How would you like to taste warm, creamy fondue from Switzerland family-style or surprise your friends with loud music after 10 P.M. Puerto Rican Parranda style? While travel restrictions may still be in place in some parts of the world, you can still travel using taste, sound, art and more. Keeping reading to learn how you can have a multi-cultural Christmas, with customs from six different continents, from the comfort of your own home!
Asia: The Philippines
Parols: Handmade Paper Lanterns
You know it’s Christmas in the Philippines when the streets begin to glow from the light of carefully-decorated Parols. The star-shaped Christmas lanterns are hung either indoors or outside to symbolize the star the Wise Men followed to find their way to Jesus. All you need to make them are bamboo sticks, paper and glue or rubber bands. Parols can also be handmade using capiz, a high-quality transparent seashell that can be cut and formed into different shapes.
Africa: South Africa
Christmas Picnics
Christmas comes to South Africa in the summertime. Most families celebrate with food and fun in the sun including beach days and outdoor feasts. The southern-most African nation offers a vast array of scenic outdoor venues for families to enjoy and exchange gifts while basking in natural beauty.
Europe: Switzerland
Hot Pots of Fondue
Since the 18th Century, the Swiss have enjoyed warm pots of fondue, family-style, during the winter months. Groups of Swiss cheese lovers get a crunchy European-baked loaf of bread, break it into small chunks, and take turns dipping it into the smooth, cheesy mixture with fondue forks. Serious cheese twirlers usually use a blend of Gruyere and another high-quality cheese like Appenzeller or Raclette. Don’t forget to peel the toasted cheese from the bottom of the pot and eat it!
South America: Peru
Chocolatadas
Every year in Peru, organizations, businesses and other groups come together to prepare traditional Peruvian Hot Chocolate and sweet Paneton cake and pass it out to children and families in the most remote, working-class areas of the nation. Children also receive gifts that they otherwise would not from those who choose to participate.
North American Caribien: Puerto Rico
Parrandas
Everyone loves a surprise, especially when it involves classic Christmas music, friends and food! That’s what Puerto Rican originated Parrandas are. Sometime after around 10 pm, a group of singers and musicians shows up quietly outside an unsuspecting friends house. All at once, everyone starts singing and playing instruments loud enough to wake the home’s occupants, and before COVID, the home owner would let everyone in for a long night of festive partying.
In many cases, home owners are given a hint and prepare many traditional dishes and treats such as roasted pork or Coquito before hand. The crowd goes from house to house surprising more homeowners and amassing more treats well into the wee hours of the morning.
Australia
Backyard Cricket
What better way to work-off Christmas calories than a game a Cricket? In the Land Down Under, families and friends use Cricket as a way to pass time waiting for food or as a fun post-meal fellowship. Australians, who also get a warm, summery Christmas, play the portable game almost anywhere, but very commonly, in backyards!
What are some of your family’s Christmas traditions? Let us know in the comments!
Wishing You a Festive Family and Friend-Filled Holiday!
Post Graduate
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