CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD

EUROPE

Bulgaria

Hay is also scattered around the house during the holidays. Both Christmas Eve and Christmas day are important celebrations in Bulgaria. On Christmas Eve the dinner consists of twelve meatless dishes such as items from beans, fruit, nuts and cakes. Bulgarians enjoy holiday feasting and their Christmas specialty is a yogurt cookie called Masni Kurabii.


Czechoslovakia

(Now Czech Republic and Slovakia) is one of Poland's neighbors. At Christmas time women and children make special decorations such as meringue snowflakes and icicles to hang on their Christmas trees. Children look forward to December 6 which is Svaty Mikalas Day, St. Nicholas Day, when the patron saint of children rewards good children and admonishes the naughty. They believe St. Nicholas slides down a golden cord from heaven and comes to see if they know their prayers. Children rush to the table to recite their prayers and if they do well they receive special gifts. On December 24 the tree is lighted and gifts are placed underneath. Everyone fasts until evening. That evening they enjoy a special dinner served on colorful tablecloths and served on fine dishes.



Hungary

Christmas Eve is a day of fasting that ends with a party at dusk. Families exchange gifts, sing carols around the tree and enjoy a festive meal. A popular dish is a sweet noodle dish made of poppy seeds or nuts and they enjoy other specialties such as fish cooked in paprika sauce served with potatoes and fruit. Christmas dinner consists of roast chicken, turkey, or goose with gooseberry sauce, chestnuts, roasted potatoes, stuffed cabbage, fruit salad and Makos Kalacs (Christmas Poppy Seed Cake).

Denmark

During the Christmas season lighted candles are placed in the windows of homes to offer shelter to passing travelers in memory of Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem. On Christmas Eve families gather for an early dinner that begins with rice pudding that has one almond hidden inside. (The one who finds the almond wins a marzipan candy!) As twilight falls the Father reads the Christmas story aloud. After dinner the family joins hands and circles the Christmas singing carols. Church bells chime and families attend candlelight church service. "Glaedelig Jul!"


England

Christmas is a time for great merriment in England where familiar customs such as mistletoe and caroling originated. Families attend church together on Christmas day and return home to a special dinner. Before the feast they pull Christmas Crackers which are paper cyclinders that crack like small firecrackers when they are opened. The crackers are filled with small prizes, candies and paper crowns. After dinner Fathers say this traditional prayer as theylight the Yule Log, "May the fire of this log warm the cold. May the hungry be fed, and may all enjoy heaven's peace." Happy Christmas!


Finland

Christmas preparations begin early in Finland with "Pikkujoulu" or Little Christmas. Pikkujoulu is a special pre-Christmas celebration in late November/early December. Advent candles are lit in preparation for Christmas and the candles are often set in the window for others to see. Many children get an early gift, an Advent calendar, that they enjoy opening each day until Christmas. Piparkakkuja, or gingerbread, is very popular in Finland and families enjoy making various animals and shapes of gingerbread for Christmas. At 12 noon on Christmas Eve the Mayor of Helsinki proclaims that everyone should pay their respects to the Christ Child. With this proclamation Christmas officially begins. Very early on Christmas morning families start the day by attending candlelight services at church. Christmas dinner consists of cold ham, pickled herring, and a herring salad with chopped carrots, turnips or salted cucumber. After the meal families gather together for a mug of glug, a special drink made of red wine, spices, and raisins.

Germany

Many familiar Christmas traditions originated in Germany including Christmas trees, gingerbread houses, and Advent wreaths/calendars. On Christmas Eve families attend church service then return home to enjoy dinner. Parents decorate the tree in secret and candles are used to signify the star of Bethlehem. Christmas gifts are exchanged on Christmas eve. A pickle ornament (a symbol of good luck) will be hidden somewhere on the tree. The first child to find the pickle gets an extra gift from St. Nicholas! On the Sunday closest to Ephiphany, three young men dress up as the wisemen. These three and a group of singers go door to door singing carols adn the Wisemen collect money to be donated to missionary activities. "Frohliche Weihnachten!"


Greece

Christmas is widely celebrated in Greece but Easter is the main holiday there. Christmas officially begins when children walk the streets singing a special Christmas carol (announcing the birth of Christ) accompanied by steel triangles and drums. In return for their caroling they receive figs, walnuts, and sweets. On Christmas day families attend mass before daybreak and the family has "Christopsomo" or bread of Christ, which is a special cake decorated with nuts, powdered sugar and honey. Dinner consists of stuffed turkey and other seasonal foods.


Holland

The Christmas season in Holland is announced with the blowing of horns on the first Sunday of Advent. Sinter Klaas, Dutch for St. Nicholas, arrives by boat on the last Saturday in November and rides into town on a white horse! Gifts are exchanged on St. Nicholas Day, December 6. The night before, children set their wooden shoes, filled with carrots and hay, by the fireplace for Sinter Klaas' horse. Families attend church on Christmas Eve and then spend the day together on Christmas. In the evenings concerts are given in churches, concert halls, and on the radio to honor the Christ Child. "Vrolyk Kerstfeest!"

