{"id":12515,"date":"2014-01-06T13:30:10","date_gmt":"2014-01-06T18:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.extrawdwmagic.com\/?p=12515"},"modified":"2014-01-05T16:48:01","modified_gmt":"2014-01-05T21:48:01","slug":"epcot-storytellers-looking-back-to-the-past","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/extrawdwmagic.com\/?p=12515","title":{"rendered":"Epcot Storytellers – looking back to the past"},"content":{"rendered":"

Revisiting a series from 2009\u2026 Epcot Holiday Storytellers<\/p>\n

\"Mexico<\/a><\/p>\n

In Mexico,Los Tres Reyes Magos share Mexican Christmas Traditions\u2026<\/p>\n

Beautiful candlelight processions, happy sounds of children laughing, and sweet smells of the season make Christmas in Mexico a magical, meaningful time of community.
\nIn Mexico, Christmas is called\u00a0La Navidad\u00a0<\/em>and its main celebration is\u00a0Las Posadas<\/em>, which means “inn.” During\u00a0Las Posadas<\/em>, Mexican families recreate the journey of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter in Bethlehem. For nine nights, beginning December 16, Mexican children dress up like the holy family and visit their neighbors as part of a candlelight procession. Beautifully carved\u00a0nacimientos<\/em>\u00a0(nativity scenes) are displayed in homes. Prayers and festivities begin when the procession of Mary and Joseph is welcomed in.
\nOn January 6, the day the Three Kings arrived in Bethlehem, bringing gifts to baby Jesus, Mexican children leave their shoes on the doorsteps in a special celebration called\u00a0Dia De Los Tres Reyes<\/em>\u00a0(Three Kings Day). When the children awaken the next morning, they are delight to discover wonderful toys and gifts in and around their shoes.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Norway<\/a><\/p>\n

In Norway, Sigrid & Julenissen tell of \u00a0Norwegian Christmas traditions and Julenissen makes mischief with poor Sigrid; freezing her in place and moving objects. This is one of my favorite Holiday Storytellers because of the comedy.<\/p>\n

Christmas is a festive time in the \u201cLand of the Midnight Sun.\u201d
\nOn Christmas Even, farm animals are traditionally treated to the finest oats and barley. Birds are remembered during\u00a0julnek<\/em>, when they are offered large sheaves of grain placed high on spruce poles. After darkness it\u2019s \u201clights out\u201das homes are illuminated by only the warm glow of candlelight.
\nAn elf-like gnome named\u00a0Julenissen<\/em>\u00a0lives in the woods and barns across the countryside.\u00a0Julenissen<\/em>\u00a0is the guardian of every family\u2019s welfare, so children leave a steaming bowl of porridge in the hay loft during the holiday period to thank\u00a0Julenissen<\/em>.
\nOn Christmas Day, many attend church before spending time quietly at home with family members. On Second Christmas Day,children celebrate\u00a0julbukke<\/em>\u00a0by dressing up in costumes and going door-to-door for goodies.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"China<\/a><\/p>\n

The Monkey King was the first Holiday Storyteller we saw at Epcot (back \u00a0in 2006?). Of course,not all of the countries represented in Epcot have long traditions of Christmas,thus stories that teach lessons important in the New Year.<\/p>\n

The story of Sun hou-kong, the Monkey King,is an ancient Chinese legend that tells an exciting tale of redemption and enlightenment.
\nSun hou-kong, a monkey raised by humans,became the Monkey King when he single-handedly defeated a horrific monster in his homeland. Afterwards, the Monkey King acquired incredible powers when he cleverly uprooted a magic stick guarded by the Dragon King.
\nWith this magic stick and the ability to do just about anything, the Monkey King started to look for adventure and mischief. Buddha was not pleased with this abuse of power and decided to seal the Monkey King inside a mountain for eternity.
\nThe Monkey King quickly realized the error of his ways!
\nFortunately,a monk named Thang Seng believed in the Monkey King\u2019s redemption and asked Buddha to release him.
\nThe Monkey King was then asked to join Thang Seng on a journey to India to bring back Buddha\u2019s original teaching texts.
\nThe Monkey King proved to be a loyal comrade to Thang Seng.
\nLike many holiday legends,this heartfelt story send an important message of hope.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Germany<\/a><\/p>\n

