By: Mya Starks Ho Ho Ho! Let’s get merry! What is Christmas? Christmas is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25. The holiday commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ. He is the central figure of the world’s largest religion, Christianity. In fact, the holiday has a lot of religious background to it, as many Christians, Catholics, and even non-religious people celebrate it. Many religious people celebrate the holiday by attending mass the day before, which is Christmas Eve, or the day after. A more popular way to celebrate is attending Christmas parties. Most Christmas gatherings are full of guests, both family and friends, where they enjoy a feast or dinner meal, gift-exchanges, and a source of entertainment like board games or karaoke. Picture via National Geographic Kids Christmas is the most celebrated holiday. Around the world, Christmas traditions are a bit similar and quite unique. In Japan, Christmas is not considered a national holiday, so businesses and sometimes schools are open like a normal day. Christmas is not viewed as a religious holiday but more of a romantic one. People celebrate by spending time with a significant other to walk around and look at Christmas lights, enjoy romantic meals, and give gifts. One of the most popular foods eaten on this day is fried chicken. Christmas Day is the busiest day for restaurants, especially KFC. Another popular food is the traditional Japanese Christmas cake. It’s a sponge cake with whipped cream and strawberries. Meri Kurisumasu! Picture By Mya Starks In the Philippines, the Christmas season begins as early as September. With around 80 percent of the population being Catholic, Christmas is celebrated very religiously. Special masses are held from December 16 all the way to the first Sunday of January. The masses are called “Misa de Gallo'' or “Simbang Gabi” in Filipino. Another way the holiday is celebrated is through a popular feast called Noche Buena, which means “good night” in Spanish. This feast is held at midnight, and it’s a big, open house celebration. Popular dishes include lechón, which is roasted pig, ham, fruit salad, rice cakes, and rice. A tradition that many Filipinos families participate in is decorating their homes with a parol, which is a bamboo pole or frame with a lighted star lantern on it; it’s usually made from bamboo strips, colored Japanese paper, and represents the star that guided the Wise Men. Maligayang Pasko! Picture via Kababayan Weekly on YouTube
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