#// also the history of the pinata is wild

[ferret-not-microwave]

Les Amis Modern AU: What They Wish Others Believed About Them (Part 4)

[I kind of wrote this in response to some general trends in characterising the Amis. There are some stereotypes which I'm not quite comfortable with.]

[So much delay. Sorry.]

Joly:

• Really, really wishes that people don't laugh at him for his anxiety issues. He is truly terrified of getting infected with some disease or the other, and even more terrified of spreading it to Joly and Chetta. It doesn't help that he is one of the most sincere students of the lot, and spends a lot of time reading medical journals, which feed into his panic. He feels safe wearing masks, using rubbing alcohol (or wearing gloves), and having a bag full of basic first aid supplies, and gets embarrassed if anyone judges him for it. Also, he doesn't like it if "concerned" people ask him whether he had a past history of debilitating disease or something, he doesn't want to discuss it at all, okay? -_-

• When Joly fusses about illness in the Musain, it is him letting his guard down. He has to actively rein in his anxiety to function in the hospital, and gets super exhausted from hiding it. His tells in the hospital are are wide eyes behind his protective goggles and a compulsive toying with the wristband of his gloves. He's one of the most courageous individuals ever because of what he faces on a regular basis. He hopes that he might get some reassurance from the Amis to stop his spiralling thoughts, and he mostly gets it.

• Joly definitely has a wild side, and is more than his anxious, serious self. If there's one who can one-up Courf's cheesy pick-up lines, it is Joly. With a eyebrow quirk that leaves everyone giggly and blushing. If there's one who can set a Karaoke stage on fire (not literally, that would be R), it's Joly. If there's one who can down shots to match Bahorel, it's Joly. The one who is the most eager to go skinny dipping? Joly. The one who is, oddly, the most eager to break a pinata? Joly. Joly is more than a "quiet science nerd who checks his tongue in the mirror all the time".

• Joly and Ferre INSIST that they do not talk about random medical trivia all the time. Honestly, their shared interests involve Jane Austen and massive amounts of gossip with tea, along with Doctor Who, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF TEA, IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD.

• There are days he wants to tackle people like an angry Pikachu. But real life is tough, and not everyone has the privilege of confronting people. But he really, really can do without people casting aspersions on his poly relationship with Bossuet and 'Chetta ALL THE TIME. He has been confronted as an "opportunist" in Pride walks, faced with people's pitying look to Bossuet or 'Chetta as though he is stringing them both along or "sharing" 'Chetta with Bossuet, cheered on and slapped on the back by straight cismen for "knowing how to have fun", and once directly asked if he's the one who will marry 'Chetta. He goes into panic often, and for the longest time thought himself a really awful person.

• Beware a Joly in a farmer's market. Not because of haggling, but because some people ALWAYS assume that he's amazing at math while he actually fumbles at the cash counter. Similarly, he hates it if people crack shady jokes about him being a Marie Kondo around him (just because he likes neatness AND MARIE KONDO THANK YOU VERY MUCH). And no, he doesn't like rice all the time.

• Please give back the Tupperwares. Unlike popular opinion, Joly won't chase you down for his Tupperware like some do, and isn't particularly possessive about them. That doesn't mean that he can replace misplaced Tupperwares for all eternity, please. ;_; (Same goes for the beeswax food wraps and dino bandages, c'mon peeps don't help yourself to them indiscriminately ;_;).

• Apart from his baggy sweatshirt and dinosaur pajamas aesthetic, he also has a dress shirt and pleated pants collection that would probably leave Jay Gatsby jealous AF.

Bossuet:

• Is really self-conscious about his receding hairline. He had taken to shaving his head to make it look cool, because he's really uncomfortable with weird jokes about his age and baldness. Shaving heads is pretty high-maintenance at times, and he's slowly opening up to let the hair grow back on the sides of the head for the heck of it. He used to have a large collection of hats too, which he still uses occasionally, but now it is just a fashion accessory, not a way to hide. He likes scarves as well.

• He used to flinch and swallow his discomfort when people would touch his scalp without permission, now he firmly brushes off their hands with a light scowl.

• Similarly, he hates it when people actively try to compare him to Joly. He hates being considered less successful, a "third wheel" to Joly and 'Chetta and someone who can be taken less seriously. This doesn't mean he is jealous or angry with Joly at all though.

• He feels really, really angry when Joly sometimes breaks down in front of him and 'Chetta when confronted with comments on their relationship. He can and will stonewall anyone who hurts either of them.

• Bossuet understands Joly's anxiety because he faces anxiety as well. He often gets nightmares of his "bad luck" turning batshit Final-Destination-esque and resulting in horrible accidents to Joly, 'Chetta amd the rest of the Amis. He knows the "bad luck" jokes are good humouring, but it wears him down a lot in exam/interview/work meeting weeks and leaves him third and fourth guessing himself. He had also entered a bout of depression because the "bad luck" jokes had convinced himself that he can't progress in life because what's the use. It took a lot of work and, oddly, a super niche article from the Amis blog detailing research on how some societies actively ostracize people for being "unlucky" and how it is linked to major societal oppression, to help him.

• Bossuet loves having a heart of gold. Sometimes some people tell him not to be so nice ("what if that person has cheated you off money with a sob story?"). He refuses, because he cherishes being nice and knows his limits. He sometimes worries if he's being stupid, like when the great "attendance-by-proxy" disaster happens. But Marius' broad and grateful smile, "hi, how are you doing?" texts every morning, and monthly batch of AMAZING chocolate cookies makes it worth it.

• Bossuet's accidents do lead to some happy accidents. He stumbled on a whole new recipe of gooey brownies by accident. An amazing combination of dark chocolate and red chilli peppers (maybe not so weird in retrospect)? By accident. He fell upon Courfe's sandcastle once, but it resulted in a rare hermit crab crawling out. Courfe gave a treat at the new brunch place he was saving up for, because apparently that hermit crab had made Ferre all starry-eyed and happier than he had been in weeks. And as for the rest pf the accidents? Nothing that duct tape , 'Chetta, Joly and occasionally Feuilly can't help with. In all, his accidents are always smallish, and never monumental.

• Bossuet can put 'Chetta and Ferre to shame with his eyebrow raising (at least occasionally? Hehe?). He does that a lot when people ask him if he has put water on fire or has fallen into wells. "Like bruh? I don't go anywhere close to wells, I love sidewalks and what's with everyone asking me about the kitchen being on fire?" He also does that a lot to piners (R, Ep, Courfe, 'Parnasse).

• Bossuet is one of Enj's closest friends in Law School (apart from Courfe), because Law classes and shared optional papers. Duh. They often have long discussions which are super pleasant, fluffy, yet sensible because of his really sensitive optimism. Bossuet's unorthodox insights make their way into Enj's notes for ABC meetings, and he credits him always. Similarly Enj bails him out with attendance issues. Bossuet often calmly advices him about R. Since Joly has a similar relationship with Ferre, Bossuet and Joly sometimes help Enj and Ferre sort out lingering grievances between them, or plain hear them out. Enj and Bossuet have Froyo days.

Musichetta:

• Loves, loves, LOVES books. Has no idea why people think nerds come in a kind of stereotype only ("I don't look like you", she complains to Joly and Ferre one day, "but I can defeat you two in a Jane Austen quiz WTF!" They agree emphatically, and Ferre adds "and maybe Jehan too. Maybe".). She is a massive sucker for Comic-Cons and hates men who try to prove otherwise. -_- She loves libraries as much as she loves bars.

• Has no idea why people think she's super bitchy or about to eat them up. Many people plain run when she so much as looks at them while doing a shift as a barista in the Musain. Or ask for "the nicer barista" (Cosette?). When she breathes a sigh of relief when someone treats her nice, she also braces herself for self-righteous "saviours". "Are you sure you are doing okay with those men?" "They are using you!". If she poured milk all over a client's trousers because of such a comment not-so-accidentally, no one needs to know. ;)

• Sometimes, she feels drained out. Having to support both her partners anxiety can leave her down too. They are amazing people, who love her a lot, and know that she needs her recharge time. Often Bossuet takes over in caring for Joly and vice-versa. 'Chetta has a small arrangement with Courfe on those days. If he has free time, the two of them go for an amazing, super relaxing spa session. Bahorel is back-up spa partner. The two of them know not to ask questions, but let her unwind her thoughts and air them out.

• 'Chetta joined Les Amis L'ABC much later. One of her pet peeves were when Joly or Bossuet would go to protests which could easily turn violent because of right wing trolls and the police swarming the city. Specifically, when they went without more than a word or two to her. She would get worried sick, particularly if they couldn't pick up the phone within half an hour of the protest ending, and would cry alone because she didn't want to come off as needy and one of those people who do not support their cause.

• She finally broke down before them after Bossuet had a small concussion. They were really shamefaced at having not thought about her feelings, and their apologies ran for hours. While Joly promised to regularly give her updates, Bossuet asked her to join the ABC if she is comfortable with it. It took time for her to accept that she was being in the group because of the cause and not because she wanted to helicopter-mom Joly and Bossuet, but when the next protest happened, she realised that she was in a place she always wanted to be in.

• The Amis thought that she was a member anyway. She would holler at

• 'Chetta hates it when people think that it's Joly or Bossuet who end up lavishing gifts on her all the time. True, they do, but she does it too. She's a sucker for thoughtful gift giving, and she spoils the Amis A LOT OF TIMES. She can scour the Earth for ideal gifts for her boys, and she often takes care of a stray bill or two, as much as she humanely can. She doesn't play a one-upping battle of gifts though, she just loves a lot.

• She is really self conscious about her small hands and tiny feet. Which seem to her too small in comparison with the rest of her body. Sometimes she used to wear really fluffy mittens in winter to hide how small her hands her. Not so much now. :)

•She confided to Jehan that she didn't like people romanticizing her small hands and feet because she thought they were putting unrealistic standards of the "frail beauty" on her when she was anything but. She said this after she heard R chortle about how Joly had introduced her as having tiny hands and feet. The discussion ended in her gaping and then crying out of laughter because (according to Jehan) apparently Joly was really drunk when he first talked to the Amis about her, and had also said something like "she has fortune-teller eyes, yannow! Ask Bossuet! And her dimples! Marius, you booby, you pool noodle, I know how you feel like when you met Cosette!"

Apparently Bahorel had replied with "you need new pants" and then started laughing like no tomorrow. Bossuet, not so drunk (because he was late to the party), had taken the sensible route and shown the Amis the picture the three of them took after their first date.

• Seriously, she knows zilch about tarot cards or natal charts.

[lovemesomesurveys]

England Do you like to drink tea? I like to drink some at night before bed. Do you like to put sugar in your tea? Yeah. I just use 1-2 packets of sweetener. Have you ever explored an ancient castle? No. If you’re a Christian, are you Catholic or Protestant? Protestant. Do you live in a big house? No. 

Are there a lot of seagulls where you live? No, not in my city. Do you have a garden? No. Name something you own with the British flag on it. I don’t have anything. What’s your favorite part of London? I’ve never been, but I’d love to visit. If you’ve been to England, what was your favorite city you’ve visited? If applicable, what is/was your favorite store in London? Have you ever been lost in London? Would you say your personality is British? Do you think you’d fit in there? What are some examples of a British personality? Do you have English ancestors, or are you from England? No. Ireland What is one of your favorite celtic songs? I don’t know any. Do you have red hair? Not naturally, but I dye it red. Are you Irish? I do have some Irish in me.

