Wildly Wonderful Holiday Traditions
Happy holidays! From Christmas to Winter Solstice to Festivus, there are about 70 holidays celebrated around the world in December. This year, the gatherings are smaller and the get-togethers likely include virtual hugs, but the hope for a healthier 2021 brings added joy to our traditions, no matter what they are. I thought it would be fun to share some wonderful and bizarre traditions from across the globe, and two of my favorites right here at home.
The Philippines: Giant Lantern Festival
The Giant Lantern Festival (Ligligan Parul Sampernandu) is held annually on the Saturday before Christmas Eve in the city of San Fernando in the province of Pampanga Philippines. The festival attracts spectators from all over the world and the lanterns are colorful and crafted with love and the spirit of the season. Several villages take part in the festival and the competition is fierce. Originally, the lanterns were simple creations one to two feet in diameter, made with Japanese origami paper and bamboo and lit by candle. Today, the lanterns are made from a variety of materials and have grown to more than 10 times their original size and are illuminated by electric bulbs.
Iceland: The Yule Lads
For 13 days leading up to Christmas, children across the country place shoes at the window sill and are left toys for the good kids, and rotten potatoes for the misbehaved. The Yule Lads (each named like the seven dwarfs but for the trouble they could cause) used to be a lot creepier than they are today, and in 1746 parents were officially banned from tormenting their kids with monster stories about those particular creatures. Now, they're mostly benign - save for the harmless tricks they like to play and are even sold as miniature figurines.
Japan: Kentucky Fried Chicken
Christmas is not a national holiday in Japan though it is a festive season. Their nod to the holiday comes mostly in the form of food: the "Christmas Cake" is strawberry shortcake! Since the 1970's, a bit of a quirky “tradition” emerged and took root – a Christmas Day feast of the Colonel’s very own Kentucky Fried Chicken. It’s not uncommon to preorder meals for Christmas weeks in advance, and it’s easily the busiest time of year for the fast-food giant. Presents and gifts exchanges are most likely to happen during their New Year's celebrations.
Venezuela: Roll Out for Christmas
Leading up to and including Christmas day, the residents of the capital city Caracas head to church on roller skates. This unique tradition is so popular that roads across the city are closed to cars so that people can skate to church in safety. The traditional feast is often tamales, and in the past, residents also gave their homes a new coat of paint to dress up neighborhoods for the holidays.
Norway: Hide Your Brooms
This is a favorite because really, holidays are busy enough without having to clean! It may be one of the most unorthodox Christmas Eve traditions, but in Norway, people hide their brooms. It’s a tradition that dates back centuries to when people believed that witches and evil spirits came out on Christmas Eve looking for brooms to ride on. To this day, many people still hide their brooms in the safest place in the house to stop them from being stolen.
Sarasota: Lights, Magic, Action!
Two of my favorite traditions are here in Sarasota. On St. Armands Circle, the Holiday Night of Lights in early December kicks off the season with creative and festive decorations that fill the shops and Circle with joy - a great way to get in the holiday spirit! The other is the annual "Lights in Bloom" open-air light show at Selby Gardens in downtown Sarasota. The stroll through the magical gardens with more than two million lights is an awe-inspiring, breathtaking and unforgettable experience.
Whatever your traditions, I wish you a happy and healthy new year. I am here to make sure that you are in the perfect "home for the holidays" in sunny Florida. Let's talk: BeverlyStHilaire@michaelsaunders.com or 941-504-3303.