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In Korea, with the Christmas season, it is freezing. It is rare that snow, but our first two Christmases we woke up on December 25 surprised and delighted to see the snow. This is the time of year when the sky is blue, which is very pleasant despite the cold (not fresh) from the air.

Christmas is a day like any other at the “land of morning calm.” What do Koreans for Christmas ?…. There’s nothing much they follow the lunar calendar and their two major holidays fall around October, Chusok (harvest festival, a tribute to the ancestors) and into February, Solnal (celebration of the Lunar New Year). We, the West, are quite disappointed to not see illuminated streets, spruce, decorated windows, especially the first year. We know that approach Christmas even if we are completely “staggered” when we benefit from the trip (if applicable) in France by the husband or family visits to bring gifts, foie gras and possibly champagne, of course they are unaffordable here.

The toys are quite limited in choice, Barbie for girls and for boys Lego …. thanks to the websites of VPC and dads traveling with surpluses toys, books, CD-rom and food!

Al’Église Catholic, we can have a Christmas Mass in french. Moreover, this evening many Koreans Christians attend mass in their paroisse.Ils are doing in general. Then, they make a meal (and fast as everyone else!) And voila.

So there is no real tradition of Christmas as we understand it, then we try to recreate the atmosphere in our homes. Over the past two years, we are now more and more Christmas decorations (Koreans often look in our caddies and take the same thing) … And, nod to my neighbor Korean! Who placed a wreath on his door at Christmas in 1999 when we put ourselves ours (when we arrived), and who has since left! !

A Foreign you know, Anne-Mariexpat, as well as Japanese students we speak in this article of the Christmas season in Japan.
Japan, non-Christian country, celebrates Christmas in a special way. As in all Christian countries preparations are made well in advance, from the beginning of November but sometimes also in October in conjunction with Halloween.
This period of preparation is perhaps the largest and most visible. We find all the usual decorative objects: wood or trees to climb, finely decorated balls or colored glass, figurines, or simple electrical garlands, crowns enrubannées, etc. The loudspeakers broadcast all day long Christmas songs traditional or contemporary, sung in English by big stars. Everything is adorned for the feast. The activity on the streets is more dense. Girls and young people already believe their deto or go where lovers gifts and meals are in the spotlight. Another very important period is preparing the pots end of the year or bonenkai.
Junko, Kei, Reiko, Midori, Misa, Tomomi, Japanese students in French in Paris
For the Japanese, Christmas is a holiday as well. Although the majority of the population is Buddhist, Christmas was introduced as a new culture about a hundred years ago, with the Meiji era. But we do not see as a religious holiday.
The month of December approaches, all the stores in most neighborhoods, and many houses are decorated and illuminated. The music of Christmas are distributed everywhere, as “Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell …”, the song in English.
At home, decorate the Christmas tree. The children write a letter to Santa Claus.
Many people will do their shopping to buy gifts for children, friends and girlfriends.
Christmas in Japan is a party trade. Department stores are preparing a month before Christmas. On Christmas Day, an employee masquerades as Santa Claus, targeting children and couples.
It celebrates Christmas Day with family and children or with friends and boyfriends.
For Christmas Eve, many couples reserve a table at a restaurant and take a luxurious dinner, rather European, and then exchanged gifts. If you do not have a boyfriend or girlfriend, it is a little sad when Christmas approaches.
Those who have children spend the night with your family. After the meal, we play cards. The next day, children receive gifts.
Although how to celebrate Christmas is different, there is a relationship with the family, friendship, love, it is sufficient. So Christmas is a special day for everyone.
But as soon as Dec. 25 rose, the atmosphere of Christmas is rapidly disappearing. Everything will then be focused on the preparation for the New Year

Deborah studying the French language in Paris, where she now lives, and it tells the Christmas traditions of an American family USA.

In the United States, the joys of the past and present are combined for Christmas to prepare for a beautiful holiday season eagerly awaited. Everyone gathers nostalgic elements: sleigh with bells and horses crossing the villages of New England’s 19 th century; virtues of the past drawn from the story “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, the English author and wonders of childhood outings tale “T’was the Night before Christmas” by Clement Moore, the American author. The latter made known a little mysterious elf called Santa Claus (Santa Claus) to the Americans. This figure was derived from old Europe devoted to tales of saints full of goodness. The nativity scenes appear everywhere, in public and private spaces, to present the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, a story astounding. Almost all American Christmas traditions have their origins in these sources well known that we are telling every year.

Our family celebrated Christmas in a way characteristic:

To prepare for the Christmas season, Mom (that’s me) began to make lists: the list of Christmas cards, the list of gifts; several lists of races to make or buy gifts, decorations, or to prepare for the the great feast or Christmas meal, a list of places where you should go during the season, as the school to watch the spectacle of little kids, or the church to sing a Christmas carol in the choir, and always an endless list of things to do.

The first thing on the list? Putting the Christmas music on the radio, on the stereo, piano, everywhere! From ancient Christmas music, classical, jazz, popular and religious airs at every moment of this season.

And then? Enabling mailed Christmas cards. Then put the decorations. Dad was the chief down the decorations from the attic, driving the family to buy the perfect Christmas tree, putting lights on the Christmas tree. Then everyone involved for hanging decorations.Mom has finished decorating: she put the Nativity on fire and placed nodes, ribbons, fruit, pine cones, candles and flowers throughout the house. Lights were installed by Papa and Joshua: a candle in each window (which Joshua lit every night), a projector on the entrance door (to brighten the Christmas wreath hanging on the door), and lights on trees and shrubs in the front garden. Not only do we admired our decorations every year, but we are also walking in the car to watch other decorations.

Mom was the supervisor of the “factory of Christmas” with us. Almost every year, everybody was like gifts, for example, candles, carvings, embroidery, blankets or knitted sweaters and drawings painted or pyrogravure. One of the gifts made by Kirsten favorites, which everyone loved, was a biscuit tin decorated by it. We prepared a lot of biscuits, confectionery, fruit cakes and other specialties in our kitchen during the Christmas season. A specialty, which has become a tradition with us, was an oyster stew with bread to the onion and cheese. We ate on Christmas Eve, after returning from the church and just before Kirsten and Joshua went to bed. They always left cookies and a note of thanks for Santa Claus, next to the fireplace.

On Christmas day began very early, because Kirstein and Joshua wanted to look for gifts that Santa had brought them. After visits to the paternal family (where we ate the turkey, cranberry sauce, turnips, sweet potatoes, green beans, squash, cakes (coconut, chocolate, lemon) 4 days. Often, we simply did not know the time and stay in pajamas every day. we always reserve an exit for our annual visit to the “Spaghetti Factory for dinner.

A day or two before the New Year, we were going to see the maternal family to celebrate once again with Christmas gifts. Around 23 pm on the eve of New Year, everyone gathered outside to light fireworks. Then, we would come in the house to listen to music, dancing, open a bottle of champagne, to accommodate all the New Year After the last kiss to wish Happy New Year, children were sent to bed. Adults watched during the night and spoke of life, laughing and sometimes crying.

On New Year’s Day has always put an end to the Christmas season and marked the beginning of the return to work and school. In the following days, Christmas decorations were removed and packed, but not our imagination or our goodwill, nor our expectations. All these things, born of tradition, would last until the next Christmas season.

Today my children have grown up and my husband and I live in France, far from the children. We will be together at Christmas, but many things are different now.