viajes-turismo,recetas sin tacc,noticias en Argentina,CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS IN THE WORD:TODAY UNITES
CHRISTMAS IN USA.
My good friend Michelle have share with me their traditions in her Country , some of them I already know ,but most are new .I think they have captured the real Christmas Spirit, which is not just a family reunion and buy a bunch of present .It much more than that!!
Here is her lovely article:
The Christmas traditions in the USA may vary from family to family a bit because we are basically one big melting pot of different backgrounds and ethnicities. Although my inlaws are not Irish as I am I noticed over time I incorporated some of their traditions in with mine and they also began copying a few Irish ones.
There are a few local town traditions to be done before Christmas Eve such as the lighting of the trees in the town center and singing carols that put everyone in the holiday spirit. Our own tree (artificial now) is decorated around the last weekend in November. The tree and outside lights are done the day after Thanksgiving here in the United States, it's a four day holiday weekend. We put a candle in each window (It means friends and travellers welcome) and hang Christmas cards on a string.
We love decorating the tree at my house, putting new and old ornaments on it, I still have my silver bell (tin foil over a paper cup from second grade) that is on the tree year after year. My brothers, both grown men in their late forties with families of their own now, always check my parent's Christmas tree to make sure they didn't forget their artistic creations from their school days. Our Christmas trees are loaded with ornaments from up to 45 years ago. We just add new ones every year, homemade and store bought.
Usually companies close early to let their employees enjoy the holiday. Christmas Eve is a big travel day here. Family, friends and neighbors will be expected to drop in. Everyone usually visits their parents on both days. We always order Chinese food and also have a table full of desserts. On Christmas Eve the tables are set buffet style for anyone to drop in and join us. Christmas day is a sit down family dinner with turkey or ham as the main course.
There is always plenty of egg nog. The week before in preparation for Christmas we make sugar cookies in the shape of Santa, stars and Christmas wreaths and decorate with sugar or frosting. I always make "tollhouse" (chocolate chip) cookies. Gingerbread men are a favorite too along with Gingerbread houses. Making cookies and gingerbread men is something fun to do for the children/nieces and nephews in my case.
Stockings are hung in front of the fireplace to be filled after the children are in bed. My Dad always put one of his boots in the soot so he could leave two footprints on the bricks in front of the fireplace as "proof" that Santa came down the chimney. Cookies and milk are also left on a nearby table for Santa and after the children are in bed someone volunteers to eat a cookie and drink some milk as if Santa was there.
One tradition I should mention to any visitor to the US is the funny clothes; red sweaters with busy Christmas patterns on them, blinking Christmas tree earrings and broches. Christmas "fashion" is big here in the USA.
After Grampie gets the fire started and the buffet of food is put away, it is usually a quiet night either playing cards, simple games like go fish or crazy eights so everyone can play. And Christmas music plays in the background. We have a piano at my house so singing Chrismas carols like Jingle Bells or The First Noel on Christmas Eve and Day is inevitable. We sound like a bunch of frogs singing but it's really fun anyway. The old songs by Bing Crosby or Andy Williams are played every year too.
We always open ONE gift on Christmas Eve. at the end of the night. We also go to midnight mass. In the USA, if you are around twelve or thirteen years old you begin to go to midnight mass at your church on Christmas Eve instead of going on Christmas day. Families with younger children usually go to church on Christmas day. Every year we have a small ceramic nativity scene on a table but we're not allowed to put the baby Jesus in there until December 25th of course.
Christmas morning is very busy. Children run to the Christmas tree between 6 or 7am. We adults wait until everyone arrives to take turns passing and opening presents. We watch the Pope say the mass in Italy at the Vatican early in the morning, it streams live where I live. Later we watch the Walt Disney World parade on Christmas morning and have a small breakfast. Then it's off to church for whoever didn't go to midnight mass and later visiting whomever you didn't see the night before. Dinner is usually early afternoon for most families and aunts, uncles cousins, friends and neighbors are sure to visit late afternoon to early evening.
The old claymation Christmas specials like Rudolph and Snowmeister are still run today and enjoyed by a new generation. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is a must watch in our family. It is an old Dr. Seuss cartoon. It's a Wonderful Life is also a must watch. We always wind down on Christmas with a great old movie on the television.
