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Please share with us your traditions in your country, school, family!

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Christmas customs in Poland are very important. Christmas and Christmas traditions are nurtured and passed down from generation to generation. The most popular is definitely leaving free space at the table, or breaking the wafer. Many families in Poland will start the supper only after the first star appears in the sky. This festive custom was made in remembrance of the Bethlehem star, which the Magi to Bethlehem would see. Singing Christmas carols is probably one of the nicest Christmas customs. By the way also one of the best known and practiced today. The tradition of singing carols to Poland was probably brought by the Franciscans, to whom we owe the custom of building Christmas Eve cribs.

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Moldova is an Orthodox country, and as such celebrates Christmas on the night of the 6th of January passing into the 7th of January. One of the most common traditions is the Christmas tree, although people in Moldova usually decorate the Christmas tree on New Year’s Eve, and some call it the New Year Tree. And the presents brought by Santa Claus are also sometimes called New Year gifts rather than Christmas gifts. Something unique for Christmas in Moldova is the tradition of carols. The idea is that children, and some adults walk door to door to congratulate their neighbors, friends, or relatives with the coming of Christmas. They sing carols and receive gifts. Many people also go to church on this day, since Christmas is a religious holiday after all. Others simply visit their relatives and friends to break bread together during a Christmas dinner.

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Armenian Culture & Traditions on Christmas

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Armenian Culture & Traditions on Christmas

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Akunq seqondary school
Astghik Karapetyan

Armenian Christmas traditions center on the beliefs of the Orthodox Church as well as Armenian history. The Armenian people hail from Central Anatolia in modern-day Turkey, which influences their cuisine. However, they also spent time under communist rule. These historical truths combined with their religious beliefs determine the date and manner of their Christmas celebrations.
The Date of Armenian Christmas

In the fourth century, the Roman Catholic Church established Dec. 25 as Christmas, but the Armenian Orthodox Church adhered to an older Christmas Day. Armenians celebrate the nativity of Jesus in Bethlehem as well as his baptism in the Jordan River, called Epiphany, on Jan. 6. To commemorate the baptism, the Armenian Church conducts a ceremony called "Blessing of the Water," during which the priest uses a basil-leaf wand to sprinkle water on the congregation. The Orthodox Church observes seven weeks of advent from Nov. 15 until Jan. 6. Armenian Orthodox believers fast for the three weeks leading up to Jan. 6.

New Year's Day

Christmas and New Year's Day traditions are combined in Armenia because of the Soviet influence. According to legend, a "baboushka," or grandmother, used to bring gifts to well-behaved children on Christmas. However, the story holds that she refused to travel with the Magi in search of the baby Jesus. She later repented, gathered trinkets and went looking for the Magi. Unable to find them, she delivered her trinkets to children in the area. During the Soviet era, though, the communist government discouraged religious stories and instituted a tradition of Grandfather Frost bringing gifts on New Year's Eve. In modern times, Father Christmas brings the gifts, though still on New Year's Eve.

Decorations and Traditions

Armenians thoroughly clean their homes before the Christmas season. They put up a Christmas tree and decorate it with fruit, white doves for peace and golden bows. Many Armenians like to use the three colors of the Armenian flag on the tree – red, orange and blue. Additionally, Armenian families often put out a crèche, or nativity scene. Housewives also display their intricate needlework. Family and friends exchange gifts, including flowers and silver items, after a large meal on Christmas Day. Afterward, children climb to the rooftops with handkerchiefs and sing carols. Passersby offer them fruit, nuts and coins.

Traditional Food

The week before Christmas, Armenians abstain from eating meat. Instead they eat traditional braided bread, rice pilaf, figs, baklava, fresh vegetables and rice pudding. They also enjoy a wheat-based pudding with berries and apricots called "anoushabour." On Christmas Eve, Armenians eat a traditional fish dish called "ishkhanatsoog," or "princely trout." For dessert they have dried fruit and nuts as well as "rojik," or whole walnuts encased in grape jelly and hanging on a string. On Christmas, family and friends gather for the large family meal. Meat is finally introduced, often in the form of traditional Armenian specialties such as "poulgeur pilav," a lamb and rice dish.

