united kingdom · 2020. 7. 22. · united kingdom bauble christmas greetings cards christmas tree...

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Roast Turkey

The whole family enjoy a largedinner together on Christmas Day.It is traditional to cook roastturkey, roast vegetables andsometimes bacon and sausages.

ChristmasPudding

Mince Pies

Father Christmas /Santa

Children leave stockings out onChristmas Eve for Father Christmasto come and fill with presents.

Christmas Crackers

Traditionally people pull crackers atthe dinner table on Christmas Day.The cracker makes a loud ‘crack’sound normally contains a paperhat, a joke and a small gift.

United Kingdom

Bauble

ChristmasGreetings

Cards

Christmas Tree

The family usually decorate a pinetree at home with tinsel, baublesand lights.

Some people have real trees andothers have an artificial tree.

Cracker


RoscónA cake traditionallyeaten at Epiphany.

‘TheMagic Kings’

La Misa Del Gallo

Many people go to a midnightmass called ‘The Mass of theCockerel’ because it is said acockerel crowed the night thatJesus was born.

Los Reyes Magos

In Spain, the largest Christmascelebrations don’t happen untilJanuary 6th. This is when theycelebrate ‘The Magic Kings’. Thismarks Epiphany when the kingsbrought gifts to the baby Jesus.Children receive some presents onChristmas Day, but most gifts areopened on Epiphany. The familygather for a large dinner too.

¡Feliz Navidad!Spain

Nativity Scene

It is very common for people tomake ornate and detailed Nativityscenes in their homes, called‘Belénes’. Most churches also havelarge and impressive Belénes.

Christmas Eve Dinner

Most families have the main mealthe evening before Christmas. Ittraditionally includes turkey stuffedwith mushrooms, but in the northof Spain it is common to eatseafood.

BelénNativity Scene


Advent

Many people in Argentina areCatholic and celebrate Adventwhich marks the 4 Sundays andweeks before Christmas.

¡FelizNavidad!

Argentina

Fireworks Christmas Eve

The main celebrations happen onChristmas Eve when the familygather for a large meal together.The weather is usually warm sopeople will often eat outside,sometimes with a barbecue. Atmidnight fireworks are traditionallyset off along with ‘globos’ whichare paper lanterns that float intothe sky when lit.

Barbecue

PaperLanterns

Christmas Decorations

House are decorated with lightsand wreaths coloured green, gold,red and white flowers. Red andwhite garlands are also hung onthe doors of houses. Christmastrees are also very popular.

NativityScene


FroheWeihnachten!

Germany

Christmas Tree

Decorated fir trees are a very oldtradition in Germany. Christmastrees were first used in the MiddleAges.

Das Christkind

Das Christkind translates as ‘TheChrist Child’. In some parts ofGermany children write to theChristkind to ask for gifts whileothers write to Santa. TheChristkind isn’t baby Jesus butusually a young girl with Christ-likequalities.

Advent

At home it is common to havecardboard advent calendars or awreath made from fir tree brancheswith 24 boxes or bags containingsmall gifts hanging from it.Another type is called an ‘AdventKranz’ which has candles for the 4Sundays leading up to Christmas.


The Netherlands

Peppernoot

Saint Nicholas’ Eve

On 5th December people oftenhold parties to celebrate thecoming of Sinterklaas. Treasurehunt games are held where childrenfollow clues to find small gifts leftby Sinterklaas.

VrolijkKerstfeest!

For most children in TheNetherlands, the most importantday is on 5th December when‘Sinterklaas’ (Saint Nicholas) bringstheir presents. The English name‘Santa Claus’ comes fromSinterklaas.

Dutch tradition says thatSinterklaas lives in Madrid, Spainand travels with his servants called‘Zwarte Pieten’ (‘Black Peters’) on asteam boat to bring the presents ifthey have been good all year.

Saint Nicholas’ Day

St. Nicholas Day is on 6thDecember and is Sinterklaas’birthday. Traditionally, Sinterklaasleaves on his steam boat to returnto Spain for another year.

Sinterklaas

‘Letter Blanket’ Biscuits


Greece

Carol Singing

On Christmas Eve children often goout singing ‘kalanda’ (carols) in thestreets. They play drums andtriangles as they sing. They mightalso carry a model boat decoratedwith nuts and painted gold.Carrying a boat is a very oldcustom in the Greek Islands.

KalaChristougenna!


Nowadays Christmas Trees arepopular in Greece. But an olderdecoration is a wooden bowlcontaining some water. A piece ofwire is suspended across with asprig of basil wrapped around awooden cross hanging from it. Thewater helps keep the basil fresh.Each day someone dips the crossand basil into some holy water anduses it to sprinkle water in eachroom of the house. This is to keepcertain bad spirits away duringChristmas.

Christopsomo‘Christ’s Bread’

or ‘Christmas Bread’

MelomakaronaCookies


AustraliaAt the Beach

In Australia Christmas comes atthe beginning of summer. It iscommon for people to go to thebeach for a barbecue on ChristmasDay or Boxing Day.

Barbecue

Fireworks


Small statues of sleighs pulled bywhite kangaroos are popular aswell as Australian animals wearing‘Santa’ hats and baubles andwooden ornaments featuringAustralian wildlife.

ChristmasTree

Crackers


CroatiaAdvent WreathIt's traditional to have an Adventwreath with four candles, made ofstraw or evergreen twigs. Thewreath symbolizes eternity and thefour candles symbolize the differentparts of history and life:

1st Candle (purple): creation -hope;2nd Candle (purple): embodiment -peace;3rd Candle (pink): redemption - joy;4th Candle (purple): ending - love.

