When somebody mentions “Christmas” what is the first image that pops into your head? Decorated trees? Presents? Food? Football? As Christians, we know that the incarnation, the miraculous birth of Jesus the second person of the Trinity, is the real reason to celebrate. Although the actual date of Jesus’ birth is unknown, December 25 (or January 6 in some branches of Christianity) has been the accepted celebration date since the third century AD.
Today more than 2.2 billion people on earth identify as Christians, and as the church has spread around the globe, the various cultures in which the gospel has taken root have influenced the ways Jesus’ birth is celebrated. Here’s how Christmas is celebrated in the areas where some of our global partners live and serve.
Joseph Grewe in Madrid says decorations for Christmas have been up since the beginning of November. “No ‘wait until after Thanksgiving’ rule here, as Thanksgiving is not a holiday in Spain,” he says. There are small and life-size “Belenes” (Nativity scenes) all over the place during the season.
Spaniards put more emphasis on El Dia de los Reyes, or Kings’ Day, which celebrates the arrival of the wise men to worship Jesus. Joseph says, “While we know the biblical focus is on the wise men recognizing the true King, the focus here is on the ‘three’ wise men (the Bible doesn’t mention the number), Melchior, Gaspar, and Baltasar.”
Kings’ Day is bigger than Christmas in Spain, he says. It is an important family day, the day they give gifts. Families eat Roscón (a slightly sweet pastry like a dry, bready fruitcake) and dipping chocolate. The day ends with a parade with bands and floats celebrating the three kings, with people throwing candy into the crowd.
“The emphasis of the holiday season here shows the reality of a long-dead religiosity—there is a large focus on the traditions and wise men, and little attention given to Christ.”
The Czech Republic was predominantly Catholic for centuries, then became very secularized under decades of Communist rule in the 20th century. Now the Christian holidays are again celebrated, but often without the spiritual foundations.
Jared Millican, our partner there, describes how Christmas traditions begin December 5. December 6 is the holiday of St. Nicholas. But on the 5th, the “ghost” of St. Nicholas visits homes with blessings. This is usually someone’s dad dressed up.
Saint Nicholas stands with a “devil” as part of a traditional celebration of Saint Nicholas day in Czech Republic, Malá Strana, Prague. Photo by Petr Brož.
The Christmas dish is fried carp. On December 24, fishermen line the streets of Prague and other cities and villages with their freshly caught fish in giant buckets. They butcher the fish on the spot for any customers, then at home the carp is descaled. Scales are dried, then hidden under people’s plates and other places like wallets. They are supposed to bring good fortune and guarantee wealth/provision for the upcoming year.
In a strange fusion of Santa and Catholic traditions, on December 24, baby Jesus is “born” again each year and visits homes with presents. At midnight on the 25th, many families go to Catholic Mass to sing Christmas carols. Each village usually has its own outdoor Christmas tree, lit for everyone to see.
Jared concludes, “Advent is mostly about gifts and the kids; it’s not spiritual. At one time it was, but for most Czechs now it certainly is not. It is, however, the most celebrated holiday in this culture.”
Frank Ruscio in Papua New Guinea says, “PNG is so diverse it’s hard to say that something is a tradition for PNG. But the big unifying thing I found is that everyone wants to spend this time at their ‘place.’ They want to be in the village where they grew up, with their extended family and clan, speaking their tribal language.”
Frank says if people are employed outside their home village, many will take the whole month of December to return there. Schools take all of December off. “Everyone gets back together, reconnects, and helps each other with various projects like working in their gardens or building a house.”
Those who consider themselves Christians go to church on Christmas Day, but gift-giving is not a normal part of their Christmas. Frank says there is one exception: “If the parents worked hard and were able to pay their child’s school fees, and the child then went on to college and now has a job, that adult child is expected to give his parents a gift of straight cash!”
Indonesia is a geographically vast country, made up of hundreds of islands. Christmas is not an official holiday there. Although the country is predominantly Muslim, some islands have sizable Christian populations. On the island of Java, for example, churches always spend time and energy putting on Christmas programs and then visiting one another’s programs. From early December into February, they are attending many Christmas pageants. One global partner who grew up in West Borneo said they used to use real candles on live trees, with designated people to watch and put out fires as soon as one started.
Similarly to Java, in the area of Indonesia where Phil and Denise did Bible translation, talent shows became a Christmas tradition. People from a school, place of work, church or some other social group would spend weeks planning and practicing for these events. But most of the traditions have been imported from the West.
Denise says, “It was often hard to find much of the true meaning of Christmas in the skits, songs, dancing, decorations, and costumes, but there was Rudolph and ‘Dreaming of a White Christmas’ (in a land without snow) to add to the festivities.” But in those parts of Indonesia without churches, or with only small groups of believers meeting in homes, the general population usually does not celebrate Christmas.
In Kenya, where we served, most Christmas traditions were also imported from the West. December falls during the hot season in Kenya, and we felt sorry for the red-suited Santa Clauses perspiring heavily in the 95-degree heat and humidity while children lined up to have their pictures taken. Even Muslim and Hindu shopkeepers would put up Christmas decorations to draw people in.
Like PNG, Kenyans try to go to their home villages during the holidays, and schools are closed for the entire month. Kenyan Christians always go to church on Christmas and the services are typically long and joyful, with lots of singing and maybe the children putting on a skit. Christmas Day usually found us in a village church for one of these services, followed by a feast of pilau (rice cooked in aromatic spices with meat and potatoes), eaten with our fingers while sitting on mats on the ground.
In Kenya, like most other British Commonwealth countries, December 26 is also a holiday, called Boxing Day, which originated in centuries past from the practice of the aristocracy eating “box” lunches so that the servants, who had worked on Christmas Day, could have a day off.
Speaking of the Commonwealth: Michael Dionne, our partner in London, informs us that people in England love Christmas, and it doesn’t feel much different from the US in many regards, if maybe a bit more low-key.
He mentions one fun tradition: When getting together for Christmas parties, the host will put a “Christmas cracker” at each place setting around the table. It’s a little tube that has a popper in it (like a Fourth of July popper) that “cracks” when you pull it open. Inside, there is usually a paper crown, a small toy or gift, and a joke or “fortune.” People around the table will open their crackers, put on their crowns, and read their little jokes and fortunes.
Michael says, “At GraceLife London, we try to have a Christmas Eve service and a Christmas Day service. It makes things a little busier but helps us keep the focus of Christmas on our Lord’s birth!”
Although Christmas has become very commercialized in the US, it does give believers many opportunities to talk about Jesus with family, friends, and neighbors. As you enjoy your holiday traditions, think creatively about ways you can use them as a springboard for gospel conversations. They might still pave the way for talking about the true meaning of Christmas, and why Jesus’ birth is such a significant event.
A children’s choir sings Christmas carols at GraceLife London’s Christmas Day service in 2022.
Garry Morgan, a member at Faith Bible Church, is a former missionary and retired missions professor. He is also author of Understanding World Religions in 15 Minutes a Day.
View Resources by Garry R. Morgan
