Customs from Various Countries and Cultures

by Victor Hoagland, C.P. Centuries ago Christians brought plants and flowers into the celebration of Christmas, for did not Christ come to uphold the dignity of all God's creation? The natural world, as well as humans, angels and animals, should ha e a part in welcoming him. ! ergreens, from ancient times symbols of life and eternity, ha e always had a prominent place in Christian celebrations. Holly, with its green lea es, its pric"ly points and red berries, suggested that the Child born in the manger would wear a crown of thorns and shed drops of blood. #istletoe, long associated in the pre$ Christian world with healing, became a symbol of the healing power of Christ. The poinsettia, from Central %merica, with its bright, star$li"e flowers, is a natural reminder of the &tar of 'ethlehem. (ther plants that bloom during this season are images also of the )oot of *a id that flowered with new life. #any nations ha e contributed a rich mosaic of Christmas customs. %mong the +atin peoples, the Christmas no ena, nine days of prayer before Christmas, is a popular tradition. The Christmas meal after midnight #ass, in which all the family participates, is traditional among the ,rench. %mong the &la ic peoples on Christmas e e, the father of the family brea"s the feastday wafers of bread and gi es them to the members of his household, while wishing all the peace of Christmas. ,rom -reland came the custom of placing lighted candles in the window during Christmastime. -t originated in penal times when the Catholic religion was suppressed in -reland and priests were forced into hiding. -rish families put a burning candle in their window and left their doors unlatched, hoping that a priest might come to their door and celebrate the Christmas #ass with them. (n the feast of the !piphany, .anuary /th, the people of &outh %merica celebrate the coming of the Three 0ings with colorful processions and gi e gifts on that day.

The Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree probably originated from popular early medie al religious plays, 1the Paradise Plays,1 performed in churches and town s2uares of !urope during the %d ent season. The plays told the story of the human race from the creation of %dam and ! e in the Garden of Paradise till the 'irth of .esus in 'ethlehem. (n stage during the play was a great tree hung with apples, symboli3ing the Garden of Paradise. &oon people began the custom of putting a 1paradise tree1 laden with gifts and lighted with candles in their homes during the Christmas season to celebrate paradise regained through the coming of Christ. )epresenting many things$$the original tree of paradise, the life$gi ing tree of Christ's cross, the tree .ohn the %postle saw in the 'oo" of )e elations, 1a tree of life, which yields twel e crops of fruit, one for each month of the year...for the healing of the nations1$$our Christmas tree is rich in Christian symbolism.

Prayers Around the Christmas Tree

The leader may begin: -n the beginning God made the world and saw it was good. +ong ago, God placed a tree in the garden of paradise as his gift to all human beings, a tree of wisdom and "nowledge and laden with e ery good thing. (ur Christmas Tree reminds us of that tree. +ong ago too, God's "indness appeared in the coming of Christ, who is our hope of eternal life. This tree is a sign of Christ's blessings.

A Reading from the Book of Genesis

This is the story of the hea ens and the earth after their creation. 4hen the +ord God made the earth and the hea ens, there was neither shrub nor plan growing on the earth, because the +ord God had sent no rain5 nor was there anyone to till the ground... The +ord God formed a human being from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, so that he became a li ing creature. The +ord God planted a garden in !den away to the east, and in it he put the man he had formed... and in the middle of the garden he set the tree of life. Genesis 2: 4-9 Then all pray:

The lights of the tree are illuminated and a carol may be sung.

Prayers at a Christmas Manger

The leader may say: -t was &t. ,rancis of %ssisi who first populari3ed the Christmas manger. 4anting to see how Christ was born with his own eyes, he had a stable and some images made before Christmas and then in ited his neighbors and frieds to come and 6oin him at his 1'ethlehem.1 %s we loo" on our manger, may the Christmas story unfold before our eyes, too. +isten to the Holy Gospel according to +u"e7 -n those days a decree was issued by the emperor %ugustus for a census to be ta"en throughout the )oman world. This was the first )egistration of its "ind5 it too" place when 8uirinius was go ernor of &yria. ! eryone made his way to his own town to be registered. .oseph went up to .udaea from the town of 9a3areth in Galilee, to register in the city of *a id called 'ethlehem, because he was of the house of *a id by descent5 and with him went #ary, his betrothed, who was e:pecting her child. The figures are then placed in the manger, and after a short period of quiet, the reading continues.