Name 5 redheads that you know. I have a cousin who’s a natural redhead. That’s the only redhead I know, personally. Who in your family is/was a redhead? ^^^ If you’ve been to Ireland, what was your favorite city you visited? I’ve never been. Did you have any bad experiences in Ireland? Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? All we do is have corned beef and cabbage for dinner, ha. Do you like Irish food? I think they’re kinda big on soups and stews, which aren’t my thing. I’m not crazy about corned beef and cabbage, but I’ll eat it that one day a year. Now potatoes, on the other hand, I love in all its various forms. What’s one thing you like about ancient cathedrals? The architecture, the interior, the artifacts, the history. Do you like rolling hills of green? That scene from The Sound of Music just came to mind. haha. Do you like bagpipes? I don’t really feel any particular way about them. It’s not something I hear very often. If you’re Irish, what part of Ireland is your family from? I don’t know. I really want to do one of those DNA tests to find out more about all that. Do you like English accents or Irish accents better? English. China What is your Chinese zodiac sign? I don’t know. ^Do you like it? Do you feel it fits your personality? I don’t believe in that stuff. Do you like your American zodiac sign or Chinese zodiac sign better? Do you like Chinese food? I like some. It’s not my favorite and it’s not ever something I really crave. List three of your favorite Chinese foods. Chow mien, egg rolls, pot stickers. I loved orange chicken, but I can’t eat it anymore due to the spiciness. Are you familiar with the topic of footbinding? Yes. This actually has come up in 2 other surveys I’ve done recently. What are your favorite books about the Chinese? I haven’t read any. Do you know anyone Chinese? Yeah. Who is your favorite Chinese youtuber? I like this ASMRist named Tingting ASMR. Have you ever cooked Chinese food at home? I’ve made pot stickers. Are you familiar with the Great Chinese Famine? No. Do you wish your school would teach you about other countries’ history? They did. Would you ever want to go to China? Sure. Do you have any Chinese in your family? No. Japan Do you like sushi? Noooo. ^If so, what are your favorite kinds? What is your favorite manga series? I don’t read manga. Do you love Japanese street fashion? Not my thing. What color hair would you have as an anime character? Red. Are you aware of the struggles of Japanese Americans during World War 2? Yes. What is your favorite Japanese name? I don’t have one. Do you like bonsai trees? Sure. What’s one thing you think Americans should adopt from the Japanese? I don’t know. Have you ever listened to Jpop? I’ve heard some before. Do you like Hello Kitty? Yeah. I was really into it as a kid. What is something you want to know about the Japanese? I don’t know. Do you know anyone who’s Japanese? Yes. Would you ever want to go to Japan? Sure. Australia Do you have blonde hair? Nope.

Do you live near a beach? About 2ish hours away from one. Do you surf? No. Who is your favorite Australian youtuber? I don’t know of any. Do you watch The Norris Nuts? I don’t know what that is. Who is your favorite Australian fictional character? I can’t think of any Australian fictional characters. What is your favorite song by Hillsong? Not familiar with them. Have you ever tried to surf? No. Do you skateboard? No. Have you ever been on an island? No. Do you live on an island? No. Do you like Australian accents or British accents better? British ones. Have you ever heard the term, “Crikey, mate!” Yeah. Have you ever met anyone from Australia? No. Africa Do you know anyone from Africa? I don’t think so.

Are you familiar with the War on Sudan? I’m not. Do you own an Invisible Children shirt? No. Have you been to Africa? No. What’s your favorite wild animal? Giraffes. Do you prefer dancing or drumming? Neither. Do you have good rhythm? Nope. Would you ever want to go to Africa? I’d love to visit giraffe manor. What is a great African song? I don’t know any. Have you ever tried African dancing? Nope. Do you own any African jewelry? No. Ever danced to “Waka Waka”? No. What’s the furthest you’ve ever walked in one day? My friend and I have walked all over San Francisco. If you’re not familiar with the city’s landscape, it’s got a lot of hills and is very steep. Do you live in a mud hut? No. Mexico List 3 of your favorite Mexican foods. Burritos, tacos, quesadillas. List 3 Mexican names you like. *shrug* List 3 people you know who are Mexican. My family. Have you ever been to Mexico? Yes. Would you ever want to go to Mexico? I’d like to visit a few different places in Mexico. Do you think you could handle being around people all the time? I know I can’t, ha. Do you like spicy food? D: I was obsessed with spicy food and ate it all the time until I developed some kind of sensitivity to it a few years ago. It really, really sucks. How do you do with crowds? I don’t do well with crowds. Is it hot where you live? Ugh, yes. We have horrible summers. Do you like bright colors? Sure. Can you speak Spanish? Only very little. Have you ever been to a fiesta? Yeah. Ever smacked a pinata? Many times. What’s your favorite thing to order at Taco Bell? Bean burrito, no onions, extra sauce and a couple Doritos tacos. The Middle East Are you Muslim? Nope. Do you know any Muslims? Yeah. Do you know anyone who wears hijab? No. What are some of your favorite books about Muslims? I haven’t read any.

Ever been to a desert? I’ve been to Arizona. Would you want to ride a camel? I’d be too scared. Did you watch the show Legends of the Hidden Temple? Yes. Korea Have you read To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before? Nope. I haven’t seen the Netflix movie either. ^Have you seen the movie? Oh haha. Nope.

Did you know that North Korea is closed? What. Would you ever want to visit South Korea? No. Have you ever had Korean food? Yeah. South America Have you read The Spirit of the Rainforest? Nope. Name one fact you know about Venezuela. I don’t know at the top of my head. Do you know anyone who lives in Peru? No. Have you ever tried Peruvian food or drink? No. Have you ever been to South America? No. Do you know anyone from Brazil? No. Would you ever want to visit South America? Sure. Name someone you know who owns llamas. I don’t know anyone. Do you like llamas? Sure. Have you ever sewn on a loom? No. Do you own a skirt from Guetamala? No. Do you ever wonder why we don’t hear much about South America? I haven’t thought about that. Thailand Do you like elephants? Yeah. Would you ever be brave enough to try walking on stilts? Well I can’t, but also no. Do you know about sex trafficking in Thailand? Yes and in other various places. It’s a serious problem. Do you like Thai food? I haven’t tried it.

Do you know anyone who’s Thai? I don’t think so. United States If you live in the US, which state do you live in? California.

Which states have you visited? Arizona, Idaho, and Georgia.

Which states have you lived in? Just California.

Have you ever been to Washington D.C? No. What is your favorite American food? Chicken tenders and fries, chicken wings, and Big Macs. Haha. Do you listen to popular music? Yeah. Do you dream of having two kids and maybe a dog? Yes to the dog, no to the kids. …and living in a two-story house with a white picket fence? It’d be nice, but I don’t need a 2 story house. That would add additional costs for me because I’d have to make it accessible. It would be pretty cool to have a 2 story house with an elevator. I really just would like a spacious enough house for 4 adults and a dog. …and having a good job and saving for retirement? That would be great. ….where you can retire to Florida and live on the beach? Not Florida, but yes to a beach home. Did you go to college? If so, what was your major? Yes. I got my degree in psychology. Were you abused by your parents? No. Do you know any nice people? Yes, plenty. How often do you bbq? We never do anymore. Other What’s the best family vacation you’ve been on? Disneyland vacations are definitely among the top. What countries have you visited? Mexico. What countries do you want to visit? Many. I want to travel all over. Have you ever been to NYC? No, but I’d like to. Do you live in a big city, small town, or other? Big city.

Do you live in the city or country? City. What is your favorite country besides your own? Hmm. What country do you live in? America. What is your ancestry? I know we have some Caucasian, Mexican, Filipino, Irish... I don’t know what else. Like I said, I really want to do one of those DNA things to find out exactly.  What currency do you use? US dollar. Do you think you have an accent? Everyone does, but it’s weird to think of me having one as just a California gal. I guess cause when I think of accents I think of like British, southern, and even like New York or midwest, etc... something distinctive, ya know.  I guess they don’t really think of it either; though, since it’s normal for them. Have you ever been told you have an accent? No.

[tinfoilstork]

Upon further reflection (at 3am), I'm of two minds about Azshara and N'Zoth. And although I'm firmly in the Light of Lights fan club and think the video was everything good and wholesome in life, something is off.

On the one hand, Azshara is the epitome of perfection. She's power and grace given form, that's a given. The ultimate ruler, her subjects are utterly devoted, love her without question and practically worship her as a deity. She, a mortal and self-made empress of the planet's still after-ten-millennia unrivaled magically advanced civilization and remains unquestioned most powerful mage in history, who was *this close* to partnering up as equals with Sargeras, a planet-stomping Titan and who was more or less the WoW equivalent to Satan himself, ruler of an unfathomably large and powerful army of magical immortal soldiers carving a swath across the cosmos, because she didn't want to hook up with an inferior, before her own personal hubris (and those meddling kids) almost cracked the planet in half, has been in the hearts and minds of people just as strongly back then as now and throughout history. Azeroth's history, colorful as it is, is due entirely to her ministrations. Without her there'd be no Legion presence, and thus no orcs, no Lich King, and quite possibly no need for reorigination (or maybe it still would have, and met little resistance). It'd be trolls vs whatever other beastly race walked by them that day. There would be no kaldorei empire, poor Elune would have none of her glorious warriors who embody the goddess' strength and grace -- they'd be pretty but untested, untempered. The world, and the game, would be soft and dumb and boring as fuck without her. Sure, someone(s) might try to fill the power vacuum, if one even developed, but it wouldn't be comparable even if so. She is the indomitable spirit, and woe to anyone who challenges her.

But if N'Zoth had indeed been watching her, observing her, studying her and the decisions she makes and the whos and the whats and the whys for the last thousand years, surely he understood how ambitious and powerful she is, how savvy she is in getting what she wants and staying on top, her motives and goals and mannerisms and her very well-earned pride.

Was he playing to that? Was he faking that gaff? Was his outrage at being out-maneuvered all a show? Did he spot the opportunity in the world's most powerful being, moments from death, the chance to collect her as a pawn by making it seem like her idea?

The thing is, we don't (yet) know about the Shadow Lords. Old "Gods" might be a misnomer, given their place on the magic hierarchy chart; they're equivalent to the equally mislabeled Wild Gods like Malorne and Yu'lon, with higher-ups pulling the strings, if we take everything as equal in placement per section / as personifications of the concepts therein. (Which off the bat is not accurate, keep that in mind)

The Old Gods have been bested on Azeroth quite often before by we players and NPC mortals, and also easily by the Titans (see Y'Shaarj for a case of all of the above). Wild Gods can and have fallen at the hands of demons and we adventures alike. Hell, the craziness of the last raid tier of Legion threw all this perspective into chaos. To scale back, Manneroth knew better than to try to toy with Azshara; she's like 6 and a half feet of mortal in a white fabric dress and gold bangles vs his 30some in felforged plate and steel. Nothing of note on the surface, but he could sense her power and knew it at least rivaled that of Archimonde, so he didn't poke the bear. That said, her power of persuasion was a force of nature in and of itself, seeing as how she gained similar devotion of the Burning Legion ranks over the demons' own superiors. People alwayd have and do still adore her, plain and simple, and can and have gladly thrown their lives away on her whim.

Now whether or not she was *actually* on equal footing with Sargeras himself has been up for debate since its inception. If so, and his status as bigger and badder than the rest of the Titan pantheon is true, she so vastly outclassed N'Zoth it's not even funny and the video should absolutely be taken at face value that she told an Old God to suck her dick and he got on his knees right then and there.

But if not, and there are forces working behind the scenes guiding events millennia the making, ever patient, waiting for the right moment, seeping into the hearts and minds and peering into the soul, grasping, changing, pulling and pushing and reshaping, bending reality itself to their will, and its claws needed to dig into her while she was at her most vulnerable, after the insanity that was the War of the Ancients and the catastrophe of the Sundering, seconds from death, that's still nothing to snub at. N'Zoth needed to have her hanging by a thread to even have a chat, and she still told him to go pound sand for the insulting offer, that she'd rather die to spite him than cowtow. Free will will always be a radical variable, and if he didn't play his cards right he'd be exactly as she said: alone, trapped, a god of nothing, ruler of no one, a utter waste of space. That she picked up on this so swiftly and so completely must have confirmed N'Zoth's observations (or fears, depending on the underlying force). Bruised ego aside, it would indeed be sloppy to not have had every imaginable scenario accounted for in order to get someone like Azshara to bat for your team, especially if she had other things in mind.

And if that is the case, I personally am very much looking forward to agreeing to joint forces and take down the Shadow Lords with her sometime in the future. There is no way she'll go out as a farmable loot pinata, no way. She's the mightiest single force Azeroth has ever seen (and she knows it). We can't kill her. We're insects. We're motes of dust. We'd be lucky to be one-shotted by simply raising arms against her. That, and Illidan, arguably a close second to her in power, is busy with Sargeras. We can't kill her, we need her to fight to save reality from Shadow.

[placetobenation]

The Three Caballeros

Release Date: February 3rd, 1945

Inspiration: N/A

Budget: N/A

Domestic Gross: $1.595 million

Worldwide Gross: $3.335 million

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%

IMDB Score: 6.5/10

Storyline (per IMDB): A large box arrives for Donald on his birthday, three gifts inside. He unwraps one at a time, and each takes him on an adventure. The first is a movie projector with a film about the birds of South America; Donald watches two cartoons, one tells of a penguin who longs to live on a tropical isle and the other about a gaucho boy who hunts the wild ostrich. The second gift is a pop-up book about Brazil. Inside is Jose Carioca, who takes Donald to Brazil’s Bahia for a mix of animation and live action: the two cartoon birds sing and dance with natives. The third gift is a piñata, accompanied by Panchito. A ride on a magic serape takes the three amigos singing and dancing across Mexico. ¡Olé!

