays Around the World
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04 Holidays Around the World
www.dchsdodger.com • THE DODGER
• Judaism •
The history of Hanukkah, the “festival of lights” Jews celebrate their triumph over their oppressors, an unexpected event
-Natalie Cabello Hanukkah, or Chanukah, is often referred to by non-Jewish people as the “Jewish Christmas,” because it is celebrated around the same time as Christmas. Unlike Christmas, Hanukkah’s date varies each year, but it usually is sometime in December. However, while Christians celebrate Christ’s birth, Jews celebrate for a quite
different reason. Jewish people celebrate their triumph over their oppressors, along with an unexpected event. Even so, this isn’t as major holiday for Jews as Christmas is to Christians. They have more important holidays, such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Passover. The history behind Hanukkah began when Alexander the Great
died and the Greeks took over the Jewish lands. After a centuryand-a-half of Greek rule, a Jewish priest, Matthias, led a revolution, which his son, Judah Maccabee, continued after his death. Maccabee continued to fight until they had completely driven out the Greeks. After the Maccabees defeated the Greeks, they took to re-purifying the temple because the Greeks had used it for things that the Jewish people considered offensive. Their eternal flame had to be lit using holy olive oil. However, the Jews found a little bit, enough for one day, and it would take eight days to
make more. Much to their surprise, though, that little bit of oil lasted eight days, until they could make more. That’s why Hanukkah lasts eight days and why the menorah is lit. The Menorah is a unique candelabrum used to represent those eight nights, with one candle designated “shamosh,” or servant. This candle is used to light all the other candles. Every night, one candle is lit, until the completion of the eight nights, when all the candles are lit. This year, Hanukkah was from sundown Dec. 1 to sundown Dec. 9.
ATTENTION SENIORS
-Natalie Cabello The Jewish people don’t have very many holiday decorations, but they do have a couple. One decoration is the Menorah, the nine-candle candelabrum lit during Hanukkah (see “The history of Hanukkah, the ‘festival of lights’,” above). The others are the Dreidel and the Mezuzah. The Dreidel is a four-side top now used as a decoration, but it has a very special meaning for the Jews. Back when the Jews were prosecuted, they could not study the Torah in peace. If they did, they would be jailed or even killed.
So, to avoid that, they would carry a dreidel with them whenever they were planning to study the Torah. When soldiers came, they would pretend to be playing a game so they wouldn’t have problems with the law. The mezuzah isn’t so much a holiday decoration as a Jewish identity symbol (like the star of David). The Jewish people put it outside their doors so as to be identified as Jewish. It is a wooden box with Hebrew scrolls inside. For them, it is a reminder to follow God’s laws as well as unity with God.
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Hanukkah Candle Lighting ceremony at the White House. Ben Retik lights the Menorah as President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and First Lady Michelle Obama look on during a ceremony on Dec. 2, 2010. • Photo Chuck Kennedy
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ATTENTION SENIORS
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-Natalie Cabello The holidays usually mean sharing meals with family and friends, and for the Jewish people, it’s no exception. For example, they have latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (fried jelly doughnuts) for Hanukkah; round challah (an egg Jewish bread similar to egg twist rolls), apples, and honey for Rosh Hashanah (to symbolize the
Jewish New Year); and many more dishes for all to enjoy during their holidays. However, Jewish people must be careful to follow their traditional kosher food laws. According to www.jewfaq. org, Jewish cooking has been influenced by the many places where the Jews have lived through the years. Jewish cooking has touches of German, Spanish,
Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Eastern European cooking, among many others. They mixed and matched many recipes to create their very own cuisine. Latkes are fried potato pancakes often served with apple sauce and sour cream, according to www. about.com. They are fried in oil to represent the oil that didn’t run out for eight days (see “The history of Hanukkah, the ‘festival of lights’,”
opposite and above). Another traditional treat for Hanukkah is sufganiyah, also fried in oil, except the doughnut has jelly filling. For Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), the traditional challah is made round to symbolize the circle of life. The apples and honey represent the hopes of a sweet new year, according to www.aarp.org/ food.
Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur: Jewish new year, day of atonement “L’shanah tovah tikatev v’taihatem”
Latkes. The traditional Jewish potato pancake is shown in this picture. • Photo Wikimedia Commons.
• Other Jewish Traditions • -Natalie Cabello because Jews count their days Jewish people are found from sunset to sunset. In this throughout the world, but case, Jews observe the Sabbath today their greatest population (roughly Friday evening to is in Israel, where most Saturday evening). people are Jewish (78% However, it should be noted population). Because of this, that Jews in other countries there are no set traditions for are more likely to lose their each country, traditions than since they in Israel. For represent a example, in the minority in most United States, countries. they become The Jewish assimilated, and traditions are some even don’t basically the practice Judaism Photo Public-Domain-Photos.com same in each at all, especially country, with an important American Jews. This causes difference in Israel. Jewish them to know little about holidays in Israel are federal Judaism and Jewish history. holidays and people get Many others, however, keep vacations on those days, their traditions and continue to according to www.goisrael. practice Judaism because they com. Businesses in Israel fear this assimilation will cause close early on Friday evening, Jews to lose their identity.
-Natalie Cabello Jewish people don’t celebrate the New Year in January. Instead, they celebrate it in September or October in the month of Tishri. The purpose is the same, however—a chance to start again and have a good year. It’s called Rosh Hashanah, literally meaning “head of year.” They have different traditions for celebrating the New Year. Most devout Jews will spend the whole day in the synagogue and others make a point to attend services. In the synagogue, a special ram’s horn called the shofar is blown somewhat like a trumpet to signal repentance. Once home, they will eat apples dipped in honey for a sweet new year to come, along with
other treats. For Jewish people, this is a very sacred holiday. The traditional greeting is “L’shanah tovah” or “for a good year.” This is short for “L’shanah tovah tikatev v’taihatem” or “May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year”. The celebration lasts for two whole days and begins the Ten Days of Penitence, which ends with Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). Jews believe it is during this time that God decides who will live and who will die during the coming year. They ask for forgiveness, a long life and a good coming year. The date varies each year. The 2010 dates were Sept. 8-10, 2010 (Jewish Year 5771), and the 2011 dates will be Sept. 28-30, 2011.