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Father Christmas ('Pai Natal') is believed to bring presents to children on Christmas Eve, rather than Christmas Day. The presents are left under the Christmas tree or in shoes by the fireplace. However, some people say that the presents are brought by the Baby Jesus rather than Father Christmas.

The traditional Christmas meal in Portugal, called 'Consoada', is eaten during the evening of Christmas Eve and consists of codfish with green vegetables and boiled potatoes. This is normally followed by shellfish, wild meats or other expensive foods.

After the meal, people go to church for the 'Missa do Galo' or 'Mass of the Rooster' service. During the service an image of baby Jesus is brought out, and everyone queues up to kiss it. It is then put in the nativity scene (the presépio) that every church will have. After the service people return home and open their presents.

Before leaving for the service, parents secretly put the baby Jesus in the nativity scene in their houses and put the gifts under the Christmas Tree, so that Jesus will 'miraculously' be in his manger by the time the family returns home! Children run to check the nativity scene as soon as they enter the house as no baby Jesus means no presents!

Some families have two present opening times with children being allowed to open a few gifts after midnight mass and most of them in the morning. People that don't go to a midnight service will put the gifts under the tree and the family will open the gifts when they wake up.

Every house has a rich table set in the living room full with traditional food, cakes, fried cookies, nuts and other goodies! Turkey is often the main dish now. Traditionally it was goat or lamb in northern Portugal and pork in the south of the country.

Also, each region traditionally has its own selection of deserts. In the northern province of Minho, rich people would have rich desserts made with lots of eggs such as 'Lampreia de ovos' (sugary egg yolks made into the shape of a fish!). Normal people would be more likely to have something like rice pudding. French Toast (called 'Rabanadas') is popular throughout the country as are fried dough deserts sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon like 'filhós'. Filhós are also made differently in different regions.

The traditional Christmas cake is 'Bolo Rei' (which means 'King Cake') and is placed in the center of the table. There is also a version without candied fruit called the 'Bolo Rainha'. Traditionally a broad bean and a gift (a little token) are hidden in the cake. If you get the token you are allowed to keep it. But if you find the broad bean, you have to pay for next year's Bolo Rei!

People drink porto wine, traditional liquors and eat 'azevias' and 'felhozes' (Portuguese biscuits and sweets). The party lasts until the early hours of the morning!

On Christmas Day the living room table remains untouched and people still enjoy their goodies together! Families come together and have Christmas Day lunch together.

In Portuguese Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Feliz Natal' or you can use 'Boas Festas' for 'Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year'

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Christmas in Ukraine is celebrated on the 7th January is because, like many countries where the main Church is the Orthodox Church, they use the old 'Julian' calendar for their church festivals.

In Ukrainian Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Веселого Різдва' Veseloho Rizdva (Merry Christmas) or 'Христос Рождається' Khrystos Rozhdayetsia (Christ is Born).

The main Christmas meal, called 'Sviata Vecheria' (or Holy Supper) is eaten on Christmas Eve (6th January). Traditionally people fast (don't eat anything) all day but you might start the day drinking some holy water that has been blessed at church.

You can't start eating the meal until the first star is seen in the sky. So people (especially the hungry ones!) go outside as soon as it start getting dark in the afternoon to try and spot the first star.

The meal normally has 12 dishes which represent Jesus's 12 disciples. The main dish is often 'kutia' a type of a kind of sweet porridge made of wheat. Other dishes can include mushrooms, sauerkraut, red ‘borsch’, dumplings known as 'varenyky' (Pierogi), whitefish, 'bigos' (a meat and cabbage stew), cheese cake and bread.

The room where Sviata Vecheria is eaten normally has a Didukh decoration placed in it. The Didukh is a made from a sheaf of wheat and symbolises the large wheat fields in Ukraine. It literally means 'grandfather spirit' and can represent people's ancestors being with them in their memories. Sometimes people use some heads of wheat in a vase rather than a whole sheaf of wheat.

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- Christmas in our class: We have a Adventskranz and some Christmas decorations. Also we open one door of the Adventskalender every day and get some chocolate. The last school day before Christmas we celebrate in out class and all pupils at school sing Christmas songs together.
- Christmas in Germany: Christmas time starts with the 1st Advent in Germany. Then we light the first of four candles of a so called "Adventskranz", every other Sunday before December 24th we light another candle. On the 1st of December we start opening the so called "Adventskalender". There are 24 little presents wrapped in a little box or a piece of chocolate in 24 little doors of the Adventskalender. Every day until the 24th you can open one door or box. There are many Christmas markets where you can buy little presents, eat lovely food or have a cup of "Glühwein". On the 6th December is St. Nicolas day. There children put one clean boot outside the door of their apartment. At night St. Nicolas puts a little gift in the boot.

