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Who is Father Christmas?Father Christmas is our version of Santa Claus. He is an old jolly man with white hair, a beard and a moustache. He is dressed in a red* suit outlined in white. Father Christmas and his elves make all the toys for Christmas in his home in the North Pole.       Santa Claus is based on a real person, St. Nicholas.St. Nicholas, or Sinter Klaas in Dutch, was a very shy man and wanted to give money to poor people without them knowing about it. It is said that one day, he climbed the roof of a house and dropped a purse of money down the chimney. It landed in the stocking which a girl had put to dry by the fire! This may explain the belief that Father Christmas comes down the chimney and places gifts in children's stockings. 

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Who is Father Christmas?Father Christmas is our version of Santa Claus. He is an old jolly man with white hair, a beard and a moustache. He is dressed in a red* suit outlined in white. Father Christmas and his elves make all the toys for Christmas in his home in the North Pole.       Santa Claus is based on a real person, St. Nicholas.St. Nicholas, or Sinter Klaas in Dutch, was a very shy man and wanted to give money to poor people without them knowing about it. It is said that one day, he climbed the roof of a house and dropped a purse of money down the chimney. It landed in the stocking which a girl had put to dry by the fire! This may explain the belief that Father Christmas comes down the chimney and places gifts in children's stockings. 

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A few wishes in different languages:Germany: ‘Froehliche Weihnachten!’ ,Mexico: ‘Feliz Navidad!’ ,England: 'Happy Christmas!’,Italy: ‘Buon Natale!’.

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A few wishes in different languages:Germany: ‘Froehliche Weihnachten!’ ,Mexico: ‘Feliz Navidad!’ ,England: 'Happy Christmas!’,Italy: ‘Buon Natale!’.

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Cookies are pretty much the best part of Christmas, right? Whether you're making them for a party, Santa, or just a cozy night in by the fireplace, there's always a reason to whip up a batch of cookies during the holidays. Want even more easy cookie ideas? Sugar cookies allow you to cook and decorate on your time schedule, no-bake cookies save space in the oven, and these keto cookies will cover the diet crowd. They're not just dessert—they also make a fun and rewarding activity to enjoy while watching a favorite Christmas movie or cranking up the Christmas tunes.Make your holiday countdown the most indulgent one yet by trying one (or many!) 

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Cookies are pretty much the best part of Christmas, right? Whether you're making them for a party, Santa, or just a cozy night in by the fireplace, there's always a reason to whip up a batch of cookies during the holidays. Want even more easy cookie ideas? Sugar cookies allow you to cook and decorate on your time schedule, no-bake cookies save space in the oven, and these keto cookies will cover the diet crowd. They're not just dessert—they also make a fun and rewarding activity to enjoy while watching a favorite Christmas movie or cranking up the Christmas tunes.Make your holiday countdown the most indulgent one yet by trying one (or many!) 

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The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration around the world. Centuries before the arrival of the man called Jesus, early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. Many peoples rejoiced during the winter solstice, when the worst of the winter was behind them and they could look forward to longer days and extended hours of sunlight.

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The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration around the world. Centuries before the arrival of the man called Jesus, early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. Many peoples rejoiced during the winter solstice, when the worst of the winter was behind them and they could look forward to longer days and extended hours of sunlight.

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The birth of the Lord Jesus Christ is celebrated on December 25, 26 and 27, and the evening of December 24 is also known as Christmas Eve. The Feast of Christmas dates back to the fourth century, when the Christian Church established this date not by chance, but to compete with the birth of the Sun God from pagan traditions. However, many historians of the religion believe that the Nativity took place towards the end of winter. In fact, there are some discrepancies between the dates on which Christmas is celebrated: Orthodox Christians of the old rite celebrate it on January 7, according to the Julian calendar, which is 13 days behind the official one.

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The tradition of decorating the Christmas tree and Santa Claus

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The tradition of decorating the Christmas tree and Santa Claus

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Christmas traditions have been enriched from year to year. The little ones are waiting every year for Santa Claus with white hair, who comes with a bucket full of gifts for good children, and a few days before Christmas the Christmas tree is decorated with red or green ornaments. The custom of the Christmas tree would have appeared in Germany, where the legend says that Saint Boniface ordered the cutting of the oaks, revered by the pagans. In the fall, the oaks destroyed all the surrounding trees, except the fir, which has since become a symbol of this holiday and is adorned on Christmas Eve.

In Romania, there are several Christmas traditions and customs, passed down from generation to generation. In the villages of Oltenia, on Christmas Eve, the households wake up early in the morning, light the fire in the stove and light the fire with the help of a piece of wood, while saying a Christmas wish:  "Good morning, Eve! / As if coming in a good hour / To bring us: fat and buttery pigs / And healthy people, / Cows with calves, sheep with lambs, sows with piglets, chickens with chicks, chickens with eggs. Happy New Year! ”

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One of the most beloved Christmas traditions is caroling. On the first day of Christmas, carolers go from house to house with the star in their hands and announce to people the birth of Jesus through songs and poems. It is said that whoever does not open the gate of carolers will have a barren year and bad luck in the house, caused by the stinginess he showed.

In Maramureș, adults go to caroling, not only children. They are received by the hosts and honored with cozonac, sarmale, pork dishes, colaci and wine.

Also on December 25, people send Christmas wishes and messages to their loved ones, to whom they send their good thoughts.

Another popular custom is to hang a twig of mistletoe in houses. Mistletoe occurs in many cultures, and its origin is unknown. For example, Scandinavian popes believed that mistletoe represented the goddess of love, Phrygia, and that those couples who kiss under mistletoe would be together for life. In the Christian-Orthodox tradition, it is said that whoever puts mistletoe in the house will have a rich year, happiness and peace in the family.

Also, on the eve, those who wanted to know how they would be healthy next year cut an apple in half. If the fruit had worms inside, the belief was that person would be followed by disease. But a rotten apple announced death.

Housewives know that the whole house must be cleaned before Christmas Eve, when they are no longer allowed to sweep, because an old superstition says that this is how luck drives out of the house. And Christians are not allowed to drink brandy on Christmas Eve.

Another specific tradition of Muntenia, Oltenia and Banat is that housewives prepare a dough used to keep an eye on the animals in the household. Thus, the animals will be healthy all year round and will give more milk.

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Romanian Christmas tradition, in the UNESCO patrimony

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Romanian Christmas tradition, in the UNESCO patrimony

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In Mărișel, a locality near Cluj, an ancient Christmas custom is so beautiful that it has been included in the UNESCO patrimony. Here, in the heart of the Apuseni Mountains, all traditions are kept sacred. There is an ancient custom called "Junii Mărișelului": a group of 10 unmarried young men, who come to the village church every year, after which they go out in front of the place of worship, dance and carol. At one point, the juniors invite the unmarried girls to the dance.

In Dumbrăviţa, in Braşov County, a two-century-old tradition is preserved. It is the only locality in the country where the Christmas tree is decorated right on Christmas day. The Christmas tree will remain in the center of the commune until after the Epiphany. The Vatafii, that is, the young people who made the army, and the penitents, the boys who are going to get married, are the ones who bring the fir tree in the center of the commune.

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The tradition of the Eve meal and the Christmas fast

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The tradition of the Eve meal and the Christmas fast

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Another important tradition is the Christmas meal itself. On December 25, the Christmas fast ends, which lasts about six weeks. On this day, people can enjoy traditional Christmas dishes: tobă, liver sausage, sarmale, caltaboși, colaci, cozonaci, pita, cakes, salads, sausages or steak. The meat used to prepare Christmas dishes is fresh, as Ignat, on December 20, is another custom: cutting the pork.