•www.weblinks• Information for these stories came from the following sites:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/87656/not_the_jewish_ christmas_what_is_hanukkah_pg2.html?cat=34 http://www.suite101.com/content/chanuka-is-not-the-jewishchristmas-a181224 http://www.worldbookonline.com http://www.squidoo.com/hanukkah-begin http://www.jewfaq.org http://www.goisrael.com http://www.holidaydecorations.com/Holiday-Decorations.html http://www.bje.org.au/learning/judaism/symbols/mezuzah.html http://www.jewishholidayrecipe.com http://judaism.about.com/od/organizedbyholiday
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From potato pancakes to fried jelly doughnuts: traditional Jewish foods
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06 Holidays Around the World
www.dchsdodger.com • THE DODGER
• Islam •
Dodger staff member shares family’s Islamic traditions and way of life “The Islamic holidays are completely different than those around here, but I enjoy celebrating all of them.” -Deena Shaath My family is originally from Gaza in Palestine. Following my parents’ marriage, they lived in Kuwait for a couple years, until the Gulf War began. Kuwait was no longer safe to start and raise a family. My parents decided to move to Philadelphia to begin a life in the United States. They came to the United States with hardly any money. My dad had to do residency and take several tests to equalize his M.D. degree that he received in the Middle East. My mom, however, was unable to do the same because of the lack of money and two children. They didn’t have enough money to hire a babysitter, so my mom could equalize her M.D. degree also. After living in Philadelphia for two years, they moved to Milwaukee to get some more residency finished. Following those two years in Milwaukee, my dad got a job at Dodge City Medical Center in Dodge City, Kan. Two days after their arrival in Dodge City, I was born. We have lived here for 16 years - my whole life. My mother struggled to teach my brothers and me the Islam
religion and our native language, Arabic. I’ve always respected her for giving up her degree that she spent 10 years earning to make sure we didn’t lose our native culture. She always said that she would rather have us be good Muslims that can speak Arabic than work. Despite how much my brothers and I tried to escape from the lessons that she would give us, she never gave up. We would constantly argue or find excuses to get out of it, but she kept on trying. Today, my brothers and I practice Islam and are fluent in reading, writing and speaking Arabic. The first holiday of the year we celebrate is Ramadan, where we fast for a whole month. The day lasts from the breaking of dawn until the setting of the sun. Since the holiday goes back about two weeks ever year, this break of dawn is at about 5:30 a.m. However, the day began for me at about 4 in the morning as my mother forced me to get out of bed to go and eat to get some energy for the day. Usually, we eat steak because it has a lot of protein that stays with us throughout the day and keeps us full. She also makes us hummus,
falafel and other middle-eastern food. I probably drink about three or four glasses of water to prevent me from becoming dehydrated and possible passing out, which has happened to me before. During the day, we cannot eat or drink, even water. At about 7 p.m., we could finally eat. My mom tried to make us a Middle Eastern food almost every day during that holiday. The day after the last day of Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, I wake up and say “Kol Sana o Inta Salim” to my mom and dad as they hand me money as a present. Since Dodge City doesn’t have a mosque, we usually just have a prayer together. About 10 weeks later, Eid-ul-Adha begins and we do the same thing that we do for Eid-ulFitr. This year, we drove through Lawrence, picked up my brother, Tarek, and moved on to Kansas City to stay with my other brother, Kareem, during Thanksgiving weekend. My dad gave them their gifts and we went out to eat at Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian restaurant. There are three main things that are considered sins in Islam. The first one is drinking. It is completely against the Islam religion to drink alcohol; not just alcohol, but any
of the drugs and anything that can alter your mind and make you do things you wouldn’t normally do. Anything medical-related is an exception. The second sin is eating pork. God commanded that we don’t eat pork or anything that comes from a pig. The third sin is sex before marriage. That is considered a huge sin and an embarrassment to the family, which is why teenage pregnancies do not exist in the Middle East. I must admit, it is sometimes difficult to live in an area where there is nobody like you, but I’m used to it. Although Islam seems like the hardest religion out there, I really like it. I enjoy all of the holidays and traditions that we have. Arabic, despite how difficult it was to learn, is a cool language that I really like to speak. Ramadan is difficult during the first four or five days, but after that I begin to wonder how I usually eat three meals a day. Overall, the Islamic holidays and way of living are completely different than holidays around here, but I enjoy celebrating all of them.
Traditional Muslim foods include hummus, falafel, others -Deena Shaath Typical Muslim foods mainly consist of rice, bread and meat. Bread or rice is eaten with every meal. There are of course, three meals a day, but only one big meal, lunch. Breakfast is very light and always eaten with bread. There isn’t a single breakfast food not eaten with bread. One of the most famous breakfast foods is hummus, which is chick peas blended until it becomes a dip. It is blended with tahini (a sesame paste), salt, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Another important breakfast food is labneh,
which is strained yogurt that turns into a soft cheese. Falafel is also common for breakfast, but it is also
meat and vegetables. An important dish is called fata, which is very thin, dried bread that is served
Traditional Food. Pita with hummus, lamb and artichoke. • Photo Wikimedia
eaten for lunch and dinner, too. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day. It always consists of rice,
under rice with meat. Maftoul is also a common food, which is crushed wheat prepared in small
bowls. It is then steamed and cooked with beef or chicken with onions, zucchini and chick peas. A typical Arabic sandwich that is served everywhere around the United States is Shawarma. Shawarma is just a beef or chicken sandwich wrapped in pita bread. Also in the sandwich are tomato, onion and garlic sauce. Dinner is the lightest meal of the day. Pretty much anything can be eaten for dinner, including breakfast food. Usually, people eat sandwiches for dinner, especially shawarma and falafel.
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THE DODGER • www.dchsdodger.com
Qur’an. A cutout of the Islamic holy book. • Photo Rana Ossama (via Flickr)
Ramadan: a Muslim time of reflection -Deena Shaath Ramadan takes place in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which relies on sightings of the moon. During Ramadan people fast. Fasting means refraining from food, water, smoking, and anything that could go into your throat or give a taste, even gum. The fast occurs from the break of dawn until the setting of the sun. A common practice of Muslims is to wake up early before the break of dawn and have a meal called suhoor. After the setting of the sun, the meal is called iftar. It is a time to forget about all other things going on in life and devote yourself to God. People worship more than usual, read the Qur’an, give to charity, purify their behavior, and do good deeds for
others. All Muslims must fast, but some are exempt from fasting (until after Ramadan), such as those who are sick or traveling, as well as women in certain conditions. The reasoning behind Ramadan is to show that everyone is capable of self-control. Yes, eating and drinking are important parts of living because food and water are necessary for survival, but refraining from some of the most important parts of staying alive proves that you can refrain yourself from anything. Ramadan is a way to learn how the poor live and to want to give them money to help them out. Once Ramadan is over, there is a new appreciation towards the life you have and everything God has given you.
Common Phrases Assalaam Alaikum - Peace be upon you Wa Alaikum assalaam - And peace be upon you (reply) Marhabbah - Hello | Ma A Salama- Bye Sabah al Khair - Good Morning Sabah al Noor - Good Morning (reply) Tisbah ala Khair - Good night Kol sana o inta salim - Happy Birthday Eid Mubarak - Happy Eid Kef Haluk? - How are you? Shukran - Thank you Other Info Qur’an (equivalent of bible) | Allah (God) Most common language - Arabic Mosque (equivalent of church) | Sheikh (equivalent of pastor) Muslims live all over the world, not just in the Middle East. Therefore, there are no set country or town traditions. However, in the Middle East, Friday is considered a religious day. Instead of having days off on Saturday and Sunday, their days off are on Friday and Saturday. On Fridays, Muslims gather at the mosque for the noon prayer. They listen to the khutba (sermon) given by the Sheikh, who is the equivalent of a priest. Friday is a day of worship and being with family. Usually, families go home to a big lunch and feast together after the prayer.
