Christmas is perhaps the most cheerful and celebrated holiday of the year. Everywhere in the world, this specific holiday is associated with cheerful caroling, gift giving and other universal traditions. However, there are some countries who have certain customs that do not conform to usual norms associated with celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Here are countries where Christmas is celebrated in a manner different from what has been usually practiced.
Armenia - Christmas is the time when the family prepare a lot of food to gather and eat together. Parties also happen to be quite abundant during this month. Those who are weight conscious would find this month to be a challenge with the cornucopia of food.
Contrary to what has been common tradition, Armenians fast a week before Christmas. What's worse, they break this period of abstinence from food with a dinner so light the menu only composes of chickpeas, rice, fish, grape desserts, soup, and nuts.
Czech Republic - Perhaps the saddest state to be during Christmas is to be single. The feeling that a certain individual is unloved and unwanted is contradicting to this holiday where no one is left out.
However, Czech women practice a ritual which ultimately decides the fate of their love life on the day before Christmas. It is said that they throw a shoe over their shoulders while having their backs against the house. If the shoe lands with its back towards the door, she is doomed to be single for the rest of her life. If it lands with the front towards the door, she will be happily married in the future.
Canada - Kids would be made to write their wish list and send them to Santa Claus. The father or an uncle would usually dress up as this gift-giving fellow in order to spread the spirit of Christmas - and to keep kids from being naughty.
In Canada, however, they use H0H 0H0 as an existing postal code where one can send letters to the imaginary benevolent figure.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
