JUST BEFORE MONDAY
Not your usual white Christmas, these lesser-known Yuletide celebrations bring in festive cheer in their own unique way, Dyuti Basu and Yoshita Rao report
Family gathered around the Christmas tree, Santa Claus in his bright red suit and booming 'ho! ho! ho!', stockings at the fireplace and mugs of hot chocolate – these are images of Christmas that pop culture and cult movies have propagated. But did you know that in South Korea, Santa wears a blue suit? Or that in Eritrea and Ethiopia people play a sport that's similar to hockey on Christmas afternoon because they believe that the shepherds were playing this game when Jesus Christ was born? On the final day of Yuletide, Bulgarians can be found jumping into freezing waters to retrieve a holy cross thrown by a priest, while people from Finland go to the sauna on Christmas eve as a kind of cleanse. Here are two more:
Sweden, with its Scandinavian winters, has a Christmas tradition that dates back to Pre-Christian times. Saint Lucia day, which derives its name from St Lucy, a Catholic saint martyred in Syracuse, Sicily, is celebrated on December 13. "This was the longest night of the year, which also made it the darkest and most dangerous," says Klar Molin, Sweden Ambassador to India. "Lucia as we know it today took form in the 20th century and spread thereafter."
With a rich choral tradition (Sweden has the highest number of choirs per capita), Saint Lucia Day now finds young boys and girls dressing up in long white robes and singing songs that are particular to this tradition. "Lucia processions begin in the morning when daughters would dress up and serve their parents coffee. However, the practice can now be held at any time of the day, preferably in the dark. Processions are widespread in workplaces, hospitals, elderly homes and schools, and people of all ages form choirs to perform in them," Molin elaborates, adding that they are also aired on TV throughout the day. "Lucia celebrations also includes saffron flavoured buns, gingerbread cookies and mulled wine, so the tradition of bringing food is still present in some sense."
Black Madonna statues and paintings venerated in Europe can also be found in the market of downtown Cebu, Philippines. In the run-up to Christmas, roadside stalls are filled with figurines of the Virgin and Baby Jesus in white as well as black porcelain. A stray tire shop on the way to the Chinese cemetery in Cebu city, which sells rims, tires, etc found their own way of joining in the cheer. The decor consisted of the usual streamers, 'Happy X'Mas' signs and a crib that was placed inside a wall-mounted tire. The entire manger, with the three wise men, shepherds, an angel and the nativity were nestled inside. People here are big on bargaining; fast food joints, like Jollibee and Chowking; pork and pork fat; and the holiday spirit of Christmas. Christmas cheer begins to spread from November 2nd, after All Soul's Day. Elaborate decor covers the city as does the waft of Lechon – roasted suckling pig – that is put on the spit and takes a good 16 hours to cook. From the row of star lights on the road dividers to the detailed displays showcasing Santa and his reindeers, the city counts down the arrival of Noel. Afterall, the Philippines has an estimated 86 per cent of Roman Catholics, as per the Asia Society.
DNA TV Show: Delhi Police searches for AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in threat case
ICC Champions Trophy 2025 warm-up fixtures: Will India play any practice game before mega event?
Meet man, IIT graduate, who once worked at Google, OpenAI, now owns...
BTC X8 Bumex Review 2025: Scam or Legit Trading Platform? Quick Facts!
AR Rahman comments on future of music, worries about THIS genre: 'We have lost all…’
UPSC introduces changes in online application process after aspirants' complaints; check here
TRAI's BIG move, introduces new rules against pesky calls, messages, fines telcos for...
Vir Das breaks his silence on India’s Got Latent controversy: 'A good artist will always…'
Who was Kim Rieul? Korean designer behind BTS and MONSTA X’s modern hanboks passes away at 32
Trade Compliance Meets Cybersecurity: Forensic Strategies for Risk Management
Enabling governance to organizations within AWS marketplace: A look at private marketplace
R Madhavan makes BIG STATEMENT about his bank account: 'I don't know how much I have and...'
Asense Interior: Celebrating 11 Years of Redefining Luxury Interiors in Bengaluru
Snow Moon 2025: When and how to witness February's full moon tonight? Know here
Kiss Day 2025: Why do we celebrate this day? Know history and significance
DNA Verified: Is Rashtrapati Bhavan hosting a wedding for the FIRST time? Know truth here
India's retail inflation slows to 4.31 per cent in January due to...
WATCH: Maha Kumbh girl Mona Lisa starts training before filming her 1st movie alongside Anupam Kher
Radhika Merchant stuns in blue and green suit at MahaKumbh Mela, it costs Rs....
BIG move by Mukesh Ambani, Reliance partners with US company, set to drive...
IND v ENG: Why are India and England players wearing green arm bands in 3rd ODI at Ahmedabad?
Tripti Dimri sets major beachwear goals in Maldives; can you guess price of her swimsuit?
Mitolyn Supplement Reviews: Ingredients, benefits, side effects, purple peel exploit
Gaurav Sharma: Visionary leader driving cybersecurity excellence
All About Details: Turning ordinary outfits into statement looks
Duolingo owl is dead? Launguage learning app urges users to respect Dua Lipa's privacy, know why
Why digitisation is necessary in construction industry and why its adoption remains slow
Meet IIT-JEE topper, who created record in Odisha by scoring 99.98 percentile, aims to join...
When is Shab-e-Barat 2025 – February 13 or 14? Check history, significance
THIS is India's last railway station where train never stops, know why
GBS outbreak: Mumbai reports its first death due to Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Ram Gopal Varma questions Rajinikanth's acting, says 'I don’t know if he can exist without...'
Who was Acharya Satyendra Das? Ayodhya Ram temple's chief priest who passed away in Lucknow
Old wedding card mentioning IIT degrees of couple creates buzz on social media; see viral post
Chunky Panday says Shatrughan Sinha advised him to 'make people wait': 'If you are punctual...'
UP Court summons Rahul Gandhi on March 24 over 2022 remarks against Army
Indian consulate in Marseille to strengthen 'people-to-people ties': PM Modi
India’s Top 5 Richest YouTubers: Know who’s earning more than Samay Raina and Ranveer Allahbadia?
Mukesh Ambani, Sunil Mittal are working to revolutionise mobile calling in India by...
DNA TV Show: UP CM Yogi Adityanath's multi-level plan for Maghi Purnima
Tejasswi Prakash reveals why she joined Celebrity MasterChef: 'I am obsessed with...'
Delhi-NCR schools holiday: Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, schools closed tomorrow due to...
'We can teach children AI but...': Sudha Murty urges govt to provide funds to schools to promote...
THIS startup gives whopping bonus to employees for loyalty, they get Rs...
JEE Main 2025 Toppers List Released: Meet 14 candidates who scored 100 percentile this year
JEE Main Result 2025 DECLARED: Get direct link, steps to check NTA score and other details HERE
SHOCKING! Noida family held under ‘digital arrest’ for 5 days, loses Rs 1 crore to cyber fraud