-Deena Shaath One of the biggest and most important holidays of the Islam religion is Eid, (the equivalent of Christmas). Eid is celebrated two different times of the year, each about 10 weeks apart. The first Eid is called Eid-ulFitr; Fitr means “eating food.” Eid-ul-Fitr celebrates the end of the holy month of Ramadan, which Muslims spend not eating. People of the Islam religion wake up that morning and attend a prayer service, usually held at a mosque; they also wear new clothes, cook delicious food and meet all of their friends and family at the prayer. Since Ramadan is the time to extend sympathy towards the poor and hungry, Eid-ul-Fitr encourages Muslims to donate to less fortunate people. The second Eid is called Eidul-Adha, meaning “Festival of Sacrifice,” which comes about 10 weeks after Eid-ul-Fitr and marks the completion of Hajj. Hajj is the holy pilgrimage to Mecca that
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Muslims celebrate during Eids
occurs every year between the two Eids. Eid-ul-Fitr commemorates the story of a man named Hadrat Ibrahim and his son, Hadrat Ismail. Ibrahim had a series of dreams in which he saw himself sacrificing his oldest son, Ismail. He concluded that it was God’s will to sacrifice his oldest son. Ibrahim’s obedience to God was so great that he was willing to do this task to please God. Just when Ibrahim was about to sacrifice his son, God commanded him to stop because it was just a test of his obedience. God sent him a herd of rams to sacrifice instead of his son. As a result, Hadrat Ibrahim was given the great honor of being the forefather of Islam. Today, in honor of that event, Muslims sacrifice an animal during this Eid and give it to the poor to eat. On the day of both Eids, everybody dresses up; receive gifts, money and phone calls from friends; and get days off from work because it is a holiday.
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08 Holidays Around the World
France
-Josie Zordel Fireworks on Christmas! The French celebrate Christmas with fireworks and many other traditions. Would you ever think about putting your shoes in front of the fireplace on Christmas Eve? If you lived in France, this is exactly what you would do as a child. On Christmas Eve in France, children leave their shoes in front of the fireplace, and when they wake, their shoes are filled with all kinds of gifts. Another tradition in France is the displaying of the Nativity scenes. Every home, business and church has some kind of Nativity scene set up. Throughout the year, craftsman make all kinds of different Nativity characters. The tradition of the Yule log has faded over time, but the new tradition of the Christmas tree has begun. The Yule log is still around, and, in some homes, it is still celebrated on the twelfth day
www.dchsdodger.com • THE DODGER
• Europe •
of Christmas. On the twelfth day, there is a bean placed in the Yule log cake, and whoever gets the piece of cake with the bean in it is made the King or Queen of the day. The twelfth day is not the last day of celebration though, as there is still the French New Year, also known as Jour des Etrennes. Jour des Etrennes is celebrated Jan. 1 with great pomp and show. Jour des Etrennes is one of the oldest festivals celebrated all over France. The French also enjoy other traditions, like planting grass. “In southern France (Provence) there is a tradition of planting grass seeds in a small pot on La Sainte Barbe (December 4). If the grass grows thick and well, you will have a good new year,” said Kristine Sieren, French teacher at DCHS. On New Years, the French enjoy partying and gift-giving. All the partying and gift-giving ends on Jan. 6, which is the last day of New Years. The last day of New
>>Continued on pages 10+11+17
Oh, Christmas Tree. A French Chrismas tree is lit up so that veiwers can see it from miles away. • Photo Flickr user Infomatique
Years is celebrated with the cutting
of a special cake.
Italy
Lights. The above are probably not what you think about when you think of Christmas lights. However, in the European country of Italy, these lights are a very common sight. • Photo Flickr user Phalaenopsis Aphodite.
-Josie Zordel How would you like to have three weeks of Christmas, starting on Dec. 17 and ending on Jan. 6? These three weeks are known as Novena. During this time, children go from house to house singing and reciting poems. On Christmas Eve, people in Italy have a strict feast where they fast [don’t eat meat.] At noon on Christmas Day, the pope gives his blessing to the crowd that has gathered in Vatican Square. Even though it’s Christmas Day, the Italian children have to wait until Epiphany on Jan. 6 to open their presents. In America, we have Santa who brings us our presents, but in Italy they have a witch called Befana. Befana rides a broom and comes through the chimney to fill the stockings and shoes of the good
children with presents and leaves bad children coal. Have you ever considered having eel for your Christmas Eve lunch? If you lived in Italy, you might be used to eating eel every year. Most Italians eat eel for their Christmas Eve lunch. La Festa di San Silvestro, or New Years, is celebrated with a huge feast and lots of festivals. At midnight, there is huge firework display. Most of the displays are public, but there are also smaller private displays. Along with the fireworks, there is also dancing. One of Italy’s more random traditions is the throwing of their old things out the window. This shows their readiness to accept the new year. On New Years, Italians say to never forget to wear your red underwear. They say it brings good luck!
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THE DODGER • www.dchsdodger.com
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Sweden
-Josie Zordel How would you like Christmas to start on Dec. 13 and end on Jan. 14? A whole month of Christmas, can you imagine that? What would you do with a month of Christmas? The Swedish Christmas lasts a month. It begins Dec. 13 and the excitement begins on the first Sunday of Advent with the lighting of the first Advent candle. After that, the youngest daughter of the family puts on a white robe with a red sash and wears an evergreen crown. She wakes her parents up and serves them coffee and Lucia buns. The Swedish Christmas tree is brought home two days before Christmas. It is decorated with gaily wrapped candles, glass bulbs and straw trinkets. Swedish families decorate their houses with candles, apples and Swedish flags. The house is also filled with red tulips and smells of pepporkakor, or goat-shaped gingerbread.
Kaboom. New Years Eve in Sweden is celebarated with many different kinds of fireworks of all sorts of colors. Photo • Flickr user Mescon
Christmas dinner in Sweden consists of a buffet of Christmas ham, pickled pig’s feet, dried codfish and many different kinds of sweets. A special rice porridge is also served with an almond in it, and whoever finds the almond first will marry in the upcoming year.
The celebration continues through New Years. On New Year’s Eve, there is the Ano Viejo, a festival that is marked with festivity and fun. At this festival, each family will make a scarecrow to represent all the bad of that year, and when it is time, the family beats
the scarecrow with newspaper and firecrackers are shot at the scarecrow. At midnight, each family will light the scarecrow on fire and get rid of all the bad things that have happened to them that year. While the scarecrows are burning, fireworks are being set off, and car horns and boat whistles are sounded. Finally, all the Christmas and New Years celebrating ends on Jan. 14 with the discarding of the Christmas tree. Along with getting rid of the tree, Swedish families will also get rid of their Christmas decorations. The children play jokes and chant as the tree is thrown into the snow. Then, as the sun goes down, the Christmas celebration is over.
For up-to-date news and sports, as well as additional stories from this issue, please visit us online at www.dchsdodger.com.
Lets decorate. Swedish Christmas tree decorations ready to be hung. • Photo Flickr user Elvissa
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10 Holidays Around the World
www.dchsdodger.com • THE DODGER
Foreign Exchange Students Germany Student: Eva Willer
-Erin Finley Christmas is one of the few holidays that almost everybody around the world celebrates. However, there are many different traditions based on where you live. Christmas in Germany is different from Christmas in America. View the differences through the eyes of Eva Willer, a foreign exchange student from Germany. “Americans seem to have a lot more decorations. Also, in Germany we celebrate St. Nicholas day on Dec. 6. On St. Nicholas day, we draw pictures for Santa and put our boots out,” said Eva Willer, 12. “Santa takes a pitcher and fills our boots with nuts and clementines. Sometimes, parents hire somebody to play Santa and come to their house and tell the children if they were good or bad.” In Germany, Santa is called Weihnachtsmann. The word “Weihnachten” means Christmas and “mann” means man; combined, this means “Christmas Man”. In America, families are usually busy setting up trees, filling their yards with decorations and hanging their stockings above the fireplace. All of this decorating can start as early as the end of November. Willer’s family prepares for Christmas in other ways. These traditions are not German ones, but family traditions. “I prepare for Christmas by baking Christmas cookies with my mom and then we exchange them with my grandma,” said Willer. “Instead of having a real Christmas
tree, we have a cardboard one that my brother made because my mom doesn’t like to kill trees. The tree is really tiny and usually the presents almost cover it. Since my brother’s birthday is on Dec. 22, he usually saves all his birthday presents so he has more for Christmas.” Since the Willer family doesn’t really have a tree to decorate, they decorate the trees in their backyard instead. “My mom decorates the trees in our backyard with white lights,” said Willer. “It is sort of a family tradition to look at the lights everyday and try to guess what shape they make. Kind of like you guess what the clouds look like. Sometimes they look like elephants or other animals.” Americans anticipate the coming of Christmas and fill stores with Christmas-themed items, sometimes as early as October. By the end of November, stores are playing Christmas music and Christmas parades are starting. In Germany, part of the town is set up for the Christmas season. “In our town, we have Christmas markets,” said Willer. “There is an open space where they build little wooden shops that play holiday music and sell holiday items. Towards the end of the month, Santa comes. In these shops, you can buy hot dogs and punch. We also have a main street and, on the streetlights, they hang stars. There is one special house in town that always has Santa, the sleigh and the reindeer on top of
the garage.” In the town of Germering, Germany, one of the biggest attractions of the Christmas season is the holiday concert. “All of our school music departments have a big concert for two days and we play Christmas music in a church,” said Willer. “It is always full of people. It is a really big event and sometimes it is down to standing room only. The concert lasts about two hours.” There are many family traditions centered on Christmas. Almost everybody has a favorite. “I absolutely love baking cookies with my mom,” said Willer. “It is a fun mother-daughter thing we do every year. It takes a lot of time, but in the end, it is worth it. We bake many different kinds of cookies and then we give them away as gifts. Of course, we eat some, too. I don’t think they have these kinds of cookies in America, so I will have to bake some this holiday season.” In America, Christmas mornings are usually filled with the shrieks of little children as they wake up their parents very early and excitedly open all of their presents. German traditions are different than these. “We celebrate Christmas on Dec. 24 instead of Dec. 25. However, Dec. 25 and 26 are
holidays and everybody mostly stays home,” said Willer. “For Christmas, my family comes over and we spend the day together. Before we eat the big dinner that my mom prepares, we go for a walk in the snow and look at all the pretty decorations on people’s houses. After dinner, we eat German Christmas cookies and open presents.” The traditional German Christmas meal consists of roasted goose that is usually stuffed with apples. There are also potato dumplings, German potato salad and red cabbage. The Willer family does it a little bit differently. “My mom makes ravioli and cheese, which is kind of like macaroni and cheese. The ravioli has meat inside and cheese on the top,” said Willer. “It changes every year, though.” It can be a great thing to experience different cultural and family traditions. Experiencing these traditions can help you come up with some of your own. “When I go back to Germany, I am going to take the American traditions I learned and combine them with the German ones,” said Willer. “Then I can create my own traditions.” As they say in Germany, “Fröhliche Weihnachten,” or “Merry Christmas.”
Visitor. Willer and her brother get a visit from St. Nikolas on Dec. 6, 1997. Nikolas sometimes personally visits children and commends them on their good deeds and offers recommendations for the coming year. • Photo Marion Willer
Holidays Around the World 11
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Student: Magnus Mariegaard
-Erin Finley Magnus Mariegaard is a foreign exchange student from Denmark who is spending the year at DCHS. Many of us have not actually visited Denmark, but through others we can learn about Christmas in other countries. Although Christmas is based on the same belief, it is often different depending on where you
are at in the world. “In Denmark, we celebrate Christmas on Dec. 24 instead of Dec. 25,” said Mariegaard. “We spend the day cooking for the evening meal and then the guests come over that night. We spend a lot of time eating and then we go over to the Christmas tree. At the tree, we sing some songs and then
Germany Student: Hendrik Kronsbein
-Josie Zordel Have you ever stopped and thought about where the Christmas tree began? Where do you think it began? Well, the Christmas tree began in Germany. The Christmas tree is a part of the German Christmas celebrations. A unique aspect of the German Christmas tree is that the children cannot help decorate the tree. It is said that the tree has some mysterious spell for all young eyes that rest on it before Christmas Eve. The German Christmas tree is normally decorated by the mother while the father sits with the children. The German Christmas tree is decorated with apples, candy, nuts, cookies, cars, trains, angels, tinsel and family treasures.
A German house is normally decorated with the Advent wreath, made of Holly flowers, with four red candles placed in the center of it. One of the candles is lit on each Sunday preceding Christmas and the last candle is lit on Christmas Eve. “The Advent wreath stands for the time you were waiting for Christmas,” said Hendrik Kronsbein, 12, a DCHS foreign exchange student from Germany. Along with the tradition of the Advent wreath, there is also the tradition of the Advent calendar. “An Advent calendar is usually for younger kids and it has 24 little windows. You open one everyday. They are filled with chocolate,” said Kronsbein.
Christmas is the food that people consume. Americans have a wide variety of food they serve. Usually, Americans have a turkey or ham. The cuisine in Denmark is a little different. “Some people eat ham, duck and another special Danish dish called ‘flæskesteg,’ which is a kind of roast pork,” said Mariegaard. “For flæskesteg, you leave the skin of the pork on and put it in the oven. This causes the skin to get very crispy. In my house, we usually have the duck and pork. With those dishes we have sweet potatoes and normal potatoes.” For many people, Christmas is about spending time with your family. This is still true in Denmark. “I don’t really have a favorite Christmas tradition,” said Mariegaard. “But I like the food and just being together with all of my family.”
The Advent calendar starts on the first Sunday after Nov. 26. This time is devoted to preparations for Christmas. Advent calendars are decorated with bright Christmas pictures, and if you look closely at each window, there is a number. The numbers help the children count down the days until Christmas. The lighting of the Advent candles and the Advent calendars are just a few of the Christmas traditions. Other German traditions include attending church and caroling. “My favorite tradition is the big week we have together before we get the presents” said Kronsbein. Along with these traditions, there are also religious traditions, such as attending church, taking communion and watching the Nativity scene and the birth of Jesus Christ. “The birth is celebrated to remind us how everything began,” said Kronsbein. In America, for Christmas, dinner we normally have turkey, ham or duck. In Germany, their Christmas dinner consists of suckling pig, white sausage, macaroni salad and reisbrei (a sweet cinnamon). “My favorite food is a big piece of lamb baked for three hours in the
oven and roasted for ten minutes in the end. It has a crust of different spices,” said Kronsbein. “Gutes Nue Jahr” means “Happy New Years” in German. In Germany it’s not called New Years; instead, it’s called “Silvester.” New Years got its name from Pope Saint Silvester. According to legends, he healed leprosy and baptized the Roman Emperor. Just like in America, Germany has their own New Years traditions, which are similar to ours. They have big parties in Berlin and other little traditions. “I have been in Berlin once for the big Silvester party with more than a million people in front of the ‘Baudenbarger Tor’,” said Kronsbein. In America, we make New Years resolutions and eat blackeyed peas for good luck. Other countries have different traditions. “Traditions include big fireworks, a glass of sparkling wine, the countdown until midnight and putting wilted plums in cold water. Depending on the form, you can see whether you’re going to have luck next year or not,” said Kronsbein. New Years is a big celebration all over the world, no matter where you’re from.
Issue #3
Denmark
we open our packages.” It is an American custom to decorate houses with lights, inflatable decorations and other adornments. However, yard decorations in Denmark are different. “Most people in Denmark do not decorate their houses,” said Mariegaard. “At my house, we put up a few lights outside and we also decorate a little bit inside.” Many towns in America begin the Christmas season with a parade or festival. This is another difference between America and Denmark. “I live in a city with about 400 people, so we don’t really have any special events,” said Mariegaard. “My street does buy a big Christmas tree every year. We put it on a grassy area and then everyone from my street gathers around it and eats dessert.” One important aspect of
Issue #3
12 Holidays Around the World
www.dchsdodger.com • THE DODGER
• Christianity •
Christmas traditions vary around the world From Santa Claus and the origin of the holiday to how Christmas is celebrated today -Alysia Garvalena Most people would consider an obese man with a long beard dressed in a red jumpsuit sneaking around your house just wrong and disturbing, but when it comes to Christmas, this man, also known as Santa Claus, is almost a hero. Where and how did these traditions begin? Every year these questions are answered through stories, books, movies and songs. When December rolls around, millions of families all over the United States break out the holiday decorations to celebrate Christmas. The general tradition is to put up a Christmas tree and decorate it with lights or ornaments and top it with a star or an angel. Then, it is tradition for celebrants to get some hot chocolate, put up the wreath and hang the stockings. Then, on Christmas Eve, it is tradition to write a letter to Santa listing what you want for Christmas and leave cookies and milk as a bribe. The legendary Christmas figure Santa Claus has been around for centuries. The legend is that he lives on the North Pole and has elves making presents for all the good little boys and girls around the world. Then, when Christmas Eve rolls around, he packs up his sleigh
and his eight or nine (depending on whether you include Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer or not) reindeer fly him around the world from house to house to deliver his gifts. He slides down their chimney, places the presents under the tree and fills the stockings and then moves on to the next house. Santa Claus hasn’t always gone by the name of Santa, however. He also goes by Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle and many other names. Many other countries have their own version of a Santa. The legend may differ from country to country, but the stories are still very similar. The religious meaning for Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is a Christian religious symbol of hope, and is considered to be the savior. In the Christian Bible, Jesus was born from the Virgin Mary as the son of God and was crucified and died to save everyone from their sins. He was then resurrected sometime in the spring, which is celebrated during Easter. The Christmas tree tradition started in the United States after World War II. It was originally decorated with candles, ornaments, garland and tinsel. Garland
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symbolizes eternal life in many civilizations, including Egypt and China. Most Christmas traditions have some sort of symbolic meaning behind them. One example of this is putting lights on the outside of your house and decorating your yard with them. This tradition is simply for fun and gives a visual entertainment to your community. In the U.S., it is tradition that when a couple stands under the mistletoe they must kiss. The kiss signifies deep romance and lasting friendship. The power of the mistletoe comes from European folklore, where legend has it that the plant is believed to have supernatural powers and has a “life-giving power” and is also believed to bestow fertility. The plant originates from Europe, but can be grown in warm southern states in America. The mysterious plant is a green shrub with white and yellow flowers with small berries on it that are poisonous. Not only is Christmas one of the biggest religious holidays, but is a huge commercial festivity. The average American family spends an estimated $800 to $1000
on Christmas. In the decorations department, an estimated $8 billion are spent annually during the Christmas season. No matter what traditions you have at home, all over the country millions of people await this special holiday.
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-Alysia Garvalena Christmas, it’s the time of gift-giving and holiday colors, but what is the story behind the holiday? Why, in particular, do churches celebrate this holiday? Christmas is a Christ-centered holiday. The religious meaning for Christmas is to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is not only mentioned in the Christian Bible, but in other Bibles as well. The stories in the Bibles differ, but remain basically the same. In the Christian Bible, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus was crucified and died to save everyone from their sins and was resurrected three days later, which is celebrated as Easter. When Christmas rolls around, the Nativity scene can be seen at almost every Christian church, as well as other places. The Nativity scene portrays the scene of Jesus’ birth. Normally, the scene includes the Virgin Mary and her husband, Joseph, watching over Jesus in
a manger. Many times the scene will include the shepard with his animals, the three wise men or others.
was blessed with a child from God. Mary and her husband traveled to Bethlehem, where she gave birth to her child and
Nativity. The Nativity scene is used in churches all around the world to portray the birth scene of Jesus Christ. Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem. Although the specific date of his birth is not known, the celebration of his birth is on Dec. 25. Photo • Flickr User amanderson2
The Nativity of Jesus is mentioned twice in the Christian Bible in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. The Virgin Mary
swaddled him with cloth in a manger. Many people, including the three wise men, followed the brightest star in the sky to find the
newborn child. The North Star led them to Bethlehem. The Magi, or the three wise men, followed the North Star to the Nativity scene bearing gifts for Jesus. Magi is a Greek work meaning, “three wise men” or “three kings.” The book of Matthew mentions that the magi were the, “kings of the east.” The western churches name the kings Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar. Many churches around the world hold special services on Christmas. Some churches also host a play or an activity bringing to life the story. Some churches even set up a tour of Bethlehem where people can tour the scene, learning about the Nativity with informational tour guides and reenactors. In the Christian church, along with other churches, Christmas is one of the biggest holidays of the year.