Ireland

On Christmas the Irish put lighted candles in their windows. The candles are to light the way for Mary and Joseph for their long journey to Bethlehem. On Christmas night a common custom is the telling of stories. The oldest member of the family gathers everyone around and recounts the story of Jesus birth. Storytelling is popular in Ireland and many family stories and yarns are also shared that night. Most Catholic churches in Ireland are decorated simply for the Christmas season. Holly leaves and berries are used to make garlands used to wind around the pillars and highlight the altar. Every church also has a Nativity scene, called a Crib. Families often visit the Crib together so parents can explain the Christmas story and have a special time of prayer. Traditionally Christmas dinner is the most elaborate meal of the year in Ireland. The Irish pride themselves in a special Christmas cake that is begun as early as October to ensure proper time for mellowing. The base of the cake is caramel and the many ingredients added include dried fruits, almonds, citrus rind, rose water, brandy, egg whites and the usual flour, sugar and butter. The cake is baked and wrapped in cheesecloth and stored in a cool dry place. Many cottages even have a special brick or stone that is removed from the wall to reveal a cubbyhole for the cake to mellow in. Each week before Christmas the cake is removed from the wall, pierced with a knitting needle and fortified with brandy. Two weeks before Christmas it is coated with marzipan and two days before is covered with icing. Christmas trees are popular in Ireland, but most families use a real tree. The tree is put up a few days before Christmas and on Christmas Eve the family decorates it with lights, and paper ornaments. The Irish are known for sharing with the less fortunate during the Christmas season and many children can be found delivering hot meals to their neighbors. Christmas is a time of celebrating with the immediate family and it is customary to purchase only one gift for each person on your list. Many people complete their Christmas Eve by attending Midnight Mass or start off Christmas day by attending First Light Mass. Three hymns are traditionally sung at Mass, "Silent Night", "Gloria in Excelsis Deo", and "Adeste Fidelis" sung in Latin. Before leaving Mass, it is essentail to wish everyone a "Nodlaig Nait Cugat" Happy Christmas in Gaelic. The traditional Irish feast includes roast goose or turkey. In many homes the bird is served with a large slice of ham underneath. The traditional stuffing is potato seasoned with black pepper. Also served are potatoes with gravy, peas, carrots, applesauce, a pot of tea and a dazzling array of desserts.

Italy

In Italy the Christmas season centers around the birth of Christ and nearly every home has a Presepio (Nativity scene). Ten days before the end of Advent shepherds dressed in sheepskin trousers, bright red vests and broad brimmed hats with white peacock feathers march into town. They carry bagpipes, reeds, and oboes to play music before the shrines of the Holy Child. Italian Christmas trees are decorated with fruits, candles, small wrapped gifts, chocplates and ribbons. Also popular in Italy, instead of a tree, is the Ceppo. The Ceppo is a Christmas pyramid with several shelves or tiers on which objects relating to christmas are arranged. The shelves are trimmed with colored paper, foil, candles, and gilt pine cones. Each tier is filled with candies, sweets, toys and small gifts. The bottom shelf, also the widest, is reserved for the presepio. The Italians have a suspenseful game called "The Urn of Fate" The urn is a large bowl full of small wrapped boxes. Each person takes a "gift" from the urn but many are likely to get an empty box instead of a gift! At midnight families attend church services and again on Christmas Day. The gift giver in Italy is Gesu Bambino-the Christ Child. "Buon Natale!


Malta

On the island of Malta streets are decorated with colored lights (festuni). Christmas trees (is-sigra tal-Milied) and Father Christmas are commonly seen. However the most prominent decoration, which is a typically Maltese tradition, is the number of cribs (presepji) that can be seen in public places and in private homes. The main characters in the crib are naturally Joseph and Mary with Baby Jesus; sheep, a donkey, a cow and the three Kings bearing gifts. In addition to the principal figures many cribs also include shepherds with their flocks, street singers, pipe and drum players, and common villagers. In nearly every town a procession is held with children carrying a small statue of baby Jesus and singing Christmas carols along the way. In every parish church in Malta during midnight Mass a small child, dressed as an acolyte, recites a narrative of the birth of Christ. Christmas offers a splendid occasion for family gatherings. In most houses an attractively decorated Christmas tree is put up beneath which are placed the various presents wrapped in colorful paper. Christmas pudding (il-pudina tal-Milied) and turkey (id-dundjan) became popular during the first and second world wars when thousands of sailors and soldiers from the British Empire were stationed in Malta. (The Island was a military and naval base for the allies.) Prior to these wars, a rooster (serduq) was the bird to be served at Christmas dinner. The traditional Christmas banquet also includes the delicious Maltese dish called timpana (baked macaroni covered with crusty pastry) and special honey-and treacle rings (qaghaq tal-ghasel). A custom which unfortunately vanished many years ago was the playing of bagpipes (iz-zaqq) during Midnight Mass which characterised the music of the shepherds who tended their flocks on Christmas night. Merry Christmas in Maltese "Il-Milied u is-sena t-tajba lil kullhadd".

