HOW TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS IN ASIA

The best time of year is Christmas and New Year. It doesn’t matter if you are watching fireworks with your family, watching “The Grinch”, under 5 layers of blankets or grilling shrimp! Every family and every country has its traditions. Have you ever thought about spending the holidays in an exotic place? Please take a look below at our guide on how to spend Christmas and New Year in Asia!

SRI LANKA

The Christmas season begins in Sri Lanka, with firecrackers lit at dawn on December 1. Midnight Mass follows this. Although Sri Lanka is predominantly Buddhist, only 7% of its population is Christian, and many Buddhists participate in the celebrations. Children as young as five can decorate Christmas trees and string lights. Santa Claus is often found in malls throughout the country. Sri Lankans enjoy a traditional western Christmas meal including turkey, mince pies and Christmas pudding. Christians offer non-Christians a platter of Christmas dinner food as part of their holiday celebrations.

THE PHILIPPINES

You might be confused if you visit the Philippines in September or December. You didn’t just jump ahead two months…or rewind time. The Filipinos count down to Christmas from September 1. They celebrate for four months. Christmas music can be found in stores as early as September and through January. Things start to get more formal on December 16. Many people begin to attend pre-dawn mass every day. The final mass is held on Christmas Day. The Feast of the Three Kings (also known as Epiphany) falls on the first Sunday of February and marks the end of the celebrations… for seven months. For a memorable holiday in Asia, visit the Philippines if you think of Christmas.

INDIA

Santa Claus delivers gifts to children in India using a horse and cart. Christmas celebrations centre on Christmas Eve, rather than Christmas Day, depending on the language. Midnight Mass is a significant event. Catholics typically fast from the 1st to the 24th of December. There is an Indian feast that includes local delicacies, and gifts are given and received either before or after Midnight Mass. Indians decorate mango trees or banana trees for traditional Christmas. They also decorate their homes with mango leaves. Goa Christians will hang giant, star-shaped paper lanterns above their homes. This gives the illusion that you are walking on stars. It is important to remember that only 5% of India’s total population are Christians. However, with 1.4 billion people, this 5% makes up quite many people.

INDONESIA

While only 10% of Indonesia’s people are Christians, a staggering 20,000,000 people are still! Christmas in Indonesia is a significant occasion. The diverse traditions of each region are varied, as one might expect. Christmas dinner in Papua typically features pork roasted between hot rocks in the ground called Barapen. The streets of Bali are decorated with yellow coconut leaves, and the Christmas trees are made entirely from chicken feathers. Toraja’s Christmas celebration, the Lovely December, features traditional music and dancing and local cuisine. On December 26, a procession and massive firework displays mark the end of Christmas.

JAPAN

Although it may seem strange, Christmas has only been widely celebrated in Japan over the past few decades. Shintoism, Buddhism and Shintoism are the major religions in Japan. Christmas is seen as a time for love and happiness and not a religious holiday. Christmas Eve in Japan is more significant than Christmas Day. It can also be compared with Valentine’s Day in Western Countries. This romantic day is when couples exchange gifts, go on candlelit dinners and take evening walks to see the Christmas lights. Christmas Day is not a national holiday because of religious reasons. However, the Emperor’s birthday falls on December 23 and is a worthy national holiday.

Japan wouldn’t be Japan without a unique food ritual. KFC has been considered Japan’s Christmas food since 1970 when it was named “Kentucky for Christmas” in an advertisement. There will be a long line to get your Christmas KFC! You can spend Christmas in Asia, but you are more used to cold celebrations. Japan offers snow and the opportunity to enjoy the holiday season on a cozy onsen.

The new year in Japanese culture must be fresh. Japanese people are known for their “big cleaning”, which involves vacuuming every inch of the house, even those left untouched for the majority of the year. Many families will move the fridge and vacuum under it during oosouji.

Eating certain foods is another big tradition in Japanese culture. Toshikoshi soba can be eaten on New Year’s Eve, while ozone or osechi can be enjoyed on the actual New Year’s Day.

Many people worldwide consider Christmas and New Year to be their best times of the year. Different countries have their traditions, and it can be a wonderful experience to celebrate the end of the year in another country. Holidays shouldn’t be stressful. It is a vacation, after all. It’s a day to have fun with family and friends and enjoy the holiday. No matter where you are spending Christmas and New Year next year, enjoy it! What did you do to celebrate Christmas and New Year this year? We’d love to hear about your traditions and cool stories in the comments section.