Issue #3
Christian Christmas: how it all began with the birth of Jesus in a stable
Issue #3
14 Holidays Around the World
www.dchsdodger.com • THE DODGER
Celebrating in the Sahara
Holiday traditions in Africa similar, different from the United States -Brayden Whitaker Holiday time in Africa is very different from what you would find here in the United States. One of the biggest differences is that during the holidays it’s summer in Africa. Often times, people will visit beaches and rivers for camping and fun during their time off for the holiday season. This means there is no such thing as a “white Christmas” for the people of Africa because it never snows. Instead, the colorful array of plants and flowers give the holidays in Africa some color. Just because it’s not cold and there isn’t any snow doesn’t mean there aren’t any carolers out and about spreading the holiday cheer. In fact, caroling is a big part of the African traditions during Christmas. Carolers move about their village early Christmas morning, waking people with the sounds of the holidays. There is also plenty of caroling on Christmas Eve. The big thing during Christmas in Africa, though, is the various church services that people attend on Christmas day. The most important of these services is known as the “love offering.” During the offering, the people will each bring a gift and place it on a platform in the church. These gifts are gifts for Jesus and everyone who attends brings a gift. After the love offering is the time when most people hold their Christmas meal. It’s a bountiful feast, where the host invites family
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and close friends to help celebrate the season. At home, there are many similarities between American and African Christmas decorations and traditions. Much like in the United States, people in Africa put up pine trees in their homes and decorate them. Presents for the children of the household are placed around the tree, another similarity with Christmas traditions in America. The African children also put
Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration of African culture and the bond and determination of African people. up stockings on Christmas Eve in hopes that Father Christmas, similar to what we know as Santa Claus, will bring presents for them. Christmas meals in Africa include food similar to what is eaten in the United States. Turkey, roast beef and vegetables are a few similar foods between the countries. But other foods, like suckling pig, for example, are items not often found in the United States that are consumed on Christmas in Africa. But Christmas isn’t the only holiday celebrated in Africa during the holiday season. Kwanzaa is also celebrated by many people in the country. Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration of African culture and
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the bond and determination of the African people. Each day during Kwanzaa, a different principle is celebrated. On the first day of Kwanzaa, Umoja, or unity, is celebrated. To celebrate unity, families come together and try to figure out how, as a family, they can better improve unity among themselves and the community as a whole. Day two of Kwanzaa celebrates Kujichagulia, or selfdetermination. During this day, people decide to take responsibility for their own lives. On day three, Ujima is celebrated. This is the day when people work together and learn that they are collectively responsible for what happens to them, good or bad. The fourth day of Kwanzaa is used to celebrate cooperative economics, or Ujamaa. On this day, people learn that everyone in
the family and the community has an equal say as to what happens with the money or resources available to them. The fifth day celebrates Nia, or purpose. People are reminded of their individual talents that make them a vital part to the family or community. The sixth day of Kwanzaa is when people are urged to begin using their Kuumba, or creativity, to help the community. The day is filled with feasts, music and dancing. The final day of Kwanzaa celebrates Imani, or faith. People commit themselves to faith in themselves and everyone else as people. People in Africa celebrate the holiday season in their own special way. But, in some ways, their traditions and the traditions found in the United States aren’t very different at all.
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Holidays Around the World 15
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Issue #3
Christmas in Cameroon
DCHS student shares experiences during holiday season in Africa
-Brayden Whitaker Mori Lobe, 10, has experienced the holiday season in Africa herself. She recently answered questions for the Dodger about her experiences. The Dodger: What holiday(s) are celebrated in Africa? Lobe: In Cameroon, we have basically three major holidays. [There is] Christmas in December for Christians; this happens during the Christmas holiday, which lasts about three weeks. Muslims celebrate the Feast of the Ramadan. On Feb. 11, we celebrate Youth’s Day (a public holiday in the second semester on which there is no school and most offices are closed except hospitals). On the May 20, we celebrate Independence Day. This occurs during our third semester. What food is eaten? We have many traditional meals due to the fact that we have a lot of different villages. Most tribes have a different traditional meal, but some tribes’ meals are alike because they have the same ancestors and traditions. Some of these meals include pounded cocoa, plantains, green (a vegetable), huckleberry (another vegetable) and even bitter leaves (another vegetable). There are more, but I don’t know all of them.
What are some different traditions for celebrating the holidays?
of their own, we all take turns on where to spend our Christmas holidays.
People celebrate based on what their family usually does. Some people go to their villages of origin. Others leave the villages and come to town. But either way, every family reunites, even old friends and distant relatives see each other again during this period and, of course, there is food in abundance. You can count on walking into anyone’s house at any time of the day to find something very palatable to eat. Trust me, it’s good stuff!
How is the holiday season different here in the United States than in Africa?
What are your past experiences with the holidays? During the holidays, I travel a lot, mostly within three of the four Western provinces of Cameroon. Those provinces are Northwest, Southwest (both English -speaking), Litoral (French-speaking) and the Center province (French-speaking). The Center province is home to the nation’s capital, Yaounde. I have family members in other provinces as well, but they always come back home to one of these provinces. My mom is from the Northwest province and my dad is from the Southwest province. But, my mom studied in the Center Province. My aunt lives in the Litoral province, so since they both have families
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In Cameroon, we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving officially, so the entire Christmas holiday is filled with parties, excitement,
fun, laughter and just having a good time with family and friends. There is so much to talk about, mostly life in boarding school and basically what happened to us when we weren’t together. Trust me, a lot happens. But, almost everything else is the same. We sing, go to church, party, listen to Christmas carols and decorate our houses. I love this season; it is one of my favorite holidays.