Pre-Watching Thoughts: We move onto the next film in the Disney canon which is the second of the package films released during this time, and also you could say “unofficially” the first sequel in the canon as this builds off of Saludos Amigos. Unlike the previous film which was more a behind-the-scenes look at Disney’s trip to South America surrounded by a few shorts, this one has more of a linear story behind it told in a bunch of different segments. It does also blend the lines of animation and reality as well which will be interesting to see, and hopefully this ends up being a solid film and one I end up enjoying.

Voice Cast: So for the second film in a row, we have a combination of voice actors coupled with some actors that appear on screen in live-action scenes. We have a few regulars return as Clarence Nash returns to voice Donald Duck and Jose Oliveira voicing Jose Carioca, and Sterling Holloway also returns to voice the narrator for “The Cold-Blooded Penguin” and Pinto Colvig provides sounds for the Aracuan bird. We had two newcomers in this film as voice actor Frank Graham serves as a narrator for the film along with Fred Shields who narrates the short about the flying donkey, and finally Joaquin Garay voices Panchito Pistoles and he brings a lot of energy to new character. As mentioned, we do have some live actors appear as well mainly as dancers which include Aurora Miranda and Carmen Molina, and finally we have Dora Luz in a solo performance and these ladies to a great job in their roles for the film. Considering this would be the last film to be part of the canon that features live-action scenes, those involved did a good job in showcasing the culture of Mexico and Latin America.

Hero/Prince: N/A

Princess: N/A

Villain: N/A

Other Characters: For the purposes of these reviews since I am looking at the animated canon, we won’t include any live-action appearances so all of the dancers along with the soloists will not be mentioned in this specific category. We did have a few other characters involved as we are introduced to the third Caballero in Panchito Pistoles, the wise-cracking rooster from Mexico who becomes friends with Donald and Jose. We also had Pablo the penguin from the short where he longs to leave the cold and find a warm island to live on, and while he doesn’t speak he shows his determination to find a new place to live which he finally does. Finally we have the unnamed Guachito and his new flying donkey that he comes to love, and they have a good relationship that sees them win a race only to be disqualified since the donkey can fly. While there weren’t as many characters in this film as previous ones, it worked out since this was much like Saludos Amigos as it was more about showcasing the culture of Latin America.

Songs: Much like Saludos Amigos, the songs that are featured in this film are more done in a way to celebrate the culture and customs of Latin America as opposed to being memorable in the canon of the films. We do have a fun theme song with “The Three Caballeros” which is sung in the beginning of the film and then Donald and his friends sing it during the film, and it is a good song to put over their friendship and companionship. We then have Jose singing “Baia” as he sings about Brazil and they dance as part of the samba in “Os Quindins de Yaya”, and they are both good songs and catchy tunes that makes you want to dance. Next, we have “Mexico” sung by Panchito Pistoles as he sings about Mexico in the same vein that Jose sang about Brazil, and finally we have the centerpiece song “You Belong to My Heart” sung by Dora Luz and she does a beautiful job in singing this ballad which draws Donald to her.

Plot: So much like Saludos Amigos, this film was more of a showcase of the culture of Latin America based off of Disney’s trip to the region, but unlike the previous film this was more of a look at the culture as opposed to being a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film. In this film, Donald Duck receives a bunch of gifts from his friends Jose Carioca and Panchito Pistoles, and first he learns about the different birds of Latin America before seeing a story about a penguin who wants to go somewhere warm. After watching a short story about a boy finding a flying donkey and becoming friends, he is eventually joined by Jose and Panchito as they go on a trip visiting various areas of Brazil and Mexico while participants in various events which include Donald falling in love with numerous women. It was basically a typical Donald Duck cartoon just extended to 80 minutes as opposed to a normal short and anyone who was a fan of Donald would more than likely enjoy it.

Random Watching Thoughts: Ahh, the Radio RKO Pictures logo is back after being MIA in the previous film; It is pretty cool to see Donald Duck in a full-length film as opposed to a short; Of course Donald’s birthday would be on Friday the 13th, The old gifts-within-a-gift-within-a-gift gag; Only Donald can make opening up a video screen a laborious process; A penguin that hates living in the cold, if that’s not an oxymoron I don’t know what is; Only penguins can make living in the Arctic like living on the beach; Bowling for penguins; I can’t help but feel like I’ve seen this specific short before when I was younger, but I can’t for the life of me remember when; Ahh, puns and the visual adaptations of them; I love how Pablo is so scared when his ice boat melts and he doesn’t want to get in the water when as a penguin, he can swim with ease; So Pablo finally gets to be on an island like he wanted only to then become homesick and miss the cold; I wouldn’t be surprised if this segment about the different types of birds inspired “The Enchanted Tiki Room” at the theme parks; I feel like the Aracuan was very similar to Woody Woodpecker even though they are two completely different birds; The narrator puts the Marrequito over as a skilled builder yet it can’t even make a nest; That’s a crap load of flamingos; The narrator goes from hunting wild ostrich to hunting condors; Is a flying donkey a big thing in Latin American folklore?; The way he has the donkey tied up makes it seem like he’s flying a kite; So the donkey can whistle like a bird?; I’ve noticed that they like using the word “gay” for happy a lot in these last few films; Did he really think that they could win the race without being accused of cheating due to the fact the donkey could fly?; How is the narrator able to do this narration if he hasn’t been seen in a long time?; Good to see Jose Carioca back for another film; Jose sings this epic song about Baia to Donald only to have never been there himself; That’s a lot of tracks to choose from and they just have the whole train separate; It is pretty cool seeing live-action mixed together with animation especially in the 1940s; Fun fact is that Aurora Miranda is the sister of Carmen Miranda who became well-known for her iconic fruit hat; It is a bit weird seeing a cartoon character pine over a real woman though it would be a running theme for Donald throughout this film; One slight flaw with this is you can clearly tell the live-action actors are in front a green screen as the animated scenes are obviously faded behind them, but it was the 1940s so technology was still relatively primitive in that aspect and it would look a lot better in 2020; It’s a good thing Daisy Duck wasn’t included in this film as she wouldn’t put up with Donald’s antics; The early days of a dance-off; So Jose can grow using black magic while Donald screws it up and inflates his whole body like a balloon; You figured that Mexico was going to heavily featured in this film after being absent in Saludos Amigos; Panchito Pistoles certainly has a lot of energy even more so than Jose and he’s got quite a set of pipes to hold that last note for so long; It is always pretty cool to see how different cultures celebrate Christmas; I always thought that the pinata was more synonymous with birthdays as opposed to Christmas; Jose and Panchito took great pleasure in teasing Donald by pulling the pinata away from him repeatedly; That was quite the loaded pinata to have all that stuff inside of it; As much of a history buff that I am, I never knew that Mexico City was built on top of a lake and had such a rich history and lore behind it; It’s so interesting seeing Mexico so glorified in 1945 knowing how different our thinking of it is in the current day and environment; I could only imagine what it was like for the filmmakers when they were filming all this footage featuring these old Mexican traditions and dances; Always love seeing the stylized animated maps of countries; Donald really didn’t want to leave that party and then they bring him to Acapulco where he sees plays around with the bathing beauties; Dora Luz does have a really beautiful voice; These last few minutes feel like a really strong acid trip; I wonder if the scene where Donald dances with Carmen Molina was the inspiration for having Gene Kelly dance with Jerry Mouse in “Anchors Aweigh”; Talk about going out with a bang at the end with the fireworks display.

Overall Thoughts: Overall, the second package film for Disney coming off of Saludos Amigos was a slightly better effort than the previous one though it again was nowhere near the films that preceded both films. As mentioned, it was pretty much just a Donald Duck cartoon extended into an 80-minute film while also being a showcase of the culture of Latin America, and this was the second film to be included as part of Disney’s look at the Latin American culture. We were coming to a crucial point as World War 2 was nearing its end and many of those who were drafted to help the government were about to return to the studios, and it will be interesting to see if they continue with the package films or if they revert back to the standard style of film. As for this film, it was a step up from Saludos Amigos though it was still just an average film at best even for me who has always loved Donald Duck and while it was fun, it was fairly forgettable.

Final Grade: 5.5/10

[hauteculturefashion]

Frida fever is burning hotter than ever. More and more people have been falling in love with the woman and her legacy, thanks to retrospectives, novels, biographies and a resurgence in Frida’s iconic style. Have you, like many, already watched the movie, perused the exhibition, and quite literally, got the t-shirt (or even the tattoo)? Perhaps it’s time to take the obsession to the next level: do you hear the wild cry of Mexico calling you to Frida’s motherland?

At Haute Culture, we understand how you feel. We have spent the past few years learning all we can about this incredible woman’s life, art and style. Our obsession culminated in the creation of our annual textile tour Mexico: Frida, Fashions, Fabrics and Fiesta, created in Frida’s honour.

But first things first: You’re heading to Mexico city and straight to Coyoacan, Frida’s own stomping ground. You naturally want to make the most of your time visiting the neighbourhood that Frida’s flamboyant Tehuana skirts tread! Well my friends, you are in luck, as Haute Culture has put together the ultimate guide (for Frida fanatics) to the bohemian and leafy neighbourhood of Coyoacan, including its fascinating museums, bustling markets and Insta-worthy monuments.

Must Visit Frida Kahlo Sights In Coyoacan

1. Frida Kahlo Kahlo Museum

Explore Frida Kahlo’s La Casa Azul and discover more about her fascinating way of life, turbulent history and passionate personality. You can see where she painted, entertained, loved, lived and died. Frida fans should book their tickets in advance and set aside four to five hours to explore the grounds in order to soak in the exhibits and read the supporting literature. Make sure you hire the audio guide and pay for the photo permit. Read our full guide and review of the Frida Kahlo Museum by clicking here. 

  Frida Kahlo Museum.

2. Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo

Not strictly in Coyoacan but worth the quick taxi ride for hardcore Frida fans to see the houses that Frida and Diego built and lived in during their first marriage. Surrounded by a beautiful yet threatening wall of cacti, the white and red house on the left was Diego’s and the blue house on the right was Frida’s. The houses are connected only by a rooftop bridge. Unfortunately, today, Frida’s house contains little evidence of her habitation on the premises as all of her possessions are now featured in travelling exhibitions or on display at the Frida Kahlo Museum. Diego’s larger-than-life studio is still presented in its original entirety and gives you a wonderful insight into his style of living and working. Closed on Mondays.

Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo.

3. Museo Anahuacalli

Three miles south of the Frida Kahlo Museum is Museo Anahuacalli, an immense pyramid-shaped museum/national monument built from volcanic lava rock. Designed to house the Rivera’s extraordinary collection of pre-Hispanic artefacts, the build was partly funded by Frida after she sold her apartment on Avenida Insurgentes to buy the land on which it is built. The museum and its artefacts were then donated to the public which gained Frida and Diego great respect and recognition for their contribution to promoting Mexico’s indigenous and artistic heritage.

4. Leon Trotsky House Museum

Frida Kahlo hosted the exiled Russian Revolutionary and his wife Natalia in her family home. As the couple didn’t speak any Spanish, Leon and Frida spoke only in English. Although both married couples spent a great deal of time together, it wasn’t long before Trotsky became infatuated with Frida’s charm and talent and thus an affair quickly blossomed between them. When the affair ended, the Trotskys moved into this house where Leon was later assassinated by a man Frida had previously met in Paris. Although the Leon Trotsky Museum is not specifically about Frida Kahlo, it is a great place to learn about an important relationship in Frida’s life and to understand more about her political ideologies.

5. Frida Kahlo Park (Photo with Frida opportunity)

If you want a break from walking the crazy cobbled streets of Coyoacan then head to the sanctuary of the Frida Kahlo Park. Here, you can not only put your feet up but take your photo alongside life-sized bronze statues of Frida Kahlo and her husband Diego Rivera. Insider Secret: You can also see and sit alongside another Frida and Diego statue hidden in the grounds of Casa de Cultura Jesús Reyes Heroles.

Frida and Diego statues in the Casa de Cultura Jesús Reyes Heroles.

Life-sized statues of Diego and Frida in the Frida Kahlo Park.

6. Cantina la Guadalupana

This old school Mexican cantina from 1932 still holds much of its traditional rustic charm and was one of Frida and Diego’s favourite local spots for knocking back a bottle or two of tequila. Their no-fuss service and basic Mexican menu attracts locals who populate the tables come lunchtime. Head there for a truly authentic cantina experience, just the way Frida liked it. Just don’t expect the staff to speak English. Insider Secret: Another favourite spot of Frida’s can be found where Matlintzin meets Aguayo.

One of Frida’s favourite bars, Cantina la Guadalupana.

Another Frida hangout at Matlintzin and Aguayo.

