Christmas Traditions Around the World

The city of Riga, Latvia holds the claim as home to history’s first decorated Christmas tree, back in 1510.

In Argentina, Christmas is a blend of American, European, and Hispanic traditions. Their celebrations typically include the boots of Father Christmas, red and white flowers, and putting cotton on Xmas trees to simulate snow. But most family gatherings take place on Christmas Eve, with huge feasts, gifts exchanged at midnight, and children going to sleep to the sound of fireworks.

In spite of Ethiopia’s Christian heritage, Christmas is not an important holiday there. Most people actually call the holiday Ganna or Genna after a hockey-like ball game played only once a year, on Christmas afternoon.

On Christmas Day, tradition allows Lebanese children to go up to any adult and say, “Editi ‘aleik!” (“You have a gift for me!”). If the adult has a present to spare, the kids add this to their Christmas morning haul.

Winning the award for longest preparation time, Greenland’s traditional Christmas dish, kiviak, takes a full seven months to prepare. It begins with hollowing out a seal skin and stuffing it with 500 auks– a sea bird (feathers and all)– to ferment. When the holiday rolls around, it’s served straight from the seal.

How’s this for a weird Christmas food? South Africa is home to some of the world’s most unusual holiday food fare. Every December locals feast on a seasonal delicacy– the deep-fried caterpillars of Emperor Moths!

The tradition of tinsel, which was invented in Germany in 1610, is based on a legend about spiders whose web turned into silver when they were spun in a Christmas tree.

Information from:

https://greenglobaltravel.com/christmas-traditions-around-the-world/

Interesting Facts About Germany

I will be traveling to Germany this summer.  Germany is an amazing country for many reasons.  Here are just a few that I found most interesting:

  1. Germany was the first country in the world to adopt Daylight saving time.
  2. Prison escape is not punishable by law in Germany.
  3. Germany has legal say on what babies can be named.
  4. College education in Germany is free even for internationals.
  5. Germany is one of the world’s leading book nations.
  6. It’s illegal to run out of fuel in the German Autobahn.
  7. Germany has over 400 zoos, the most in the world.
  8. There are over 2100 castles in Germany.
  9. One third of the country is still covered in forests and woodlands.
  10. Berlin has the largest train station in Europe.

 

Facts found at

https://www.expatica.com/de/about/30-facts-about-Germany_108768.html
https://www.studying-in-germany.org/interesting-facts-about-germany/#R3fX15YgfLqcP1IK.99