READ: MATTHEW 2:1-12; LUKE 2:8-20

On the night Jesus was born, there was a lot of celebrating going on! And those celebrations continue on to this day—all around the world.

In the USA, where I live, our Christmas celebrations center around putting up a Christmas tree and a nativity scene. On the actual day, we have a big meal and exchange presents.

In Norway, they start celebrating on Christmas Eve. They generally have porridge for lunch, and one lucky person gets an almond hidden in their bowl. That person wins a pig made of marzipan! Then, church services start after the church bells ring at 5:00 pm, and afterwards people go home for a special dinner.

In Poland, on Christmas Eve everyone watches the sky, eagerly waiting to spot the first star of the night. Once a star is spotted, dinner begins! This tradition is to remember the magi, who followed the star to find Jesus. They also have a tradition of putting hay on their dinner table underneath their tablecloth. This reminds them that Jesus was born in a manger.

In the Gambia, they have parades at Christmas time. They carry with them something called a fanal. It’s like a lantern they make out of bamboo with white paper hung over it, usually in the shape of a boat and decorated with candles or lights.

In Russia, they celebrate Christmas on January 7th. They go to church and then come home to a meal with twelve dishes—one dish to honor each of the first twelve disciples.

In reality, it doesn’t matter how we celebrate Christmas but rather who we celebrate. Christmas is the time we set aside to celebrate Jesus: He loves us so much that He became human, died on the cross, and rose again to save us from sin and death. And that’s always worth celebrating! • Melissa Yeagle

• What is your favorite Christmas tradition? Why is it so important that Jesus—who is God—became a human? (Hint: read John 1:1-17; Romans 8:3-4; Hebrews 2:14-15, 17)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV)