The Spirit of Christmas

Wikimedia commons.

Russian Troika.

Last December I wrote about the Spirit of Christmas, which I defined as love, peace and goodwill toward others.

We share the Spirit of Christmas by spreading joy, kindness and compassion to those around us. Most of us manage to share the Spirit during the month of December because there are reminders everywhere. The challenge is to keep the Spirit going the other 11 months of the year. But, why bother; isn't the month of December enough Spirit for a whole year? The best reason for year-around kindness is that you can put a smile on someone's face. Every time you do, you benefit, as well. When you do something nice, your brain secretes "feel good" hormones that can actually lower your blood pressure and reduce anxiety. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

Sharing the Spirit does not have to be a big production or cost a lot of money. Here are a few ideas you can try in 2025:

• Compliment a stranger.

• Bake a treat for a neighbor, just because.

• Mail out a "thinking of you" note.

• Let someone skip ahead of you in a checkout line.

• Pick up litter along the road.

• Hide encouraging notes in the office.

According to Maya Angelou, people will forget what you said and forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

Also last year, I shared Christmas traditions from six of our foreign neighbors including Japan (remember Kentucky Fried Chicken?) and New Zealand (Santa wears jandals). It was a fun article so I'm doing it again. I hope you enjoy.

When the Soviet Union (USSR) was established on Dec. 30, 1922, atheism was implemented and all religion was suppressed. It wasn't until the Soviet Union fell in December 1991, that people were free to celebrate Christmas again. Russians celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7, because the Russian Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar for religious holidays. Christmas Eve activities include church services and a meatless Holy Supper that consists of 12 different foods, symbolizing the 12 Apostles. Kutia, a grain pudding made with honey, poppy seeds and nuts, is often the first course of the meal. Christmas day foods include roast pork or goose as well as Olivier potato salad (carrots, eggs, pickles, peas, cooked ham and dill), piroshki (minced meat turnovers) and smetannik (a fluffy sponge cake with sweet sour cream frosting) for dessert.

Instead of Santa Claus, it's a tall, thin Father Frost who comes on Dec. 31 to put presents under the New Year tree. Father Frost, accompanied by his granddaughter Snegurochka, makes his deliveries via a troika (sleigh) pulled by three horses abreast.

Christmas is a minor holiday because only about 2.3% of Indians are Christian. However, given the country's overall population this amounts to about 25 million people. On Dec. 24 the family walks to church for Midnight Mass which is followed by a grand feast that may include biryani (basmati rice, meat and curry spices), pork vindaloo (garlic, chilies and vinegar), sweet diamond biscuits and allahabadi cake made with rum-soaked dry fruits and ghee (clarified butter). Instead of a pine or fir tree, Indians decorate a banana or mango tree. Poinsettias and candles are common decorations. In southern India, Christians place small oil burning lamps on the roof to show that Jesus is the light of the world.

Father Christmas aka Christmas Baba delivers presents from a horse and cart.

Located below the equator, December is summertime in Brazil. During the Christmas season there's no Yule fire or knitted Christmas sweaters. However, Papai Noel (Santa Claus) still comes from the North Pole and Brazilians often decorate with artificial snow so Papai will feel at home. Nativity scenes are a big deal and are displayed everywhere. Christmas eve dinner follows the Missa do Gallo (Midnight Mass) and usually includes a chester chicken (which is basically a really big bird), farofa (cassava flour, butter and bacon), Christmas Rice (garlic, raisins, cashews and Brazil nuts), and Rabanada (Brazilian French toast).

Christmas day starts late and is a laid-back affair. Given the warm weather, many families go to the beach. And when you get hungry, there's the Champion's Lunch of leftovers (you're a champion if you can manage to find room for it?).

Hard-working adults will appreciate that at the end of December Brazilians receive "13th Salary," a Christmas bonus that usually equals an entire month's extra pay.

Surya Mjöll, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Icelandic Snowflake Bread.

Twenty-six days of celebration and 13 Yule Lads make Christmas in Iceland hard to beat. On top of that you are practically guaranteed a white Christmas, and will probably have the northern lights on display as well.

Yule Lads bring candy to good children, with one Lad visiting each night leading up to Dec. 25. According to the National Museum of Iceland, each Yule Lad has a distinct personality and name such as Sausage Swiper, Spoon Licker, Candle Beggar and Door Slammer. Starting on the eve of Dec. 11, children place a shoe on their windowsill for a Yule Lad to fill with treats. If a child has been bad, they might get a pile of rotting potatoes instead. Particularly naughty children have to watch out for a troll called Gryla who comes down from the mountains to boil them alive. And if that's not enough to worry about, there's the giant, blood-thirsty Christmas Cat who will eat anyone who is not wearing at least one new piece of clothing on Christmas Eve, which in Iceland starts at 6 p.m. on Dec. 23. This is because in the old Norse calendar the start of the new day was at sunset the day before.

Traditional Christmas dinner includes hangikjot (lamb smoked over sheep dung) or hamborgarhryggur (hog roast with a sweet glaze), snowflake bread (flat bread dough cut with snowflake patterns that is fried), peas, red cabbage and a white potato sauce.

One of the most popular Christmas desserts is the Sara, named after the French actress Sarah Bernhardt. Saras are biscuit based, cream filled macaroons dipped in chocolate. They are best served slightly frozen.

Iceland's Christmas season ends on Jan. 6 and is steeped in magic and folklore. It's a day when cows can talk (but you'd better not listen because you'll go crazy), seals wander around in human form and the Elf King and Queen may show up at the local bonfire to dance and sing with you.

We at The Loop hope the Spirit of Christmas lights up your December, and we wish you...