Christmas:

How did Christmas end up occurring in the month of December? This is the question that many people ask. Also, many people are curious to know how people celebrate Christmas from across the globe.

The Norse people celebrated the Yuletide season from December 21 through January. To recognize the return of the sun, fathers and sons brought home large logs, which were set on fire. The Scandinavian people, in particular, the Norse feasted until the log burned out completely. This took as long as 12 days. The Norse believed that the sparks from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born within the next year.

These people cheered throughout the winter solstice, when the worst of the winter was behind them and they could look forward to days that are longer and more sunlight for hours. In the present time, Christmas is a product of hundreds of years of non-religious and religious traditions throughout the world.

Here are some of these Christmas traditions:

a.) Sweden (God Jul!): Many Swedish people celebrate St. Lucia or St. Lucy every year on December 13. This celebration was established in Sweden, but during the mid-19^th century, it was widespread to places such as Finland and Denmark.

Light is the primary highlight of St. Lucia Day, which comes from the Latin word, lux, meaning light. This day is celebrated closest to the shortest day of the year. At this time, sunlight becomes stronger once again. According to one common legend, Lucia's eyes were lost due to torture by a Dioceticin because of her Christian beliefs. Others claim that she many have taken out her eyes to speak against the poor treatment of Christians.

b.) Finland (Hyvaa Joulua!): Many Finnish people visit the sauna on Christmas Eve. Families usually get together and listen to the national radio broadcast called, "Peace of Christmas." It is a custom to visit the gravesite of family members who passed away.