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"El Caganer" which would translate to "the man who poops" is a figurine that people in Catalonia place in their "pesebres", which are miniatures of Jesus' birth. We hide "El Caganer" in it and other people have to find it.

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One of the traditions of this religious festival is "sa miss'e pudda". On December 24, just before midnight, the church bells warn the population of the beginning of "sa miss'e pudda", or Christmas mass. In honor of this mass, all the churches are decrated with many candles

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Greek folk tradition has it that little mischievous kallikantzari, hobgoblins in English, would rise from underground to wreak havoc during the 12 days of Christmas. To make them disappear, priests would (and still do) travel to homes on the day of the Epiphany, January 6, and bless them with holy water.

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sara.b/snezana n.

Sa Candelaria
Let's move now in the province of Nuoro, precisely in Orgosolo, in Barbagia. One of the most characteristic Christmas traditions of this place is the so-called Sa Candelaria. On the morning of December 31, all the children go from house to house to ask, in fact, sa candelaria, pronouncing the phrase "A nolla dàzes sa candelarìa?" ("Do you give us the candelaria?"). It is nothing more than an offering consisting of bread, biscuits and a few coins.

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The tradition of decorating boats-John G from Greece

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The tradition of decorating boats-John G from Greece

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An old Greek Christmas tradition that not many people know is boat-decorating. In Greek we call it "Karavaki" and it was a very  popular tradition, especially in islands, where most people were sailors and had a strong connection with the sea, so boats were very important for their lives.
In the last few years though it has been replaced by the Christmas tree, with not many people decorating the "Karavaki" nowadays. Despite this, you can still see in few houses or public spaces a boat next to a tree.

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Melomakarona and kourabiedes, Maria , Greece 

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Two traditional Christmas sweet are melomakarona which are made with honey and kourabiedes which have sugar all around,also children are usually going out the day before Christmas to sing the carols together and spread wishes .

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Pandoro and Panettone are traditional italian sponge cakes, that are common during the Christmas period. The recipies of this sponge cakes are very similar, the difference between the two is the method of preparation.
The traditional Pandoro is prepared with three processes based on butter, eggs, brewer's yeast, sourdough, vanilla and icing sugar. The Panettone instead Panettone, on the other hand, is a dessert made with water, 0 flour, salt, fresh eggs, milk, butter, sugar, orange and candied citron, sultanas, vanilla and sourdough.

This cake is also worked for many hours, altering leavening phases and dough phases that give life to a soft rounded bread with an inviting appearance and fragrant fruit.

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this is my favorite Christmas song.
It's a Sardinian song that I've known since I was little and I like to sing it every year. Talk about the birth of Jesus

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Normally on Christmas day me and my family would have an anglo-italian lunch, we would eat pigs in blankets which is a bacon rolled fillet of pig and rabbit legs. In the evening for dinner we would have roast beef which is a traditional english dish as well as sunday roast.

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Bakery pasta is a beautiful tradition of Italy which is eaten at many times of the year but especially at Christmas lunches and dinners. It is pasta with sauce, a cream of butter and milk inside, baked in the oven. It is served in large portions because many people eat it, and it is so good!

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There are many Christmas traditions typical of Sardinia, handed down from generation to generation for decades now: a magical feast that is an important and significant moment of aggregation, an opportunity to reunite the family. Here are some of the beautiful Sardinian Christmas tractions. The song of the Sibyl

The song of the Sibyl
The song of the Sibyl is one of the most heartfelt Christmas traditions in the Sardinian city of Alghero. Every year, during the night of December 24, the faithful attend the ancient medieval song, performed strictly in Catalan, which testifies to the link between the city and Catalonia.

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Astro Del Ciel is one of the most famous christmas songs in italy. Is a song dedicated to the birth of jesus and it was written in 1816 by a German priest. We can hear this song everywhere at Christmas time, children learn it at school and sing it in church at Christmas time masses.

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 Is one of the most typical sweets in Italy during the Christmas period. It has the shape of a trunk with 8 tips.
It is prepared with eggs, vanilla, flour, sugar, butter, cocoa butter, yeast and is decorated with icing sugar.
The origins are uncertain but many people say it is a typical dessert from Verona.
In my house it is filled with ricotta cheese and chocolate flakes

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Notte de chelu is one of the best known Christmas songs in the Sardinian language. The song was written by the poet Pietro Casu, in December 1927, on the occasion of the Christmas novena, which were presented for the first time in Berchidda by a small orchestra and a choir. It is sung every year on Christmas to all the kids from Sardinia, at school for the Christmas play (usually on 23th of December), or at home, before eating the Christmas dinner.

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traditional Christmas dishes spread throughout Sardinia:

Porcetto or Porchetto: a suckling pig cooked on a spit for several hours and flavored with myrtle and spices.

