By Anita Carter, AE

Christmas traditions vary all over the world, and because the United States is a melting pot of nationalities from all over the globe, each family has different traditions that they observe and take part in. This month CoE Cares takes a look at different traditions observed by members of our faculty and staff, including faculty from France and Jamaica.

Professor Eric Feron is a faculty member in the School of Aerospace Engineering and is originally from France. France is predominantly a Catholic country and many of the French Christmas traditions draw from Catholicism and may be familiar to Catholic readers. According to Feron, it is customary for families to display a nativity scene in their home. The nativity scene is set up prior to Christmas, but the baby Jesus and the three wise men are left off, as they did not appear until later on. On Christmas morning it is customary for the youngest child in the home to place the baby Jesus in the manger. Accordingly, the wise men are put into the scene on January 6, which is celebrated as the date they visited the holy family and gave gifts to Jesus. It is known as Three Kings Day, as well as Epiphany.

Meal traditions do not vary too much from what is customary in the US, but Feron noted that in each home there is usually a Bûche de Noël (Christmas Log) for dessert. It looks like an actual log, and is made from ice cream or crème, and cake. The main Christmas meal is usually served after midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. It is often served on an elaborately decorated table, and frequently consists of goose or other exotic poultry, and sometimes seafood.

It is also customary to receive a lot of fresh fruit at the holidays, primarily oranges. Oranges are not grown in France, so it is considered a treat to receive these delicious fruit during the holiday season. Gift giving is not a big practice in France although parents usually give young children a gift. According to two of Feron’s students, Romain Jobredeaux and Raphael Cohen, the biggest spending occurs around New Years. Very expensive items are bought mostly for oneself, but sometimes will be given as gifts. These are big ticket items that would not normally be purchased at any other time of the year.

When asked about his most memorable holiday, Feron said it was when he was 4 or 5 years old. He received an electric train set, which he still has, and it still works!

Professor John-Paul Clarke is also a faculty member in the School of Aerospace Engineering and is originally from Kingston, Jamaica. Jamaican traditions are very different from American traditions, but are festive, fun, and very family oriented. Many of them are related to the meals served during the holidays. For the Christmas season, there are many parties. People will prepare large feasts and invite all their friends and family over. There are a lot more social events and individual parties around the Christmas holiday than any other time of the year. At each party cake and sorrel is served, which are the two biggest traditional Christmas food items. All different types of cakes are made and shared. It is tradition to consume 12 slices of cake throughout the holiday season, one slice for each month of the year. The most popular cake is of course, the Christmas Cake; also referred to as “Black Cake” or “Plum Pudding”. It is a very rich fruitcake heavily laden with wine, brandy, or rum. Each person or family has their own way of preparing the Christmas cake- some are baked and some are steamed for a dense pudding type of consistency. Sorrel is a red leaf plant that is prepared much like tea, sweetened with sugar and spiked with a little rum or brandy.

Christmas Day consists of a large feast including at least two or three types of meat, one of which must be ham. A leg of ham, baked with a sugary honey glaze with pineapple and cherries on top, is very important to the Christmas dinner. Additionally, roast chicken is popular, and roast beef, both of which are usually infused with seasonings so the flavor is disbursed throughout the meat. Turkey is not a common entrée in Jamaica. In addition to the meats, it is common to have rice, gongo peas, fried plantains, dumplings, and other side dishes. Plates are piled high, and Clarke says there is more food than you can imagine.

On Christmas morning, church begins at 5 am, and everyone goes to church. Before going to church though, it is common to go to “Christmas Market” from dusk until just before dawn. The farmers will bring their goats, and any other types of harvest or goods to the market to sell before.

Junkanoo is also popular around the Christmas holidays in Jamaica. Junkanoo is a festival or a street parade with very elaborate costumes and choreographed dances, which are performed to the beat of goatskin drums and cowbells. Junkanoo is most popular in the Bahamas, but is common in other Caribbean countries. Each country has their own spin on the festival, and according to Clarke, the Bahamians do it with the most grandeur.

Pantomime is also a Jamaican Christmas tradition which begins on Boxing Day (December 26). It is a play produced with a Jamaican theme, each year’s theme being different. Clarke says his parents could tell him the theme of every Pantomime they ever saw and what year it was when they saw it.

When asked about his favorite Christmas memory or gift, he was stumped at first, but then remembered a time when he was out with family members until 4 am partying and having a great time. Being the son of a priest, there was no question that he was to be in church, so after being awake all night, he went to church at 5 am, and jokingly says he had toothpicks holding his eyes open through the service.