Paradox 51

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Ways People Celebrate Christmas Around The World (Part 1)

It's that time of year again: Christmas is just around the corner and America is going into a shopping frenzy. Jesus, Santa, elves, reindeer, snowmen, and presents are what remind many people of Christmas. Yet surprisingly, in many other countries, Christmas is celebrated quite differently.

Here are 15 interesting facts about ways people celebrate Christmas in Africa and Asia.

Note: This is Part 1 which includes the continents Africa and Asia. Part 2 will contain the continent Europe, and Part 3 will contain the continents North America, Oceania, and South America.

Interesting Facts

1. (Africa) In Nigeria, the people commonly make large feasts of meat rather than sweets and cakes.
2. (Africa) In Ethiopia, Christian priests carry a procession through town carrying umbrellas with fancy decorations.
3. (Asia) In Bangladesh, it is popular to hang artificial stars on rooftops to signify the Star of Bethlehem.
4. (Asia) In China, December 25 is not a legal holiday.
5. (Asia) In India, Father Christmas or Santa Claus is held to be the giver of presents to children from a horse and cart, rather than reindeer and a sleigh.
6. (Asia) In Indonesia, only 8% of the population celebrate Christmas as Christians.
7. (Asia) In Israel and the Palestinian territories, Hanukkah is far more widely celebrated rather than Christmas because of the country's Jewish backgrounds.
8. (Asia) In Japan, Christmas cake is often a white sponge cake covered with cream and decorated with strawberries.
9. (Asia) In Lebanon, fashion designer Elie Saab, who is an international celebrity, donates a massive Christmas tree, 25 meters tall, every year, for public display in Downtown Beirut.

10. (Asia) In Malaysia, Christmas is largely celebrated through secular means, with controversy over whether or not the government is suppressing Christian religious symbols and hymns that specifically mention Jesus Christ.
11. (Asia) In Pakistan, while December 25 is a public holiday, it is not officially designated as Christmas, but rather as the birthday of Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan.
12. (Asia) In the Philippines, the Christmas season ends on the Feast of the Three Kings; some children leave their shoes out, in the belief that the Three Kings will leave gifts like candy or money inside.
13. (Asia) In Singapore, there is a Singaporean shopping belt called Orchard Road that many Christmas festivities are held at.
14. (Asia) In South Korea, houses are decorated with lanterns, lights, and colorful paper arts during the Christmas season.
15. (Asia) In Taiwan, December 25 used to be celebrated as Constitution Day, but is now largely celebrated as Christmas.

And these are some ways people celebrate Christmas around the world!

Friday, October 7, 2011

Another poem...

Long Live Our Beloved Leader!

Purple robes of glory

And heart wrenching stories

Draw the crowds to what they don't yet understand

Speeches with a fire

That promise men their desires

Lets the leader hold their lives in his hand

Love towards the people

And telling them they're equal

Will amaze them and steal away their breath

With the wake of every hour

He will hunger for more power

Till he's burned their souls and chocked them to death

Thursday, October 6, 2011

A poem...

Dreams of a Wishful Thinker

It's midnight; they're sleeping;

The world is all dreaming

Though the bright stars are twinkling

I can hear the angels weeping

It's magic; it's illusions

Why do we live in confusion?

When we dwell on seclusion

And start believing delusions?

If we could all just come together

And go on a really grand adventure

We'd no longer be just pretenders

But death's life long avengers

Mankind has searched for a redeemer

Made of part science and part preacher

But as for I, just a mere creature,

Will always be that wishful dreamer

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

4 Ways To Tell You Need A Vacation

It's that time of year again: sweet, sweet summer. You grab your surfboard, put on your flip flops, and whip out your sunglasses. Then, right when you go out the door, your mother comes running in. "What did I tell you? No surfing until you finish your school!" You look at me confused,"But this is summer, right?" Yeah, well you got kind of behind in your homework so now your parents are forcing you to do summer school. Bummer, huh? Sadly, a lot of people go through the same kind of experience, and the lack of any decent vacation throughout the year can really make them quite grumpy. So how do you know when it's time to hit the beaches? I'll give you four good ways to spot when you need a vacation.

#4. You're Constantly Tired

It's late at night and you're at your desk... doing homework. Again. You take another sip of hot coffee and rub your eyes.

I was actually talking about your kitty, you lazy bum.

You look at the clock. It's already midnight. You want to rest your eyes so bad, but you know you can't. There's still homework to be done! And you wouldn't want to make the teacher mad, now would you?

"I'm staring into your SOUL!!!"

It turns out this fatigue can actually be bad for your health. Your body is working in overdrive, and without the needed rest, you're just wearing yourself out sooner. Which means you won't live as long, either. Who knew studying up for a test the night before over and over again could take such a toll? If you find yourself needing coffee every minute you're awake, then you definitely need a vacation.

And along with the tiredness, you'll know for sure that...

#3. You're Stressed Out

Now this time, you're driving down the road. You're right about to change lanes when some redneck truck with monster wheels cuts in front of you and makes you miss your exit. You roll down your window and start shouting cuss words at him like you did to kids in fifth grade.

Yes, you're a ginger too.

Not surprisingly, this is a common occurrence. The roadway is one of the most stressful places to be - especially in high traffic areas - and that redneck's blaring country music sure ain't helpin'.

And yes, he's listening to Josh Turner.

So if you're feeling stressed, take a breather, relax, and start reserving your room at an Oceanside resort.

Because we all know it's a pain to be stressed cause that means...

#2. You're Having Less Social Time

Have you ever been studying so hard for school, that at the beginning of the first semester, you looked like this:

They see me rollin'.

And then by the end of the second semester, you looked like this:

Now where was I...

This happens when you're not getting out enough. If you study too much and forget how to talk to people, you too will start to use oversized glasses. You must not let the inner nerd get to you.

However, some people don't study enough, so that's why we tell them...

#1. You're Slacking On The Job

You look at the time. Oh gosh! You're late for a meeting! You need to hurry! So you run out the door, jump in your car, and drive to work. When you arrive at the meeting, the boss isn't too pleasant.

"I'M GONNA KILL HIM!!!"

Thankfully, things calm down and he begins with the boring updates on the business. When it's finally over, you decide to take a short walk to get some fresh air. You walk to a phone booth to call your friend about setting up the superbowl party. But your mind is calling you to shut up and get some sleep.

No, you're doing it wrong...

You know you have so many files and reports to do, but it's just so hard! There's no way you're gonna have it done by next Monday. The reason for this is because you're working too much. The pressure is taking its toll, and all you want to do is just relax. My advice? Call your travel agent, get a ticket, and you're off to Sunny Side Hotels! Complete with mustache and drink.