DSGW Architects
Old man winter blew in early this year. Though Thanksgiving has just past, it already
feels like time to start thinking about Christmas. When I think of Christmas I think of tradition.
Whether you are carrying on passed down traditions from Ma
and Pa or creating new ones, it’s something to look forward to. For some of you it may be moving around the mischievous
Elf on the Shelf or making long forgotten treats from your homeland.
We are all familiar with the typical traditions of the U.S.,
though there are many cultures that celebrate the holiday. So I’d like to share with you some (seemingly
strange) traditions beyond our shores.
Catalan region of
Spain
El Tio
de Nadal or Christmas Log is a character in Catalan mythology. The custom is to hollow out a log, add legs
and a face, then you must feed it daily starting on December 8th,
the Feast of Immaculate Conception, then cover it at night so it doesn’t get
cold. On Christmas one puts it in the
fireplace and orders it to defecate, while beating with sticks and singing
until it releases candies, fruits, and nuts.
When it’s spent, the final object to drop is a salt herring, garlic
bulb, or an onion. Don’t forget to sing
the song, it can only help. – I suggest you look that up for yourself!
Czech Republic
Single women toss
their shoe on Christmas Eve to know if they will marry the following year. They turn their back to the front door and
toss the shoe over their shoulder. If the
shoe lands with the heel towards the door, she will stay single for the coming
year. If the front of the shoe faces the
door, she will marry and move out from her parent’s home in the next year. Now, it’s unclear what happens if the shoe is
turned 90 degrees. I guess she’d have to
wait until the Christmas.
Slovakia and Ukraine
A most messy
tradition of throwing food. Sure does
sound like fun though. At the start of
Christmas Eve dinner, the head of the family starts tossing “Loksa”, a
traditional dish of bead, poppyseed filling and water, at the ceiling. The more Loksa that sticks to the ceiling the
better the harvest of crops the next year.
Unfortunately for the women of the household, they get the job of cleaning
it up.
Caracas, Venezuela
The morning of
Christmas Day the streets of Caracas are closed down to car traffic. The entire city is encouraged to rollerskate
to early morning Christmas Mass. Later
in the evening, instead of caroling, people beat drums until the stroke of
midnight. At midnight everyone shouts
“Jesus is born” (in Spanish obviously) and light up the sky with fireworks.
Germany
The pickle
ornament. The pickle ornament is the
last to be hung on the Christmas tree.
Many times it is past down from generation to generation. It should be hidden when hung-it is green
after all, and the first child to find it receives a gift on the morning of
Christmas day and good luck for all of the next year. Though it seems this tradition has become
more of a legend these days.
There are many more strange traditions out there, google
will fill you in.
At this stage it our lives it prime time to start your own
new traditions and choose which to carry on from the past.
In the spirit of the holiday this year, at our home we are
starting the tradition of cutting down our own Christmas tree. What traditions do you hold dear?
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