[Holiday Special] Winter Holidays around the World

[Flexoo 6,980]

 

Winter is the magical period during which we look forward to the most beautiful celebrations of the year - Christmas and New Year's celebrations. Winter holidays are celebrated not only in my homeland, but also in many countries around the world.

 

This season, its celebrations, holiday traditions and customs differ from nation to nation, and so I invited a few tankers to give you a scoop of how things work in the different world regions.

 

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Click here to see Winter, Xmas and New Year's photos

Click here to see the Holiday delicacies

 

 

Flexoo: Welcome everyone. Firstly, let me thank all the interviewees for devoting your holiday time and sharing the holiday spirit with us. For openers, can you tell us a little about yourselves?

 

@Anonono: Hi, my name is Matt and I am 15 years old. I am a keen musician and I want to be a music teacher when I'm older. I am also a bit sporty, with my main sports being tennis and table tennis.

 

@stanzhang: Hello, my name is stanzhang and I am 15 years old and I am from Paris, France.

 

: I am basically a 15-year-old boy managing three things: academics, sport (Table Tennis), and duties as well as fun in Tanki Online. This Christmas, I didn't really go anywhere but I am nonetheless thoroughly enjoying the Holiday Season. I am spending my time presently doing things such as shopping, visiting family, going to the cinema with friends and playing Tanki. Also, I am from a country known as Trinidad and Tobago.

 

@L.I.I3.3.I2.T.Y: Hi! I'm currently 16 years old and like to do programming, sports and I love Maths. :P
Sadly I cannot play Tanki that often these days.

 

@lukey0: Well I'm just a boy from outback Australia. Some of my hobbies include swimming, architecture/design, building (Welding and making things in general), computer orientated things and of course Tanki Online. I've currently just finished school for the year and I'm now moving into senior school when next year commences.

 

Flexoo: What country are you from? What is your country known for?

 

@Anonono: I am from a town of about 8 000 people in the rural part of New South Wales, Australia. Australia is known for many things, and one of them is our love of sport - more so, cricket. In Australia you can play cricket literally anywhere - On a cricket oval, in the nets, down the street, in the backyard, on the beach, anywhere with an open space. We are also known for our wide diversity of native Australian animals such as the kangaroo and the platypus, as well as beaches, which are a very popular tourist attraction, especially in summer.

 

@stanzhang: I hail from France. Ah, France is known for many things. I will mention fabulous dishes, amazing artists, memorable castles/monuments, its tasty wine and so much more!

 

: Trinidad and Tobago are probably best known for its massive celebration of "Carnival", a festival where persons dress in costumes and go in numerous parades, having as much fun as possible while dancing ad drinking. We are also well known for our typical but unique Caribbean dancing and singing. The people here are very outgoing, enthusiastic about almost everything traditional and colorful (both literally and figuratively).

 

@L.I.I3.3.I2.T.Y: I'm from Germany. To be precise, from a small town near the city of Frankfurt. I guess Germany is best known for it's Christmas Markets. You find them in almost every town here. And of course, Germany is well known for its beer, but we rarely drink it in winter.

 

@lukey0: The country I live in is Australia. It's a great place to be with so many things to see and do. Australia is known for is endless plains of land and the many different species that live on it. It has plenty of vegetation that often looks very spectacular throughout the year. Just remember that summer here reaches an average of 43 degrees celsius so bring some swim-ware!

 

Flexoo: How does your country look in Winter? Do you have snow in Winter? What is specific about Winter time in your country?

 

@Anonono: It's actually Summer here in Australia. A typical summer in Australia is very hot, with temperatures going up to 49°C (that's 120°F for all you Americans) where I am. As I mentioned earlier, the beach is very popular in summer, so you can expect them to be a bit crowded sometimes. There is lots of sunscreen advertising in the summer as well. And no, it doesn't snow anywhere in summer but sometimes on top of our highest peaks you can see some snow remaining from winter. And of course, lots of sport on TV, more specifically cricket, tennis and soccer (football).

