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Traditions, big or small, play a vital role in our lives. They bring family members closer together, help shape our identities, and connect us to our past. And at no time during the year are family and cultural traditions more evident than right now during the holiday season.
Just recently, in fact, the 8th annual Spring Hill Christmas Parade took place as each year it continues to get bigger and better. More importantly, it serves as a gathering point for people of all ages and backgrounds to share in the holiday spirit.As you spend time enjoying the holidays this year with family and friends, we invite you to take a few moments to see how others celebrate theirs outside of the U.S.
In Italy, for example, children await the arrival of Befana, a friendly which who delivers clothes, toys, and candy to well-behaved children.
In Austria, Santa isn’t the only one keeping a list of who’s naughty or nice. Not with the devilish Krampus around to mete out punishment to misbehaving boys and girls.
Though Christmas isn’t really celebrated in Japan, many Japanese families have been upholding a Christmas tradition of their own since 1974 – eating at KFC on Christmas Eve.
You won’t find tinsel on a Ukrainian Christmas tree. Instead, trees are often covered in spiders and webs which are thought to bring good luck in the coming year.
Guatemalans begin the holiday festivities by cleaning their homes and collecting all the trash in a massive heap in the street. The pile is then adorned with an effigy of the devil and set on fire. Doing so is believed to expunge evil spirits and negative energy.
In Iceland, children leave a shoe on their windowsill hoping to find it filled with gifts in the morning. Naughty children receive a potato instead.
In Scotland, the first person to enter a home in the New Year is said to be a predictor of the year ahead. A dark-haired male visitor is said to bring good luck, while a woman or blonde-haired man is viewed as a harbinger of bad luck.
Happy holidays to one and one from the home comfort specialists at GBT Heating & Cooling.
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