Posted: 12/22/06
Holiday traditions vary among
Baptists around the world
By John Hall
Texas Baptist Communications
Waves crash along a sandy shore, flip-flops rest on a towel, and the smell of barbecuing shrimp drifts through the air. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. At least, that’s the way it looks in Australia—or South Africa, for that matter.
How Baptists celebrate Christmas varies from country to country and culture to culture around the world, but Christ remains the focus of the holiday festivities.
| Israeli Baptists join other Christians in a ministry called Nazareth Village, which recreates a first-century town. The site draws local residents and tourists, providing an opportunity for many people to hear the gospel. |
Christmas falls in the heart of summer for Baptists living in the Southern Hemisphere, and many of them celebrate Christmas near beaches and swimming pools where they can cool off.
Scott Houser, a Baylor University graduate and missionary in South Africa, combines elements of Christmas celebration from South Africa and the United States.
“It’s the height of summer here in December, so rather than snow, we’re likely swimming,” he said. “We’ve never owned a traditional big Christmas tree, but rather, have a three-foot high wire tree decorated with African beads. … It’s hardly big enough to place presents under. We do try to have the traditional Christmas and Thanksgiving fare such as turkey, dressing and sweet potatoes.”
In the Netherlands, Sinterklass delivers presents on Dec. 5, and Dec. 25 is reserved for the religious celebration of Christmas, noted Zan Sellers, a BGCT-endorsed chaplain stationed in Schinnen, Netherlands.
Many military personnel view the holiday as time to spend with friends and family, Sellers said. Because soldiers often are away from their families, they treasure the moments they can spend with them.
“For most military, Christmas is a time for family,” he said. “Most of us have been gone to foreign lands during holidays without our families, which enhances the Christmas season when we are with our families.”
Most Nigerian Baptists turn their Christmas Eve programs over to the youth, who lead dramatic interpretations of Christ’s birth and musical events, said Solomon Ishola, general secretary of the Nigerian Baptist Convention. The presentation is followed by an evangelistic invitation. The service may last until midnight, after which many Nigerian Baptists go house to house singing Christmas carols.
“Christmas is a time to remember that God showed his love for us by giving us his son Jesus,” Ishola said. “It is Christmas that has made it possible for us to be free from all our sins.”
In Israel, Baptists use the holiday to share their faith. Increased attention is focused on Nazareth, the biblical home of Jesus, which opens avenues for Israeli Baptists to enter into conversations about God.
They participate with other Christians in a ministry called Nazareth Village, which recreates a first-century town. The site draws local residents and tourists, providing an opportunity for many people to hear the gospel.
Israeli Baptists also work with other Christians in a publicity campaign with billboards that read “Jesus is the Fest” and provide a toll-free number and website for people to contact for more information about Jesus.
“Baptists in Israel are around 2 percent of the total Christian population, but this small community of faithful followers of Christ is vibrant and celebrates Christmas in a very special way—trying to draw the attention of all people of Israel to the reason billions around the world are celebrating Christmas,” said Bader Mansour, treasurer of the Association of Baptist Churches in Israel.
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