 

@stanzhang: When winter is here, in France, we take off an hour (so that day we get an extra hour to sleep) because the day takes longer time to start. Unfortunately, due to global warming it doesn’t snow in Paris anymore which is really sad because I love snow. Paris wears the name of ‘’The City of Light’’, especially at winter when streets are decorated with garlands and other shiny decorations. Sometimes, there is decorated Xmas tree on roundabouts that cheers people up. We have also insane Christmas windows display in front of stores with all sorts of lights.

 

: As we are a tropical island located off the coast of Venezuela, the season of Winter does not occur here. However, we do call this time of the year the "Christmas Season" or simply " The Holidays". We definitely decorate to compensate for the absence of snow. Almost everyone enhances their houses with trees and strings of lights in the colors of red, blue, red, green, yellow, purple: anything on the spectrum, Trinidadians also take enjoyment in placing fluorescent lighting statues of things such as Santa or Reindeer in their gardens. You can also see the various parks and trees near roads dazzling with lights placed on them. There are many outdoor concerts throughout the 'season' so very often when you travel you can hear or see performances by little children taking place.

 

@L.I.I3.3.I2.T.Y: Winter is one, if not the best season here in Germany. But it's very cold here. At least as cold as in the other European countries. There is mostly snow in Germany, but this also depends on where you are in Germany. At the coast (Baltic sea and North sea) there is not always snow, but instead, the sea brings a stiff breeze.
Sadly the snow disappeared in the last years (probably due to climate change). I remember back when I was little and there was snow in October. Then I built a snowman with my friends. But now, already having late December, there is still no snow. However in the Alps in southern Germany it's likely to have snow the whole year round.

 

@lukey0: Well here in Australia our Christmas is actually in summer, so there is no chance of snow. Instead, freezing we fry - literally. Our Winter's are quite similar to Europe's Summer in-act, maybe just a few degrees less. In Winter there is never much happening besides complaining that its cold. But in Summer during Christmas lots happens. Playing in the pool, catching up with friends, cooking BBQ's (Yes the rest of the world is correct on that), camping and if you live in a country town like I do the river is always a favorite.

 

 

Flexoo: Does your family celebrate Xmas?/ Is Xmas celebrated in your country?

 

@Anonono: Christmas in Australia occurs on the 25th of December, followed by Boxing Day on the 26th of December. It is well celebrated, with 61% of the population identifying themselves as some form of Christian. Of course, many non-Christians celebrate Christmas too. Being a Christian myself and coming from a Christian family, we celebrate the holiday as well, often with extended family members.

 

@stanzhang: Yes, my family and majority of French population celebrate Christmas. I spend this magical time of the year with my family.

 

: Indeed, my family does celebrate Christmas as does a significant amount of the rest of Trinidad

 

@L.I.I3.3.I2.T.Y: Of course we celebrate Christmas. Although we usually don't go to church on Christmas, which obviously isn't common here. On Christmas eve the whole family sits together in order to eat dinner. We usually eat goose with potatoes. Afterwards the kids sing some Christmas tunes. If they do well, they may unpack their presents. Christmas is a national holiday here.

 

@lukey0: Yes my family and I celebrate Christmas and we love it. It's just overall a great happy mood of the year. Pretty much everyone celebrates Christmas here but of course with anything there is always some haters, but generally everyone gets into the spirit by hanging decorations and lights around their houses and spending money of gifts for others.

 

 

Flexoo: What Xmas traditions do you have? Do you prepare any special Xmas dishes?

