| As Christmas comes each year we settle in to | | | | his return he told stories of Saint Nicholas of Myra |
| our Christmas traditions that are unique to this | | | | and the miracles he preformed. When Russia |
| country. Some are quite odd, like mall stampede | | | | went to Communism (and therefore secular) He |
| the day after Thanksgiving, but others are | | | | was transformed into Grandfather Frost and |
| classics. There are Christmas trees, eggnog, and | | | | traveled with the Snow Maiden. The Snow Maiden |
| letters from Santa Claus. These are the things | | | | was a rebirth of Babouschka who brought gifts to |
| that we just have to have every year to make | | | | all the children. After the fall of Communism |
| Christmas complete. Even children know you must | | | | Russia reverted back to Christmas, now with a |
| have a Christmas tree and Santa Clause letters. | | | | little more Western flare but even today, Nicholas |
| But in places around the world it is celebrated | | | | is one of the most common names for boys. |
| differently but the general theme remains the | | | | We think of a lot of our Christmas traditions |
| same. | | | | coming from Northern Europe and places like |
| Japan, for instance, was not introduced to | | | | Sweden but some of their customs might seem |
| Christianity till much later than the West. But when | | | | odd to our version of the holiday. There the |
| Christian missionaries brought the religion to Japan, | | | | Christmas season starts on Saint Lucia day. They |
| Santa came along for the ride. There he melded | | | | do enjoy a Christmas Eve feast before the gifts |
| with a Japanese god, Hoteiosho, who was always | | | | are handed out, but theirs tends to have a lot of |
| pictured as a kind old man carrying a pack and | | | | pickled cod (yummy). After dinner, the children |
| that became their Santa. What is the one big | | | | dress up a little Christmas gnomes and await their |
| difference between our Santa and theirs? Theirs | | | | Santa Clause, called Tomte. He doesn't live with |
| has eyes in the back of his head! It is closer than | | | | Santa at the North Pole but a little closer, under |
| India has gotten as it is a Hindu and Muslim | | | | the floorboards of the house or barn. And there |
| country. They do have a period of gift giving | | | | are no reindeer. No, he rides a mule made of |
| about the same time and give baksheesh, gifts to | | | | straw. That is really no odder than our reindeer |
| the poor. The few Christians there do, however, | | | | flying. |
| decorate Christmas trees, but because of the | | | | Every country has their own way of celebrating |
| climate they don't look like ours. They use mango | | | | Christmas. In fact, there was a "Christmas" |
| and banana trees. | | | | before there was even a Christ. There were |
| In Russia, things are very different. For one, they | | | | days to celebrate the winter solstice and the |
| have the right weather; Russia gets a bit nippy in | | | | longest night of the year. And did they have big |
| winter. And two, they love Saint Nicholas. They | | | | Christmas dinners? They sure did but it was |
| celebrate both Saint Nicholas day, December 6, | | | | because the just slaughtered most of the cows |
| and Christmas, which under the Russian Orthodox | | | | and pigs so they didn't have to feed them |
| Church, is in early January. Santa there has had | | | | through winter. So next time you unwrap a fruit |
| rough time. He was Saint Nick since the 11th | | | | cake by a Christmas tree, think of what you |
| century when Prince Vladimir was baptized. Upon | | | | could be doing. |