Christmas in Iraq
The Christian homes in Iraq practice a unique ceremony that is held in the home's courtyard on Christmas Eve. One of the children in the family recites the tale of the Nativity from an Arabic Bible. Other individuals from the family hold lit candles and, when the recitation finishes, a bonfire is lit in one corner of the courtyard. The fire is made of dried thorns and the fortune of the house for the year ahead relies on the way the fire burns. If the thorns burn to ashes, the family will have favorable luck. A psalm is accompanied with the burning of fire. When the fire is reduced to debris, everybody jumps over the ashes three times and makes a wish.
A similar fire is lit in the churches as well. The men of the gathering
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Christmas services begin early at 6AM. It’s a day for family visits and reunions. The Star Boys travel the countryside singing Christmas songs. In all these days, people keep wishing each other a “Merry Yule.”
Christmas in India
The East Indian Christians decorate their banana or mango trees during Christmas. They light up oil lamps made of clay for decorations and fill their churches with red flowers.
Presents are distributed amongst family members and baksheesh (charity) is offered to the poor.
Poinsettia blooms during this time, hence this flower is used for Christmas Midnight Mass decorations.
The South Indians put clay lamps all over their house and rooftops in Christmas, exactly what the Hindus practice during their festival of Diwali.
Christmas in Nigeria
Christmas is an exclusive family affair and is celebrated with families and companions, in Nigeria. Despite Nigeria's extremely diversified cultures, the country has a tradition of recognition, incorporation and absorption of a variety of cultures into one complete national identity. Thus, Christmas, forms an integral part of the Nigerian