Christmas Around the WAR World!

Christmas Around the WAR World

For many of us, Christmas is often a time where we experience feelings of warmth and nostalgia as we recall happy holiday memories and anticipate creating new memories with those dear to us. We plan weeks, maybe even months, in advance to organize the perfect holiday gathering and choose the perfect gifts for those we love.

While Christmas began as a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Christ, people from all over the world have embraced this festive season and added their own traditions along the way. Celebrated by Christians and non-Christians alike, Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a cultural event. While every family may have their own way of celebrating, Christmas is a time where families come together and share in the festivities of the season.

For millions of Americans, Christmas is synonymous with traditions like baking holiday cookies, decorating a Christmas tree, singing carols, and exchanging gifts. Stockings are hung from fireplace mantels, and people enjoy classic Christmas films and attend holiday concerts and parades. On Christmas Eve, it is traditional to leave some cookies and a glass of milk for Santa!

But what do Christmas traditions look like around the world? You’ll soon discover that many countries have their own unique traditions. In fact, Christmas isn’t even observed on December 25 in some places! However, while Christmas traditions around the world may vary, sharing a joyous spirit is a common theme. Let’s travel around the globe and learn how Christmas is celebrated within the world of Women At Risk, International!

Americas

Christmas is widely celebrated throughout both South and Central America. Most festivities include Nativity reenactments, family dinners, and fireworks. On Christmas Eve, Guatemalan families eat tamales and wait until midnight to set off firecrackers. While the sky lights up with fire and noise, a prayer is said around the Christmas tree, and presents are opened shortly after.

In Peru, December 24th is called La Noche Buena, or “Good Night,” and it is the main day for Christmas celebrations. In the evening, families go home to feast on elaborately prepared dinners and open gifts. Gifts are spread around a Nativity manger instead of a Christmas tree, and family members usually hug, kiss, and thank the gift-giver before opening their present. At midnight, adults will toast with champagne, while children toast with hot chocolate made with cinnamon and cloves. Afterwards, families go outside to watch fireworks.

Celebrating Christmas in Haiti comes with many special traditions. On Christmas Eve, children fill their newly cleaned shoes with straw and place them on the porch for Santa to replace with presents! After a late-night church service, families gather together to eat the main meal called reveillon, which means “waking,” and it is a time to celebrate the awakening of Christ with a feast. The meal normally starts in the early hours of Christmas morning and lasts until dawn!

Europe

One of the most important ways of celebrating Christmas in Italy is with the Nativity scene. Traditionally, Italian families will put out a Nativity scene on the 8th of December, but the figure of the baby Jesus isn’t put into the manger until the evening of December 24th! Families attend a midnight mass on Christmas Eve, and if it’s cold when they return from the service they might have a cup of hot chocolate and a slice of Italian Christmas cake called Panettone which is like a dry fruity sponge cake. On Christmas Day Babbo Natale, or “Santa Claus,” might bring some small gifts, but the main day for present giving is on Epiphany. Epiphany is celebrated 12 days after Christmas, and this special holiday commemorates the visit of the three wise men to the Christ Child. On Epiphany night, children believe that an old lady named ‘Befana’ brings presents for them, and they hang stockings up by the fireplace for her to fill. If you live in parts of northern Italy, however, it might be the ‘Three Kings’ who bring you presents instead of Befana.

On the island of Cyprus, Christmas is celebrated with a set of unique local traditions, many of which center around food. Along with other traditional sweets, people bake christopsomo on Christmas Eve, a sweet bread whose name means “the bread of Christ” and typically has a cross kneaded into it. It is eaten on Christmas Day along with a huge buffet. Typically, gifts are opened on New Year’s Day rather than at Christmas, to honor Saint Vasilis, the Greek saint associated with Santa Claus. On New Year’s Eve, a traditional cake called Vasilopita can be found in every home. It is left out on the table with a glass of red wine in order to be blessed by Saint Vasilis on his way to deliver the gifts. The next day the family cuts the cake, and the person who finds the hidden coin in their piece is believed to be the lucky one of the year!