 

@Anonono: Like many other people around the world, we put up a Christmas tree in our house and decorate it with tinsel and other Christmas ornaments and place our presents under the tree. Christmas Eve consists of watching the Carols on the TV with the family. On Christmas day we have a baked dinner (grandma does it best) with sticky date pudding and ice cream. On Boxing Day the cricket is always on in Melbourne so many of us like to keep up to date with the latest scores. Another tradition we have during the festy festive month of December is the playing of board games. Every night in December everyone in the house comes together and plays a variety of board games, ranging from classics such as Monopoly and Scrabble to more complex franchises like the Ticket to Ride and Settlers of Catan series.

 

@stanzhang: Here, we traditionally celebrate Christmas dinner the night of 24 December with our families.

We start with pre-dinner champagne followed by salmon and oyster. Then for the main dish people get poultry, which is essentially a turkey. For desert, we have a log, no not the wooden one but a cake that’s looks like a log with all sorts of decorations on it.

There's a magnificent Christmas tree decorated with bulbs and garlands in every house (so that Santa Claus can find and give children some presents). Traditionally, Santa travels with his sleigh pulled by reindeer and enters from the chimney  Children open their gifts the morning of 25 December.

 

: I wouldn't really say that my family has any special traditions, we usually try something different each year. For example, we might celebrate by going over to Grandma's house for lunch or have a special family gathering of our own. The food in Trinidad around this time is...brilliant. I shall name a few. There are dishes such as Christmas lasagna (it could have raisins, creamy cheese, and vegetables), Pastels (a seasoned minced meat in a floury dough, then wrapped in leaves for flavor), Christmas rice (includes raisins, carrots , butter and sweet peppers) or a heart, meaty baked Ham straight from the oven. As for traditional drinks, there is a special, sweet juice of red color called Sorrel for children and for adults there is Ponche de Creme (which has milk, rum, sugar, eggs, nutmeg and a few other spices). Lastly, we enjoy desserts such as Plum Pudding, Cinnamon and Sponge cake or Fruit Cake. Christmas day and Boxing Day are probably the most hectic days for us. On these days, we would probably drive to almost all of our relatives (Aunt, Uncle, Grandparents, Great Aunt and Uncle included ;)) throughout the country, catching up on things with them while sharing food.

 

@L.I.I3.3.I2.T.Y: The dishes I guess are just like those in other western countries. But Germany is famous for two things during the Christmas period:

1. Gingerbread. It is said that this delicious pastry was invented in Nuremberg. Today you can find any type of gingerbread on the Christmas market of Nuremberg.

2. Glühwein - 8 Mulled Wine), that is a sort of hot and spiced wine you find in every corner on every Christmas market.

 

@lukey0: Our Christmas traditions would be getting into the Christmas spirit. That is either by hanging lights around the house, putting up decorations and a Christmas tree or just being nice to people you meet. For a main course we often have a delicious lamb roast with vegetables, for dessert we normally have a Pavlova prepared and we serve it with Ice-Cream. If all else fails or people are still hungry a bit of steak and a few sausages on the BBQ would please almost anyone.

 

 

Flexoo: How do you celebrate the New Year's Eve & Day?

 

@Anonono: Most years we just play Monopoly until we got tired, but this year we are hosting a party to make sure 2016 is finished for good (let's face it guys, we've had better years). There will be music playing, a slip 'n slide, drinks, and nibbles, a big guitar jam session and LOTS of mosquito repellent. It will last until midnight, when someone on the other side of town sets off some fireworks. We're expecting around 70 people to turn up. All of this is on New Year's Eve. What happens on New Year's Day, you ask? People come up to me and say "Hey Matt, haven't seen you all year!" *sighs*. Every time.

 

@stanzhang: During all those New Year's celebrations, we often offer boxes of chocolate to our relatives.

During New Year it is almost the same thing. We drink champagne, tell our resolutions and wish each other a good year. We call our relatives who celebrate the New Year as well, so at around the midnight, the phone network is often saturated. In big cities we can see fireworks. The best firework show is the one at the Eiffel Tower because it is the biggest and the most beautiful one.

