Christmas: The Global Celebration

　　Christmas is truly a global celebration! Although the traditions and foods associated with it vary with climate, culture, country -- even calendar -- the spirit of the day transcends all such differences.

　　While possibly the most "popular" Christian holiday, Christmas has also evolved into a secular celebration. Ironically fitting, since the eventual acceptance of Christianity in most societies required missionaries and church hierarchy to meld Christian practices with the pagan or other non Christian religious beliefs of the native people.

　　In Northern Europe, pre-Christian symbols of spirit worship have become Yuletide standards, such as the Christmas tree, mistletoe, holly, and ivy. Overindulgence at the dinner table, stringing Christmas lights, exchanging gifts, even burning the Yule log are traditions that can be traced back to the ancient Roman celebration of Saturnalia and various winter solstice rituals.

　　Even in societies where Christianity is not the dominant religious belief, Santa Claus has become the reason for the season.

　　Japan has celebrated Christmas since at least the 1930s and especially since World War II as a precursor to New Year celebrations. On Christmas Eve lovers treat each other to lavish gifts and children await Uncle Chimney. And there's no problem cooking that big dinner. Parents have been known to wait for hours lined up outside the local Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise to buy a bucket of chicken for their eager children. (At the root of this practice is the perceived similarity between Colonel Sanders and jolly old St. Nick.) Add to this an even older culinary tradition of feasting on strawberry shortcake (topped with a plastic fir tree) and Christmas Japanese style takes on a meaning all its own.

Though many of us paint Christmas in the snow-laden colors of Currier and Ives prints, below the equator its summer. Christmas in Australia and South Africa ranges from the fowl or roast front and center in a dinner spread out over a formal table to a casual picnic in the great outdoors-Throw another shrimp on the barbie, mate?