  Frida Kahlo Related Sights

  7. Coyoacan Market

Coyoacan Market is bursting and bustling with local life. You can delve deep into the local culture and roam amongst the pocket-sized stalls selling everything from Frida mania memorabilia to festive pinatas and yummy fresh produce. The food court in the centre of the building is the best place to enjoy a fresh tostada at lunchtime. Haute Culture highly recommends Coyoaca Tostadas: look for the big yellow and red signage.

8. Mexican Artisan Market

Not our favourite artisan market in Mexico City (we suggest serious shoppers head to Mercado De Artesanias La Ciudadela) but worth a visit if you are looking to pick up some fun souvenirs for friends at home. Spread over two floors, this market has a range of traditional and replicated Mexican crafts for sale. There is a nice stall at the back right on the first floor selling interesting items and textiles from Chiapas State.

Mercado Artesanal Mexicano (Mexican Artisan Market).

9. National Museum of Popular Culture

If you love Frida then you will know that she would have been a huge fan of this local museum which supports and promotes popular folk art from across all over Mexico. Comprised of three buildings and an outdoor event space, this museum has both free and paid entry exhibits. The last time Haute Culture was there the museum had an incredible display of works by the famous Mexican illustrator and printmaker Jose Guadalupe Posada. Closed on Mondays.

National Museum of Popular Culture.

Coyoacan Tours

  10. Coyoacan Free Walking Tour

If you plan to stay in Coyoacan for two or more days (ie. you’re not just sweeping in and out just for the Frida Kahlo Museum), then we strongly suggest taking the Coyoacan Free Walking Tour with Estacion Mexico. Their guides are extremely knowledgable about ancient and local history and they will lead you safely down the cobbled streets on a fascinating walk through some of Mexico City’s most stunning colonial houses and cultural institutions. Guides speak English and Spanish: tips of $5 or more per person are appreciated for this two to three-hour insightful experience by foot.

  11. San Juan Red Trolley Tour

You will no doubt see the vintage red trolley buses (much like the one Frida Kahlo had her accident on in 1925) driving around the back streets and major sights that Coyoacan has to offer. These make a great photo opportunity for tourists but unfortunately for foreigners, the guides only speak in Spanish. We still think it’s a cute way for people who wish to see an overview of the neighbourhood in under one hour without walking. You can board the trolley from in front of the Parroquia San Juan Bautista Church.

Coyoacan Map (click the image to open the map)

Frida Kahlo Lover Guide to Coyoacan

Recommended Reading

THE HOW FRIDA KAHLO USED FASHION TO BUILD HER LEGACY or WHO WAS FRIDA KAHLO? THE ARTIST, LOVER, SUFFERER, FASHIONISTA, ACTIVIST, FEMINIST & ICON

Are you going to Mexico? Why not pin this post and save it for later!

Useful Information 

The best way to fly to Mexico

Are you looking for the best flights to Mexico? We recommend searching with Skyscanner.

Click here find the best flight prices to Mexico

Looking for a cool place to stay?

We personally recommend using Airbnb, as this style of accommodation can give you more of a local perspective of the city, click here to get £28/$37 in travel credit.

Don’t forget your travel insurance

I recommend World Nomads insurance for their global, reliable and flexible cover. With 24/7 emergency assistance and 140+ activities covered, you’re in safe hands.

Check out the latest travel insurance prices and details

A Frida Kahlo Lovers guide to Coyoacan in Mexico City! (with free map) Frida fever is burning hotter than ever. More and more people have been falling in love with the woman and her legacy, thanks to retrospectives, novels, biographies and a resurgence in Frida's iconic style.

[gonzalesconniehk]

How Children Celebrate Christmas Around the World

A little while ago, for Halloween, we did a post about how children celebrate Halloween around the world. It was so cool to learn about all the different ways that a single holiday could be celebrated. So we thought we’d do the same for Christmas. We already learned about Saint Nicholas and how he became Santa Claus, but do you know about the rest of the holiday? Are you even sure why we celebrate this day and give each other gifts? Well, let’s find out…

Origin of Christmas

Christmas is the day that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The holiday is mainly Christian, but has come to be celebrated by many other religions and cultures, though is still primarily celebrated within the United States and European countries. The history of how this holiday came about goes like this: the birth of Jesus Christ, the one who was prophesied to save the Jews, was predicted for a certain day. After his birth, there was much celebrating and people came from far and wide to see him. We even split our historical years based on his birth! Did you know that BC stands for Before Christ, and AD stands for Anno Domini, which is Latin for “in the year of the Lord”? Those are both in reference to Jesus Christ’s birthday, and we still celebrate this day around the world.

Christmas as a holiday is actually a combination of a bunch of different holidays. Over the last several hundred years we have added in holiday celebrations that took place around the same time. That’s why we have such a variety of different things we do for this day!

So why do we share presents with each other? Well, as we learned about Saint Nicholas, he was the patron saint of gift-giving. That means that he was well-known for being generous and giving. Because we can’t give gifts to Jesus Christ for his birthday, we give them to each other! How can you be more like these two great men?

Since Christ’s birth we sure have run with this special holiday. We now put pine trees up in our homes and decorate them to follow the tradition of preparing for spring. We put mistletoe up because people used to put it in their doorways to ward off evil spirits during this time of celebration and merriment. We do it still to honor their tradition. Can you think of any more traditions? So, before we get into how other people celebrate this day, how do you celebrate? Tell us in the comments!

Christmas in Sweden

In Sweden, still to this day they have a very interesting tradition: the oldest daughter wakes up the earliest and wakes the rest of the family members. She wears a white dress with a red sash and a crown with 9 candles on it! Isn’t that super different from what we do here in America?

After the whole family eats breakfast, the day is spent celebrating with parades, feasts, and a bonfire at the end of the day! In Sweden the people are celebrating St. Lucia, who is the patron saint of the blind. Does this sound like a holiday you want to be a part of? We think it sounds pretty cool!

Christmas in Mexico

In Mexico they celebrate Christmas for 3 weeks! During that time, children will reenact the part of Christ’s story where his parents Mary and Joseph looked for a place to stay. The outside of homes are decorated with red and green and the visiting children will sing songs to the residents. They also make pinatas full of candy and break them open to eat the candy inside! Have you ever had a pinata at your birthday party? Well, in Mexico they are used for more than just your birthday. At the end of the 3 weeks of celebrating, Mexicans go to a church service and have a family meal, which is pretty similar to what we do, wouldn’t you say?

Christmas in Japan

In Japan, the primary religions are Buddhism and Shinto, which means that they do not generally celebrate Christmas like we do. They more celebrate because it is fun to do so! They still give each other gifts, and welcome Santa when he arrives on Christmas Eve.

Christmas in China

The primary holiday in China is the Chinese New Year, which celebrates ancestors, and the coming of spring. Similar to Japan, Chinese households don’t celebrate Christmas the way we do, and instead enjoy taking pictures with Santa and gift-giving if they are so inclined.

A Christmas tree installed with lanterns, measuring over 10 meters high, is illuminated beside sculptures of ancient people in the background of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda on December 24, 2010 in Xian of Shaanxi Province, China. Christmas is becoming increasingly popular in Chinese consumer culture, along with the Valentine’s Day in February and Halloween in October.

Christmas in Russia

In Russia Christmas is celebrated on an entirely different day. Because of former restrictions, Christmas is a very religious holiday which is celebrated on January 7th because Russians use a different calendar than the rest of us! More important to Russians is New Years where they feast, exchange gifts, and give thanks. They also don’t really talk about Santa there. Instead, they have a person they call Grandfather Frost who brings them gifts. They also use this time to celebrate family and even eat out of the same bowl to symbolize unity! What do you think of this holiday?

Christmas in Columbia

Christmas begins on December 7th in Columbia (Colombia). Then…

Houses and streets are decorated with candles, lanterns and lots of lights. There are also big firework displays and music to dance to and foods like ‘buñuelos’ and ’empanadas’. This day is celebrated by Catholics around the world as The Feast of the Immaculate Conception but is especially popular in Colombia. –WhyChristmas

Similarities between America and Columbia consist in decorating trees and viewing the Nativity scene. Have you ever been to one of these?

Christmas in South Africa

In South Africa, the people are mostly christian. That means that they believe in Jesus Christ and celebrate in much the same way we do, with gift-giving, delicious meals, and a general atmosphere of merriment and charity. It certainly looks different in South Africa though!

Christmas in Australia

Did you know that Australia is on a completely different seasonal schedule from us? That means that when we are shivering in blankets and playing in the snow, they are hanging out on the beach and sweating from the high temperatures! So they celebrate Christmas on the same day as we do, but their day looks a whole lot different! They celebrate with lots of food and gift-giving, and enjoy the warm weather!

Wow! Christmas sure is a widely-celebrated holiday, isn’t it? We love this time of year, and we are happy that you are all spending time with your family and having fun with everything. Thanks for tuning in to our 12 days of Burgmas, and we hope to see you in the office sometime soon!

Happy Holidays!

[emmablankhe]

How Children Celebrate Christmas Around the World

A little while ago, for Halloween, we did a post about how children celebrate Halloween around the world. It was so cool to learn about all the different ways that a single holiday could be celebrated. So we thought we’d do the same for Christmas. We already learned about Saint Nicholas and how he became Santa Claus, but do you know about the rest of the holiday? Are you even sure why we celebrate this day and give each other gifts? Well, let’s find out…

Origin of Christmas

Christmas is the day that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The holiday is mainly Christian, but has come to be celebrated by many other religions and cultures, though is still primarily celebrated within the United States and European countries. The history of how this holiday came about goes like this: the birth of Jesus Christ, the one who was prophesied to save the Jews, was predicted for a certain day. After his birth, there was much celebrating and people came from far and wide to see him. We even split our historical years based on his birth! Did you know that BC stands for Before Christ, and AD stands for Anno Domini, which is Latin for “in the year of the Lord”? Those are both in reference to Jesus Christ’s birthday, and we still celebrate this day around the world.

Christmas as a holiday is actually a combination of a bunch of different holidays. Over the last several hundred years we have added in holiday celebrations that took place around the same time. That’s why we have such a variety of different things we do for this day!

So why do we share presents with each other? Well, as we learned about Saint Nicholas, he was the patron saint of gift-giving. That means that he was well-known for being generous and giving. Because we can’t give gifts to Jesus Christ for his birthday, we give them to each other! How can you be more like these two great men?

Since Christ’s birth we sure have run with this special holiday. We now put pine trees up in our homes and decorate them to follow the tradition of preparing for spring. We put mistletoe up because people used to put it in their doorways to ward off evil spirits during this time of celebration and merriment. We do it still to honor their tradition. Can you think of any more traditions? So, before we get into how other people celebrate this day, how do you celebrate? Tell us in the comments!

Christmas in Sweden

In Sweden, still to this day they have a very interesting tradition: the oldest daughter wakes up the earliest and wakes the rest of the family members. She wears a white dress with a red sash and a crown with 9 candles on it! Isn’t that super different from what we do here in America?

After the whole family eats breakfast, the day is spent celebrating with parades, feasts, and a bonfire at the end of the day! In Sweden the people are celebrating St. Lucia, who is the patron saint of the blind. Does this sound like a holiday you want to be a part of? We think it sounds pretty cool!

Christmas in Mexico

In Mexico they celebrate Christmas for 3 weeks! During that time, children will reenact the part of Christ’s story where his parents Mary and Joseph looked for a place to stay. The outside of homes are decorated with red and green and the visiting children will sing songs to the residents. They also make pinatas full of candy and break them open to eat the candy inside! Have you ever had a pinata at your birthday party? Well, in Mexico they are used for more than just your birthday. At the end of the 3 weeks of celebrating, Mexicans go to a church service and have a family meal, which is pretty similar to what we do, wouldn’t you say?

Christmas in Japan

In Japan, the primary religions are Buddhism and Shinto, which means that they do not generally celebrate Christmas like we do. They more celebrate because it is fun to do so! They still give each other gifts, and welcome Santa when he arrives on Christmas Eve.

Christmas in China

The primary holiday in China is the Chinese New Year, which celebrates ancestors, and the coming of spring. Similar to Japan, Chinese households don’t celebrate Christmas the way we do, and instead enjoy taking pictures with Santa and gift-giving if they are so inclined.

A Christmas tree installed with lanterns, measuring over 10 meters high, is illuminated beside sculptures of ancient people in the background of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda on December 24, 2010 in Xian of Shaanxi Province, China. Christmas is becoming increasingly popular in Chinese consumer culture, along with the Valentine’s Day in February and Halloween in October.

