For the past eight years, our family has taken part in a different type of Christmas Tradition. When our daughter was born, we wanted her to experience and understand various cultures and religions from around the world, so we decided every Christmas, we would pick a different country and celebrate the season the way they do.

The rest of my family liked the idea so much that they decided they wanted to join in with us. We have had a lot of fun learning about the traditions and partaking in them to the best of our ability, and we have sampled many different and amazing foods—some much better than others.

Our inaugural year was an homage to the Ukraine, and when we realized the deep appreciation for this culture that it instilled in all of us, we knew that we were going to keep doing this every year.

I found the perfect set of Christmas nesting dolls as a “souvenir” for my daughter to mark this Christmas, and I have been purchasing an appropriate ornament every year to represent the traditions of that year’s chosen culture.

We have gone on to celebrate various other countries such as Germany, Italy, France, South Africa, Columbia and Greece.

I think my favourite year was the one when we embraced Germany, which also happens to be my father’s heritage, so that added another interesting element to it.

We celebrated Dec 6 – St. Nicholas Day, by having Santa fill our shoes and socks with candy and treats.

We learned about the ChristKindl, an angel who brings gifts to families on Christmas Eve and is represented in a Christmas parade by a young blonde girl, chosen to symbolize the ChristKindl that year. We read about Krampus, a horrifying demon who would terrorize the badly behaved kids, and we studied the origins of Christmas markets, the advent calendar, the Christmas Tree and the advent wreath.

While not a true Germanic tradition, we did hang a pickle on the Christmas tree and the child who found it first got to open the first present of the season. (Of course, we worked it out so that all the kids found it at the same time.)

Toys and gifts given were traditionally of a wooden design… wooden toys, cuckoo clocks, trains and these beautiful handcrafted windmills that would turn from the heat coming off of little candles that you would light and that were strategically placed on the structure.

The wonderful Christmas meal was completed with the Christmas Stollen, a delicious sweet bread with nuts, fruit and sugar.

 

The other cultures were also so amazing to learn about (Greece decorates their boats with Christmas lights so their families can see them returning home for the holidays, France has 13 desserts – one each for Jesus and the 12 disciples), and every year it brings us to a better understanding of the traditions and people around the world.

Christmas is celebrated vastly different all over the world from what we are used to, and we love experiencing it through the eyes of others.

Now that our daughter is a bit older, we will also start exposing her to some of the various other religious events that are celebrated around this time as well.

This year was supposed to be Polynesian themed and I was to bring the Poi (a mashed potato dish made out of Taro) and some exotic fruit. I now have enough Taro to feed 15 people so I truly hope we love poi as it seems my husband, daughter and I will be eating a lot of it over the next week.

Despite the current restrictions, we consider ourselves lucky to have each other and to know the rest of our family are safe and well.

Perhaps we will try a Zoom Christmas?

Merry Christmas

Happy Hanukkah
Joyous Kwanzaa
Happy Solstice
Blessed Yuletide
Season’s Greetings

And all the best for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

The Murray Family