Holidays around the world
Emily Goodman
Issue date: 11/30/07 Section: Culture
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We all know what the general holidays in the United States are: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and others. This answer is varied from family to family, but what about other countries and the way they celebrate the holiday season? Here is a selection of some cultural traditions and customs.
Japanese
In the Japanese culture, Christmas is not the main holiday. However, the Japanese do have a Christmas tradition: food. Christmas Cake is a traditional dish that the Japanese eat on Christmas Day. Bakeries rush to make these delicious desserts before the holiday, and promptly stop selling it once the day is over. Although Christmas is the lesser holiday, the New Year celebration or "Shogatsu" is celebrated from Jan. 1-3, and is more prominent. The beginning of the New Year is important and all previous debts and duties must be fulfilled before then. New Years Day is supposed to be experienced free of stress and worry, and it is also traditional to go to a temple and pray.
• It is an insult to call a woman an "unsold Christmas cake." It implies she is getting too old for marriage.
• Rice Wine, Ozoni (a traditional soup made with miso), and fish cakes are eaten on New Years Day.
• Instead of Christmas Cards, the Japanese send out New Years cards that are specifically post marked to arrive on Jan 1.
• It is traditional to give money to children in decorated envelopes on New Years.
African American
Kwanzaa, developed in 1966 by Ron Karenga, gave African-Americans an alternative holiday to Christmas. It is celebrated from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 every year and is meant to give African-Americans an opportunity to reconnect to their African heritage. The word Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza" meaning "first-fruits". Kwanzaa celebrates what it's founder called "The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa" that reflect the basic concepts of African culture, which are:
• Unity
• Self-Determination
• Collective Work and Responsibility
Japanese
In the Japanese culture, Christmas is not the main holiday. However, the Japanese do have a Christmas tradition: food. Christmas Cake is a traditional dish that the Japanese eat on Christmas Day. Bakeries rush to make these delicious desserts before the holiday, and promptly stop selling it once the day is over. Although Christmas is the lesser holiday, the New Year celebration or "Shogatsu" is celebrated from Jan. 1-3, and is more prominent. The beginning of the New Year is important and all previous debts and duties must be fulfilled before then. New Years Day is supposed to be experienced free of stress and worry, and it is also traditional to go to a temple and pray.
• It is an insult to call a woman an "unsold Christmas cake." It implies she is getting too old for marriage.
• Rice Wine, Ozoni (a traditional soup made with miso), and fish cakes are eaten on New Years Day.
• Instead of Christmas Cards, the Japanese send out New Years cards that are specifically post marked to arrive on Jan 1.
• It is traditional to give money to children in decorated envelopes on New Years.
African American
Kwanzaa, developed in 1966 by Ron Karenga, gave African-Americans an alternative holiday to Christmas. It is celebrated from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 every year and is meant to give African-Americans an opportunity to reconnect to their African heritage. The word Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza" meaning "first-fruits". Kwanzaa celebrates what it's founder called "The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa" that reflect the basic concepts of African culture, which are:
• Unity
• Self-Determination
• Collective Work and Responsibility
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