4hile they were there, the time came for her to ha e her baby, and she ga e birth to a son, her first born. &he wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Lu e 2:!-" Then all pray: ( God, whose mighty &on was born in 'ethlehem those days long ago, lead us to that same poor place, where #ary laid her tiny Child. %nd as we loo" on in wonder and praise, ma"e us welcome him in all new life, see him in the poor, and care for his handiwor" the earth, the s"y and the sea. ( God, bless us again in your great lo e. 4e pray for this through Christ our +ord. %men. # $hristmas song may conclude the blessing.

Prayers for the Home

*uring the Christmas season, the feast of the !piphany is an appropriate day for praying for a home.

#s the household gathers around the manger, the leader may begin: (n this day we remember the #agi who, guided by the star shining in the hea ens, came to the house where .esus rested in the arms of #ary his mother. They were blessed as they brought their gifts to that holy place. Today we as" Christ our +ord to bless our home and ma"e it his dwelling. +isten to the holy Gospel according to .ohn7 -n the beginning the 4ord already was. The 4ord was in God's presence, and what God was, the 4ord was. He was with God in the beginning, with him no created thing came into being. &o the 4ord became flesh5 he made his home among us, and we saw his glory, such glory as befits the ,ather's only &on,

full of grace and truth. %ohn !:!-&, !4 'ntercessions by household members for (arious needs are made. Then all say the follo)ing prayer: ( God, by your hea enly star, you guided those who were wise to your belo ed &on, .esus Christ. #ay your blessing come to rest on our home and all of us. #a"e our li es wise with your wisdom, true to your teaching, and enli ened by your lo e. #ay your 4ord made flesh ma"e his home among us. %men.

Prayers for the 9ew ;ear

*e gather to commit the +e) ,ear and its mysteries to God. The leader may begin: The new year, li"e a new born child, is placed in our hands as the old year passes away. The days and wee"s to come are God's gift5 they carry God's blessing. %s a blessing we welcome them. (ur hope for the year ending is that all that was good in it remain with us an all that was harmful be left behind. +isten to a )eading from the 'oo" of Genesis7 -n the beginning God created the hea ens and the earth. The earth was a ast waste, dar"ness co ered the deep, and the spirit of God ho ered o er the surface of the water. God said7 1+et there be light,1 and there was light5 and God saw the light was good, and he separated the light from dar"ness. He called the light day, and the dar"ness night. &o e ening came, and morning came5 it was the first day. Genesis !-!-. Then all pray:

'less us, ( +ord, and bless the time and seasons yet to come. Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. %nd fill this new year with your "indness, that we may be glad and re6oice all the days of our life. /thers may offer prayers of intercession and than sgi(ing, and then all may pray the 0/ur 1ather.0 2ince %anuary !st is a day for praying for peace, the 3rayer of 2t. 1rancis may also be said. +ord, ma"e me an instrument of your peace7 where there is hatred, let me sow lo e where there is in6ury, pardon5 where there is doubt, faith5 where there is despair, hope5 where there is dar"ness, light5 where there is sadness, 6oy. Good #aster, grant that - may not so much see" to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be lo ed as to lo e. ,or it is in gi ing that we recei e, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. %men.

Prayers for the ,amily

The ,east of the Holy ,amily, which is celebrated the &unday following Christmas, is an appropriate day for prayers for a family. The leader may begin: ,rom the beginning, God 6oined man and woman together, and blessing them with children, made them a family. .ust as .esus li ed at 9a3areth with #ary and .oseph and his relati es and friends, so we find our life here with our own flesh and blood. 4e as" God's blessing on our family and our home. +isten to the words of Paul the %postle to the Colossians7 Put on, then, garments that suit God's chosen and belo ed people7 compassion, "indness, humility, gentleness, patience.

'e tolerant with one another and forgi ing, if any of you has cause for complaint7 you must forgi e as the +ord forga e you. ,inally, to bind e erything together and complete the whole, there must be lo e. +et Christ's peace be arbiter in your decisions, the peace to which you were called as members of a single body. %lways be than"ful. +et the gospel of Christ dwell among you in all its richness5 teach and instruct one another with all the wisdom it gi es you. $olossians &:!2-!4 #fter some moments of silence, prayers for the family may be offered, especially for those members )ho ha(e died. Then all say: ( God, bless our family and all its members and friends5 bind us together by your lo e. Gi e us "indness and patience to support each other5 and wisdom in all we do. +et the gift of your peace come into our hearts and remain with us. #ay we re6oice in your blessings for all our days. %men.