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On the first day of the new year in Bulgaria, it is customary for young children to come to health and good luck. With the children and parents of our kindergarten we built a Survivka to save us in the new year. This is a stick of a dogwood, dipped with dried fruits, popcorn and bagels.

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A GIFT IN THE SHOE
One of the best Christmas traditions, particularly for Icelandic kiddies, is putting your shoe in the window. This starts 13 days before Christmas, when the Icelandic Yule Lads, who live in the mountains, start coming to town, one per night, bringing presents. Before they go to sleep, kids take one of their best shoes and leave near an open window. Come morning – presto! The shoe will contain a small gift from the Yule Lad that arrived that night. However, this only works if the child has been good – if he or she has been bad, the shoe will just contain a lonely potato.

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Christmas is a favorite time in Bulgaria.At the beginning of December, we decorate the Christmas tree and homes for the holiday.

There is a special custom Christmas. In it, young boys and men walk around the homes of people and wish health and well-being.

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Christmas in the UK  by our 5-6 year olds 

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Christmas in the UK  by our 5-6 year olds 

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·      We have a big Christmas Tree in our school hall, decorated with coloured lights

·      Some classrooms also have a  tree & Christmas decorations

·      We have a Christmas Fair which our parents come to and we visit Santa Claus in his Grotto, to tell him what we’d like for Christmas

·      Last year we had some real reindeers visit the school

·      We have a special Christmas Dinner, with Roast Turkey, potatoes, peas and carrots and mince pies or Christmas pudding afterwards

·      In class and in our school assembly, we learn about Christmas

·      We learn that Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem to Mary his mother & Joseph was his father & this is why we celebrate Christmas, as Jesus was God’s son

·      Parents come & watch every class perform Nativity Plays, some of us are angels and others shepherds & sheep & someone has to be Mary and Joseph!

·      The older children have a special service in the evening in our local church , where they read the Christmas story from the bible and perform a Nativity play

·      We have Christmas Parties, with games and party food

·      We finish school for our Christmas Holidays on December 21st

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DEDEK MRAZ - the grandfather of the cold
Because Slovenia was a non-religious country they also created a non-religious image who brings presents on the 31th at night, so you star the new year with presents

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In Turkey, getting and decorating a tree is not a tradition but many people do and enjoy it.
In general, people wear new clothes at Christmas night. Red is a popular color, because some people think that red color brigs them full of luck.
Commonly, Christmas meal is prepared specially by people in Turkey. Eating nuts at Christmas nights is like a must  for nearly all people here in my country.

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24th December
"Nochebuena"
All the families gather together around a very big full tasty dinner,  usually with  apetizers and three or four second dishes of meat, fish accompanied by white, red, sparkling and cava wines, and   delicious desserts, specially our traditional "turrón and mazapán" made of almonds, honey and egg white. Yummy!!!
At Midnight some of them go to   "Misa del Gallo" a Mass celebrate every year at Midnight in every Catholic church .

25th December
"Navidad"
All the families gather again around a great lunch made with the leftovers of the previous dinner.
After lunch they play boards games and then they go out to visit the nativity scenes exhibitions in the city.

31st December
"Nochevieja"
At Midnight we have twelve white grapes at the same time that the clock strikes. Then we kiss each other and wish hapiness and good health for the new year.

5th/6th January
"Noche y día de los Reyes Magos Melchor,Gaspar y Baltasar"
In every town on 5th afternoon we have Three Wise Men long parade. Children enjoy the exotic magic parade in which they can stare with wide astonish eyes at the magic Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar  who will bring them their presents.
On 6th morning, children will open their presents and enjoy them while having a delicious " Roscón de reyes"  delicious cake in the form of a round wreath made of bun with candied fruits. Delicious!!!

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MIKLAVŽ - SANT NICHOLAS
he comes ne night before the 6th of december and bring presents to good kids and a stick to the bad ones.