Here,the storyteller explains how many German Christmas traditions have spread thoughout the western world.<\/p>\n

The German Yuletide season is a magical time when friends and family celebrate together!
\nMany of Germany\u2019s rich customs and traditions of the season have been adopted all over the world.
\nIt was Germany who produced the first tannenbaum (Christmas tree). According to legend, while walking in the woods one snowy evening,Martin Luther was overcome by the beauty of the starlight sparkling on the fir trees. As the light from the heavens shone all around him, he was reminded of the star that shone on the night the\u00a0Christkindl<\/em>\u00a0(Christ child) was born. He wanted to share the magic with his children, so he brought home a fir tree from the forest. He even fashioned a way to clip candles on the tree to make it look as though the branches were covered in glistening snow.
\nOn\u00a0Heiligabend<\/em>\u00a0(Christmas Eve), German parents secretly decorate the tannenbaum with candies, nuts, glass baubles, and twinkling lights. A bell is rung, the tannenbaum is presented, and the children race to open presents and snatch the goodies from the tree.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"La<\/a><\/p>\n

The storyteller in Italy was excellent, making eye contact with her visitors and performing beautifully (even in the unexpected December heat!).<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cNatale con i tuoi. Pasqua con chi vuoi.<\/em>\u201d
\nThis old Italian verse truly expresses the strong feelings the Italian people have for the celebration of Christmas.
\nIt means, \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cYou celebrate Easter with whomever you please,but Christmas only with your own.\u201d
\nIn fact, Christmas is often described as the warmest, most intimate Italian holiday because it is a special time when family members get together to enjoy age-old traditions.
\nOn Christmas Eve, a ceremony takes place around the presepio,a nativity scene of Bethlehem. Then, after Midnight Mass, there is a cenone, which is a delicious feast of rich Italian food.
\nChildren eagerly await the presents brought to them by a good-hearted witch called\u00a0la Befana<\/em>. She is the Christmas gift-giver who climbs down chimneys to fill the good children\u2019s shoes with treats. Naughty children may find a lump of coal instead!
\nUnlike Santa Claus, who appears on Christmas Eve,\u00a0la Befana<\/em>\u00a0arrives on the eve of the Epiphany, January 6. Year after year, la Befana wanders the countryside looking for Gesu Bambino, the baby Jesus, and leaves gifts just in case she finds him.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"Japan<\/a>This storyteller focuses on Japanese New Year and the hopes for new wishes (dare we say \u201cgoals\u201d) to come to fruition in the new year. Most importantly from my perspective,even if your wishes or goals don\u2019t come true,get back up and keep on trying. The morale that the Daruma Seller relates during his storytelling makes this presentation a favorite for me.<\/p>\n

\n

O-Shogatsu,which lasts January 1st through January 3rd, is the traditional Japanese New Year. It is a time for reflection, family, friends, delicious foods, and, of course, fun!
\nAn important New Year symbol and good luck charm for the Japanese is the\u00a0Daruma\u00a0<\/em>doll, which has no pupils in its eyes. Tradition is to make a wish and paint the pupil of the left eye. If you wish comes true before the end of the year, you paint in the right pupil. The\u00a0Daruma<\/em>, which looks like a child\u2019s punching doll, reinforces the concepts of patience and persistence. As the Japanese say, \u201cNana Korobi, ya oki<\/em>\u201d which means \u201cKnocked down seven times, get up eight.\u201d
\nBell ringing is also a big part of the O-Shogatsu. The Japanese New Year is announced by bell ringing at the Buddhist temples throughout the country.
\nA special New Year\u2019s decoration called the\u00a0kadomatsu<\/em>\u00a0appears at the front entrance to many homes. The\u00a0kadomatsu\u2019s<\/em>\u00a0plum blossom, which grows even in cold weather, symbolizes hope for the New Year. Its pine branch represents everlasting strength, and the straight bamboo represents rapid growth. Everyone in Japan enjoys the spirit of O-Shogatsu and the symbolism and beautiful customs of the New year.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"Morocco<\/a>We had seen this storyteller last year \u2013much like China and Japan \u2013this time of year is for families, celebrating, and self-evaluation \u2013along with resolutions to be better in the coming year.<\/p>\n