Poland

Christmas is a joyous time and important religious holiday for the Polish people. Homes are decorated with sheaves of grain and a fir tree. The tree is decorated with egg shells, stars, birds, angels, colored paper,and ribbons. Children watch the sky carefully on Christmas Eve because the Christmas celebration, Wigilia, officially begins when the first star is seen Christmas Eve. When the star is spotted the family can begin their holiday feast. First, families share oplatek which is a large bread-like wafer with a picture of the Nativity stamped on it. Each person breaks off a piece of the oplatek and wishes peace to the person they share the wafer with. Following the oplatek the Father prays for blessings on the house and family and they sing a hymn together. Next they eat a special dinner traditionally consisting of twelve different foods in honor of the 12 apostles. These foods include beet soup called borscht, fish such as carp or pickled herring, egg noodles with poppy seeds and raisins, dumplings filled with mushrooms, and desserts of cookies and small pastries called Mazurkas. (Today these 12 dishes may be replaced with a compote of 12 different fruits.)
The Christmas table is covered with a white tablecloth that has straw scattered underneath as a reminder of Christ's humble birth in a stable. The Mother will place a lighted candle in the window to welcome the Christ Child and an extra place is set at the table for Him. In the event an unexpected guest arrives it is considered an honor to seat and serve the guest at the extra seat. Leftovers from the Christmas meal are served to the animals in honor of their presence in the stable where the Baby Jesus was born.
On Christmas Eve children write a letter to the three wise men and leave it on a window sill. After dinner the Star Man visits. He asks children questions about their Bible lessons. If they answer correctly they are rewarded with small gifts but if they are wrong the Star Man scolds them. After the questions everyone joins in singing carols. In rural areas young people, dressed as animals or characters from the Nativity, accompany the Star Man from house to house singing carols. Some even carry small stages and perform puppet shows, szopka (SHOP-kah), of Bible stories. Families attend church at midnight for Pasterka, The Shepherd's Mass.
Christmas day is spent visiting family and friends and dinner main course is usually a ham, Polish sausages, or a traditional Hunter's stew called Bigos.


Russia

Trees in Old Russia were topped with a shining star representing the star which led the Wise Men to Bethlehem. The Russian Christmas dinner is called Colatzia. It too is served on a table covered with straw to keep the family mindful of the manger. "Bread of Angels" is a special dish served at Christmas made of wafers and honey. A favorite gift in Russia is the nested Matroyshka doll. Children enjoy caroling dressed as the animals present in the stable the night of Christ's birth. "Hristos Razdajetsja."

Spain

Christmas in Spain is not just one, but three celebrations: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Three Kings Day (January 6). Children in Spain don't write letters to Santa, they write to the Three Kings who brought gifts to the Christ Child. Creches are a very important part of the Christmas season in Spain. The "Nacimientos" (nativity scenes) or "Belenes" (Bethlehems) are found in almost every Spanish home and shop over Christmas. The scenes are works of art displaying not only the traditional holy family, shepherds, and wisemen but also village scenes such as markets, wells, fields, trees, houses and livestock. Many schools and churches have living "nacimientos" called "belenes vivientes" (tableaux vivants). Nacimientos are so beloved in Spain there are clubs, "Belenists", devoted to building and admiring the scenes and even hosting competitions. The Noche Buena (Christmas Eve, literally "The Good Night") dinner is an elaborate meal of many courses. Traditional foods include roast turkey or capon with stuffing (Spanish stuffing contains minimal amounts of breadcrumbs and mainly consists of olive oil, garlic, pork sausage, onions, mushrooms and sometimes fruit) chestnut soup, cheeses, toasted almonds, and besugo (Mediterranean fish). A favorite Christmas treat in Spain is turron, a nougat made with almonds, sugar, honey and eggs. In memory of Mary and Joseph, Spaniards take time to visit the sick in hospitals at Christmas time. They also place an oil lamp in the window to welcome weary travelers. "Luminarios" are another Spanish custom at Christmas time. Lumanarios are made of paper bags partially filled with sand with a lit candle inside. They are placed on rooftops, garden walls and walkways and lit at dusk to guide the Christ Child to each home. After the Noche Buena dinner families attend midnight mass, the "Misa de Gallo", or mass of the cock's crow. This is especially exciting for the young children who are never out so late! On Christmas morning the nacimiento becomes the center of attention. The figure of the Christ Child is lovingly placed into the manger and the family sings carols. Felices Pascuas de Navidad!