Saint Catherine’s Day

In Croatia, 25th December is St.Catherine’s Day and this is whenthe main Christmas celebrationsbegin.

Saint Lucia’s Day

St. Lucia’s Day is marked on 13thDecember. On this day peopleoften sow wheat onto small plates.The grassy sprouts that grow(‘Christmas Wheat’) are putunderneath the Christmas Tree onChristmas Eve.

BadnjakYule log traditionallybrought in and lit on

Christmas Eve.

Sretan Božic!Saint Nicholas’ Day

On 6th December St. Nicholas’ Dayis celebrated. The evening beforechildren leave out their shoes orboots for Saint Nicholas to bringthem chocolates and leave them intheir shoes/boots if they have beengood. If they have been naughtythen Krampus will come and leavegolden twigs to remind them to begood.

Krampus


NacimientoNativity Scene

MexicoPosadas

From 16th December to ChristmasEve, children often perform the‘Posada’ processions or Posadas.Posada means ‘inn’ or ‘lodging’ inSpanish. There are nine differentPosadas. These symbolise whenJoseph and Mary looked forsomewhere to stay in Bethlehem.People decorate the outside of oftheir houses with evergreens, mossand paper lanterns.

The children process through thetown calling at neighbours andfriends houses to sing a song. Thechildren are told there is no roomin the house and turned away untilthe final house when they areinvited in for a party.

Piñata

It is common to play piñata atPosada parties. A piñata is adecorated clay or papier-mâchécontainer filled with sweets andhung from a tree branch or theceiling. The children are blind-folded and take turns to hit thepiñata with a stick until it splitsopen and the sweets fall to theground. Then all the children rushto pick up as many sweets as theycan!

¡Feliz Navidad!

Piñata

PoinsettiaKnown as the ‘Christmas Flower’

because it flowers duringthe winter in Mexico.

Los Santos Inocentes

On 28th December the ‘Day of theInnocent Saints’ is celebrated tomark when King Herod tried to killthe baby Jesus. The celebrationsare very similar to April Fools Daywhere people play tricks and jokeson each other.


Czech RepublicSaint Nicholas’ Day

On 5th December St. Nicholas(Svatý Mikuláš) arrives. Henormally comes with an angel anda devil and asks if the childrenhave been good all year. Theysing a song or recite a poem to himand he gives them a basket ofsmall presents, often containingchocolate and fruit. If someonehas been naughty, the devil mightthem a lump of coal!

VeseleVanoce!

It is traditional to have a largedinner on Christmas Eve and this iswhen Ježíšek (‘Little Jesus’) comesto bring the children presents. Thedinner is eaten in a different roomto where the Christmas tree is.

Near the end of the meal a bell isrung and the children know thatJežíšek has been and left presentsunder the tree. They open theirpresents right after the dinner.

Ježíšek


GhanaChristmas Eve

Christmas in Ghana is celebratedfrom 20th December to the firstweek of January, but the biggestcelebrations begin on ChristmasEve. People go to church and havecelebrations with drumming,singing and dancing. The childrenoften put on a Nativity play.

Christmas Day

Many people go to church onChristmas Day dressed in their bestcolourful clothes. After themorning service everyone goeshome to share presents.

Food on Christmas Day

Traditional food that is eaten onChristmas Day includes stew orokra soup, porridge, rice and meats,and a yam paste called ‘fufu’.

Fufu


Norway

Rice Porridge

This is eaten on Christmas Eve. Ifyou find an almond in your helpingyou’re traditionally given a pink orwhite pig made of marzipan.

Gledelig Jul!

Nisse

Christmas Eve is the time whenpresents are given. The gifts aresometimes brought by Santa Claus(‘Julenissen’ in Norwegian) and alsobrought by small gnomes called‘Nisse’.

Julekurver

A traditional Norwegian ChristmasTree decoration are small paperbaskets made in the shape ofhearts. They are called called‘Julekurver’.

RisengrynsgrøtRice porridge eatenon Christmas Eve

Julekurver

Nisse


Haiti

Straw-Filled Shoes

On Christmas Eve, children placetheir newly cleaned shoes, filledwith straw under the tree on theporch. They hope that Santa(‘Tonton Nwèl’) will remove thestraw and put presents in andaround the shoes!

Joyeux Noël!Jwaye Nowe!Anisette

A traditional drink at Christmas isAnisette. Children of all ages areoften allowed to drink it eventhough it is slightly alcoholic. It ismade by soaking anise leaves inrum and sweetening it with sugar.


Russia7th January

Christmas is normally celebratedon 7th January. The date isdifferent because the RussianOrthodox Church uses the old‘Julian’ calendar for religiouscelebration days.

Food at Christmas

Some people fast during the dayon Christmas Eve until the first starappears in the sky at night.

It is then traditional to eat ‘kutia’,a porridge made from wheat orrice served with honey, poppyseeds, fruit and chopped walnuts.Kutia is sometimes eaten from thesame bowl to symbolise unity.

Sauerkraut is a main dish in theChristmas Eve meal.

SauerkrautKutia

Grandfather Frost

The New Year celebrations are veryimportant to Russians. This iswhen Grandfather Frost (known inRussian as ‘Ded Moroz’) bringspresents to children. On NewYear’s Eve children hold hands in acircle around the Christmas treeand call for him to come. Thelights on the tree light up when hearrives with their presents.

united kingdom · 2020. 7. 22. · united kingdom bauble christmas greetings cards christmas tree...

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