Displaying items by tag: Christmas

Roast turkey and Christmas pudding? Not if you live in Finland, where the traditional dish is porridge made with rice and milk, topped with cinnamon or butter. In Barbados no Christmas is complete without a baked ham decorated with pineapple and sorrel glazes, a rum cake, and a dish which combines pigeon peas, guinea corn flour, herbs, and salt meat. On Christmas Eve in Poland, many families share an oplatek (an unleavened religious wafer), each person breaking off a piece. Marinated steaks and boerewors sausages serve as the main course in South Africa, and gingerbread features in countries such as Norway and the Netherlands. Perhaps most unexpectedly, families in Japan head out for Kentucky Fried Chicken, either ordering their boxes months in advance or standing in two-hour-long queues – a tradition which resulted from a wildly successful marketing campaign in 1974.

This Christmas, the World Prayer Centre, Birmingham encourages Christians to shine their light in their communities, grappling with a severe mental health crisis marked in part by alarming suicide rates across the UK. Tragic stories of despair, such as a teenager in Nottingham, a girl in Belfast suffering from online abuse, and a former rugby player's suicide, highlight the urgency of bringing hope and light to those in pain. The 'Shine Your Light' campaign urges Christians to step out of their churches and engage with their communities in meaningful ways. On the weekend of 16-17 December, through events in town halls, high streets, and public places, Christians will be encouraged to gather, pray, and ask for Jesus's light on the nation. Churches and individuals are invited to sign up and participate, bringing hope and the light of Jesus to their communities. For further details, including the resources available, go to the campaign website below.

In the UK, 64% of people have noticed an increase in deprivation in their communities this year. This surge, linked to cost of living concerns and the global situation, is dampening Christmas spirits for many. Major Estelle Blake of the Salvation Army has highlighted the combination of financial stress and loneliness affecting people, with examples of older individuals riding buses all day or spending hours in cafes for minimal social contact. The Salvation Army aims to bring comfort and connection, not just through material aid but through genuine human interaction. This year, it is distributing 76,000 toy parcels and providing 3,000 beds for the homeless. Major Blake urges Christians to reach out to those in need, offering food and companionship, especially during Christmas. She emphasises the importance of long-term engagement beyond the holiday season; the Salvation Army operates residential and emergency pop-up centres in collaboration with other churches. Major Blake herself plans to spend Christmas Day with those in need.

The vision for Shine Your Light is that the whole church across the family of nations stands united to share the Gospel with the whole of society this Christmas. Every local church and believer who signs up becomes a light that shines to brighten up the whole land like a Christmas tree. The nationwide campaign will run on 16 and 17 December. Shine Your Light events of all kinds will occur at town halls, in high streets and shopping centres, and in other public places. Encourage everyone you know to register and share their plans. Whether you are an individual joining with a group of friends and neighbours, a small church, or larger gathering, we’d love to hear what you are doing. Register as an individual or as a church - see the ‘more’ link.

From Passion for the Nation: ‘“Lift up your eyes and look at the fields; they are already white for harvest” (John 4:35). We thank You, Father God, for every promise given to us for revival and awakening, and for those who have already come to know You. We thank You, Lord, for anointing us to preach good tidings to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, and open the prison to those who are bound (Isaiah 61:1). We pray for a new season of evangelism, and for your people to see what You see. Raise up those who will speak to individuals and the crowds, and strategic evangelistic programmes. In this Christmas season, we pray God’s word will be spoken with boldness and clarity, sensitivity and wisdom, and the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be heard. We speak the revelation of Jesus into the lives of individuals, families, communities and cultures.’

Born and raised in Bethlehem, Grace teaches at Bethlehem Bible College and serves her local church. The Holy Land’s Christian population is just 1%. Grace said, ‘Today in Bethlehem, as Christianity continues to dwindle, we trust that the Lord will not leave Himself without a witness in this land. This year, my niece will be Mary in our church’s nativity play. As we watch the children join her as shepherds, wise men and angels, our hearts will be strengthened to know that Christianity still remains the heartbeat of this region, despite its decreasing percentage.

A Marks and Spencer Christmas jumper has become a hit among female clergy, with some calling it the ‘Christmas clergy uniform’ of 2021. The £19.50 jumper is in M&S's Christmas clothing range. It is black and has the word ‘Believe’ written in bold colourful text on the front. Using the hashtag #TeamBelieve, female vicars and lay people have taken to social media sharing their pictures wearing the jumper on top of their clerical collar. 'Christmas jumper' was last week's top search on M&S.com.

The Church of England has released a Christmas single as part of a campaign to encourage more people to hear the real Christmas story through their local church. The single, a new carol version of In the Bleak Midwinter by one of the country’s top young composers, Rebecca Dale, will form the soundtrack to this year’s CofE Christmas campaign. It was released on all streaming platforms on Wednesday 1 December and can be downloaded online. All royalties from the digital streams and downloads of the track will be donated to charity, helping people experiencing homelessness in the UK. The Archbishop of Canterbury said that we often dress Christmas up with trimmings, but they are not the heart of Christmas. The only thing that makes Christmas perfect is Jesus, and the only thing we need to give him and each other is our hearts.

As we prepare for a different Christmas, thousands of families will be carrying the mental exhaustion of an unwelcome guest - debt. Debt erodes confidence and brings a whole host of stresses, and strains this festive season. Furlough, income reduction, job losses have all taken their toll. The recent collapse of Debenhams and Arcadia put a further 25,000 jobs at risk, on top of the thousands of jobs already hanging by a thread. Our poorest communities are hit hardest, with little or no savings to fall back on, and are unable to cope with the income shocks that this year has brought. Heating or eating is a brutal choice for many families. Pray that those struggling with financial problems and feeling isolated will realise that they are not alone and there is no shame in needing debt advice. May those needing such advice be put in touch with the agencies who are able to support them.

Across Europe there will be further lockdowns, curfews and travel bans as the number of people infected with Covid has increased. Italy’s prime minister Giuseppe Conte summed it up when he told Italians to expect a ‘more sober Christmas, without Christmas Eve gatherings, hugs and kisses’. We can pray for people to honour the various restrictions on public gatherings and to obey curfews where they have been imposed. Pray particularly for friends and families to exercise restraint on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Pray also for countries which will be easing restrictions prior to Christmas; may the public act wisely to avoid any further unnecessary sickness and deaths. See The EU drug regulator will meet on 21 December to decide whether to authorise the jab after desperate EU countries said the agency risked losing the trust of EU citizens if it did not act fast.