Christmas in Russia

In Russia Christmas is celebrated on an entirely different day. Because of former restrictions, Christmas is a very religious holiday which is celebrated on January 7th because Russians use a different calendar than the rest of us! More important to Russians is New Years where they feast, exchange gifts, and give thanks. They also don’t really talk about Santa there. Instead, they have a person they call Grandfather Frost who brings them gifts. They also use this time to celebrate family and even eat out of the same bowl to symbolize unity! What do you think of this holiday?

Christmas in Columbia

Christmas begins on December 7th in Columbia (Colombia). Then…

Houses and streets are decorated with candles, lanterns and lots of lights. There are also big firework displays and music to dance to and foods like ‘buñuelos’ and ’empanadas’. This day is celebrated by Catholics around the world as The Feast of the Immaculate Conception but is especially popular in Colombia. –WhyChristmas

Similarities between America and Columbia consist in decorating trees and viewing the Nativity scene. Have you ever been to one of these?

Christmas in South Africa

In South Africa, the people are mostly christian. That means that they believe in Jesus Christ and celebrate in much the same way we do, with gift-giving, delicious meals, and a general atmosphere of merriment and charity. It certainly looks different in South Africa though!

Christmas in Australia

Did you know that Australia is on a completely different seasonal schedule from us? That means that when we are shivering in blankets and playing in the snow, they are hanging out on the beach and sweating from the high temperatures! So they celebrate Christmas on the same day as we do, but their day looks a whole lot different! They celebrate with lots of food and gift-giving, and enjoy the warm weather!

Wow! Christmas sure is a widely-celebrated holiday, isn’t it? We love this time of year, and we are happy that you are all spending time with your family and having fun with everything. Thanks for tuning in to our 12 days of Burgmas, and we hope to see you in the office sometime soon!

Happy Holidays!

http://ift.tt/2BPebnb

[timothyduranne]

How Children Celebrate Christmas Around the World

A little while ago, for Halloween, we did a post about how children celebrate Halloween around the world. It was so cool to learn about all the different ways that a single holiday could be celebrated. So we thought we’d do the same for Christmas. We already learned about Saint Nicholas and how he became Santa Claus, but do you know about the rest of the holiday? Are you even sure why we celebrate this day and give each other gifts? Well, let’s find out…

Origin of Christmas

Christmas is the day that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The holiday is mainly Christian, but has come to be celebrated by many other religions and cultures, though is still primarily celebrated within the United States and European countries. The history of how this holiday came about goes like this: the birth of Jesus Christ, the one who was prophesied to save the Jews, was predicted for a certain day. After his birth, there was much celebrating and people came from far and wide to see him. We even split our historical years based on his birth! Did you know that BC stands for Before Christ, and AD stands for Anno Domini, which is Latin for “in the year of the Lord”? Those are both in reference to Jesus Christ’s birthday, and we still celebrate this day around the world.

Christmas as a holiday is actually a combination of a bunch of different holidays. Over the last several hundred years we have added in holiday celebrations that took place around the same time. That’s why we have such a variety of different things we do for this day!

So why do we share presents with each other? Well, as we learned about Saint Nicholas, he was the patron saint of gift-giving. That means that he was well-known for being generous and giving. Because we can’t give gifts to Jesus Christ for his birthday, we give them to each other! How can you be more like these two great men?

Since Christ’s birth we sure have run with this special holiday. We now put pine trees up in our homes and decorate them to follow the tradition of preparing for spring. We put mistletoe up because people used to put it in their doorways to ward off evil spirits during this time of celebration and merriment. We do it still to honor their tradition. Can you think of any more traditions? So, before we get into how other people celebrate this day, how do you celebrate? Tell us in the comments!

Christmas in Sweden

In Sweden, still to this day they have a very interesting tradition: the oldest daughter wakes up the earliest and wakes the rest of the family members. She wears a white dress with a red sash and a crown with 9 candles on it! Isn’t that super different from what we do here in America?

After the whole family eats breakfast, the day is spent celebrating with parades, feasts, and a bonfire at the end of the day! In Sweden the people are celebrating St. Lucia, who is the patron saint of the blind. Does this sound like a holiday you want to be a part of? We think it sounds pretty cool!

Christmas in Mexico

In Mexico they celebrate Christmas for 3 weeks! During that time, children will reenact the part of Christ’s story where his parents Mary and Joseph looked for a place to stay. The outside of homes are decorated with red and green and the visiting children will sing songs to the residents. They also make pinatas full of candy and break them open to eat the candy inside! Have you ever had a pinata at your birthday party? Well, in Mexico they are used for more than just your birthday. At the end of the 3 weeks of celebrating, Mexicans go to a church service and have a family meal, which is pretty similar to what we do, wouldn’t you say?

Christmas in Japan

In Japan, the primary religions are Buddhism and Shinto, which means that they do not generally celebrate Christmas like we do. They more celebrate because it is fun to do so! They still give each other gifts, and welcome Santa when he arrives on Christmas Eve.

Christmas in China

The primary holiday in China is the Chinese New Year, which celebrates ancestors, and the coming of spring. Similar to Japan, Chinese households don’t celebrate Christmas the way we do, and instead enjoy taking pictures with Santa and gift-giving if they are so inclined.

A Christmas tree installed with lanterns, measuring over 10 meters high, is illuminated beside sculptures of ancient people in the background of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda on December 24, 2010 in Xian of Shaanxi Province, China. Christmas is becoming increasingly popular in Chinese consumer culture, along with the Valentine’s Day in February and Halloween in October.

Christmas in Russia

In Russia Christmas is celebrated on an entirely different day. Because of former restrictions, Christmas is a very religious holiday which is celebrated on January 7th because Russians use a different calendar than the rest of us! More important to Russians is New Years where they feast, exchange gifts, and give thanks. They also don’t really talk about Santa there. Instead, they have a person they call Grandfather Frost who brings them gifts. They also use this time to celebrate family and even eat out of the same bowl to symbolize unity! What do you think of this holiday?

Christmas in Columbia

Christmas begins on December 7th in Columbia (Colombia). Then…

Houses and streets are decorated with candles, lanterns and lots of lights. There are also big firework displays and music to dance to and foods like ‘buñuelos’ and ’empanadas’. This day is celebrated by Catholics around the world as The Feast of the Immaculate Conception but is especially popular in Colombia. –WhyChristmas

Similarities between America and Columbia consist in decorating trees and viewing the Nativity scene. Have you ever been to one of these?

Christmas in South Africa

In South Africa, the people are mostly christian. That means that they believe in Jesus Christ and celebrate in much the same way we do, with gift-giving, delicious meals, and a general atmosphere of merriment and charity. It certainly looks different in South Africa though!

Christmas in Australia

Did you know that Australia is on a completely different seasonal schedule from us? That means that when we are shivering in blankets and playing in the snow, they are hanging out on the beach and sweating from the high temperatures! So they celebrate Christmas on the same day as we do, but their day looks a whole lot different! They celebrate with lots of food and gift-giving, and enjoy the warm weather!

Wow! Christmas sure is a widely-celebrated holiday, isn’t it? We love this time of year, and we are happy that you are all spending time with your family and having fun with everything. Thanks for tuning in to our 12 days of Burgmas, and we hope to see you in the office sometime soon!

Happy Holidays!

http://ift.tt/2BPebnb

[margiewhitene]

How Children Celebrate Christmas Around the World

A little while ago, for Halloween, we did a post about how children celebrate Halloween around the world. It was so cool to learn about all the different ways that a single holiday could be celebrated. So we thought we’d do the same for Christmas. We already learned about Saint Nicholas and how he became Santa Claus, but do you know about the rest of the holiday? Are you even sure why we celebrate this day and give each other gifts? Well, let’s find out…

Origin of Christmas

Christmas is the day that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The holiday is mainly Christian, but has come to be celebrated by many other religions and cultures, though is still primarily celebrated within the United States and European countries. The history of how this holiday came about goes like this: the birth of Jesus Christ, the one who was prophesied to save the Jews, was predicted for a certain day. After his birth, there was much celebrating and people came from far and wide to see him. We even split our historical years based on his birth! Did you know that BC stands for Before Christ, and AD stands for Anno Domini, which is Latin for “in the year of the Lord”? Those are both in reference to Jesus Christ’s birthday, and we still celebrate this day around the world.

Christmas as a holiday is actually a combination of a bunch of different holidays. Over the last several hundred years we have added in holiday celebrations that took place around the same time. That’s why we have such a variety of different things we do for this day!

So why do we share presents with each other? Well, as we learned about Saint Nicholas, he was the patron saint of gift-giving. That means that he was well-known for being generous and giving. Because we can’t give gifts to Jesus Christ for his birthday, we give them to each other! How can you be more like these two great men?

Since Christ’s birth we sure have run with this special holiday. We now put pine trees up in our homes and decorate them to follow the tradition of preparing for spring. We put mistletoe up because people used to put it in their doorways to ward off evil spirits during this time of celebration and merriment. We do it still to honor their tradition. Can you think of any more traditions? So, before we get into how other people celebrate this day, how do you celebrate? Tell us in the comments!

Christmas in Sweden

In Sweden, still to this day they have a very interesting tradition: the oldest daughter wakes up the earliest and wakes the rest of the family members. She wears a white dress with a red sash and a crown with 9 candles on it! Isn’t that super different from what we do here in America?

After the whole family eats breakfast, the day is spent celebrating with parades, feasts, and a bonfire at the end of the day! In Sweden the people are celebrating St. Lucia, who is the patron saint of the blind. Does this sound like a holiday you want to be a part of? We think it sounds pretty cool!

Christmas in Mexico

In Mexico they celebrate Christmas for 3 weeks! During that time, children will reenact the part of Christ’s story where his parents Mary and Joseph looked for a place to stay. The outside of homes are decorated with red and green and the visiting children will sing songs to the residents. They also make pinatas full of candy and break them open to eat the candy inside! Have you ever had a pinata at your birthday party? Well, in Mexico they are used for more than just your birthday. At the end of the 3 weeks of celebrating, Mexicans go to a church service and have a family meal, which is pretty similar to what we do, wouldn’t you say?

Christmas in Japan

In Japan, the primary religions are Buddhism and Shinto, which means that they do not generally celebrate Christmas like we do. They more celebrate because it is fun to do so! They still give each other gifts, and welcome Santa when he arrives on Christmas Eve.

Christmas in China

The primary holiday in China is the Chinese New Year, which celebrates ancestors, and the coming of spring. Similar to Japan, Chinese households don’t celebrate Christmas the way we do, and instead enjoy taking pictures with Santa and gift-giving if they are so inclined.

A Christmas tree installed with lanterns, measuring over 10 meters high, is illuminated beside sculptures of ancient people in the background of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda on December 24, 2010 in Xian of Shaanxi Province, China. Christmas is becoming increasingly popular in Chinese consumer culture, along with the Valentine’s Day in February and Halloween in October.

Christmas in Russia

In Russia Christmas is celebrated on an entirely different day. Because of former restrictions, Christmas is a very religious holiday which is celebrated on January 7th because Russians use a different calendar than the rest of us! More important to Russians is New Years where they feast, exchange gifts, and give thanks. They also don’t really talk about Santa there. Instead, they have a person they call Grandfather Frost who brings them gifts. They also use this time to celebrate family and even eat out of the same bowl to symbolize unity! What do you think of this holiday?

Christmas in Columbia

Christmas begins on December 7th in Columbia (Colombia). Then…

Houses and streets are decorated with candles, lanterns and lots of lights. There are also big firework displays and music to dance to and foods like ‘buñuelos’ and ’empanadas’. This day is celebrated by Catholics around the world as The Feast of the Immaculate Conception but is especially popular in Colombia. –WhyChristmas

Similarities between America and Columbia consist in decorating trees and viewing the Nativity scene. Have you ever been to one of these?

Christmas in South Africa

In South Africa, the people are mostly christian. That means that they believe in Jesus Christ and celebrate in much the same way we do, with gift-giving, delicious meals, and a general atmosphere of merriment and charity. It certainly looks different in South Africa though!

Christmas in Australia

Did you know that Australia is on a completely different seasonal schedule from us? That means that when we are shivering in blankets and playing in the snow, they are hanging out on the beach and sweating from the high temperatures! So they celebrate Christmas on the same day as we do, but their day looks a whole lot different! They celebrate with lots of food and gift-giving, and enjoy the warm weather!

Wow! Christmas sure is a widely-celebrated holiday, isn’t it? We love this time of year, and we are happy that you are all spending time with your family and having fun with everything. Thanks for tuning in to our 12 days of Burgmas, and we hope to see you in the office sometime soon!

