Ideas For Meetings

A FEW IDEAS FOR YOUR MEETINGS OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS

CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD

AUSTRALIA - December comes in Australia with the warmth of summer. Generally, Christmas is celebrated along traditional lines and families often travel great distances to be together. Church is attended in great mass on Christmas Day. Services are often held very early in the morning. Christmas dinner may be a picnic in the woods or on the beach. Australians also sing carols by candlelight and decorate their homes with flowers and other plants. The Australians celebrate Christ's birth with an imagery drawn from the Australian Christmas Bush, which flowers at that time of year. The carols sung are also mostly Australian. Bing Cosby's is a popular album for Christmas Down Under. Due to the cultural pluralism in Australia, food can vary. However, meals mainly centre on the traditional Hams, Turkeys and Plum Pudding. Often these dishes are cooked earlier and served cold. Salads and other summer foods are also very much common. So are food items from other cultures. Public celebrations include Carols by Candlelight Concert, on Christmas Eve, held at the Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne and Carols in the Domain, Australia's largest annual community Christmas celebration. The event, which is free to attend is held in Sydney's Domain Gardens, a short walk from the Sydney Opera House and is always held on the last Saturday before Christmas. These events are aired live on television and radio throughout the country and seen through Southeast Asia and New Zealand.

CHINA - Although Christianity is unsanctioned in China, there are an estimated 10 million baptized Christians forming about 1% of the population. These people celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas time. They are influenced more by their own tradition than their Western counterparts. Over the past few years the popularity of midnight mass has grown so swiftly that most Catholic churches cannot hold the numbers. Some who celebrate Christmas in China do so after having spent time in Japan where the holiday is becoming a booming business. The small percentage of Chinese who do so, erect artificial trees in their upscale apartments decorated with spangles form southern China’s export zone. Christmas trees are called “trees of light” and are decorated with paper chains, paper flowers and paper lanterns. Children hang up muslin stockings in hopes that Dun Che Lao Ren (China’s Santa) will fill them with presents. Stores have men dressed as Santa Claus handing out candy and waitresses with Santa hats. The booming commercialism which has spread outward from Beijing has been called a Chinese phenomenon. It started out as a friendly gesture or business ploy aimed at Christian visitors. A festival of peace and renewal known as Ta Chiu is celebrated in Hong Kong. Taoists summon their gods and ghosts. People make offerings to their patron saints. Festivities close with the reading of the names of every person who lives in the area. The names are then listed, attached to a paper horse, and burned in hopes that they will rise to heaven.

CZECHOCLOVAKIA - Centuries ago, the western half of Czechoslovakia was known as Bohemia. This was the 10th century home of Good King Wenceslaus, the main character in the familiar English Christmas carol. It is said that English troops, fighting in Bohemia hundreds of years later, brought the song home with them. In Czechoslovakia, St Nicholas is called Svaty Mikalas and is believed to climb to earth down from heaven on a golden rope along with his companions: an angel and a whip-carrying devil. An ancient tradition shared by Czechoslovakia and Poland involves cutting a branch from a cherry tree putting it in water indoors to bloom. If the bloom opens in time for Christmas it is considered good luck and a sign that the winter may be short. The hope of early spring helps keep spirits up during the long dark winter.

INDIA - Despite the same underlying spirit, the celebration of Christmas in India is different in different parts of this country of diversity. If in the North East, it is celebrated in one way, in the South West it is done in a different way. Christians in the plains decorate mango or banana trees at Christmas time. Sometimes they also decorate their houses with mango leaves. In some parts of India, small clay oil-burning lamps are used as Christmas decorations; they are placed on the edges of flat roofs and on the tops of walls. Churches are decorated with poinsettias and lit with candles for the Christmas Eve service. However, for the urban regions the ingredients of the festivities are the familiar Christmas trees (mostly potted) decorated with stars and tinsels, toys, plastic fruits, and colourful streamers and illuminated well are placed in front of the Christian houses, shops and restaurants. Santa is also seen in some streets and some shops and departmental stores deploy Santa to entertain their kid-customers. In the major cities of India, carolling processions are also seen on streets and thoroughfares. Though the Hindus and Moslems comprise majority of the population, Christmas is celebrated with much fanfare in this secular country. The Day is a national holiday and people irrespective of their religion enjoy it along with the Christians.

JAPAN - Christmas in Japan became popular at the beginning of the 20th century and is mainly celebrated in cities. They celebrate it as a purely secular holiday devoted to the love of their children. The Japanese become acquainted with the holiday because of the Christmas products they made for other countries. Christmas decorations are a popular sight. Tinsel and lights are hung in dance halls, cafes and pinball parlours. Trees are decorated with small toys, dolls, paper ornaments, gold paper fans and lanterns, wind chimes and small candles. One of the most popular ornaments is the origami swan. Children have traded thousands of paper birds of peace with young people to show that war will not happen. Many of the people take time to do special things for others. Hospitals are decorated with trees to lift the spirits of the sick. Children sing carols or put on plays about the birth of Jesus for the sick. Japanese children call Santa "Santa Kurohsu" and he is believed to have eyes in the back of his head so he can watch the children all year long. In Japan there is a priest known as Hoteiosho, who closely relates to Santa Claus. He is thought to be an old man who carries a huge sack. Christmas in Japan was introduced by the Christian missionaries and for many years, the only people who celebrated were the ones who turned to the Christian faith. Now Christmas in Japan is full of meaning. The Japanese like the idea of exchanging gifts. For a few weeks before the day, stores are decorated and a display is put out, just as our western shops have done. The story of Jesus born in a manager is interesting to little girls of Japan, for they love anything about babies. In the scene of the Nativity, they become familiar with cradles, for Japanese babies never sleep in cradles. Many western customs for Christmas have been adopted by the Japanese. Besides exchanging gifts, they eat turkey on Christmas Day and in some places, there are community trees. They decorate with tinsel and mistletoe and in some homes Christmas carols are sung.

SAY HAPPY NEW YEAR IN MANY LANUGAGES

Chinese (Cantonese)
Gung hay fat choy (a New Year greeting meaning "May you become prosperous")
Sun nien fai lok (meaning "Happy new year")

Chinese (Mandarin)
Xin nian yu kuai

Danish
Godt Nytår

Dutch
Gelukkig nieuwjaar

Farsi
Aide shoma mobarak

French
Bonne année

Gaelic
Aith-bhliain Fe Nhaise Dhuit

German
Gutes Neues Jahr

Hawaiian
Hauoli Makahiki Hou

Hebrew
Shanah tovah

Hmong
Nyob zoo xyoo tshiab

Indonesian
elamat Tahun Baru

Italian
Buon Capo d'Anno

Japanese
Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu

Norwegian
Godt Nyttår

Pilipino (Tagalog)
Maligayang Bagong Taon

Polish
Szczesliwego Nowego roku

Portuguese
Feliz ano novo

Romanian
La Multi Ani

Russian
S Novym Godom

Spanish
Feliz Año Nuevo

Sudanese
Wilujeng Tahun Baru

Swedish
Gott Nytt År

Turkish
Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun

Welsh
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda