Did you ever wonder why people put candles in their windows at Christmas? Sometimes the significance of traditions gets lost through the ages. Many Christmas traditions across America can trace their roots back to the “old country,” brought here by immigrants and passed down through the generations. Yet in some other foreign lands traditions are very different at Christmastime, with customs unfamiliar to us. There is one common thread, however, that binds all Christians together: the true reason for Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Ireland - “Nollaig Shona Dhuit” - Happy Christmas to you At one time in Ireland, Christmas preparations were quite labor intensive. To honor the coming of the Christ child and purify the home for the occasion, women scrubbed the house and men whitewashed all the farm buildings. Today the custom prevails in rural areas, but to a lesser degree. Holly was an abundant seasonal plant in Ireland, accessible to the poor, and many impoverished Irish homes decorated their front doors with a ring of holly. Placing a lighted candle in the window was a symbol of welcome to Mary and Joseph as they sought shelter for the impending birth of Christ. The candle also signified a safe haven for priests to say Mass during Penal Times and was a sign of welcoming to strangers. Failing to have a candle in the window placed the homeowner under suspicion of being in accord with the infamous innkeeper who turned Mary and Joseph away. Today in Ireland gifts for family and friends start appearing under the tree well before Christmas Day and then Santa visits in the wee hours of Christmas morning, bearing gifts for the children which he leaves at the foot of their beds. Poland - “Boze Nardodzenie” - Merry Christmas The Poles believe that whatever happens on Christmas will have an impact in the New Year, and that includes weather forecasting. If it snows on Christmas, it will also snow on Easter. If you get into an argument on Christmas Eve, trouble will follow you through the coming year. When Polish families sit down to dinner there is always an empty seat at the table, welcoming strangers to join in the meal. This harks back to Mary and Joseph seeking shelter and the belief that no one should be alone on Christmas. The Christmas tree is decorated with fruit, candy and lights but don’t look for presents under the tree on Christmas morning. Santa Claus Day is celebrated on Dec. 6, when St. Nicholas brings gifts to the children. On Christmas Eve the family scans the skies, waiting for the first star to appear. At that time, the father of the family takes the oplatek, a thin wafer, and shares it with his wife, wishing each other a long, happy life. The sharing of the wafer is then repeated with all those present. Christmas Day is quite different in Poland, visiting and cooking are not permitted and the day is spent quietly at home with family. Tonga - “Kilisimasi Fiefia” - Merry Christmas Tonga, an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, is made up of 176 islands. With an estimated population of 104,000 people, this constitutional monarchy is led by a king and prime minister. Christianity is the most practiced religion among the Tongans. The government of Tonga shuts down from Christmas through New Year’s Day. Religion is taken seriously in Tonga, where it is illegal to break the Sabbath. Christmas is a spiritual time. Not many gifts are given on Tonga except for the gift of self, the sharing of talents. Villages, churches and organizations perform for each other. Singing goes on day and night. Christmas dinners shared among neighbors are common. If you have 10 neighbors, you make 10 extra plates of food to share. When the evening meal is served, you will then have 10 different plates from your neighbors, a veritable smorgasbord. The Christmas tree is cut from the bush and is decorated with balloons and candy. Perhaps the most beautiful part of Christmas is the night time ceremony of tutukupakanava. On each island, coconut husks spaced out in intervals line the sea shore and are set on fire. Imagine the aerial view of that, 176 islands ringed with fire. Africa - “Geseende Kersfees” -Happy Christmas For the 350 million Christians in Africa, Christmas Day is a day of church services, singing, feasting and visiting. Sensible gifts such as books, pencils, soap and cloth are given in the poorer communities. Under the hot sun of South Africa families may enjoy a Christmas Day beach barbecue. In Liberia, the Christmas tree is an oil palm decorated with bells. On Christmas Eve in Ghana, children parade through the streets singing and shouting “Christ is coming. He is near.” In African society, spirituality is an important part of life and the emphasis on Christmas is celebrating the birth of Jesus. Along with worshipping in church, Christmas dinner is a time of joy. The hot commodity for Christmas dinner in some parts of Africa is the goat and the high demand often leads to goat rustling. In the cities goats can be seen leashed together in yards waiting to be sold. In the tradition of the Kikuyu and Masai tribes, certain parts of the goat are for girls only, some parts for boys. In Uganda some wealthier families choose to buy a Christmas turkey, shopping in, of all places, the new South African ShopRite in Kampala. West Milford, N.J. - Merry Christmas In a ShopRite thousands of miles from Kampala you may find West Milford’s mayor, Bettina Bieri, filling her cart with the traditional Christmas Eve dinner staples that echo her Swiss and Austrian background - ingredients for vanille gipfel butter cookies and Wiener schnitzel, or perhaps bratwurst or knockwurst. Bieri’s family dines early on Christmas Eve. After dinner they gather together to sing carols and only after the ringing of bells can the family start opening their gifts, left under the tree by Kristkindl, the Christ Child. “The evening ends with our attendance at midnight Mass,” Bieri said. Christmas around the world, no matter the customs or traditions, is a time of peace and love. May you have both in your heart. Merry Christmas. Sources: http://www.christmasarchives.com/ireland.html; http://kabiza.com/Chrismas-African-Style.htm; http://goafrica.about.com; http://www.myuniversealfacts.com; http://www.polishcenter.org; http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/41332;