 

: On New Year's Eve my family generally stays at home and relatives may come over that night to celebrate or the following New Year's Day. We also love to light Sparklers or have fun with Bang Snaps when only a few seconds remain until the clock ticks to 12:00. The whole family usually wakes up late and then we have a large breakfast.

 

@L.I.I3.3.I2.T.Y: In the past, I always celebrated with my parents. Most people detonate firecrackers and drink alcohol all night. But I still didn't make this experience.

 

@lukey0: We don't necessarily celebrate New Years Day, maybe because a few wake-up that afternoon with a headache, but New Year's eve is definitely a celebration not to be missed! We often end up partying into the early morning of the day with the usual countdown about 20 seconds before the New Year. It's always a lot of fun and a great way to catch-up with family and friends. New Years Day is normally just chilling out while laying about and cleaning up after last night if the party was at your place.

 

Flexoo: How do you usually spend your Winter/ Winter holidays? Do you like this season?

 

@Anonono: I love our summers, it is by far my most favorite season. I have no school for 7 weeks (always a pleasure), there is always sport on TV and you can basically do whatever you want. I have two jobs to keep the money rolling in, one is at the tennis courts and the other is at McDonald's. When I'm not working I can be seen at a mate's place or down the street. For the last week before school goes back the family spends some time on the coast, usually at either the Sunshine Coast or in Sydney, but this year we might be heading to Melbourne for the first time to explore the city and watch some of the Australian Open. I'm very excited for that. Once that is done the new school year will start. I will be beginning year 10 next year, so there will be a bit more pressure on me. Wish be all the best!

 

: I spend this Holiday season at home on my laptop or reading or going outside having fun with friends or family such as venturing to the cinema, mall or arcade. I really do like this period of the year, in fact, it's probably my favorite. It is really one of the few times during the year when I can take a break from school and competitive sports and just relax while planning the next year. I wish all of you happy holidays and an even happier New Year!

 

@L.I.I3.3.I2.T.Y: For most German's it is common to go to the Alps in order to ski. You can say that it is the favourite sport of the Germans. The nice thing is that almost everybody can do that. No matter if you are 6 or 70 years old. After the Christmas holidays, my family and I usually spend the rest of the winter in Austria skiing.

 

@lukey0: We don't necessarily celebrate New Years Day, maybe because a few wake-up that afternoon with a headache, but New Year's eve is definitely a celebration not to be missed! We often end up partying into the early morning of the day with the usual count-down about 20 seconds before the New Year. Its always a lot of fun and a great way to catch-up with family and friends. We have pool at our place so its always great to do some night swimming with friends. New Years Day is normally just chilling out while laying about and cleaning up after last night if the party was at your place.

 

Flexoo: Once again, a huge thanks to all you guys for your willingness to share a little bit from your holiday time. I wish you a warm and merry Christmas in the family circle and all the best in the upcoming New year.

 

Scroll down to check the photos in spoiler below!

[Flexoo 6,980]

Winter, Xmas and New Year photos

 

 

 

I kindly asked the tankers to couple a few pictures to the interview. If you are interested, and would like to learn how winter holidays, Xmas and New Year are celebrated and how they  look in different countries, check out these photos linked in the spoiler. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Xmas mall - (picture by Almulty, Trinidad & Tobago)

 

Australia in Winter - (picture by Anonono, Australia)

 

Xmas/New Year Paris - (picture by stanzhang, France)

 

New Year's fireworks in Sydney  - (picture by lukey0, Australia)

 

Winter day in Germany  - (picture by L.I.I3.3.I2.T.Y, Germany)

 

 

[Flexoo 6,980]

Holiday Delicacies

 

 

And here's a little something for all the foodies out there. Check out the merry treats and drinks prepared in the countries from which our interviewees come from and savor the delicacy at least through your sense of sight. 

