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[C668]Christmas Traditions Around World

by Cd Mohatta, Cd

?You better watch out, you better not pout. You better not cry, I am telling you why?. That's a favorite song for children everywhere because ?Santa Claus is coming to town?. It is a great way to motivate good behavior in children when they are very energetic and excited about holiday decorations and surprises. In our house, that song meant Santa was bringing things that we dreamed about, if we were good.

Like most families, our family also celebrated the holidays in both the traditional Christian and secular ways. My excitement would start to build when my parents first began to decorate our home by getting out the Christmas decorations and stuff. The first thing we put up was a window decoration of Santa and his sleigh that sat on the window ledge. Assembling the set with red string to connect reindeer meant Christmas. We decorated the windows with stencils and spray snow? to make ?wintry scenes?. Dad would get a real tree and we used lights, ornaments, silver garland with a star on top. Another tradition was hanging stockings for Santa. We would get apples, oranges, nuts, and hard candy in our stocking and wondered ?how did Santa get in without a fireplace?. We were told it was ?magic?!

One of the tastiest, best, and my favorite traditions was helping Mother decorate sugar cookies. I remember her using a silver cylinder that she would fill with cookie dough and press out perfect sugar cookies. She could even change the tips and go from stars to snowmen, angels and other shapes. It was so much fun to be given the responsibility of decorating cookies with icing and sprinkles.

Another tradition we had was putting food out for Santa and carrots for his reindeer. Our parents would read the ?T'was the night before Christmas? and then say we had to go? right to sleep or Santa would pass over our house if we were still awake?. By then, we were so excited that we couldn't even think about sleep, but of course, it was off to bed for me and my three brothers. While we were trying to go to sleep, we would hear jingle bells outside and the excitement would get really intense. It was very hard to keep your eyes closed and go right to sleep when you are that excited. But sometime later, daylight appeared and we would run to see what Santa had brought us. It was always so cool that Santa had eaten the cookies and most of the carrots were gone!

Traditions are what make memories. It is fun to follow the same traditions as growing up and adding even more. Spending Christmas Day with our parents and playing with our new toys and wearing our new clothes made it a day to remember. Some time during the day, our Mother would prepare a Holiday dinner and we'd give thanks and enjoy a full Christmas meal. Traditions, family and memories are the best things that we can give our children.

When Christmas time comes, many people shop for presents, prepare menu plans for the visiting family members and friends, and of course, choose Mexican Christmas traditions to make this holiday more authentic and familiar. The piñata has been used for hundreds of years in celebrating various holidays such as Easter, birthdays, and yes, Christmas.

There are some wonderful memories in my own past where a piñata was the center of the celebrations. These brightly colored objects are made of paper mache and brilliant colors. Whether the container is a donkey, a star, or some other favorite design, there are few people that can resist taking a swing at a piñata.

Traditionally, a piñata is filled with sweets such as sugarcane, but now there are toys, gifts, and even money that can come out of the favorite piñata. Once upon a time, a piñata was a clay ritual pot filled with water in the pre-Columbian Aztec days. This was a symbolic symbol for thunder and represented the pouring of rain following a thunderstorm.

Of course, another type of piñata was used to represent Huitzilocochtli the war god. This clay pot was covered in feathers and filled with little trinkets. With the addition of Catholicism to the region, these rituals were adapted to fit such religious celebrations.

There are many theoretical origins for the lovely piñata, but the truth of the matter is that it does not matter where this wonderful tradition started. What matters is that these are fun for children around the world, and while Mexico is often a traditional place where these are associated, the mighty piñata has definitely crossed the borders and are available for any culture for just about any occasion.

If you appreciate an authentic Mexican Christmas, you will appreciate the piñata. These are wonderful when filled with sweet treats and little toys. Watching the gleeful delight with which the youngster in your life swings wildly hoping to score a bit of something special is something any adult can appreciate. Of course, not only children appreciate this activity.

An authentic Mexican Christmas is a wonderful time for family and friends. Yet this symbolic piñata has spread to other holidays and celebrations. Today, you can even fill the container with other items that make it more age appropriate. Regardless of what is inside, you will find that getting to what is inside is part of the fun.

When the time comes, you can purchase the piñata for your Mexican Christmas, or you can choose to purchase one. These are available in seasonal designs or you can even create your own! The internet has definitely made it a lot easier to get the design choices you need, and you will even find that some websites offer an interesting look on the history. You will definitely get more than you expect when you choose this avenue for your shopping.

Having a great Mexican Christmas means being with family, friends, and people who care. Yes, having a celebration filled with tamales, delicious desserts, and other awesome cuisine is great, but the reason for the season is better when shared with those you love.

Article Source : How Is Culture Formed

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Both Cd Mohatta & Annie Dubois are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Cd Mohatta has sinced written about articles on various topics from Halloween Costumes, Careers and Job Hunting and Family Concerns. Users of myspace, friendster, hi5, orkut, etc, click for and. Cd Mohatta's top article generates over 1220000 views. to your Favourites.

Annie Dubois has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cooking Tips, Food and Drink and Culture. More about Annie Dubois and great Mexican food or gift boxes can be found at .. Annie Dubois's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.