\n

Two major holidays of Morocco are\u00a0Eid al-fitr<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Eid al-Adha<\/em>.
\nOne of Morocco\u2019s holiest celebrations is the month of\u00a0Ramadan<\/em>, which commemorates the month in which Allah revealed to the Muslim people, the Holy book, the Quran.
\nDuring the month of\u00a0Ramadan<\/em>, Muslims observe a strict fast and participate in various activities including charitable giving and peace-making. It is a time of intense spiritual renewal for those who observe it. At the end of\u00a0Ramadan<\/em>, Muslims throughout the world observe a joyous three-day celebration called\u00a0Eid al-Fitr<\/em>, the Festival of Fast-Breaking.
\nEid al-Fitr<\/em>\u00a0falls on the first day of Shawwal, the month which follows Ramadan in the Islamic calendar. It is a time to give charity to those in need, and celebrate with family and friends the completion of a month of blessings and joy.
\nOn the tenth day of\u00a0Zul-Hajjah<\/em>, the last month of the Islamic calendar, Muslims around the world celebrate\u00a0Eid al-Adha<\/em>, the Festival of the Sacrifice.
\nPeople of Morocco also celebrate\u00a0Ashura<\/em>.
\nThe word \u201cAshura<\/em>\u201d literally means \u201c10th,\u201d as it is on the 10th day of\u00a0Muharram<\/em>, the first month of the Islamic year.\u00a0Ashura<\/em>\u00a0is an ancient observance that is now recognized for different reasons and in different ways among Muslims. In Morocco, one of the most beautiful traditions of\u00a0Ashura<\/em>\u00a0happens after the sunset. On the night of\u00a0Ashura<\/em>, families joint together to eat traditional Moroccan dishes and sweets. Kids are given gifts, toys, sweets, and often a special drum called\u00a0taarja<\/em>. From the largest cities to the smallest, bonfires are built by children who sing and dance around it all night. People of Morocco celebrate the joy, color and traditions of\u00a0Ashura<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"France<\/a><\/p>\n

Pere Noel tells a story of a little girl, Babette, who sends him a letter. Her brother doesn\u2019t believe in Pere Noel any longer, and she is certain that he is wrong. Babette\u2019s letter serves as the background for relating French Christmas traditions.<\/p>\n

The magic of Christmas can be seen everywhere in France. The shops and\u00a0baraques<\/em>, or booths, along the beautiful boulevards are brimming with toys, glittering lights, and Christmas decorations of every imaginable kind.
\nChildren eagerly await\u00a0le Pere Noel<\/em>\u00a0(Father Christmas), who arrives on Christmas Eve to deliver wonderful presents. Most churches and homes display a beautiful nativity scene called a\u00a0creche<\/em>, which is considered one of the most important symbols of Christmas to the French. Traditionally, candles are lit around the\u00a0creche<\/em>; sometimes a special Yule log is also burned on the fire.
\nAfter families return from Midnight Mass, they enjoy a feast called\u00a0le reveillon<\/em>, which often consists of ham, goose, oysters, salads, cheese, champagne, and\u00a0Buche de Noel<\/em>, a delicious chocolate cake shaped like a Yule log.
\nChildren then set out shoes around the Christmas tree in great anticipation of\u00a0le Pere Noel<\/em>who fills them with all sorts of goodies!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"UK<\/a><\/p>\n

This storyteller had a surprise for me and Nick, but first, the information\u2026<\/p>\n