Christmas in Africa. Santa Claus flies over a beach in Africa. • Photo Thamalakane (via toonpool.com)
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16 Holidays Around the World
Issue #3
• Asia •
-Austin Ridenour When we think of Christmas, we think of Santa Claus delivering presents and running down stairs as soon as we wake up on that Christmas morning to open presents. We also think of putting up the tree with the family, drinking eggnog and all sorts of other Christmas traditions. But we also do not realize that not everybody in the world does this. Here is just a touch on countries and religions in Asia and their Christmas Traditions. China - Many Chinese people are Christians and celebrate Christmas like many people do here in the United States. The Christian Chinese Christmas trees are called “Trees of Lights,” and are decorated with paper ornaments in the shapes of flowers. They also call their Santa Claus Dun Che Lao Ren, which means “Christmas Old Man.” Not all Chinese people are Christian and some do not celebrate Christmas. Non-Christians call this time the Spring Festival and celebrate it with many festivals that include tasty food and pay tribute to their deceased ancestors. The Chinese New Year is widely known around the world for being very unique and different from other religions and countries. The Chinese New Year starts with the new moon on the first day of the New Year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. On New Year’s Eve and Day, Chinese people celebrate it as a family affair, a time of
www.dchsdodger.com • THE DODGER
Lights. Christmas lights at Nagoya Station in Japan . • Photo Paul Davidson (via Flick)
reunion and thanksgiving. On the 15th day the Chinese people celebrate the new year by taking part in the Lantern Festival, where children carry lanterns in a parade. Japan - Most Japanese people do not celebrate the religious traditions of Christmas but they do celebrate the other traditions. The Japanese New Year starts on Jan. 1, and lasts for two weeks. The Japanese have a Buddhist monk called Hotei-osho who is similar to Santa Claus. They decorate their houses and stores with evergreens and enjoy giving gifts. Christmas is not celebrated for family, but is a day to do nice things for others, especially for those who are in hospitals.
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The Japanese New Year, “Oshogatsu,” is a time for family celebrations. Mostly all stores and factories are closed. To remove bad spirits and keep them out, the Japanese people string ropes of straw across the front of their homes. This represents happiness and good luck. Two main festivals that mark the Japanese New Year are the Greater and Lesser festivals. During the Greater Festival prayers are offered to the deceased and friends exchange gifts. The Lesser festival prayers are for good crops. Vietnam - The traditional Vietnamese religions are Buddhism. But that does not make Christmas an unimportant holiday
as Christmas is one of the four most important festivals of the Vietnamese Year after the Birthday of Buddha, New Year and the MidAutumn festival. For Christians, they attend a midnight mass on Christmas Eve. After church service is finished, many families have a family meal consisted of chicken soup, and the wealthier people eat Turkey and pudding. Vietnamese call their New Year “Tet”. Tet provides a break in the agricultural year, which makes it very important to many people. The Vietnamese people get ready for the new year in advance by cleaning their homes, cleaning their copper and silverware and paying off their debts.
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Holidays Around the World 17
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Issue #3
European Christmas
Holiday traditions in Austria, France, Greece, Poland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, England, and Russia
St. Nikolaus. In European countries Santa is often called St. Nikolaus. •Photo Alexandre Dulaunoy (via Flickr)
-Erin Finley Austria- The advent begins on 1st Sunday of Dec. Until the 24th every Sunday, another candle on the wreath is lit and it is used for being together as a family. The advent calendar is more like a door you open that has something inside like chocolate. In Austria it is not Santa that brings the presents, it is the ChristKind or Christ Child. Santa Claus is a person called Nikolaus and he comes on Dec. 6 to give people little presents and gifts. For the children that have been naughty, Krampus comes instead. Krampus is the bad version of St. Nikolaus. There are rumors that he will put you in his sack and take you away. For Christmas Eve there is a decorated Christmas tree and a church service at midnight. At church they sing Silent Night and O Christmas Tree. On Jan. 6, the Christmas season ends with the three wiseman. On this day people
dress up like the wiseman and go to door to door singing to bring the blessing for the New Year. They write three letters on the front door with chalk. These letters are C + M + B which is short for a Latin phrase that means Christ bless this house. France-In France the Christmas day is celebrated with the whole family. In the evening children place their shoes in front of the chimney. They hope that Pire Noel or the French Santa will fill the shoes with presents. His sidekick is the bad “Santa” and comes to your house if you have been naughty. Late in the evening, a special French dish is served. They eat a lot and dance a lot. The food is called “le reveillion”. It is an old tradition that the French people let a log burn in the fireplace and the ash that is left is put on the field. The ash is suppose to bring you luck for the next harvest. They also bake cake that is in the shape of the log. Greece- On Dec. 24, the children go from to different houses with drums and bells. They go through the streets and sing songs. This is known as “Kalanda” and it brings good luck. For being a part of this the children receive presents such as raisins, cookies, and figs. The Greek people light a Christmas fire for 12 nights to protect the houses from goblins. A special holiday during the Christmas season occurs on Jan. 1. It is known as Names Day of the Holy Vassilius. To celebrate
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this day you eat a cake made out of yeasty dough. They put a coin inside the cake and whoever finds it will have good luck fo the year. Poland- Advent is an important time in Poland. Carolers go around singing Christmas songs. Before the big Christmas meal Polish people fast. The most important part of the Christmas meal is unleavened bread. The breaking of the bread symbolizes love and kindness. The meal begins when the first star appears in the sky. At midnight you go to mass to celebrate the coming of the shepherds. This is called Shepherd’s Mass (Pasterka). Italy-Christmas in Italy is a family event. The children get their presents on Jan. 6 from the good witch La Befana who flies from house to house on her broom and gives the good children presents. She gives the bad children pieces of coal. A festive crib is the main decoration in a house instead of the tree. It is called presepio. A piece of wood from an Ash tree should burn in the fireplace for 12 days between Christmas and Epiphany. It spreads blessings. The whole family sits around the piece of wood. This piece of wood often plays the role of the Christmas tree. Children stand around the wood with a blindfold and recite poems. When they remove the blindfold a present is by their feet. Spain and Portugal- Advent time in here is calm and reflective. Windows are decorated with burning candles which are
supposed to lead the infant Christ to the house. Children get their presents on Jan. 6 from the three Wiseman. In Spain and Portugal there is no Christmas tree. They have the festive crib. It is expensive to get a tree because they grow high up in the mountains. There is a Christmas parade that has guitar music and old national dances. The children dress up like shepherds and they sing “pastorals” which are shepherd songs. In the night there is a big firework display. On Christmas Eve there is a big family dinner which is called “Cena de Noche Buena”. They eat fish, turkey, or chicken at this dinner. For dessert they eat grapes or marzipan. England- Father Christmas brings the presents on Christmas Eve. He puts them in the stockings During the Christmas dinner English people wear paper hats and they crumble crackers. They eat plum pudding and turkey which is filled with bread, hamburger, sour apples, and plums. They hang mistletoe over the doors and whoever is standing under it must be kissed. Holly with red berries and ivy are used to decorate as well Russia-In Russia Santa Claus is called Daddy Frost. Because of the Julian calendar he brings the children their presents on Jan. 7. He is accompanied by Snowflake and Babuschka. Friends and relatives meet for a meal of porridge, goose, lamb, and pigs meet. At this meal you drink tea and vodka. They tell stories and celebrate happily.
