CHRISTMAS ……….. ACROSS THE OCEANS.

You can hear it on the street: “Christmas isn’t what it used to be – it’s all commercially- driven…..blah,blah!”And to read that ‘One in five Brits do not know that Jesus was born on Christmas Day’ (1).Or, the other statistic which quotes: ‘new poll shows 91% of Brits celebrate Christmas ( but just 22% celebrate the birth of Christ’) (2) – so perhaps they have a point.

But another point is that there’s a religious Christmas and there’s also a commercial Christmas.Personally, I think that the above stats are dodgy – that more people go to midnight mass and other church services than this 22% attests to, and I’m not sure where these sites get their methodology from.But on the other hand, many of this supposed 22% also use the occasion as a holiday – after all they have been working all year.

Anyway, whether you are a seafarer or a tourist, let’s take a world trip to see how other nations reflect upon Christmas.We’ll start in the European countries. The day itself is a mix of religious and worldly pursuits: churches are open for worship from Finland to Spain to Greece, but if you want to breakaway and go for a meal and a beer, there are always restaurants and bars open – Spain especially is typical of this – the port of Barcelona  has a thriving Christmas Day clothing market on the beach.

Just beyond the Mediterranean, It’s a public holiday in the state of Jordan, and where only 10% of the population are Christians these live peacefully with the majority of Muslims. Indeed, Christians are treated with respect at Christmas that many Jordanian Muslims join in, so to speak, with parties, celebrations and decorations.

By contrast, neighbouring Israel does not decree the 25 December a public holiday despite Christmas being unparalleled with Christians of every denomination visiting the country for the birthplace of Jesus Christ (native Christians however comprise only 2.5% of the population).

In Dubai (UAE) – a secular Islamic country – the 25th is usually fun due to it’s agreeable sunny weather. There are plenty of trees and decorations on sale – Carrefour supermarket even has a simulated roaring log fire – whilst churches are open in this tolerant country; indeed, Dubai’s focus on religious tolerance is underlined by the ‘Minister of Happiness’ (no, this isn’t a joke – please read on): specifically, the MoH purpose is (quote): ‘ to align and drive government policy to create social good and satisfaction’ – the brainchild of Sheik Mohammad bin Rashid al Maktoum, prime minister of UAE. (3)

A truly wonderful idea to have the government promote the pursuit of happiness, but I think we’ll be waiting a long time for a similar law to be passed in Westminster, don’t you think?

On to India and there are 25m Christians who celebrate midnight mass followed by a day of feasting, especially in cities such as Delhi and Mumbai.But travelling on to Russia, you’ll have to wait until January 7 due to calendar anomalies ( only a few Catholics celebrate the 25 December). And as Russia’s Stalinist-era in which Christmas was practically outlawed has long gone, bars and restaurants are open and if you’re on a ship in somewhere like Novorossiysk, people will say: “S rozhdyestvom Hristovym” ( congratulations on the birth of Christ!).

Reaching China which is only one per cent Christian, the trappings of a Western Christmas are nevertheless found everywhere including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.Starting in late November stores are decorated with trees and twinkling lights with shop assistants wearing Santa hats. An unusual tradition is the giving of apples, the source of which is believed that the word ‘apple’ (‘ ping’ in Mandarin) sounds very much like the Mandarin for ‘peace’ – quite a heart-warming coincidence, you might say.And families also exchange gifts and hampers, young couples especially, much as we do on Valentines Day, the only difference being that Chinese opt to overlook the Day’s religious roots.

In Japan the story is much the same: the Japanese view Christmas as a time to spread happiness; they have trees and tinsel, but they don’t have carol singing – instead the most popular song is Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’ – sung in Japanese but occasionally in English, this noble song is very fitting, for sure.
In South Korea, there is a Christian population of 25% – one of the highest in south-east Asia – but the Koreans are very serious about its religious significance and less about shopping and sales prices.

Australia is a country most Brits would probably like visit at this period and if you’re heading to Bondi Beach, you’ll find most watering holes open.A picnic on the beach is an Australian icon and most Aussies use their own local beach.In contrast, the ‘Bondi Beach Hotel’ is famous as a mecca for visiting Poms – evident by the number of overseas phone calls to the UK on Christmas Day. Allegedly, most Sydney-siders avoid Bondi as yet another reason!

Onto the Americas, and in Canada and the USA it is very much a family-centred holiday. They don’t do Boxing Day in the US, but throughout America houses are lavishly lit with lights and ornamental reindeer.Many people leave a plate of cookies and a glass of milk on the step ‘for Santa.’And in New York City, ‘Times Square’ is particularly brightly-illuminated at this time.Incidentally, for guys and girls off the ship, both countries have Seafarers Clubs which give a seafarers a present of useful stuff such as socks, playing cards, Hershey bars, etc, although some other cities give more upmarket gifts such as Hanes T-shirts, plaid shirts and winter hats – always appreciated.

In South American countries, the holiday tends to focus on the religious side  – the ‘Missa do Galo’ (midnight mass) in Brazil is always well-attended. And after that, the following day there are spectacular street parties and firework displays which also attract huge crowds.In Argentina, Christmas is of a similar type although criticism has been levelled within the country due to it becoming more commercialised ( much like Britain!).
Anyway, it figures that far from there being a dichotomy between a commercial and a religious Christmas, it is plain to see that much of the world – whatever their creed and beliefs – has taken to the Western event with enthusiasm. There are communities within communities – the African refugees in Spain and Italy, for example, some are often of no specific religion – yet the host countries’ kindnesses and cultural input of Christmas will no doubt stay forever with them.It has been seen that in China and Japan – countries with a very low proportion of Christians – the day is designated as one of peace and goodwill.Religion or not – isn’t that something to feel positive about? 

Merry Christmas, shipmates!
1)  ‘Christmas Day 2017: ‘One in five Brits…..’. (The Independent – 06.12.16):  accessed 15.12.19
2)  ‘ No War on Christmas: new poll shows 91% of Brits celebrate Christmas’ ( politics.co.uk – 16.12.19):      accessed 15.12.19.
3). ‘Happiness – The Official Portal of the UAE Government’ ( https//emirateswoman.com – 19.08.19):      accessed 16.12.19