In Spain, people sing and dance in the streets after midnight mass. Most homes and churches display a Nativity scene. Children put their shoes in the window on January 5 in hopes that the three wise men deliver them presents
Source: Wikipedia
Sinterklaasavond (St. Nicholas evening) remains more important in the Netherlands than Christmas, although in recent years, the Dutch have started to celebrate Christmas Eve with Santa as well.
This sparks minor controversy each year over when it is “appropriate” to start celebrating Christmas, with shopkeepers preferring to start the lucrative Christmas season immediately after Sinterklaasavond (sometimes putting up decorations even earlier) while others argue that the “foreign” and “commercial” Christmas impinges too much on the traditional Sinterklaas celebrations.
Considering the ancestry of Santa Claus, it has truly been said that Sinterklaas is in competition with himself here.
The present-giver in children’s folklore in The Netherlands and Belgium is a Santa-ish character called Sinterklaas or Sint Nicolaas. Like Father Christmas in Germany, Sinterklaas is often accompanied by a black helper named Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) who punishes disobedient children. Read the rest of this entry »
Modern traditions combine with holdovers from their Roman forebears in the celebrations of Natale, the Italian Christmas.
The pagan feast of Saturnalia coincides with the Christian advent, and the holiday season there spans from these weeks through Epiphany.
Food, religious observances, nativity displays, and gift-giving are prominent.
On Christmas Eve, Italians celebrate “La Vigilia”, or the Feast of the seven fishes. In some regions, presents are brought on Epiphany by La Befana, and in others by Baby Jesus on Christmas day or eve. Read the rest of this entry »
Joulupukki is the Finnish name for Santa Claus. The name Joulupukki literally means Yule Goat or Christmas Goat.
This name is likely to come from an old Finnish tradition, where people dressed in goat hides called nuuttipukkis used to circulate in homes after Christmas eating leftover food.
Today Joulupukki looks and behaves mostly like his American version, but there are differences. Joulupukki’s workshop is situated, not in the North Pole or Greenland, but in Korvatunturi, Lapland, Finland. He does not sneak in through the chimney during the night, but knocks on the front door during Christmas eve.
When he comes in, his first words usually are: “Onkos täällä kilttejä lapsia?” (Are there (any) good children here?) Read the rest of this entry »
The big day in Norway, as in most of Northern Europe, is December 24. Although it is legally a regular workday until 16:00[8], most stores close early.
The main Christmas meal is served in the evening. Common main dishes include pork rib, “pinnekjøtt” (pieces of lamb rib steamed over birch branches), and in some western areas burned sheep’s head.
Many people also eat “lutefisk” or fresh, poached cod. Rice porridge is also popular (but most commonly served the day after rather than for the main Christmas dinner), an almond is often hidden in the porridge, and the person who finds it wins a treat or small gift. Read the rest of this entry »
Swedish Christmas celebrations begin with the first of Advent. Saint Lucy’s Day (locally known as Luciadagen) is the first major Christmas celebration before Christmas itself.
As in many other countries in northern Europe, Jultomten (a version of Santa Claus mixed with old folklore, see Yule and Tomte) brings the presents on Christmas Eve, the day generally thought of as Christmas.
Christmas is, as everywhere, a holiday of food. Almost all Swedish families celebrate Christmas on December 24 with a Christmas smörgåsbord (julbord).
The common part of almost all julbord is the julskinka (baked ham), but there are also other common dishes such as meatballs, pickled herring, square ribs, lutfisk, pork sausage, Janssons frestelse (grated potatoes, onion, anchovy and cream), and rice pudding. Read the rest of this entry »
In Denmark, Christmas is celebrated on December 24, which is referred to as Juleaften. An evening meal is eaten with the family consisting of either roast pork, roast duck or roast goose which is eaten with potatoes, red cabbage and plenty of gravy.
For dessert rice pudding is served, traditionally with an almond hidden inside, the lucky finder of this almond is entitled to a small gift. After the meal is complete, the family gather around the Christmas tree and sing Christmas songs.
Traditionally they would dance around the tree, but due to space constraints of modern homes, this often does not happen. When the singing is complete, traditions varies. In some traditions the family will select one child to hand out the presents other take in turn handing out the presents.
They are opened and this is followed by more snacks, candy, chips and sometimes a traditionally Christmas drink called Gløgg.
Danish is somewhat famous for their “Julefrokost”, which is a collection of the most danish meals you can find combined with beer and Snaps.
These Julefrokoster are popular and used by families, social groups and companies.
They would traditionally have taken place leading up to Christmas, but do to time constraints and stress during the christmas month they are today mostly held during November and January(some even have them in summer).
The family Julefrokoster is normally held between Juleaften and New Years Eve. During the Christmas month there has also been developed a danish tradition of making a “Julekalender” on TV which normally is a 24 episode series, with one episode for each night of December until “Juleaften”. This tradition is obviously a young tradition but extremely popular with kids and some adults.
Source: Wikipedia
In Germany, Christmas traditions vary by region. Following Saint Nicholas Day, (December 6) which is mostly for children, the actual Christmas gift-giving usually takes place on the night of Christmas eve, with gifts put under the Christmas tree after a meal.
The culinary feast typically takes place at lunch on Dec. 24 (evening) or Dec. 25, and usually involves poultry (typically roast goose).
The gifts may be brought by the Weihnachtsmann, who resembles St. Nicholas, or by the Christkind, a sprite-like child who may or may not represent the baby Jesus.
Commercially, the Striezelmarkt is arguably a worldwide Christmas gift production center, boasting the specialities of the Dresden region, from ceramics and prints to various delicacies which are shipped worldwide. Read the rest of this entry »
The Striezelmarkt, Germany’s Dresden region, is arguably a worldwide Christmas gift production center which continues for nearly one month.
This is the time when Dresden Stollen fruitcake, Pulsnitzer gingerbread, wood carvings from the Erzgebirge Mountains, Dresden Pflaumentoffel, Lusatian indigo print, Silesian ceramics, Bohemian glass, and Meissen porcelain dominate the lives of visitors who come from all over to thoroughly immerse themselves in Christmas.
Knecht Ruprecht is a companion of Father Christmas in many different German speaking areas of Europe.
In some German-speaking communities (particularly in southern Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein), the character of Santa is replaced by the Christkind (literally “Christ child”). Read the rest of this entry »
In Germany and the Netherlands, the celebration of Saint Nicholas Day on December 6th resembles the Christmas of the English-speaking world.
Sinterklaas, from whom the English and American Santa evolved, is based on the real Saint Nicholas, and brings presents on the evening of December 6 to every child who has been good.
He wears a red bishop’s dress with a red mitre, rides a white horse over the rooftops, and is assisted by many mischievous helpers called ‘zwarte Pieten’ (black Peters). Read the rest of this entry »