Asia

Christmas isn’t an official holiday in China, but it is becoming more and more celebrated each year. Because such a small percentage of the population is Christian, Christmas is often only celebrated in major cities. In these big cities there are Christmas trees, lights, and other decorations on the streets and in department stores. Sometimes the postmen dress up as Santa when delivering letters before Christmas! As a festive treat, people will give each other ‘Peace apples’ on Christmas Eve because, in Chinese, Christmas Eve means “peaceful or quiet evening,” and the Mandarin word for apple sounds like their word for “peace.” They package the apples in special boxes or wrap them in colorful paper, sometimes adorning them with Christmas messages.

In Nepal, Christmas is celebrated more among Christians, however, other communities will also participate in parties and nonreligious celebrations during the holiday. Believers will attend Christmas parties with friends and family, exchange presents, and decorate their homes with Christmas lights and Christmas trees. The trees will be decked with ornaments such as bells, stars, reindeer, and miniature wrapped gifts. At midnight on Christmas Eve, many Nepali Christians will attend special church services and on Christmas morning, those celebrating Christmas will visit friends to wish them a merry Christmas. In the evening, families host a special Christmas feast with traditional Nepali foods, along with pumpkin pies and Christmas puddings!

Christians love to celebrate Christmas in India! Instead of having traditional Christmas trees, families will decorate a banana or mango tree. Most families also have a Nativity scene with clay figures and endeavor to create the best one! In Southern India, Christians often put small oil-burning clay lamps on the flat roofs of their homes to show their neighbors that Jesus is the light of the world. Midnight mass is a very important service for Christians in India, especially Catholics, and the whole family will walk to the church that is decorated with poinsettia flowers and candles for the Christmas Eve service. The main Christmas meal is also eaten on Christmas Eve, and presents are exchanged.

In preparation for Christmas or Bara Din, which means “Big Day,” Christian Pakistani families decorate their homes and place a star on the roof. The crib is an important decoration, and sometimes there are crib competitions! On Christmas Eve, churches are packed for the midnight service, and the choir sings very special hymns. In some places, there are fireworks that help celebrate the start of Christmas. People wear their best colorful clothes, dance, and exchange presents. Families gather on Christmas evening and enjoy eating a special meal together.

With only a small minority of the Thai population being Christian, the celebration of the birth of Jesus is simply not the huge event it is in predominantly Christian countries. Even though Christmas is not a holiday traditionally celebrated in Thailand, you can still find shopping centers and malls decked with Christmas lights and decorations, and hotel staff can be seen wearing Christmas hats in the days leading up to Christmas. Christmas trees also appear amongst the palm trees, and Thai school children practicing their English can be heard singing “Jingle Bells.” Christians in Thailand celebrate the coming of Jesus in small gatherings, and some even invite members of their community to come hear the Christmas story. Their message is simple: Christmas is about Jesus; Jesus is about love, and we want to love you because we follow Jesus.

The Philippines has the longest and most lavish Christmas season in the world. People there like to celebrate Christmas for as long as possible, and the playing of Christmas carols can be heard as early as September! The most popular Christmas decoration in the Philippines is the parol, which is a bamboo pole or frame with a lighted star lantern on it. It is traditionally made from bamboo strips and colored Japanese paper and represents the star that guided the Wise Men. Christmas Eve is very important in the Philippines, and many people stay awake all night into Christmas Day! On Christmas Eve, Christians attend the Christmas Eve mass which is then followed by a midnight feast, called Noche Buena. The Noche Buena is a large open house celebration with family, friends, and neighbors dropping in to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! A traditional Christmas treat they enjoy is ‘puto bumbong’, tubes of bamboo stuffed with purple rice, butter, sugar, and coconut.

Africa

In Egypt, Christmas Day is celebrated on January 7 instead of December 25. During Advent, Egyptian Christians fast from certain foods and sing special praise songs. On their Christmas Eve, families go to church for a special service. When the service ends, people go home to eat the big Christmas meal. All the foods contain meat, eggs, and butter—all the yummy things they didn’t eat during the Advent fast! On Christmas Day, people celebrate together in homes and often take kahk, special sweet biscuits, to give as gifts. Santa is called Baba Noël, meaning “Father Christmas,” and children hope he will climb through a window to leave them presents!