Sweden

Julafred, the peace of Christmas, is publicly proclaimed in Sweden. On December 13 the oldest daughter of each family dresses in a white robe and wears a wreath of greenery and candles on her head. She prepares and serves her family Lucia buns in honor of St. Lucia. On Christmas Eve families gather around the a pot of broth on the stove to observe the ceremony of "dipping in the kettle". Kitchens are decorated with three branched candlesticks representing the Trinity. Straw is scattered on the floor to keep them mindful of Christ's humble birth ina stable. "God Jul!"


Ukrainia

The Ukrainian Christmas falls on January 6. When the first star appears on Christmas Eve the father says the Lord's Prayer, raises a spoonful of kutya and greets his family with "Chrystos Rodyvsia" (Christ is born). This begins the "Feast of the Nativity". "Kutya" is a special dish served to commemorate the crib of the Christ Child. It is made of porridge and honey. The porridge represents straw from the manger and the honey symbolizes the sweet Baby Jesus. After dinner people in costumes carol through the village before attending church at midnight. An old Ukrainian custom is to put a spider web ornament on the tree. (Please visit the customs and legends for more information.) "Srozhdestvom Kristovym!"


Yugoslavia

Shares many customs with her neighbors to the north such as the burning of the Yule Log which is common in Britain and Germany. Slavic families place hay around the house, the dining table and under the Christmas tree as a reminder of the humble birthplace of Baby Jesus. Christmas dinner consists of stuffed cabbage garnished with sour cream or garlic with yogurt, roast pork, soup, vegetables, and pastries. A special cake with a coin hidden inside is served for dessert.



THE REST OF THE WORLD


Australia

In December the weather is sunny and warm in Australia so Christmas dinner may be a picnic in the woods or on the beach. Christmas is a time when families often travel great distances to be together. Church services are held very early in the morning. Many carols sung are Australian, celebrating Christs birth with imagery drawn from the Australian Christmas Bush, which flowers at Christmas. In Australia the Christmas menu consists of the traditional ham, turkey and Plum Pudding as well as salads and other seasonally summer foods. The major celebration in Australia is "Carols by Candelight" concerts which begin at dusk in local parks and sport stadiums. The larger concerts are broadcast on TV and radio and the crowd waves lit candles which are purchased as fundraisers for charity.


THE MIDDLE EAST

Although the predominant religions of the Middle East are Moslem and Hindu, there are a fair number of Christians who celebrate Christmas in their own ways, combining the Christian customs with those of their own country's religion.


Bethlehem

The small town where Jesus was born is the site of the Church of the Nativity, which is ablaze with flags and decorations every Christmas. On Christmas Eve nationals and tourists alike crowd the church's doorways and stand on the roof to watch for the annual procession. Galloping horsemen and police mounted on Arabian horses lead the parade. They are followed by solitary horseman carrying a cross and sitting astride a coal-black steed. Then come the churchmen and government officials. The procession solemnly enters the doors and places an ancient effigy of the Holy Child in the church. Deep winding stairs lead to a grotto where visitors find a silver star marking the site of the birth of Jesus. Christian homes in Bethlehem are marked by a cross painted over the door and each home displays a homemade manger scene. A star is set up on a pole in the village square.


Iran

Iran, formerly Persia, is the land where the Three Wise men are believed to have lived when Jesus was born. Today Christians in Iran begin fasting from animal products on December 1. This is called "Little Fast." ("Big Fast" occurs during Lent, the six weeks preceding Easter.) On Christmas Day after church service Christmas dinner, which is called "Little Feast", is enjoyed. A traditional dish is a chicken stew called harasa. Gifts are generally not exchanged but children get new clothes which they wear proudly on Christmas Day.


Iraq

On Christmas Eve, Iraqi Christian families gather together and one of the children reads about the birth of Jesus while other family members hold lighted candles. After the reading, a bonfire of thorn bushes is lit and everyone sings. On Christmas Day another bonfire is lit in the churchyard. The bishop, carrying a figure of the Baby Jesus leads the service. Afterwards he blesses one person with a touch. That person touches the person next to him or her and the touch is passed around until all present have felt the "touch of peace."


Amish Customs

An Amish Christmas, or Grischtdagg, is without Santa Claus and many other typically American customs. Decorations remain simple such as evergreen boughs and candles on the dining room table. Christmas among the Amish is celebrated reverently as the birthday of the Christ Child. Families gather together and enjoy a special meal of roast beef, chicken or turkey; mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, vegetables, fruit, pies, and date pudding. Children receive small yet meaningful gifts from their parents. Caroling is popular with the youth who sing for neighbors, the elderly and homebound.