Observance of Christmas by country: Difference between revisions

===== Assyrians =====

The [[Assyrian people|Assyrians]], the indigenous people of northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, northeastern Syria, and southeastern Turkey that belong to the [[Assyrian Church of the East]], [[Ancient Church of the East]], [[Syriac Orthodox Church]], and [[Chaldean Catholic Church]] today celebrate Christmas on December 25. Assyrians colloquially call Christmas ''Eda Zora,'' meaning "little holiday." It is officially called ''Eda d'Yalde'' which means "birthday holiday." Traditionally, Assyrians fast (''sawma'') from December 1 until Christmas Day. In Iraq, for instance, on Christmas Eve, Assyrian families congregate outside of their house and hold lighted candles while a child reads aloud the nativity story. Then they all sing psalms over a bonfire made of thorn bushes. Folklore says that if the thorns burn to ashes, the family will have good luck. After the fire has been reduced to ashes, the family members will jump three times over the ashes and make a wish.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chaldeannews.com/christmas-traditions/|title=Christmas Traditions|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141207065201/http://www.chaldeannews.com/christmas-traditions/|archive-date=December 7, 2014}}</ref> The next day, on Christmas, "as another bonfire burns in the churchyard, the bishops lead the service while carrying a figure of the baby Jesus. He blesses one person with a touch. That person touches the next person and the touch passes around until all have felt the touch of peace."<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i-4WhilzYkQC&q=%22chaldean+Christmas%22&pg=PA271|title=Once Upon a Time in Baghdad|author=Margo Kirtikar|date=2011|isbn=9781456853761}}</ref> Many Assyrians will attend the ''Shaharta,'' or midnight vigil before Christmas. On Christmas Day, when families gather together after the ''Shaharta'' or morning mass, ''raza d'mowlada d'maran,'' the fast is broken by eating traditional Assyrian foods such as ''pacha/reesh-aqle'' (meaning "from the head to the tail"), which is a boiled soup made of sheep or cow intestines, tongue, stomach, legs, and spices or ''harissa'', a porridge made of ground wheat and chicken (both dishes are prepared usually overnight). These two dishes are only made twice a year: on Christmas and Easter. Traditional desserts eaten after the main course include Killeche, a date and walnut-stuffed cookie, and Kadeh, another stuffed pastry. After the feast is finished, Assyrians will visit the houses of family and friends to exchange Christmas greetings, saying, "''Eedokhon breekha,''" meaning "May your feast be blessed."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/festivals-ix-assyrian/|title=FESTIVALS ix.Assyrian|author=Encyclopedia Iranica|date=2012}}</ref> There, the host will serve tea, Turkish coffee, and Killeche and Kadeh to guests. Although Christmas is celebrated in a much more religious fashion, in recent years, families put up a small Christmas tree in the house.

====== Germany ======

[[File:Weihnachtssterne. Chemnitz. IMG 7242WI.jpg|thumb|[[Moravian star|Christmas star]]]]

[[File:Christmas tree on the Potsdamer Platz (Sony Center) in Berlin, Germany.jpg|thumb|upright|Christmas tree in [[Berlin]], Germany]]