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Issue #3
18 Holidays Around the World
www.dchsdodger.com • THE DODGER
• Central America •
-Leann Manriquez Chants echo through the streets, doorways and fields for nine days starting Dec. 16 as the pilgrims walk to each house on the street. Their song is known by the littlest being and the spirit of Christmas is alive in their feet. They walk and they sing for food and shelter, just like Mary and Joseph once did in Bethlehem. At each house, they are rejected until finally one house responds with the correct phrase, “¿Eres tú José? ¿Tu esposa es María? Entren peregrinos, no los conocía.” Translated, this mean, “Are you Joseph? Your wife is Mary? Enter pilgrims; I did not recognize you.” When they enter the aroma of food and ponche, a type of hot fruit juice greets them, and a party with a piňata filled with fruit and candy are upon them. These processions are called Posadas, which are
celebrated widely through Central America. Nicaragua, unlike most Central American countries, does have a Santa Claus, called Papa Noël. Most of the other countries prefer the three kings (kings who came bearing gifts for Jesus on Jan. 6), but as cultures start to blend more and more, Santa Claus is making an appearance in some of these countries. Costa Rica is flamboyant during their winter traditions and adds risk to their holidays with the traditional bullfights. Traditions that are a little less life-threatening are the festivals. The festivals start Dec. 16 and last until Christmas. There is festival of lights, El Carnaval (a type of talent show where they compete for best costume, show and dancing). There is also a parade called El Tope, which consists of horse-
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drawn carriages painted in bright colors. While we may be used to evergreens, in Costa Rica they use Cypress trees or bushes. Many of the Central American countries have similar traditions with only slight differences. For example, Belize’s only change is
that their trees are decorated with boats and birds. The boats signify their prosperity in fishing while the birds symbolize peace. Similarities include the manger scenes, posadas, the three kings and, above all, spending time with family.
•www.weblinks• For more information on Central American holidays and traditions, visit:
http://gocentralamerica.about.com/od/costaricaguide/p/ CRChristmas.htm http://www.worldofchristmas.net/christmas-world/central-america. html http://www.family-christmas-traditions.com/Panama-Christmastraditions.html http://www.123newyear.com/newyear-traditions/new-yeartraditions-panama.html http://www.msichicago.org/scrapbook/scrapbook_exhibits/ catw2004/traditions/countries/belize.html
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Holidays Around the World 19
THE DODGER • www.dchsdodger.com
-Leann Manriquez Christmas is a special time of year to spend time with family, to share a special meal and, of course, wait to open the presents that seem so irresistible. Christmas is around the world. Different traditions, meals and decorations. Traditions especially vary when they are celebrated in a different country. Christmas in Meoqui, Chihuahua, Mexico is filled with family and fun and can bring you lasting memories. Ana Soto, 12, has such memories. Christmas in Mexico is all about family. Many of those with family in Mexico use this time to catch up and celebrate that they are all alive and well. Scents drift from the kitchen and tantalize the tongue with aromas of tamales, carnitas, ponche and, of course, the desserts. The kitchen is full of women with children underfoot who try to steal some food before they have to go to church. In order to place the presents
under the tree the children are lured into the kitchen with champurrado (a thick, warm Mexican drink). While the children are in the kitchen, Soto’s aunts and uncles make their way outside and they wait until the coast is clear to place the presents. When the children come back, their faces light with glee as they discover that presents have appeared under the tree and they are anxious to open them. “One of my favorite memories was when everybody was called into the kitchen to get some champurrado and cookies,” said Soto. “Meanwhile, my aunts and uncles got the presents and snuck them under the tree.” Soto’s brother, though, had thought he would finally catch Santa in the act. “I got on top of the house because I wanted to see when Santa Claus came,” said Soto’s brother. “I didn’t see him and when I went back down I was late in opening my presents.”
When the command is given to the children that they are allowed to open the presents, they rush forward ecstatically to grab their presents and rip the wrappings to shreds. “That night we open all our presents, but we are too tired to play with anything,” said Soto. “The next morning, we wake up and play with our toys. We all stay at my grandma’s house and the day goes by really fast. It’s a bunch of reheated food, but it is good.” Decorations are everywhere around the house. Everything in sight is Christmas-related, from the plates and cups to the table and chairs. The tree is lit up and makes everything feel like Christmas, which makes the countdown go by even slower. Family starts to drift in to Soto’s grandma’s house a week before Christmas, and by Christmastime everyone is there. “There are a lot of us, but we make it work. [There is a lot of
food]. There are tamales, which my aunts make and it seems easy,” said Soto. “Champurrado, ponche, cookies and cake and other desserts, which my mom and grandma make.” Soto’s grandpa makes carnitas outside, and by the time everything is finished, pots and pans fill the house. Other holiday traditions in Mexico are Posadas, in which people walk door-to-door asking for entrance and are denied every time until, finally, one house admits the people inside. “Posadas are parties that happen throughout December,” said Soto. “It is not really a Christmas party, but rather a party in which the birth of Jesus is celebrated.” Christmas is a time where family is gathered together and memories are made. “My favorite memory was when I finally got to see my brother after a very long time,” said Soto’s mom.
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Issue #3
Student has warm memories of Christmas in Mexico
Issue #3
20 Holidays Around the World
www.dchsdodger.com • THE DODGER
Ho, ho, ho!
A look at the traditions and legends of Santa Claus
-Alysia Garvalena “Ho, ho, ho! Who wouldn’t go? Up on the housetop, click, click, click, down through the chimney with good Saint Nick!” Every Christmas, people all over the United States sing the traditional Christmas song, “Up on the House Top.” The song depicts a Christmas with children who have heard Santa’s sleigh bells on the roof. Santa brings presents to all the good little kids and delivers them personally. He does so by flying in his giant sleigh, which is pulled by his flying reindeer. The jolly old man slides down the chimney and leaves presents. Santa Claus is traced back centuries to about 280 A.D. Santa, or St. Nicholas, was well-known for his kindness. He traveled along the countryside, in what is now known as Turkey, to help the poor, sick and helpless children. When he died on Dec. 6, his popularity did not end. During the
International Santa. A collection of Santas from around the world are displayed in the above photo.
Renaissance, his legend became extremely popular in Europe. On the anniversary of his death, many people hold feasts to commemorate his good deeds. The story of St. Nick did not reach America until the late 18th century. In New York, papers published articles about Dutch families celebrating the story of Saint Nick in December. The Dutch
nickname was “Sinter Klaas.” In 1804, a Dutch member of the New York Society handed out woodcuts of Sinter Klaas during one of the annual meetings. The woodcuts showed Sinter Klaas filling stockings hung above a fireplace with toys and fruit. In 1809, a New York author spread the word of Sinter Klaas by referring to him as Saint
Nicholas in his book and named him the saint of New York. His book helped popularize Saint Nick throughout New York. During the 1840s, stores began to advertise Christmas shopping by showing life-sized models of Santa Claus. At one point, children became skeptical of Santa, such as in 1897, when a little girl named Virginia wrote a letter to one of the New York City newspapers asking one simple question: “Is there a Santa Claus?” She received an answer from Francis Pharcellus Church of The Sun. “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” Since then, the story of Santa has evolved into what it is today. Through the years, the story is told little by little through songs, movies and books. The legend of Santa Claus will continue to change and grow through new traditions and new Christmas stories.
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