Happy Holidays!

http://ift.tt/2BPebnb

[jordanbojorquezne]

How Children Celebrate Christmas Around the World

A little while ago, for Halloween, we did a post about how children celebrate Halloween around the world. It was so cool to learn about all the different ways that a single holiday could be celebrated. So we thought we’d do the same for Christmas. We already learned about Saint Nicholas and how he became Santa Claus, but do you know about the rest of the holiday? Are you even sure why we celebrate this day and give each other gifts? Well, let’s find out…

Origin of Christmas

Christmas is the day that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The holiday is mainly Christian, but has come to be celebrated by many other religions and cultures, though is still primarily celebrated within the United States and European countries. The history of how this holiday came about goes like this: the birth of Jesus Christ, the one who was prophesied to save the Jews, was predicted for a certain day. After his birth, there was much celebrating and people came from far and wide to see him. We even split our historical years based on his birth! Did you know that BC stands for Before Christ, and AD stands for Anno Domini, which is Latin for “in the year of the Lord”? Those are both in reference to Jesus Christ’s birthday, and we still celebrate this day around the world.

Christmas as a holiday is actually a combination of a bunch of different holidays. Over the last several hundred years we have added in holiday celebrations that took place around the same time. That’s why we have such a variety of different things we do for this day!

So why do we share presents with each other? Well, as we learned about Saint Nicholas, he was the patron saint of gift-giving. That means that he was well-known for being generous and giving. Because we can’t give gifts to Jesus Christ for his birthday, we give them to each other! How can you be more like these two great men?

Since Christ’s birth we sure have run with this special holiday. We now put pine trees up in our homes and decorate them to follow the tradition of preparing for spring. We put mistletoe up because people used to put it in their doorways to ward off evil spirits during this time of celebration and merriment. We do it still to honor their tradition. Can you think of any more traditions? So, before we get into how other people celebrate this day, how do you celebrate? Tell us in the comments!

Christmas in Sweden

In Sweden, still to this day they have a very interesting tradition: the oldest daughter wakes up the earliest and wakes the rest of the family members. She wears a white dress with a red sash and a crown with 9 candles on it! Isn’t that super different from what we do here in America?

After the whole family eats breakfast, the day is spent celebrating with parades, feasts, and a bonfire at the end of the day! In Sweden the people are celebrating St. Lucia, who is the patron saint of the blind. Does this sound like a holiday you want to be a part of? We think it sounds pretty cool!

Christmas in Mexico

In Mexico they celebrate Christmas for 3 weeks! During that time, children will reenact the part of Christ’s story where his parents Mary and Joseph looked for a place to stay. The outside of homes are decorated with red and green and the visiting children will sing songs to the residents. They also make pinatas full of candy and break them open to eat the candy inside! Have you ever had a pinata at your birthday party? Well, in Mexico they are used for more than just your birthday. At the end of the 3 weeks of celebrating, Mexicans go to a church service and have a family meal, which is pretty similar to what we do, wouldn’t you say?

Christmas in Japan

In Japan, the primary religions are Buddhism and Shinto, which means that they do not generally celebrate Christmas like we do. They more celebrate because it is fun to do so! They still give each other gifts, and welcome Santa when he arrives on Christmas Eve.

Christmas in China

The primary holiday in China is the Chinese New Year, which celebrates ancestors, and the coming of spring. Similar to Japan, Chinese households don’t celebrate Christmas the way we do, and instead enjoy taking pictures with Santa and gift-giving if they are so inclined.

A Christmas tree installed with lanterns, measuring over 10 meters high, is illuminated beside sculptures of ancient people in the background of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda on December 24, 2010 in Xian of Shaanxi Province, China. Christmas is becoming increasingly popular in Chinese consumer culture, along with the Valentine’s Day in February and Halloween in October.

Christmas in Russia

In Russia Christmas is celebrated on an entirely different day. Because of former restrictions, Christmas is a very religious holiday which is celebrated on January 7th because Russians use a different calendar than the rest of us! More important to Russians is New Years where they feast, exchange gifts, and give thanks. They also don’t really talk about Santa there. Instead, they have a person they call Grandfather Frost who brings them gifts. They also use this time to celebrate family and even eat out of the same bowl to symbolize unity! What do you think of this holiday?

Christmas in Columbia

Christmas begins on December 7th in Columbia (Colombia). Then…

Houses and streets are decorated with candles, lanterns and lots of lights. There are also big firework displays and music to dance to and foods like ‘buñuelos’ and ’empanadas’. This day is celebrated by Catholics around the world as The Feast of the Immaculate Conception but is especially popular in Colombia. –WhyChristmas

Similarities between America and Columbia consist in decorating trees and viewing the Nativity scene. Have you ever been to one of these?

Christmas in South Africa

In South Africa, the people are mostly christian. That means that they believe in Jesus Christ and celebrate in much the same way we do, with gift-giving, delicious meals, and a general atmosphere of merriment and charity. It certainly looks different in South Africa though!

Christmas in Australia

Did you know that Australia is on a completely different seasonal schedule from us? That means that when we are shivering in blankets and playing in the snow, they are hanging out on the beach and sweating from the high temperatures! So they celebrate Christmas on the same day as we do, but their day looks a whole lot different! They celebrate with lots of food and gift-giving, and enjoy the warm weather!

Wow! Christmas sure is a widely-celebrated holiday, isn’t it? We love this time of year, and we are happy that you are all spending time with your family and having fun with everything. Thanks for tuning in to our 12 days of Burgmas, and we hope to see you in the office sometime soon!

Happy Holidays!

http://ift.tt/2BPebnb

[elsadalepd]

How Children Celebrate Christmas Around the World

A little while ago, for Halloween, we did a post about how children celebrate Halloween around the world. It was so cool to learn about all the different ways that a single holiday could be celebrated. So we thought we’d do the same for Christmas. We already learned about Saint Nicholas and how he became Santa Claus, but do you know about the rest of the holiday? Are you even sure why we celebrate this day and give each other gifts? Well, let’s find out…

Origin of Christmas

Christmas is the day that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The holiday is mainly Christian, but has come to be celebrated by many other religions and cultures, though is still primarily celebrated within the United States and European countries. The history of how this holiday came about goes like this: the birth of Jesus Christ, the one who was prophesied to save the Jews, was predicted for a certain day. After his birth, there was much celebrating and people came from far and wide to see him. We even split our historical years based on his birth! Did you know that BC stands for Before Christ, and AD stands for Anno Domini, which is Latin for “in the year of the Lord”? Those are both in reference to Jesus Christ’s birthday, and we still celebrate this day around the world.

Christmas as a holiday is actually a combination of a bunch of different holidays. Over the last several hundred years we have added in holiday celebrations that took place around the same time. That’s why we have such a variety of different things we do for this day!

So why do we share presents with each other? Well, as we learned about Saint Nicholas, he was the patron saint of gift-giving. That means that he was well-known for being generous and giving. Because we can’t give gifts to Jesus Christ for his birthday, we give them to each other! How can you be more like these two great men?

Since Christ’s birth we sure have run with this special holiday. We now put pine trees up in our homes and decorate them to follow the tradition of preparing for spring. We put mistletoe up because people used to put it in their doorways to ward off evil spirits during this time of celebration and merriment. We do it still to honor their tradition. Can you think of any more traditions? So, before we get into how other people celebrate this day, how do you celebrate? Tell us in the comments!

Christmas in Sweden

In Sweden, still to this day they have a very interesting tradition: the oldest daughter wakes up the earliest and wakes the rest of the family members. She wears a white dress with a red sash and a crown with 9 candles on it! Isn’t that super different from what we do here in America?

After the whole family eats breakfast, the day is spent celebrating with parades, feasts, and a bonfire at the end of the day! In Sweden the people are celebrating St. Lucia, who is the patron saint of the blind. Does this sound like a holiday you want to be a part of? We think it sounds pretty cool!

Christmas in Mexico

In Mexico they celebrate Christmas for 3 weeks! During that time, children will reenact the part of Christ’s story where his parents Mary and Joseph looked for a place to stay. The outside of homes are decorated with red and green and the visiting children will sing songs to the residents. They also make pinatas full of candy and break them open to eat the candy inside! Have you ever had a pinata at your birthday party? Well, in Mexico they are used for more than just your birthday. At the end of the 3 weeks of celebrating, Mexicans go to a church service and have a family meal, which is pretty similar to what we do, wouldn’t you say?

Christmas in Japan

In Japan, the primary religions are Buddhism and Shinto, which means that they do not generally celebrate Christmas like we do. They more celebrate because it is fun to do so! They still give each other gifts, and welcome Santa when he arrives on Christmas Eve.

Christmas in China

The primary holiday in China is the Chinese New Year, which celebrates ancestors, and the coming of spring. Similar to Japan, Chinese households don’t celebrate Christmas the way we do, and instead enjoy taking pictures with Santa and gift-giving if they are so inclined.

A Christmas tree installed with lanterns, measuring over 10 meters high, is illuminated beside sculptures of ancient people in the background of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda on December 24, 2010 in Xian of Shaanxi Province, China. Christmas is becoming increasingly popular in Chinese consumer culture, along with the Valentine’s Day in February and Halloween in October.

Christmas in Russia

In Russia Christmas is celebrated on an entirely different day. Because of former restrictions, Christmas is a very religious holiday which is celebrated on January 7th because Russians use a different calendar than the rest of us! More important to Russians is New Years where they feast, exchange gifts, and give thanks. They also don’t really talk about Santa there. Instead, they have a person they call Grandfather Frost who brings them gifts. They also use this time to celebrate family and even eat out of the same bowl to symbolize unity! What do you think of this holiday?

Christmas in Columbia

Christmas begins on December 7th in Columbia (Colombia). Then…

Houses and streets are decorated with candles, lanterns and lots of lights. There are also big firework displays and music to dance to and foods like ‘buñuelos’ and ’empanadas’. This day is celebrated by Catholics around the world as The Feast of the Immaculate Conception but is especially popular in Colombia. –WhyChristmas

Similarities between America and Columbia consist in decorating trees and viewing the Nativity scene. Have you ever been to one of these?

Christmas in South Africa

In South Africa, the people are mostly christian. That means that they believe in Jesus Christ and celebrate in much the same way we do, with gift-giving, delicious meals, and a general atmosphere of merriment and charity. It certainly looks different in South Africa though!

Christmas in Australia

Did you know that Australia is on a completely different seasonal schedule from us? That means that when we are shivering in blankets and playing in the snow, they are hanging out on the beach and sweating from the high temperatures! So they celebrate Christmas on the same day as we do, but their day looks a whole lot different! They celebrate with lots of food and gift-giving, and enjoy the warm weather!

Wow! Christmas sure is a widely-celebrated holiday, isn’t it? We love this time of year, and we are happy that you are all spending time with your family and having fun with everything. Thanks for tuning in to our 12 days of Burgmas, and we hope to see you in the office sometime soon!

Happy Holidays!

http://ift.tt/2BPebnb

[scottehrlichne]

How Children Celebrate Christmas Around the World

A little while ago, for Halloween, we did a post about how children celebrate Halloween around the world. It was so cool to learn about all the different ways that a single holiday could be celebrated. So we thought we’d do the same for Christmas. We already learned about Saint Nicholas and how he became Santa Claus, but do you know about the rest of the holiday? Are you even sure why we celebrate this day and give each other gifts? Well, let’s find out…

Origin of Christmas

Christmas is the day that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The holiday is mainly Christian, but has come to be celebrated by many other religions and cultures, though is still primarily celebrated within the United States and European countries. The history of how this holiday came about goes like this: the birth of Jesus Christ, the one who was prophesied to save the Jews, was predicted for a certain day. After his birth, there was much celebrating and people came from far and wide to see him. We even split our historical years based on his birth! Did you know that BC stands for Before Christ, and AD stands for Anno Domini, which is Latin for “in the year of the Lord”? Those are both in reference to Jesus Christ’s birthday, and we still celebrate this day around the world.

Christmas as a holiday is actually a combination of a bunch of different holidays. Over the last several hundred years we have added in holiday celebrations that took place around the same time. That’s why we have such a variety of different things we do for this day!

So why do we share presents with each other? Well, as we learned about Saint Nicholas, he was the patron saint of gift-giving. That means that he was well-known for being generous and giving. Because we can’t give gifts to Jesus Christ for his birthday, we give them to each other! How can you be more like these two great men?

Since Christ’s birth we sure have run with this special holiday. We now put pine trees up in our homes and decorate them to follow the tradition of preparing for spring. We put mistletoe up because people used to put it in their doorways to ward off evil spirits during this time of celebration and merriment. We do it still to honor their tradition. Can you think of any more traditions? So, before we get into how other people celebrate this day, how do you celebrate? Tell us in the comments!

