Instead, I'd like to briefly talk about two of the most prominent figures internationally during this month: the nativity and the menorah.
It's common knowledge that through missionary work and colonialism, Christianity has become a globally adopted religion, influencing cultures worldwide. I'd like to mention that cultures also influence religion in subtle ways, and discuss nativity sets as an example. Every few years around Christmastime, my family takes a trip to the Washington DC temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There, we see the International Creche Exhibit, which displays nativities from over 100 different nations
Needless to say, not every country in the world puts a blonde, pasty white baby in a pile of straw, as is common in America. Each country recreates the birth of Christ in its own, unique way. The beautifully crafted nativities reflect on the lifestyles and physical appearances of the people who live in that country. Here are some that I could find on the net:
(Source: here)
In this gorgeous nativity set from Peru, the style of dress, hair, and skin tones reflect Peruvian culture and way of life. The same is evident in the nativity picture below, from Guatemala.
(Source: here)
As religions globalize, cultures react by adopting new practices - like the celebration of Christmas - that they may not have done before. At the same time, cultures have individual influences in their practice of religion, as evidenced by the diverse representations of the birth of Christ. (If you'd like to see all 100 nativities and observe further, here's a pretty fast paced picture summary! Nativity Slideshow)
Of course, I can't leave out another key element of December celebrations - the menorah, during Hannukah! I grew up Christian, so I've pretty much got the nativity thing down. If you're Jewish and reading this, please let me know in the comments if I fumble anything about menorahs.
This lighting of a menorah in Wisconsin reflects the American enthusiasm for the Lego:
(Although Lego was founded in Denmark, the US accounts for over a third of its sales)
In Thailand, elephants sometimes get involved. That sure does not happen in Wisconsin.
(Both menorah photographs are from the collection of them here. They're all beautiful, and I recommend looking through!)
Overall, as people around the world celebrate religious traditions, they do so in a way that reflects their own culture and background. Nativities and menorahs come on display in the United States, Peru, Thailand, and more, but in each nation, they look a little different.
I know this is a blog about globalization, which often correlates to a growing sense of uniformity throughout our world. Tonight, since we're on winter break at Vanderbilt and I feel less responsible for sticking 100% to the theme thus far, I wanted to take a step back and recognize that globalization is a two-way street. Ideas and practices constantly spread into new regions in today's world. Christmas, nativities, and menorahs are examples of that. At the same time, however, local cultures influence globalized practices and beliefs, as evidenced by the numerous differences in creche and menorah styles.