Many wonderful Christmas traditions originated in the countries of the United Kingdom. Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Each have unique holiday customs, and many of these have been shared worldwide. Well-known Christmas carols such as \u201cDeck the Halls\u201dand \u201cHere We Come a Wassailing\u201dwere first sung in the United Kingdom.
\nThe tradition of Christmas cards also began in the United Kingdom. In 1843, John Calcott Horsley sent a card depicting an English family brimming with cheer to his friend Sir Henry Cole. The original card caught the attention of a British giftbook company, which published a thousand lithographed copies and sold them for a shilling each.
\nNot surprisingly, the hanging of mistletoe is one of the United Kingdom\u2019s oldest and most popular traditions,dating back too the Druidic ceremonies of the winter solstice. Each time a kiss was claimed under the mistletoe, the young man would pick off one berry. The kissing would end when all the berries were gone!
\nFor children, Father Christmas, with his long white beard, green robe, and crown of holly, is still treated as the jolly gift-bearer who brings holiday joy to the well-behaved.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Father Christmas began by walking through the back area of the UK pavilion, ringing a loud brass bell.<\/p>\n

Next came singing Christmas carols (yes, all of his visitors joined in)<\/p>\n

Not long after that, he singled out Nick. Wanted to know if Nick knew that mistletoe was an old tradition. Wanted to know if Nick was amply supplied with mistletoe for the season. Held the mistletoe on his staff over our heads and told us to kiss! which we did\u2026to applause.<\/p>\n

\"Canada<\/a><\/p>\n

The final storyteller on our trip around World Showcase is at Canada\u2026<\/p>\n

From the waterways of eastern Newfoundland to the snowcapped mountains of British Columbia, the Christmas holidays hold special magic for the vast expanse of Canada.
\nAlthough favorite traditions such as awaiting Santa Claus, or\u00a0le Pere Noel<\/em>, trimming the evergreen, and singing Christmas carols are similar to those commonly found in the United States and Europe, Canada has many unique holiday traditions as well.
\nIn some traditional Canadian homes, Santa Claus enlists the help of devilish creatures called\u00a0Belsnickles<\/em>\u00a0to determine which children have been \u201cnaughty or nice.\u201d The\u00a0Belsnickles\u00a0<\/em>supposedly enter the homes of naughty boys and girls to cause mischief.
\nEven Canada\u2019s Inuit children are visited by mysterious creatures called\u00a0Naluyuks<\/em>\u00a0who travel from house to house. The children must sing Christmas carols to appease the\u00a0Naluyuks<\/em>, who pound sticks on the floor before questioning the children about their behavior. When the children say they\u2019ve been good, which they always do, the\u00a0Naluyuks<\/em>\u00a0open special gift bags full of wonderful presents.
\nIn Quebec, le reveillon, a sumptuous traditional French dinner, is served after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.
\nMost of Canada celebrates Boxing Day on December 26, in honor of the ancient English tradition of giving filled Christmas boxes to the poor as well as to servants and tradesmen for their help during the year.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Hope you enjoyed this revisit to the Epcot Holiday Storytellers\u2026 There are some differences in 2013 (no storyteller in Canada for instance) – we really loved this part of Christmas around the World Showcase.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Revisiting a series from 2009\u2026 Epcot Holiday Storytellers<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

In Mexico,Los Tres Reyes Magos share Mexican Christmas Traditions\u2026<\/p>\n

Beautiful candlelight processions, happy sounds of children laughing, and sweet smells of the season make Christmas in Mexico a magical, meaningful time of community. In Mexico, Christmas is called La Navidad and its main celebration is Las <\/p>\n

continue reading Epcot Storytellers – looking back to the past<\/a> … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[65,272,629],"tags":[276,211,238,215,216],"class_list":["post-12515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christmas","category-christmas-epcot","category-holidays","tag-christmas-events","tag-epcot-theme-park","tag-holiday-events-2","tag-walt-disney-world-2","tag-wdw-2","odd"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/extrawdwmagic.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12515","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/extrawdwmagic.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/extrawdwmagic.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extrawdwmagic.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extrawdwmagic.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12515"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/extrawdwmagic.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12515\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12987,"href":"https:\/\/extrawdwmagic.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12515\/revisions\/12987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/extrawdwmagic.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extrawdwmagic.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extrawdwmagic.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}