Christmas in different countries + vocabulary

Christmas around the world

Millions of children around the world are familiar with plump and jolly Santa Claus, much loved of North America, with his red suit, black boots and twinkling eyes. He arrives Christmas Eve bringing gifts from the North Pole in a sleigh pulled by reindeer.

Larger picture: Christmas around the world

Christmas Customs

Christmas around the world: In Italy, children receive gifts from the good witch La Befana, old, bent and dressed in black. La Befana was a widowed, childless woman when the Three Kings passed on their way to see the newborn Christ . When they asked her the way to Bethlehem she was busy cleaning and sent them away. Realizing her mistake, she left to search for the Baby Jesus. To this day she is still searching going from house to house on January 6, leaving a gift for good children.

Russian children await gifts from Babouska, a farmer’s wife who offered food and shelter to the Three Wise men on their journey to Bethlehem, Baboushka refused their offer of travelling with them to visit the Christ child. Realizing her error she tried unsuccessfully to find them, and took the presents she had prepared for the infant Jesus to children she passed along the way.

In Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico and South America, the Three Kings or Wise Men bring Christmas gifts to children, while in France children eagerly await the coming of Father Christmas or Pere Noel who brings their gifts.

In some cultures, Saint Nicholas travels with an assistant. The old bishop Sinterklass arrives in Holland on December 6 in his red bishop’s costume. In many port towns, he is said to have sailed in on a ship from Spain. Beside him walks Black Peter with a black sack and a book recording each Dutch child’s behavior through the year. Good children receive a gift from the bishop while bad children may be carried away in Black Peter’s sack.

In Germany Saint Nicholas also travels with a helper, known as Knecht Ruprecht, Krampus, or Pelzebock, and comes with a sack on his back and a rod or switches in his hand. Saint Nicholas gives gifts to good children, while those who have been bad are punished by the assistant with a few hits of a switch.

Swedish children wait for the gnome Jultomten, also called Julemanden or Julenisse, who dresses in red and carries a sack of gifts on his back. He flies in his sleigh pulled by the Julbocker, the goats of Thor, the god of thunder. Elves, called the Juul Nisse, hide in the attics of families throughout the year, eagerly waiting somebody to feed him. Children leave bowls of milk or rice pudding in the attic for the elves, hoping they will be empty in the morning.

In Austria and Switzerland it is Christkindl or the Christ Child who brings gifts. In some towns children await the Holy Child and in others Christkindl is a beautiful girl-angel who comes down from heaven bearing gifts.

Merry Christmas around the world

Christmas around the world

Afrikaner (Afrikaans) ~ “Geseënde Kersfees”
Argentine ~ “Felices Pascuas”
Bohemian ~ “Vesele Vanoce”
Brazilian ~ “Boas Festas”
Chinese (Cantonese) ~ “Saint Dan Fai Lok”
Danish ~ “Glædelig Jul”
Dutch ~ “Vrolijk Kerstfeest”
English ~ “Merry Christmas”
Filipino ~ “Maligayang Pasko”
Finnish ~ “Hyvaa Joulua”
French ~ “Joyeux Noël”
German ~ “Froehliche Weihnachten”
Greek ~ “Kala Christouyenna”
Hawaiian ~ “Mele Kalikimaka”
Hebrew ~ “Mo’adim Lesimkha”
Icelandic ~ “Gledileg Jol”
Indonesian ~ “Selamat Hari Natal”
Irish ~ “Nollaig Shona Dhuit”
Italian ~ “Buone Feste Natalizie” – Natale italiano 
Japanese ~ “Kurisumasu Omedeto”
Korean ~ “Sung Tan Chuk Ha”
Lithuanian ~ “Linksmu Kaledu”
Malay ~ “Selamat Hari Natal”
Maori ~ “Meri Kirihimete”
Norwegian ~ “God Jul” – Jul i Norge 
Romanian ~ “Craciun Fericit”
Peruvian ~ “Felices Fiestas”
Portugese ~ “Boas Festas”
Slovakian ~ “Vesele Vianoce”
Spanish ~ “Feliz Navidad” – Cyber Navidad
Swedish ~ “God Jul” – Jul i Sverige
Welsh ~ “Nadolig Llawen”

Source  http://www.allthingschristmas.com/

plump and jolly – թմբլիկ և ուրախ

twinkling eyes – փայլող աչքեր

a sleigh pulled by reindeer- հյուսիսային եղջերուով քշվող սահնակ

own – սեփական

good witch – բարի կախարդ/ փերի

a widow -այրի

newborn- նորածին

Bethlehem- Բեթլեհեմ

to realise – գիտակցել

To this day – մինչ օրս

to offer առաջարկել

an offer առաջարկ

shelter – ապաստան

the Three Wise men – երեք իմաստուններ

to refuse (refused) – մերժել

unsuccessfully – անհաջողությամբ

infant  – երեխա

eagerly – անհամբեր

Saint – սուրբ

an assistant- օգնական

a bishop – եպիսկոպոս

Holland – Հոլանդիա

port towns – նավահանգստային քաղաքներ

he is said to have sailed – ասում են, որ նա նավարկել  է

sack – պարկ

Dutch child’s behavior – հոլանդացի երեխայի վարք/ վարքագիծ

hits of a switch- մտրակի հարվածներ

goat – այծ