Podcast Episode Details

The Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar is a daily journey through the history, heart, and global reach of the Christmas season. In this episode, we explore how diverse cultures—from the tropical coast of Madagascar to the festive streets of Spain—celebrate the birth of Christ with unique customs and flavors.

A Global Celebration of Christmas

Christmas is truly a worldwide event, and today we discover Christmas traditions to see how the same story is told through different cultural lenses. We begin our journey in Madagascar, an island off the east coast of Africa where Christmas is celebrated in the warmth of summer. Despite the heat, many residents still decorate with holly and snow scenes, blending traditional imagery with their local environment. Here, the figure we know as Santa Claus is affectionately called Dadabi Noeli.

The Julian Calendar and Orthodox Traditions

Steve Webb explains why some countries, like Russia and Serbia, celebrate Christmas on the 7th of January. This is because the Orthodox Church continues to follow the Julian calendar for religious dates. Their Advent season lasts six weeks and involves significant periods of fasting, sometimes leading up to the moment the first star is seen in the sky on Christmas Eve.

Festive Foods and Unique Customs

Food plays a central role in these global traditions. In Russia, the first meal on Christmas Eve is often sosyevo, a dish of wheat or rice mixed with honey and fruit. In Poland, the sharing of the oplotek wafer signifies unity and peace among family members. Meanwhile, in Serbia, a special bread called sesnika is baked with a hidden coin; the one who finds it is said to have good luck for the coming year. This is strikingly similar to the British tradition of hiding a coin in a Christmas pudding.

The Three Magic Kings in Spain

In Spain, the festivities extend well beyond December 25th. While they enjoy a traditional Christmas Eve dinner of pavo trufado de Navidad (turkey stuffed with truffles), the primary day for gift giving is Epiphany on January 6th. This day, known as Fiesta de los Tres Reyes Mejes, honors the visit of the wise men to the baby Jesus. Children leave out their shoes on Epiphany Eve, hoping the Three Magic Kings will fill them with presents.

For more beautiful stories of faith and holiday history, visit Lifespring Media. To dive deeper into the technical and historical details of these customs, check out the world’s best Christmas information site at WhyChristmas.com.

Entities: Steve Webb, James Cooper, Madagascar, Russia, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Orthodox Church, Julian Calendar, Dadabi Noeli, Epiphany, Bryan Duncan, NehoSoul Band.

Content Importance: This episode highlights the beautiful diversity of the global Body of Christ, showing how different nations honor the same Savior through their unique cultural traditions and culinary heritage.

Outro: Whether you are eating turkey, seafood, or a special honeyed rice today, we hope your heart is filled with the joy of the season. I’m Steve Webb for James Cooper. Come on back tomorrow; we will be waiting for you right here.