For the people of Ghana, Christmas Eve night is when the celebrations really begin. Church services have drumming and dancing, and children often put on a Nativity play or other drama. The choirs come out to sing, and people dance in front of the priests. Songs are mostly sung in the languages the people understand best because this makes them feel that God speaks their language. Sometimes these services and dancing go on all night long! On Christmas Day the churches are very full, and people come out dressed in their colorful traditional clothes. After the church service on Christmas morning, people quickly go back to their houses to start giving and receiving gifts.

Christmas in Uganda, known as Sekukkulu, is the most important holiday of the year, and it is a joyful season characterized by time spent with family and friends. Festivities begin on Christmas Eve with a “watch night” service, and Christmas carols and church bells can be heard all across the country. Churches are decorated with candles and rich colors, creating a festive atmosphere. Preparations for the feast on Sekukkulu also take place on Christmas Eve with children traditionally helping to prepare the home and food for the following day. Christmas is not about the giving and receiving of presents as it is in the western world but instead about spending time with family, eating food, dancing, singing, playing games, and storytelling.

In Zambia, most activities at Christmas revolve around church and coming together as a community. As part of the Christmas service, Zambians will hold a Nativity play, complete with biblical figures and a crib for baby Jesus. A couple of days before Christmas, people often go caroling around the local streets for charity, and children are encouraged to bring a present for less fortunate children to church on Christmas Day. But what really makes a Zambian Christmas unique is that all the adults will typically eat and celebrate together in one house while the children have a Christmas party of their own in a different house!

Because South Africa is in the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas comes in the summer. The Christmas meal is often eaten outside, and if it’s really hot, they might even have a barbecue! On Christmas Eve, the community gathers to sing Christmas carols and attend candlelight church services. Families decorate traditional “fir” Christmas trees, and children leave a stocking out for Santa Claus, also known as Sinterklaas. On the afternoon of Christmas Day, people visit family and friends or travel to the countryside to play games or go for a swim. Pulling Christmas crackers is also an activity they enjoy.

Embracing Christmas Traditions

Maybe learning about these global holiday traditions has given you some ideas on new ways you can celebrate Christmas with your family. From midnight firework displays in Central and South America to a “summer” barbecue in South Africa, there are plenty of ideas to choose from! As part of the Advent season, perhaps you can incorporate some of these traditions into your own activities. Not only is it fun, but it also helps us appreciate the inherent beauty and values found in other cultures. Let’s celebrate the special moments of the Christmas season with love in our hearts—for both those gathered around our own fireplace and for those in lands far, far away. At the heart of Christmas is peace and goodwill to all men. Let’s strive to make that a reality every day of the year.

You Heard Our Battle Cry and Joined Us in the Fight!

LOOK WHAT YOU DID!

YOU HEARD OUR BATTLE CRY! A primal roar went up from the House of WAR’s Team of Lions. A sincere thanks to all of you, we not only met our 911 Giving Tuesday goal, we surpassed it! The Staff of WAR were doing a jig (an Irish one to be exact), ringing bells of joy! We’ve never set a goal this high before. But then the need has never been greater than under COVID’s escalation of risk. We DON’T RUN, HIDE, OR FEAR…we embrace it with HOPE!

ONE CALIFORNIA DOCTOR is how this started. For two years, he encouraged us to do a match on Giving Tuesday with his generous promise as the jump start. This year, it started a small flood of three other matches. We hit our goal only $3,000 short and when this doctor sent in his match, he made up the difference! I woke to pray at 5:00 am and opened my computer to see his note. I’ll admit it. I wept. I wept for the heart of a doctor, a healer who we have never met. Yet even still, his heart is for healing those we lift done in honor of his own mother! I wept that we have a Good, Good Father who hears the cry of the broken-hearted allowing us the privilege of wrapping arms of love around them. I wept that each one of you so faithfully and sacrificially empower us to be a safe place.

