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Christmas Traditions Around The World
With Christmas just around the corner, the festive season is getting into full swing
. For many of us, flying out of the UK and celebrating overseas is becoming a popular choice.So if youre jetting off to spend Christmas overseas, or thinking about jetting off this year or next, heres a little taster of how other countries celebrate the festive season (and theres not a sprout in sight!).
Sweden
The Swedish way to say Merry Christmas is God Jul
In Sweden you will see houses with windows full of candles each week a candle is lit and placed, traditionally, in the window with the big day actually being celebrated on 24th December.
Families gather and celebrate with a lunch and visiting relatives during the afternoon. Then in the evening the families go back home and enjoy traditional fayre of meatballs, herring, eel, hams and salmon. Then for desert Swedes will enjoy homemade rice pudding. Just like the British tradition of finding a sixpence in the Christmas pudding, Swedes will want to find the whole almond, which is hidden in the rice pudding tradition states that whoever finds the almond will get married the following year!
Hungary
Merry Christmas in Hungarian is Kedves Karacsony!
In Hungary things are quite different. Father Christmas, or Mikulas as he is known, visits good little girls and boys on 6th December. A child must prepare for his arrival by cleaning their shoes and leaving them by the door or window in preparation for his arrival. The shoes will be filled traditionally with sweets and toys in little red bags. Then, on 24th December children will go out for the day and early evening. Whilst they are out Jesus will bring the tree and the presents underneath it. The tree is decorated with edible decorations. For supper, a traditional Christmas dinner of fish, rice and potatoes is served with small pastries for desert. Then the children are allowed to go and see the tree for the first time. After which the family will go to a midnight mass at the local church.
Italy
Buon Natale! the Italian way of saying Merry Christmas
If youre spending some of the festive season in Italy youll probably find yourself waking up to a breakfast of delicious panattone a dry cake. Now, dry cake might not sound appealing but its really rather nice. As the cake is dry Italians dip it into their cappuccino. Cappuccino is traditionally only served at breakfast time the combination of milky coffee and the cake is a delicious start to the day. On Boxing Day its eaten throughout the day with any leftovers.
If youre out and about you will come across many nativity scenes displayed in shop windows and in Squares in towns and cities. You may wonder why baby Jesus and the Three Wise men are missing. Well, it is the Italian tradition not to add the baby Jesus until one minute past midnight. And the Three Wise Men will be added on 6th January.
For Christmas dinner the Italians will usually enjoy a selection of mini breads and liver pate, a casserole type dish made out of meat stock and vegetables and pastas.
Poland
Merry Christmas in Polish - Wesoych wit
The Polish celebrate the big day on Christmas Eve too. The day is celebrated with a huge meal, which consists of 12 courses, and a freshly caught Carp, which is the main meal, after the Polish have fasted all day. You wont find Turkey or such like as part of this feast, no meat is allowed to be eaten on this day.
Whats rather lovely is the Polish tradition of laying an extra place at the table for any unexpected guest, most welcome for the Christmas feast.
In more rural areas, traditionally families will also leave a bundle of straw under the tablecloth for baby Jesus.
Down under
Down under the Kiwis and Australians will celebrate Christmas Day with family and friends, many of whom will have a Christmas dinner of turkey and chicken cooked on the BBQ, often eaten on the beach (and of course with one tinny or two!).
So wherever you are spending Christmas this year, at home or away, let it be a very merry one! And if you are spending it overseas embrace the local traditions and cultures and make it a truly memorable occasion.
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