Ahead Of Christmas, Take A Peek At The Unique Traditions Of Some Of The Citizens Of The World

Illustration (Brett Sayless/Pexels)

JAKARTA - Christmas Day is always eagerly awaited by the world community, because many special things are presented. Can not be separated from the figure of Santa, Christmas trees, gifts, and very festive celebrations make Christmas very memorable. From creating giant hay goat statues to kutias that keep families warm during the Ukrainian winter.

Sweden

The Yule goat is a Christmas symbol in Sweden that dates back to an ancient pagan festival. But in 1966, the tradition was renewed after the idea emerged to create a giant hay goat, now known as the Gävle Goat.

The goat was over 42 feet (12.8 meters) high, 23 feet (7.01 meters) wide and weighed 3.6 tons. Every year, a big goat is built in the same place. The public can even watch the live broadcast from the first week of Advent until after the New Year when the video is broadcast.

Japan

(Nicole Michalou/Pexels)

Christmas celebrations in Japan are unique. Since 1970, every Christmas Eve Japanese people always eat fried chicken bought at fast food restaurants. This tradition is one of the awaited activities to gather with family. Beer or sake, a typical Japanese type of alcohol is usually a good companion to enjoy after eating fried chicken. There are also those who choose to eat wagashi, a type of traditional Japanese cake as dessert.

Philippines

The Giant Lantern Festival is held annually on the Saturday before Christmas Eve in the city of San Fernando. The festival attracts large audiences from all over the world. Eleven villages took part in the festival.

Initially, lanterns were simple creations with a diameter of about 50 cm made of Japanese origami paper and lit by candles. Today, lanterns are made of various materials and have grown to a size of about six meters.

Ukraine

It is unique, Ukrainians celebrate Christmas on January 7 by wearing traditional clothes and walking around singing hymns in the middle of the city. A staple of the Ukrainian Christmas tradition is kutia, made from ripe wheat mixed with honey, poppy seeds and sometimes nuts.