Christmas in Sweden

In Sweden, still to this day they have a very interesting tradition: the oldest daughter wakes up the earliest and wakes the rest of the family members. She wears a white dress with a red sash and a crown with 9 candles on it! Isn’t that super different from what we do here in America?

After the whole family eats breakfast, the day is spent celebrating with parades, feasts, and a bonfire at the end of the day! In Sweden the people are celebrating St. Lucia, who is the patron saint of the blind. Does this sound like a holiday you want to be a part of? We think it sounds pretty cool!

Christmas in Mexico

In Mexico they celebrate Christmas for 3 weeks! During that time, children will reenact the part of Christ’s story where his parents Mary and Joseph looked for a place to stay. The outside of homes are decorated with red and green and the visiting children will sing songs to the residents. They also make pinatas full of candy and break them open to eat the candy inside! Have you ever had a pinata at your birthday party? Well, in Mexico they are used for more than just your birthday. At the end of the 3 weeks of celebrating, Mexicans go to a church service and have a family meal, which is pretty similar to what we do, wouldn’t you say?

Christmas in Japan

In Japan, the primary religions are Buddhism and Shinto, which means that they do not generally celebrate Christmas like we do. They more celebrate because it is fun to do so! They still give each other gifts, and welcome Santa when he arrives on Christmas Eve.

Christmas in China

The primary holiday in China is the Chinese New Year, which celebrates ancestors, and the coming of spring. Similar to Japan, Chinese households don’t celebrate Christmas the way we do, and instead enjoy taking pictures with Santa and gift-giving if they are so inclined.

A Christmas tree installed with lanterns, measuring over 10 meters high, is illuminated beside sculptures of ancient people in the background of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda on December 24, 2010 in Xian of Shaanxi Province, China. Christmas is becoming increasingly popular in Chinese consumer culture, along with the Valentine’s Day in February and Halloween in October.

Christmas in Russia

In Russia Christmas is celebrated on an entirely different day. Because of former restrictions, Christmas is a very religious holiday which is celebrated on January 7th because Russians use a different calendar than the rest of us! More important to Russians is New Years where they feast, exchange gifts, and give thanks. They also don’t really talk about Santa there. Instead, they have a person they call Grandfather Frost who brings them gifts. They also use this time to celebrate family and even eat out of the same bowl to symbolize unity! What do you think of this holiday?

Christmas in Columbia

Christmas begins on December 7th in Columbia (Colombia). Then…

Houses and streets are decorated with candles, lanterns and lots of lights. There are also big firework displays and music to dance to and foods like ‘buñuelos’ and ’empanadas’. This day is celebrated by Catholics around the world as The Feast of the Immaculate Conception but is especially popular in Colombia. –WhyChristmas

Similarities between America and Columbia consist in decorating trees and viewing the Nativity scene. Have you ever been to one of these?

Christmas in South Africa

In South Africa, the people are mostly christian. That means that they believe in Jesus Christ and celebrate in much the same way we do, with gift-giving, delicious meals, and a general atmosphere of merriment and charity. It certainly looks different in South Africa though!

Christmas in Australia

Did you know that Australia is on a completely different seasonal schedule from us? That means that when we are shivering in blankets and playing in the snow, they are hanging out on the beach and sweating from the high temperatures! So they celebrate Christmas on the same day as we do, but their day looks a whole lot different! They celebrate with lots of food and gift-giving, and enjoy the warm weather!

Wow! Christmas sure is a widely-celebrated holiday, isn’t it? We love this time of year, and we are happy that you are all spending time with your family and having fun with everything. Thanks for tuning in to our 12 days of Burgmas, and we hope to see you in the office sometime soon!

Happy Holidays!

http://ift.tt/2BPebnb

[fosterannrf]

How Children Celebrate Christmas Around the World

A little while ago, for Halloween, we did a post about how children celebrate Halloween around the world. It was so cool to learn about all the different ways that a single holiday could be celebrated. So we thought we’d do the same for Christmas. We already learned about Saint Nicholas and how he became Santa Claus, but do you know about the rest of the holiday? Are you even sure why we celebrate this day and give each other gifts? Well, let’s find out…

Origin of Christmas

Christmas is the day that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The holiday is mainly Christian, but has come to be celebrated by many other religions and cultures, though is still primarily celebrated within the United States and European countries. The history of how this holiday came about goes like this: the birth of Jesus Christ, the one who was prophesied to save the Jews, was predicted for a certain day. After his birth, there was much celebrating and people came from far and wide to see him. We even split our historical years based on his birth! Did you know that BC stands for Before Christ, and AD stands for Anno Domini, which is Latin for “in the year of the Lord”? Those are both in reference to Jesus Christ’s birthday, and we still celebrate this day around the world.

Christmas as a holiday is actually a combination of a bunch of different holidays. Over the last several hundred years we have added in holiday celebrations that took place around the same time. That’s why we have such a variety of different things we do for this day!

So why do we share presents with each other? Well, as we learned about Saint Nicholas, he was the patron saint of gift-giving. That means that he was well-known for being generous and giving. Because we can’t give gifts to Jesus Christ for his birthday, we give them to each other! How can you be more like these two great men?

Since Christ’s birth we sure have run with this special holiday. We now put pine trees up in our homes and decorate them to follow the tradition of preparing for spring. We put mistletoe up because people used to put it in their doorways to ward off evil spirits during this time of celebration and merriment. We do it still to honor their tradition. Can you think of any more traditions? So, before we get into how other people celebrate this day, how do you celebrate? Tell us in the comments!

Christmas in Sweden

In Sweden, still to this day they have a very interesting tradition: the oldest daughter wakes up the earliest and wakes the rest of the family members. She wears a white dress with a red sash and a crown with 9 candles on it! Isn’t that super different from what we do here in America?

After the whole family eats breakfast, the day is spent celebrating with parades, feasts, and a bonfire at the end of the day! In Sweden the people are celebrating St. Lucia, who is the patron saint of the blind. Does this sound like a holiday you want to be a part of? We think it sounds pretty cool!

Christmas in Mexico

In Mexico they celebrate Christmas for 3 weeks! During that time, children will reenact the part of Christ’s story where his parents Mary and Joseph looked for a place to stay. The outside of homes are decorated with red and green and the visiting children will sing songs to the residents. They also make pinatas full of candy and break them open to eat the candy inside! Have you ever had a pinata at your birthday party? Well, in Mexico they are used for more than just your birthday. At the end of the 3 weeks of celebrating, Mexicans go to a church service and have a family meal, which is pretty similar to what we do, wouldn’t you say?

Christmas in Japan

In Japan, the primary religions are Buddhism and Shinto, which means that they do not generally celebrate Christmas like we do. They more celebrate because it is fun to do so! They still give each other gifts, and welcome Santa when he arrives on Christmas Eve.

Christmas in China

The primary holiday in China is the Chinese New Year, which celebrates ancestors, and the coming of spring. Similar to Japan, Chinese households don’t celebrate Christmas the way we do, and instead enjoy taking pictures with Santa and gift-giving if they are so inclined.

A Christmas tree installed with lanterns, measuring over 10 meters high, is illuminated beside sculptures of ancient people in the background of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda on December 24, 2010 in Xian of Shaanxi Province, China. Christmas is becoming increasingly popular in Chinese consumer culture, along with the Valentine’s Day in February and Halloween in October.

Christmas in Russia

In Russia Christmas is celebrated on an entirely different day. Because of former restrictions, Christmas is a very religious holiday which is celebrated on January 7th because Russians use a different calendar than the rest of us! More important to Russians is New Years where they feast, exchange gifts, and give thanks. They also don’t really talk about Santa there. Instead, they have a person they call Grandfather Frost who brings them gifts. They also use this time to celebrate family and even eat out of the same bowl to symbolize unity! What do you think of this holiday?

Christmas in Columbia

Christmas begins on December 7th in Columbia (Colombia). Then…

Houses and streets are decorated with candles, lanterns and lots of lights. There are also big firework displays and music to dance to and foods like ‘buñuelos’ and ’empanadas’. This day is celebrated by Catholics around the world as The Feast of the Immaculate Conception but is especially popular in Colombia. –WhyChristmas

Similarities between America and Columbia consist in decorating trees and viewing the Nativity scene. Have you ever been to one of these?

Christmas in South Africa

In South Africa, the people are mostly christian. That means that they believe in Jesus Christ and celebrate in much the same way we do, with gift-giving, delicious meals, and a general atmosphere of merriment and charity. It certainly looks different in South Africa though!

Christmas in Australia

Did you know that Australia is on a completely different seasonal schedule from us? That means that when we are shivering in blankets and playing in the snow, they are hanging out on the beach and sweating from the high temperatures! So they celebrate Christmas on the same day as we do, but their day looks a whole lot different! They celebrate with lots of food and gift-giving, and enjoy the warm weather!

Wow! Christmas sure is a widely-celebrated holiday, isn’t it? We love this time of year, and we are happy that you are all spending time with your family and having fun with everything. Thanks for tuning in to our 12 days of Burgmas, and we hope to see you in the office sometime soon!

Happy Holidays!

[turce1985]

How Children Celebrate Christmas Around the World

A little while ago, for Halloween, we did a post about how children celebrate Halloween around the world. It was so cool to learn about all the different ways that a single holiday could be celebrated. So we thought we’d do the same for Christmas. We already learned about Saint Nicholas and how he became Santa Claus, but do you know about the rest of the holiday? Are you even sure why we celebrate this day and give each other gifts? Well, let’s find out…

Origin of Christmas

Christmas is the day that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The holiday is mainly Christian, but has come to be celebrated by many other religions and cultures, though is still primarily celebrated within the United States and European countries. The history of how this holiday came about goes like this: the birth of Jesus Christ, the one who was prophesied to save the Jews, was predicted for a certain day. After his birth, there was much celebrating and people came from far and wide to see him. We even split our historical years based on his birth! Did you know that BC stands for Before Christ, and AD stands for Anno Domini, which is Latin for “in the year of the Lord”? Those are both in reference to Jesus Christ’s birthday, and we still celebrate this day around the world.

Christmas as a holiday is actually a combination of a bunch of different holidays. Over the last several hundred years we have added in holiday celebrations that took place around the same time. That’s why we have such a variety of different things we do for this day!

So why do we share presents with each other? Well, as we learned about Saint Nicholas, he was the patron saint of gift-giving. That means that he was well-known for being generous and giving. Because we can’t give gifts to Jesus Christ for his birthday, we give them to each other! How can you be more like these two great men?

Since Christ’s birth we sure have run with this special holiday. We now put pine trees up in our homes and decorate them to follow the tradition of preparing for spring. We put mistletoe up because people used to put it in their doorways to ward off evil spirits during this time of celebration and merriment. We do it still to honor their tradition. Can you think of any more traditions? So, before we get into how other people celebrate this day, how do you celebrate? Tell us in the comments!

Christmas in Sweden

In Sweden, still to this day they have a very interesting tradition: the oldest daughter wakes up the earliest and wakes the rest of the family members. She wears a white dress with a red sash and a crown with 9 candles on it! Isn’t that super different from what we do here in America?

After the whole family eats breakfast, the day is spent celebrating with parades, feasts, and a bonfire at the end of the day! In Sweden the people are celebrating St. Lucia, who is the patron saint of the blind. Does this sound like a holiday you want to be a part of? We think it sounds pretty cool!

Christmas in Mexico

In Mexico they celebrate Christmas for 3 weeks! During that time, children will reenact the part of Christ’s story where his parents Mary and Joseph looked for a place to stay. The outside of homes are decorated with red and green and the visiting children will sing songs to the residents. They also make pinatas full of candy and break them open to eat the candy inside! Have you ever had a pinata at your birthday party? Well, in Mexico they are used for more than just your birthday. At the end of the 3 weeks of celebrating, Mexicans go to a church service and have a family meal, which is pretty similar to what we do, wouldn’t you say?

Christmas in Japan

In Japan, the primary religions are Buddhism and Shinto, which means that they do not generally celebrate Christmas like we do. They more celebrate because it is fun to do so! They still give each other gifts, and welcome Santa when he arrives on Christmas Eve.

Christmas in China

The primary holiday in China is the Chinese New Year, which celebrates ancestors, and the coming of spring. Similar to Japan, Chinese households don’t celebrate Christmas the way we do, and instead enjoy taking pictures with Santa and gift-giving if they are so inclined.

A Christmas tree installed with lanterns, measuring over 10 meters high, is illuminated beside sculptures of ancient people in the background of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda on December 24, 2010 in Xian of Shaanxi Province, China. Christmas is becoming increasingly popular in Chinese consumer culture, along with the Valentine’s Day in February and Halloween in October.