THEN WE GOT ANOTHER SMALL MATCH, promising to go through the end of the year. This means the barometer of giving on our website will stay up. We’ll watch with wonder again at the House of WAR!! I’m blown away (as usual) by the House of WAR. I NEVER take for granted – even for a minute – your sacrificial gifts. I know that a match is such an encouragement to those of us who give smaller gifts knowing $100 = $200 and gives twice…Each gifts is being doubled AND being deployed, bringing hope and healing in crisis, offering a hand up to inherent dignity! I see these gifts. I know some of you who send them have little to give…single moms, widows, kiddos bringing coins, even sometimes incarcerated. Yep…they write precious notes saying it is time they sacrificially give back from their tiny earnings. Whether big or small, these gifts gut me and honor those they lift. Ancient Scripture says, “When you GIVE to the poor, you LEND to the Lord.” You’re paying it forward, giving out of a heart of love and will be repaid on the “other side”. Thank you for trusting us to lift theleast of these.

THE 911 FUND LETS US RUSH TO AID THOSE IN DANGER, even ‘prevent’ the danger. It takes emergency calls from friends, family, or the victim in evil’s cross-hairs, bringing life-saving rescue, stitches, X-rays, and all kinds of interventions. At that moment, there is no time to ask for donations. This fund can respond in an instant. So, it is critical we keep it replenished, ensuring funds are available on a daily basis.

YOUR GIFTS LIFT THOUSANDS, rescuing a three-week old, three teens, two runaways, seven women, two men, one family on the run, as well as helping investigations into murders of trafficked, legal fees, medical care for domestic abuse situations, refugees…those are the ones I know off the top of my head and am personally involved in for 2021. Thousands of calls are handled by staff. Most cases we will never be free to talk about…but because of you, these are real stories.

WE SURPASSED OUR $80,000 GOAL RECEIVING $81,135…and still counting since today’s mail hasn’t been opened yet! We will watch with wonder until the end of 2021 to see what this Mighty Army of the House of WAR…YOU…will do! Check our progress here: warinternational.org/givingtuesday

From our house to yours this Holiday season, Peace, Hope, and Joy as we march into 2022! 
TO GOD BE THE GLORY OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER AGAIN!

ROARING THE ROAR,

REBECCA MCDONALD
&
THE HOUSE OF WAR

WAR Chest Relief Fund

By Becky McDonald, President & Founder
August 26, 2021

Dear WARriors,

As a little girl, I saw what happens in war. My playmate and many others were attacked. War is carnage. Remember the fall of Berlin in 1945? In Berlin alone, 100,000 women and girls were raped, that number increasing to two million across German territory. The plight of Afghani women is so horrific I can’t write about it in detail or without weeping. It’s vile and x-rated. I’ve testified in courts of these women’s plight at the hands of extremist Islam during peace times. War’s chaos only makes it worse.

IMAGINE… as a child you are married to someone you’ve never met, and you then live with your mother-in-law who’s abusive. You run away. The military finds you. Your husband holds you down as they cut off your nose, forever marking you with the “scarlet letter” to tell the world that you were disobedient. The front cover of Time Magazine featured this young woman years ago. True story.

IMAGINE… you have a baby girl. You shave her head bald, dress her as a boy and then veil yourself from head to foot so you can leave your house to buy a loaf of bread. You must not go in public without a male… even if the “male” is a newborn. You certainly don’t want anyone to know you have a girl. You’re forced to decide whether or not to raise your daughter dressed as a boy and hope no one discovers otherwise. We’ve told one woman with a child to hide her infant. True story.

IMAGINE… you have a daughter. I have one daughter and four granddaughters. You are told to mark your house with an “X” if you have a daughter age 12 or older. The military comes and takes her to be a bride to a soldier. If you don’t comply and they find her, they will execute your whole family. True story.

WAR sent $2,000 by faith for 20 displaced families. This covers a basic kitchen kit ($100 each) of plates, cookware, glasses, and a tablecloth. Culturally, families enjoy meals sitting on the ground on a plastic tablecloth.

