[:it]

Christmas around the world: how it is celebrated? traveling in the most unusual traditions and curiosities.

Christmas around the world: how it is celebrated?

Merry christmas friends…

In this very special year, where you can not travel or decided to let you travel from home… and I thought about doing it on Christmas day, to accompany you, discover and live together the most unusual Christmas traditions and curiosities in the world.

Yes, because every place in the world celebrates this magical anniversary in a different way, and on different days…

Ready to go around the world on this special day?

 

Netherlands

The most important day during the Christmas holidays is the 5 December when Sinterklaas (St. nicholas) bring gifts and candy.

St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children but also of adults during Christmas.

On the evening of 5 December is used to put a shoe in front of the fireplace and expect the arrival during the night of the saint who will pass by to fill it with sweets and candies together with his helpers the Zwarte piet, characters dressed in a thousand colors with their faces painted in black.

Chicken is cooked at Christmas, turkey and chicken and there is never a shortage of donuts with almonds as a dessert.

The Christmas donuts are hung on the tree and the typical sweet Stollen is prepared, a bread stuffed with raisins, almond and currant paste.

 

Stollen

Austria, South Germany and Italy in South Tyrol

On the night of 5 December the Krampus arrive, traditional monstrous figures dressed in sheepskin and bells.

Real parades are celebrated during the Christmas season of spiteful krampus…

The night between 5 and the 6 December, on the other hand, contrasts with the figure of St. Nicholas who instead brings gifts and sweets to children who behave well…

 

 

Denmark

In Denmark, the Christmas tree is purchased and decorated only the day before Christmas and real fir trees are used which are then reused…The branches are decorated with balls and Danish flags.

The lights come on no earlier than Christmas Eve and candles are used a lot to decorate the house…

The Christmas Eve dinner starts in the late afternoon.

Among the dishes, the roast goose, crispy roast pork with red cabbage and caramelized potatoes.

While the typical Christmas dessert is ris a l'amande (almond rice), a rice-based dessert, whipped Cream, vanilla and chopped almonds.

A whole almond is hidden in the rice and whoever finds it is entitled to a special gift. Usually a child of the family is made to find him…

At Christmas it is customary to go around the Christmas tree singing traditional Danish Christmas carols, a custom that no family renounces..

The children are dressed up as red elves and Julemanden is expected to arrive (Santa Claus) carrying gifts. After unwrapping the gifts, a plate with sweets is always served, candies and dried fruit, and drink a herbal tea.

 

 

Poland

In Poland, the Catholic Christmas is very much felt.

Here too the tree is decorated on 24, day when fasting and no meat is eaten.

On the eve of the evening, after having sighted the first star in the sky, the first celebrations officially begin.

At Christmas it is traditional to serve 12 different dishes representing the 12 apostles…

At the beginning of the meal, a large biscuit called Oplatek is served with the image of Mary on it. joseph and jesus, which is passed around the table and everyone breaks a piece to eat it.

On the evening of the eve of Santa Claus and the 25 taking advantage of the snow, the children are taken out to play with her…

 

 

Spain

The Spanish Christmas tradition has it that gifts are exchanged 6 January when the los royes arrive (i re magi) with what is called the cavalcade de los royes.

The 6 January in all Spanish cities there is a parade of the wagons of the three kings who distribute sweets by throwing them from the floats in a festive atmosphere….

 

Germany

The beginning of Christmas in Germany is 11 November on Saint Martin's day, when schools organize processions in the late afternoon where children sing and carry lanterns around, which serve in tradition to illuminate the way to the saint.

As a reward, they are given sweets and dried fruit.

This day is also celebrated in the netherlands, north france and belgium.

The 6 December instead, St. Nicholas arrives bringing chocolates and spiced bread houses to the children.

Here, too, the tree is decorated on Christmas Eve and at Christmas it is customary to eat roast goose or blue carp.

