Virtually everyone all over the world celebrates Christmas. Even if it is originally a religious event, non-Christians celebrate it too. In reality, Christmas has a pagan origin. Jesus was not really born on December 25, yet this day has long been a day of celebrating a special occasion in different parts of the world. According to old Babylonian myths, Semiramis, who is also known as Isis and Easter in other ancient religions, noticed an evergreen tree grow from an old tree stump following the death of her husband and son ?Nimrod. This ancient goddess said that Nimrod used to visit that tree and leave personalised gifts every year on his birthday which happens to be the 25th of December. This is how the Christmas tree came to be. Whether or not people from different countries know the story, what they see as local tradition actually isn. Christmas, as we know it, comes from many different traditions in different parts of the world.
So, how is Christmas celebrated in the UK? In the past, christmas gifts weren really given during Christmas. Instead, these used to be given during New Year. Christmas dinner normally consists of lamb, beef, pork, chicken, pudding and Christmas cake. In the Czech Republic, instead of meat, people in this country normally have carp with potato salad. In South America, the usual dishes during this occasion consist of turkey. In the African country, Ethiopia, they traditionally eat hot stew with chicken and injera. Greenland also has a traditional Christmas dish called Mattak. A lot of people say that it tastes a lot like coconut. However, it is actually made from the skin of the whale which is filled with blubber.
Regardless of the difference in the dishes served in different countries, Christmas is not complete without presents. Furthermore, it is quite surprising that you can actually find decorated Christmas trees in countries where evergreen trees do not really grow. Plastic versions of these trees are usually used. Traditionally, people also place gifts underneath this tree. The day for opening these gifts may differ because in the Czech Republic, it is customary to open presents on Christmas Eve instead of the 25th. In other countries, gifts are traditionally unwrapped at 12 midnight or as soon as it is December 25. Others may follow different customs. Still, one cannot really deny where this practice actually came from. It has long been practiced in many parts of the world prior to the birth of Jesus.
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