$150 will feed a family of five for a month at a survival level, providing some flour/rice, protein such as beans, cooking oil, and local spices. If possible, it will provide fruit and vegetables, too.

We can’t feed or rescue everyone, but we can do something. Some of you have given to this fund already, and it is on the way to feeding terrified families. If you wish to send $150 for a month of food or $100 for a basic kitchen kit, you can do this. I sent 20 kits immediately even though we did not have that much money in the fund. I know the WAR World; it will lift up mommies and daddies who need to feed their little ones. We will start small in what we send and do it through nationals on the ground who shop locally AND help restart their own economy. We will do it quietly, carefully, and further assist once the dust settles. For now, this is where we start.

The Taliban took Afghanistan in one week, Kabul in a weekend. People fled to large cities filling open spaces and parks. In villages, the Taliban often kills every able-bodied man and kidnaps all unwed women from age 12 and up to serve as wartime brides to soldiers. In cities, families must put an X on the door if they have girls over 12 years old. If found hiding a girl, death is instant. People have fled with nothing more than the clothes on their backs and are in need of basic food and shelter.

You know I grew up as an American among Muslims, studied Islam in college (intended to be a professor of world religions), and served for years in Muslim countries with my husband. Why do I share this? I want you to pray specifically for the hearts of Afghans. Those using “god” to do evil are not the enemy. They are captives of the enemy. Can we pray for them?

An ancient Islamic tradition says God has 100 names, and man only knows 99 of them. The Camel is the only one who knows the 100th…and that is why he looks so haughty! Pray that they will come to see the 100th name as Jesus, The Prophet Esa…our Prophet, High Priest, and King! Pray their eyes will be turned to true freedom in this Prophet they already revere but do not know.

WAR, Int’l has opened a WAR CHEST RELIEF FUND for Afghan women and girls. We will distribute funds as it is safe to do so. If it is the call of your heart, please consider donating so that these mommies may be able to feed their babies.

Civilian First Responder Conference: A “Valuable Day of Learning”

Civilian First Responder Conference:

A “Valuable Day of Learning”

by Ron Garrett | Guest Writer & WAR volunteer

Did you know that last year in the United States
there were nearly 11,000 cases of human trafficking?1
(And those are just the ones we know about.)

Earlier this year, I was invited to attend and review a Civilian First Responder (CFR) conference that was held at Grace Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan. It was a valuable full day of learning presented by Women At Risk, International.

Because I have had no training on human trafficking and no experience working with this issue, my previous knowledge regarding this subject was limited. I had watched a few docudramas, but as products of traditional Hollywood writers and producers, these movies generally left me wondering whether their portrayal provided an accurate picture of human trafficking. I found that the CFR conference provided the clarity and accuracy that I sorely needed.

How does someone become a victim of trafficking?

In this CFR training, I learned what the human trafficking “on-ramp” looks like. Human trafficking may involve an entire network of men and women who initiate contact with potential victims. This network can extend to some teens who work as recruiters for pimps and madams. A perpetrator has something to gain by exploiting youth and others. Although deceit and cruelty are common elements, it’s usually the money that motivates them.

I was surprised to find that, in many cases, the recruiters are women. Where a man might appear creepy or pushy, a woman may be more effective at building a false sense of security. This faux comfort creates a gradual progression towards bringing another woman or a young person into bondage.

While some traffickers build false friendships, another effective type of deception, where perpetrators may operate in a more public setting, is the lure of a job offer. Surprisingly, this can start with an innocent looking advertisement for a babysitting job or a modeling gig. Little does the respondent know that a more sinister agenda is soon to be revealed.

What does a trafficking victim look like?

Although it is true that poverty can put people in vulnerable situations, not all victims are poor—and not all are women. A person of any age, gender, race, or socioeconomic status can fall prey to traffickers.

While victims can be adults, teens, or children, a teen or young adult’s lack of life experience makes them especially vulnerable to predators. Unfortunately, perpetrators know how to present themselves in ways that can draw a teen into some “new venture” that has been contrived. The desire to be involved in something that seems fresh and exciting—or to be thought “cool” in the eyes of their peers—can sway a potential victim in the direction of making a poor, but life-changing, decision.

