Christmas is an important holiday for Christians around the world. Christianity has spread to literally every continent and Christmas is celebrated on all of them. Christmas traditions evolved and many new ones have been created
Christmas: a World of Traditions
There have been English Christians since the 1st century. Father Christmas is a Staple of English Christian celebrations. Saint Nicholas, from the Turkish region of Myra, was known for secret gift giving, and inspired the Santa character. Traditions native to the Danish nations have affected other Christian cultures also. Santa Claus is a combination of many pre-Christian characters. German traditions have also affected Christian practices. Christmas trees are very similar to Lutheran/German Yule Treese. The Yule Log is another German tradition.
Greeks celebrate Christmas on January 7th, according to the Old or Julian calendar. As in Greece Russians celebrate Christmas according to the Julian calendar . While there is a growing observance of Christmas in public in Russia, it remains a mostly personal religious holiday religious holiday and contrasts with the commercialized Russian New Year. Russians also celebrate the feast of the wise men or 3 kings (called The Epiphany); when Russians celebrate by cutting holes in icy water shaped like crosses and diving into them.
Poland has a number of Christmas traditions not shared by other traditionally Catholic Countries. Poles celebrate with Christmas paper originally a pre-Christian practice, and a special midnight liturgy. The three kings and the epiphany also figure heavily into Polish Christmas traditions.
St Nicholas, from Myra, is the inspiration for many Christmas traditions. St Nicholas lived in Mediterranean Asia minor. The Turkish government limits many religious practices but there are many Christians in Turkey, and nearby Middle Eastern countries.
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