Christmas in Russia

In Russia Christmas is celebrated on an entirely different day. Because of former restrictions, Christmas is a very religious holiday which is celebrated on January 7th because Russians use a different calendar than the rest of us! More important to Russians is New Years where they feast, exchange gifts, and give thanks. They also don’t really talk about Santa there. Instead, they have a person they call Grandfather Frost who brings them gifts. They also use this time to celebrate family and even eat out of the same bowl to symbolize unity! What do you think of this holiday?

Christmas in Columbia

Christmas begins on December 7th in Columbia (Colombia). Then…

Houses and streets are decorated with candles, lanterns and lots of lights. There are also big firework displays and music to dance to and foods like ‘buñuelos’ and ’empanadas’. This day is celebrated by Catholics around the world as The Feast of the Immaculate Conception but is especially popular in Colombia. –WhyChristmas

Similarities between America and Columbia consist in decorating trees and viewing the Nativity scene. Have you ever been to one of these?

Christmas in South Africa

In South Africa, the people are mostly christian. That means that they believe in Jesus Christ and celebrate in much the same way we do, with gift-giving, delicious meals, and a general atmosphere of merriment and charity. It certainly looks different in South Africa though!

Christmas in Australia

Did you know that Australia is on a completely different seasonal schedule from us? That means that when we are shivering in blankets and playing in the snow, they are hanging out on the beach and sweating from the high temperatures! So they celebrate Christmas on the same day as we do, but their day looks a whole lot different! They celebrate with lots of food and gift-giving, and enjoy the warm weather!

Wow! Christmas sure is a widely-celebrated holiday, isn’t it? We love this time of year, and we are happy that you are all spending time with your family and having fun with everything. Thanks for tuning in to our 12 days of Burgmas, and we hope to see you in the office sometime soon!

Happy Holidays!

http://ift.tt/2BPebnb

[simmonssheilaas]

How Children Celebrate Christmas Around the World

A little while ago, for Halloween, we did a post about how children celebrate Halloween around the world. It was so cool to learn about all the different ways that a single holiday could be celebrated. So we thought we’d do the same for Christmas. We already learned about Saint Nicholas and how he became Santa Claus, but do you know about the rest of the holiday? Are you even sure why we celebrate this day and give each other gifts? Well, let’s find out…

Origin of Christmas

Christmas is the day that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The holiday is mainly Christian, but has come to be celebrated by many other religions and cultures, though is still primarily celebrated within the United States and European countries. The history of how this holiday came about goes like this: the birth of Jesus Christ, the one who was prophesied to save the Jews, was predicted for a certain day. After his birth, there was much celebrating and people came from far and wide to see him. We even split our historical years based on his birth! Did you know that BC stands for Before Christ, and AD stands for Anno Domini, which is Latin for “in the year of the Lord”? Those are both in reference to Jesus Christ’s birthday, and we still celebrate this day around the world.

Christmas as a holiday is actually a combination of a bunch of different holidays. Over the last several hundred years we have added in holiday celebrations that took place around the same time. That’s why we have such a variety of different things we do for this day!

So why do we share presents with each other? Well, as we learned about Saint Nicholas, he was the patron saint of gift-giving. That means that he was well-known for being generous and giving. Because we can’t give gifts to Jesus Christ for his birthday, we give them to each other! How can you be more like these two great men?

Since Christ’s birth we sure have run with this special holiday. We now put pine trees up in our homes and decorate them to follow the tradition of preparing for spring. We put mistletoe up because people used to put it in their doorways to ward off evil spirits during this time of celebration and merriment. We do it still to honor their tradition. Can you think of any more traditions? So, before we get into how other people celebrate this day, how do you celebrate? Tell us in the comments!

Christmas in Sweden

In Sweden, still to this day they have a very interesting tradition: the oldest daughter wakes up the earliest and wakes the rest of the family members. She wears a white dress with a red sash and a crown with 9 candles on it! Isn’t that super different from what we do here in America?

After the whole family eats breakfast, the day is spent celebrating with parades, feasts, and a bonfire at the end of the day! In Sweden the people are celebrating St. Lucia, who is the patron saint of the blind. Does this sound like a holiday you want to be a part of? We think it sounds pretty cool!

Christmas in Mexico

In Mexico they celebrate Christmas for 3 weeks! During that time, children will reenact the part of Christ’s story where his parents Mary and Joseph looked for a place to stay. The outside of homes are decorated with red and green and the visiting children will sing songs to the residents. They also make pinatas full of candy and break them open to eat the candy inside! Have you ever had a pinata at your birthday party? Well, in Mexico they are used for more than just your birthday. At the end of the 3 weeks of celebrating, Mexicans go to a church service and have a family meal, which is pretty similar to what we do, wouldn’t you say?

Christmas in Japan

In Japan, the primary religions are Buddhism and Shinto, which means that they do not generally celebrate Christmas like we do. They more celebrate because it is fun to do so! They still give each other gifts, and welcome Santa when he arrives on Christmas Eve.

Christmas in China

The primary holiday in China is the Chinese New Year, which celebrates ancestors, and the coming of spring. Similar to Japan, Chinese households don’t celebrate Christmas the way we do, and instead enjoy taking pictures with Santa and gift-giving if they are so inclined.

A Christmas tree installed with lanterns, measuring over 10 meters high, is illuminated beside sculptures of ancient people in the background of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda on December 24, 2010 in Xian of Shaanxi Province, China. Christmas is becoming increasingly popular in Chinese consumer culture, along with the Valentine’s Day in February and Halloween in October.

Christmas in Russia

In Russia Christmas is celebrated on an entirely different day. Because of former restrictions, Christmas is a very religious holiday which is celebrated on January 7th because Russians use a different calendar than the rest of us! More important to Russians is New Years where they feast, exchange gifts, and give thanks. They also don’t really talk about Santa there. Instead, they have a person they call Grandfather Frost who brings them gifts. They also use this time to celebrate family and even eat out of the same bowl to symbolize unity! What do you think of this holiday?

Christmas in Columbia

Christmas begins on December 7th in Columbia (Colombia). Then…

Houses and streets are decorated with candles, lanterns and lots of lights. There are also big firework displays and music to dance to and foods like ‘buñuelos’ and ’empanadas’. This day is celebrated by Catholics around the world as The Feast of the Immaculate Conception but is especially popular in Colombia. –WhyChristmas

Similarities between America and Columbia consist in decorating trees and viewing the Nativity scene. Have you ever been to one of these?

Christmas in South Africa

In South Africa, the people are mostly christian. That means that they believe in Jesus Christ and celebrate in much the same way we do, with gift-giving, delicious meals, and a general atmosphere of merriment and charity. It certainly looks different in South Africa though!

Christmas in Australia

Did you know that Australia is on a completely different seasonal schedule from us? That means that when we are shivering in blankets and playing in the snow, they are hanging out on the beach and sweating from the high temperatures! So they celebrate Christmas on the same day as we do, but their day looks a whole lot different! They celebrate with lots of food and gift-giving, and enjoy the warm weather!

Wow! Christmas sure is a widely-celebrated holiday, isn’t it? We love this time of year, and we are happy that you are all spending time with your family and having fun with everything. Thanks for tuning in to our 12 days of Burgmas, and we hope to see you in the office sometime soon!

Happy Holidays!

[broomon1]

How Children Celebrate Christmas Around the World

A little while ago, for Halloween, we did a post about how children celebrate Halloween around the world. It was so cool to learn about all the different ways that a single holiday could be celebrated. So we thought we’d do the same for Christmas. We already learned about Saint Nicholas and how he became Santa Claus, but do you know about the rest of the holiday? Are you even sure why we celebrate this day and give each other gifts? Well, let’s find out…

Origin of Christmas

Christmas is the day that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The holiday is mainly Christian, but has come to be celebrated by many other religions and cultures, though is still primarily celebrated within the United States and European countries. The history of how this holiday came about goes like this: the birth of Jesus Christ, the one who was prophesied to save the Jews, was predicted for a certain day. After his birth, there was much celebrating and people came from far and wide to see him. We even split our historical years based on his birth! Did you know that BC stands for Before Christ, and AD stands for Anno Domini, which is Latin for “in the year of the Lord”? Those are both in reference to Jesus Christ’s birthday, and we still celebrate this day around the world.

Christmas as a holiday is actually a combination of a bunch of different holidays. Over the last several hundred years we have added in holiday celebrations that took place around the same time. That’s why we have such a variety of different things we do for this day!

So why do we share presents with each other? Well, as we learned about Saint Nicholas, he was the patron saint of gift-giving. That means that he was well-known for being generous and giving. Because we can’t give gifts to Jesus Christ for his birthday, we give them to each other! How can you be more like these two great men?

Since Christ’s birth we sure have run with this special holiday. We now put pine trees up in our homes and decorate them to follow the tradition of preparing for spring. We put mistletoe up because people used to put it in their doorways to ward off evil spirits during this time of celebration and merriment. We do it still to honor their tradition. Can you think of any more traditions? So, before we get into how other people celebrate this day, how do you celebrate? Tell us in the comments!

Christmas in Sweden

In Sweden, still to this day they have a very interesting tradition: the oldest daughter wakes up the earliest and wakes the rest of the family members. She wears a white dress with a red sash and a crown with 9 candles on it! Isn’t that super different from what we do here in America?

After the whole family eats breakfast, the day is spent celebrating with parades, feasts, and a bonfire at the end of the day! In Sweden the people are celebrating St. Lucia, who is the patron saint of the blind. Does this sound like a holiday you want to be a part of? We think it sounds pretty cool!

Christmas in Mexico

In Mexico they celebrate Christmas for 3 weeks! During that time, children will reenact the part of Christ’s story where his parents Mary and Joseph looked for a place to stay. The outside of homes are decorated with red and green and the visiting children will sing songs to the residents. They also make pinatas full of candy and break them open to eat the candy inside! Have you ever had a pinata at your birthday party? Well, in Mexico they are used for more than just your birthday. At the end of the 3 weeks of celebrating, Mexicans go to a church service and have a family meal, which is pretty similar to what we do, wouldn’t you say?

Christmas in Japan

In Japan, the primary religions are Buddhism and Shinto, which means that they do not generally celebrate Christmas like we do. They more celebrate because it is fun to do so! They still give each other gifts, and welcome Santa when he arrives on Christmas Eve.

Christmas in China

The primary holiday in China is the Chinese New Year, which celebrates ancestors, and the coming of spring. Similar to Japan, Chinese households don’t celebrate Christmas the way we do, and instead enjoy taking pictures with Santa and gift-giving if they are so inclined.

A Christmas tree installed with lanterns, measuring over 10 meters high, is illuminated beside sculptures of ancient people in the background of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda on December 24, 2010 in Xian of Shaanxi Province, China. Christmas is becoming increasingly popular in Chinese consumer culture, along with the Valentine’s Day in February and Halloween in October.

Christmas in Russia

In Russia Christmas is celebrated on an entirely different day. Because of former restrictions, Christmas is a very religious holiday which is celebrated on January 7th because Russians use a different calendar than the rest of us! More important to Russians is New Years where they feast, exchange gifts, and give thanks. They also don’t really talk about Santa there. Instead, they have a person they call Grandfather Frost who brings them gifts. They also use this time to celebrate family and even eat out of the same bowl to symbolize unity! What do you think of this holiday?

Christmas in Columbia

Christmas begins on December 7th in Columbia (Colombia). Then…

Houses and streets are decorated with candles, lanterns and lots of lights. There are also big firework displays and music to dance to and foods like ‘buñuelos’ and ’empanadas’. This day is celebrated by Catholics around the world as The Feast of the Immaculate Conception but is especially popular in Colombia. –WhyChristmas

Similarities between America and Columbia consist in decorating trees and viewing the Nativity scene. Have you ever been to one of these?

Christmas in South Africa

In South Africa, the people are mostly christian. That means that they believe in Jesus Christ and celebrate in much the same way we do, with gift-giving, delicious meals, and a general atmosphere of merriment and charity. It certainly looks different in South Africa though!

Christmas in Australia

Did you know that Australia is on a completely different seasonal schedule from us? That means that when we are shivering in blankets and playing in the snow, they are hanging out on the beach and sweating from the high temperatures! So they celebrate Christmas on the same day as we do, but their day looks a whole lot different! They celebrate with lots of food and gift-giving, and enjoy the warm weather!

Wow! Christmas sure is a widely-celebrated holiday, isn’t it? We love this time of year, and we are happy that you are all spending time with your family and having fun with everything. Thanks for tuning in to our 12 days of Burgmas, and we hope to see you in the office sometime soon!

Happy Holidays!

http://ift.tt/2BPebnb