If a youth has a history of misrepresenting or withholding information from parents or other authority figures, it is a short leap for them to fabricate stories about where they are going or what they will be doing. In their quest for excitement, they might feel justified in contorting stories about plans to meet up with a new “friend.”

A person of any age, gender,
race, or socioeconomic status
can fall prey to traffickers.

Children are also trafficked—frequently by someone they know, and often by someone who lives within a quarter-mile of the child’s home. I heard first-hand witness accounts of situations where a child was sold by her own mother and others in which the mother was the primary sexual predator!

These stories have helped me realize what some human trafficking victims have had to endure. Often through no fault of their own, they have been lured or coerced into an existence filled with lies, betrayal, and great pain. Many have had significant portions of their lives stolen from them.

Would you recognize signs of human trafficking
in your community?

Human trafficking can take place anywhere: in cities, suburbs, and rural areas. It may even be taking place in your own neighborhood—or in mine. If it were, would we recognize it? Would we know how to respond?

Because of this conference, I have become more aware of everyday warning signs. For instance, if a child wears the same clothes every day, that could be a red flag. Another warning sign might be that a child does not go to school. An additional area to note is whether the adults interacting with this child seem to be there for the long term. Does the interaction seem kind and familiar or threatening and abusive?

If a teen is asked to show identification and has none, he or she may be a victim of trafficking. The presence of an older, overly generous male companion can also be a warning sign. It could be that this adult is not a friend at all but rather is an enforcer posing as a boyfriend.

To be sure, without this training, I would not have been able recognize these specific situations or behaviors as potential signs of trafficking—nor would I have been equipped to respond appropriately.

How prepared are you?

Human trafficking is not the kind of thing we typically talk about at the dinner table or around the water cooler. Because we talk about it rarely, or not at all, there are major gaps in our understanding of what we can do to help. For me, the CFR training filled in a number of missing pieces.

We don’t have to work in law enforcement
or social services to make a difference
in the battle with human trafficking.

Having attended many conferences over the years on a range of different subjects, I can truthfully say that I found the CFR conference to be one of the most beneficial of all. The materials provided were very complete and quite helpful. All of the speakers had compelling stories to tell, based not on things they had read or heard but on their direct personal experiences with human trafficking. It says a lot to me that Women At Risk, International’s founder—the conference’s main speaker—has worked with this issue for more than thirty years.

We don’t have to work in law enforcement or social services to make a difference in the battle against human trafficking. By educating ourselves, and then educating others, we can bring forth an increase in awareness. The greater the number of eyes and ears tuned into this problem, the more that will be uncovered. John 1:5 says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Simply shining a light into this darkness—raising awareness—is an important and effective action that all of us are able to take.

Your next step

If you were to see any of these signs in your community, would you recognize them? Would you know what to do? How much do you really know about human trafficking? Now is the time to learn how YOU could help prevent another person from becoming a victim of human trafficking.

To learn more about attending or hosting a CFR conference in your area, please visit our website. You may also contact us by email or call us at 616.855.0796. Don’t see a conference in your area and can’t host? In addition to our live seminars, WAR, Int’l now offers CFR conferences in digital form so you can experience this training at a time and place that works for you! Click here for more information!

 

  1. Statistic taken from the 2018 National Human Trafficking Hotline Fact Sheet, which documents 10,949 human trafficking cases based on contacts to the hotline. This figure does not reflect the full scope or prevalence of human trafficking in the U.S., for which it is nearly impossible to find or compile accurate data.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Guest writer Ron Garrett serves as one of WAR, Int’l’s many faithful volunteers. A mechanical engineer by profession, he has also taught engineering design & manufacturing courses at Grand Valley State University and is now enjoying an active retirement. In addition to his service with WAR, Int’l, Ron also volunteers for several West Michigan refugee resettlement organizations. This is his first writing project for WAR, Int’l.

WAR, Int’l’s writing & program staff would also like to acknowledge Taylor Laird for her assistance with the editing of this article during her internship with us.

published October 2019