 

Iceland

In the 13 days before Christmas start the celebrations when they come out into the open 13 called elves : Santa Claus.

These are mischievous elves who enjoy stealing food and items and playing tricks on children.

Children leave their shoes on the windowsill every night and depending on how they behaved during the year , the elves leave a treat , a gift if they behaved well, a dried potato if they misbehaved.

Every elf specializes in a spite…

From the 25 December to 6 January one at a time they return to the mountains and the last one takes away all the holidays

 

 

Japan

In Japan there are few Christians but there has been a custom for many years…

Fried chicken is eaten on Christmas day!

The kfc are literally acquitted on Christmas day and prepare a menu based on fried chicken for the anniversary .

 

 

Philippines

One of the most spectacular traditions takes place at Christmas in the capital: San ferdinando, where the giant lantern festival is held every year, colored magic lanterns illuminated by electric bulbs with which kaleidoscopic motifs are created.

 

 

Venezuela

A venezuleian way , of Catholic tradition, is to go to Christmas mass. But the most particular curiosity is the way Venezuelans go to mass: in fact they don't go, in the car, not in the fight, of it on foot, but with roller skates!

During Christmas day, on the streets of caracas thousands of people flock on rollerblades ready to party…

 

Christmas also starts from the first days of December…

The nativity scene is the symbol of excellence for Christmas. All families traditionally set up the nativity scene , and competitions are organized for the most beautiful nativity scenes.

In some parts of Venezuela there is also a festival that takes place since 24 December to 2 February: The child's life

For this feast, a doll is prepared that represents baby Jesus, which accompanied by a procession takes you around the houses to give the blessing.

Another traditional festival is also celebrated: the theft and the search for the infant jesus.

A villager simulates the theft of the sacred image of Jesus and hides it for 3 days.

Thus a large procession of children is organized, escorted by the local authorities to look for Jesus, all disguised as angels, maria, giuseppe , wise men and shepherds…

 

 

 

Sweden

 

In Sweden at Christmas the way in which gifts are delivered is really curious.

The gift is called: Joklappar “christmas shot”. At Christmas it is customary to knock loudly on the door of the house and throw a package, running away quickly so as not to be seen…Inside the package there is always a riddle to find out where the gifts are hidden.

A huge statue is erected every year, in the main square of Gävle in Sweden (north of Stockholm), the construction represents one capra and has a height of 13 meters, a wooden base, and is covered with straw.

Preparation for construction begins several months earlier; the goat is assembled and exhibited on the first day of advent. Many Swedes associate it with Christmas, others to paganism, as the goat is a Scandinavian symbol that is part of the Nordic folklore related to Yule.

In 1966 the first construction of the straw goat At the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve, the goat went up in flames. But the city has never stopped construction year after year, and the vandals never stopped trying to burn the goat. The fire of the Gavle goat has happened so often that since 1988 bookmakers have begun to take bets for the survival of the goat.

 

Swedish Lapland

Tradition has it that at Christmas the eldest daughter of the family, dress up like saint lucia, with a long white tunic, tied by a red belt at the waist, a chaplet on the head of candles. carrying milk, coffee and biscuits for the family still under the covers….

 

Finnish Lapland

Christmas begins on 24 December,with the Christmas declaration of peace on live TV and then the typical Christmas dinner takes place. Typical Christmas dish is joulunkinkku, cooked ham cooked for 10 hours covered with grated bread, spices and homemade non-alcoholic beer, and then we eat salmon , reindeer stew, to, cheeses.

Another tradition is to go to the cemetery after Christmas dinner to visit relatives who are no longer there

Here lives Santa Claus and his elves inside a mountain…

The 25 aboard his reindeer he goes to the homes of all the children personally to bring gifts.

 

 

I hope you enjoyed my trip to the world of Christmas…

If you know other particular customs in the world, write them to me below in the comments.

And a Merry Christmas to all!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 [:]