On Saturday, December 14th, 2024, we hosted a festive Cultural Café session to celebrate the end of the year. The session led by Desert Bloom’s ESC volunteers; Linus Wendel and Molivann Smith. While many people, regardless of religious affiliation, enjoy Christmas as a secular holiday, we delved deeper into its origins.
Our discussion explored the fascinating history of Christmas, tracing its roots back to pre-Christian celebrations. We uncovered the intriguing story of Santa Claus, from his mythological origins to his modern-day image. We also compared Christmas traditions across different cultures, noting the diverse dates and customs observed around the world.
The audience actively participated, sharing their knowledge of local Jordanian Christmas traditions and recommending festive destinations in Amman, such as Christmas markets.
We also examined the unexpected link between Christmas and free-market capitalism. The iconic image of Santa Claus in red is largely attributed to a successful Coca-Cola advertising campaign from the 1930s, effectively associating the holiday with the color red.
To add a festive touch, we concluded the session with some engaging games. Two Kahoot quizzes tested our audience’s Christmas knowledge, followed by a lighthearted challenge: navigating a cookie from forehead to mouth without using hands, a fun and fitting end to our Christmas celebration.
