Christmas Around The World

Christmastime is Austrialia is often very hot. The traditional meal might consist of a turkey dinner with ham and pork. Mince pies and a flaming Christmas plum pudding are frequently part of the dessert. During the gold rush, the pudding would sometimes contain a gold nugget. Today, a small favor is baked inside. Whoever finds this trinket is believed to be blessed with good luck. Some Australians (and tourists) have their Christmas dinner on the beach. Bondi Beach in Sydney's eastern suburbs in particular attracts thousands of people on Christmas Day. "Carols by Candelight" is an Australian trdition which began in 1937. It takes place every year on Christmas Eve, when tens of thousands of people gather in the City of Melbourne to sing their favorite songs while holding candles. A favorite Christmas decoration is the Christmas Bush, a native plant which sports tiny red-flowered leaves.

Instead of adopting the American Santa Claus, the Japanese looked into their own tradition to find someone with similar characteristics. This was Hotei or Hoteiosho, an old Japanese god. He was originally one of the seven gods of good fortune. An amiable, serene and contented deity, he is often represented as a Buddhist priest with large ear-lobes. His distinguishing feature is a huge stomach believed to be a symbol of his large soul.

He is always depicted as joyously laughing, whether alone or surrounded by children. He holds a fan in one hand and carries on his back the linen bag (hotel) from which he derives his name. He carries the ‘Precious Things’ in the bag, the gifts and toys which he gives to good children. He doesn ‘t need a helper to check on the children’s behavior because they’re told that he has eyes in the back of his head. He has been popularized in Europe under the name of Pusa. It’s no wonder that the children of Japan recognize in him the same characteristics as Santa Claus.

Christmas Traditions Around the World

How "Merry Christmas" is said .....Afrikaans: Geseënde KersfeesAfrikander: Een Plesierige KerfeesAfrican/ Eritrean/ Tigrinja: Rehus-Beal-LedeatsAlbanian:Gezur KrislinjdenArabic: Milad MajidArgentine: Feliz NavidadArmenian: Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari GaghandAzeri: Tezze Iliniz Yahsi OlsunBahasa Malaysia: Selamat Hari NatalBasque: Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!Bengali: Shuvo Naba BarshaBohemian: Vesele VanoceBosnian: (BOSANSKI) Cestit Bozic i Sretna Nova godinaBrazilian: Feliz NatalBreton: Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh matBulgarian: Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo HristovoCatalan: Bon Nadal i un Bon Any Nou!Chile: Feliz NavidadChinese: (Cantonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw SunChinese: (Mandarin) Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen TanChoctaw: Yukpa, Nitak Hollo ChitoColumbia: Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año NuevoCornish: Nadelik looan na looan blethen nowethCorsian: Pace e saluteCrazanian: Rot Yikji Dol La RooCree: Mitho Makosi KesikansiCroatian: Sretan BozicCzech: Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy RokDanish: Glædelig JulDuri: Christmas-e- Shoma MobarakDutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! or Zalig Kerstfeast

English: Merry ChristmasEskimo: (inupik) Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!Esperanto: Gajan KristnaskonEstonian: Rõõmsaid JõulupühiEthiopian: (Amharic) Melkin Yelidet BeaalFaeroese: Gledhilig jol og eydnurikt nyggjar!Farsi: Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashadFinnish: Hyvaa jouluaFlemish: Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaarFrench: Joyeux NoelFrisian: Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!Galician: Bo NadaGaelic: Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr!German: Fröhliche WeihnachtenGreek: Kala Christouyenna!Haiti: (Creole) Jwaye Nowel or to Jesus Edo Bri'cho o Rish D'Shato BrichtoHausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!Hawaiian: Mele KalikimakaHebrew: Mo'adim Lesimkha. Chena tovaHindi: Shub Naya Baras (good New Year not Merry Christmas)Hungarian: Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeketIcelandic: Gledileg JolIndonesian: Selamat Hari NatalIraqi: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah JadidahIrish: Nollaig Shona Dhuit, or Nodlaig mhaith chugnatIroquois: Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut. Ojenyunyat osrasay.Italian: Buone Feste NatalizieJapanese: Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu OmedetoJiberish: Mithag CrithagsigathmithagsKorean: Sung Tan Chuk HaLao: souksan van ChristmasLatin: Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!Latvian: Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno Gadu!Lausitzian:Wjesole hody a strowe nowe letoLettish: Priecigus ZiemassvetkusLithuanian: Linksmu KaleduLow Saxon: Heughliche Winachten un 'n moi NijaarLuxembourgish: Schèine Chreschtdaag an e gudde RutschMacedonian: Sreken BozhikMaltese: IL-Milied It-tajjebManx: Nollick ghennal as blein vie noaMaori: Meri KirihimeteMarathi: Shub Naya Varsh (good New Year not Merry Christmas)Navajo: Merry KeshmishNorwegian: God Jul, or Gledelig JulOccitan: Pulit nadal e bona annadoPapiamento: Bon Pasco Papua New Guinea: Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yuPennsylvania German: En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr!Peru: Feliz Navidad y un Venturoso Año NuevoPhilippines: Maligayang Pasko!Polish: Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze NarodzeniePortuguese:Feliz NatalPushto: Christmas Aao Ne-way Kaal Mo Mobarak ShaRapa-Nui (Easter Island): Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-HenuaRhetian: Bellas festas da nadal e bun onnRomanche: (sursilvan dialect): Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn!Rumanian: Sarbatori vesele or Craciun fericit

Russian: Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim GodomSami: Buorrit JuovllatSamoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga FouSardinian: Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nouScots Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil huibhSerbian: Hristos se rodi.Singhalese: Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak VewaSlovak: Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy RokSlovene: Vesele Bozicne Praznike Srecno Novo Leto or Vesel Bozic in srecno Novo letoSpanish: Feliz NavidadSwedish: God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt ÅrTagalog: Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong TaonTamil: (Tamizh) Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal (good New Year not Merry Christmas)Trukeese: (Micronesian) Neekiriisimas annim oo iyer seefe feyiyeech!Thai: Sawadee Pee Mai or souksan wan ChristmasTurkish: Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu OlsunUkrainian: Srozhdestvom Kristovym or Z RIZDVOM HRYSTOVYMUrdu: Naya Saal Mubarak Ho (good New Year not Merry Christmas)Vietnamese: Chuc Mung Giang SinhWelsh: Nadolig LlawenYoruba: E ku odun, e ku iye'dun!