Dec

The Seasonal Sparkle of Cultural Differences

by Meredith Mullins on December 21, 2015

The always-surprising tree at the Galeries Lafayette department store in Paris
© Meredith Mullins

Holiday Traditions Around the World

The streets are strung with lights. The store windows are full of color, sparkle, and animated figures made to mesmerize the young and the young at heart. There are scents of evergreens, mulled wine, and cinnamon in the air.

Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, or Epiphany. Whether you’re commemorating Père Noêl, Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, the Three Wisemen, Sinterklaas, Befana, or the miracle of light. ‘Tis the season to be festive.

Menorah, one of the holiday traditions that shows cultural differences. (Image © Vladislav Gurfinkel/Thinkstock.)

The menorah is an important tradition in celebrating the Festival of Lights (Hanukkah)
© Vladislav Gurfinkel/Thinkstock

Cultural differences give us many ways to celebrate, with a rich variety of holiday traditions around the world. Here are some international highlights.

The Netherlands

The Netherlands has already celebrated Sinterklaas, a day when presents are delivered by Saint Nicholas (December 5/6).

Sinterklaas (aka Saint Nicholas) traditionally rides in on a white horse and carries a big, red book, which holds the telltale information about whether each child has been good or naughty.

Sinterklaas, one of the holiday traditions that shows cultural differences. (Image © Marcel Mooij/iStock.)

A modern Sinterklaas checks who is naughty or nice on his tablet.
© Marcel Mooij/iStock

Mexico

In Mexico, posadas are a festive holiday tradition. Participants form a procession, holding candles, to seek shelter (posada), just as Mary and Joseph did.

They ask for a place for the night by singing songs until they are welcomed into someone’s home. Once inside, they celebrate by breaking a piñata filled with candy, eating, and drinking (ponche).

Piñata in Mexican grocery store, one of the holiday traditions that shows cultural differences. (Image © Lorena Coletta.)

Mexican stores are filled with piñatas for the posada celebrations.
© Lorena Coletta

Italy

Although there are several days when celebrations occur and presents are opened in Italy, one popular tradition is La Befana. She’s a good witch who travels by broomstick to bring children their gifts.

Her arrival is celebrated on the day of Epiphany (January 6), as she was said to have helped the three kings find the baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

La Befana, a witch in Italy celebrating Epiphany, one of the holiday traditions showing cultural differences. (Image © Luvi40/iStock.)

The Italian good witch, La Befana, brings gifts to children on Epiphany.
© Luvi40/iStock

The Many Ways to Celebrate

Wherever you are in the world, the store windows and holiday decorations offer creative reminders of the season. Here are a few highlights from this year’s celebrations.

Store window with jellyfish and metal characters, at Galeries Lafayette in Paris, one of the holiday traditions that shows cultural differences. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

The Galeries Lafayette windows in Paris offer an underwater interstellar theme.
© Meredith Mullins

A dinner table in the window of Tang's store in Singapore, one of the holiday traditions that shows cultural differences. (Image © Catherine Lawrie.)

The famous Tang’s in Singapore went formal for Christmas dinner.
© Catherine Lawrie

Store window with figures wearing Burberry scarves, one of the holiday traditions showing cultural differences. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

All the dancing figures are wearing Burberry scarves. A coincidence? I think not.
© Meredith Mullins

Palm trees with holiday lights, one of the holiday traditions that shows cultural differences. (Image © Timonko/iStock.)

Ice skates on holiday decorations, one of the holiday traditions that show cultural differences. (Image © Joyce McGreevy.)

Store window with watch parts, one of the holiday traditions that shows cultural differences. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Christmas stocking on tropical island, one of the holiday traditions that shows cultural differences. (Image © E.M. Prize/iStock.)

OIC Moments wishes all of our readers the very happiest of seasons, and a new year filled with “Oh, I See Moments,” new discoveries, and the joy of living in a world with rich cultural differences.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Meredith Mullins 2 Comments

Cultural Heritage & Traditions/Worldwide Sites

Comments:

2 thoughts on “The Seasonal Sparkle of Cultural Differences”

Teresa Price on December 21, 2015 at 7:31 pm said:

The most memorable and beautiful Christmas while traveling was in San Miguel de Allende. We attended the Misa de Gallo in the Cathedral on the main square. The priest spoke in Spanish and Latin. I will never forget the beauty of that night. This was in 1984.
- Meredith Mullins on December 23, 2015 at 1:03 pm said:
  
  Happy holidays, Teresa. Thank you for sharing a lovely holiday memory. I think some of our most memorable moments come when we’re traveling–discovering something new and beautiful at every turn.
  
  All the best for the new year,
  
  Meredith

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