 

 

 

The main course - Roasted lamb (picture by lukey0, Australia)

 

The main course - Poultry - similar to a turkey (picture by stanzhang, France)

 

A sweet dessert - Decorated cake in a shape of a log (picture by stanzhang, France)

 

Traditional Australian holiday dinner - (picture by Anonono, Australia)

 

Ham - (picture by Almulty, Trinidad & Tobago)

 

Christmas rice - (picture by Almulty, Trinidad & Tobago)

 

Sorrel - (picture by Almulty, Trinidad & Tobago)

 

Ponche de Creme - (picture by Almulty, Trinidad & Tobago)

 

 

 

 

And that pretty much wraps this interview up. I hope you all enjoyed this quick ride around the Winter holiday world. All that remains to be done is to wish you the most beautiful holiday time and all the best in your New Year endeavors.

 

Best wishes to you from Flexoo and the whole Newspaper team.

 

[NERF836 202]

Nice article! It gets down to -40° Fahrenheit where I live.

[stanzhang 3,291]

Good article about how everyone celebrates xmas!

[Magenta 5,165]

that fireworks pic of sydney is just terrific :O ^_^ luvit

 

 

 

 

 

[L.I.I3.3.I2.T.Y 820]

Well done!

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

[Zenyth 6,494]

What happens on New Year's Day, you ask? People come up to me and say "Hey Matt, haven't seen you all year!" *sighs*. Every time.

 

:lol:

 

 

My family doesn't celebrate Xmas but we sure have a feast on New Year's eve. Great to hear how y'all celebrate it and what food y'all have for the holidays. I'm vegetarian, but I enjoyed that section. Lukey made me crave Pavlova. 

[joe123_Superman 430]

You couldn't get someone from the U.K.!!! :(

[Zenyth 6,494]

You couldn't get someone from the U.K.!!! :(

There are 196 countries in the world. Wouldn't it become a tad too lengthy if we meet everyone's demands? :P

[BLASTER872 1,892]

What happens on New Year's Day, you ask? People come up to me and say "Hey Matt, haven't seen you all year!" *sighs*. Every time.

 

:lol:

 

 

My family doesn't celebrate Xmas but we sure have a feast on New Year's eve. Great to hear how y'all celebrate it and what food y'all have for the holidays. I'm vegetarian, but I enjoyed that section. Lukey made me crave Pavlova. 

Matt, it might be your nugginess deterring your peers

 

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Overall, nice article, but I think the opening wasn't very catchy. I'm thinking the first question also had nothing to do with christmas/new year also

[Flexoo 6,980]

Matt, it might be your nugginess deterring your peers

 

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Overall, nice article, but I think the opening wasn't very catchy. I'm thinking the first question also had nothing to do with christmas/new year also

Since the interviewees talk about the way they and their families celebrate the holidays, I believe it's perfectly adequate to provide a little background and give 'em some space to introduce themselves.

Edited December 25, 2016 by Flexoo

[Yisroel.Rabin 16,224]

New Year's fireworks in Sydney  - (picture by lukey0, Australia)

Besides for the whole interview being quite interesting, I must point out this photo in particular. Beautiful!

[stanzhang 3,291]

Just wondering, how did you chose the people that you were going to interview?

[Flexoo 6,980]

Some were picked randomly (like you), some were picked based on my past experience working with them, or on their activity on forum.

[Zenyth 6,494]

sydney and tokyo fireworks are always spectacular :)

[stanzhang 3,291]

Some were picked randomly (like you), some were picked based on my past experience working with them, or on their activity on forum.

I'm a random guy :D

[VYAZ_PRO 3]

Awsome article.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year all .

[thundertank765 32]

Every body Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year . my name is Senithu and I live in SriLanka I am 11 this year and 12 next year

:) :) :) :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub: B) B) B) B)

Edited December 26, 2016 by thundertank765

[shaurya471 313]

It was bad to put up the photos of those delicacies, I am now roaming in my house lookin' for something to eat even though i know my house has run out of snacks O.o