Su Bacchiddu 'e deu: elongated loaves with bishop elements, typical of Sassarese;
On Accèddhu: loaf typical of the Ogliastra area, shaped like a baby.
Carasau and guttiau bread.
Pabassinas, shortcrust pastry with raisins, almonds, walnuts, grated lemon peel and honey.
Su Pan'e Saba, similar to pabassinas, mixed with saba (cooked grape must) and dried fruit

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christmas in sardinia isn'tjust a party: it's THE party. But rather than inheriting the symbolic value of the birth of Jesus Christ as a moment of joy and hope, tribal, pagan and mystical Sardinia inherits the powerful magical-religious baggage of the winter solstice wich conditions the production cycles and the balance of nature.
Sa Paschixedda as opposed to Sa pasca Manna Easter, is a special celebration wich means family gathering, sharing and above all tradition.
The Sardinian Christmas tradition is expressed in many aspects of material and immaterial culture, ranging from food to popular legends to religious rituals always rigorously mitigated by fascinating residual of paganism.

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according to the tradition, at midnight, during the new year's eve dinner, some italian people are used to eat lentils. the tradition says that if you'll eat those, you'll have luck for the whole year, they're actually used as symbol of prosperity.

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Panevin is the bonfire, as it is called in Friuli Venezia Giulia. Here on January 6 it is customary to organize a good omen: fire becomes a way to attract positive luck, because the flames symbolize the disruptive force of the new that advances and burns away the old to make room. The direction of the smoke becomes the way to find out the course of the new year, whether it will be lucky or not. It is important that the sparks are high, which is why the farmers move the fire using a pitchfork.

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an Italian tradition are the 'zampognari' , who sing Christmas music on the streets of the city wearing traditional clothes: a widespread tradition especially in central and southern Italy.

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The Epiphany passes on January 6 every year and is said to take away all the holidays because on the same day all the Christmas decorations are removed. When it passes it brings coal to the bad guys and candy to the good guys. It is usually used to put large embroidered socks in the fireplace or hung

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According to tradition, it is a very old woman who flies riding a broom, to visit children on the night between 5 and 6 January to fill the socks left by them, hanging on the fireplace or near a window, children who have behaved well during the year will receive sweets while those who have behaved badly will find socks filled with coal or garlic.

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is a Christian feast that in the confessions of Western tradition celebrates the manifestation of God incarnate in Jesus Christ to the world

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Exchange gifts-A Christmas tradition of Greece/Micheala

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Exchange gifts-A Christmas tradition of Greece/Micheala

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Since the Christmas season lasts from Christmas Eve to the Epiphany on January 6, most Greeks will wait until St. Basil Day on January 1 to exchange gifts – although many families now also give gifts on Christmas Day.

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The nativity scene, or
“Presepe” in Italian , is a representation of the birth of Jesus, which originates from very ancient traditions, my family and I make this on December 8th, but on the 25th we  add the statue of Jesus, as a sign of his birth!

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Both on Christmas morning and on Christmas Eve my family and I exchange presents with each other. It's a moment of joy and happiness for everyone and a typical Christmas tradition!

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After Christmas dinner my family and I play “tombola”, it's a game we've been playing for many years like many other families and whoever completes the pre-established combinations first wins. usually small prizes are auctioned off!

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Panettone is an Italian Christmas tradition. It is a typical Christmas cake, a sponge cake made to rise for a long time with candied fruit and dried fruit. Some people to it prefer Pandoro, same base but no candied fruit and a little more sugary.

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Diples are a typical dessert in Peloponnese,Greece and are also served at weddings and at New Year's celebrations.
It is a dessert made of thin sheet-like dough. They are essentially the same as angel wings, except that they are dipped in syrup rather than served dry.

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On Christmas Eve, it’s common in Greece for children to flock from home to home in their neighborhoods to sing Greek Christmas carols, or “kalanta.” After wishing their neighbors happy holidays, the children are usually rewarded with sweets, dried fruits and small change. The tradition is basically the Greek version of North American Christmas caroling.

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Kallikantzaroi (Kallikantzaros singular) are mischievous Greek goblins, elves or gnomes.
They come up to the surface of the Earth during the twelve days of Christmas from the end of December, when the sun will not move again, until the sixth of January and they cause all sorts of trouble and mischief.
For the rest of the year they live at the center of the Earth where they spend their time using a large saw to cut down The World Tree, or The Tree Of Life, that holds up the World.

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On the eve of Christmas, housewives make the traditional Christmas bread.
Its difference with normal bread is the shape and the designs on it.
In addition to the dough cross that the bread has in the middle, housewives decorated it with various designs and dedicated it to the birth of Christ.

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Greek Christmas traditions – Breaking a Pomegranate, John Gi from Greece

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Greek Christmas traditions – Breaking a Pomegranate, John Gi from Greece

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Pomegranate has been a symbol of fortune, fertility and prosperity in Greece and Greek mythology for thousands of years. During Christmas holidays one would see pomegranates in Christmas decorations and hanging on the doors of houses.

According to Greek Christmas traditions, on New Year’s Eve just after midnight the householder stands outside the front door of the house and breaks a pomegranate by throwing it on the doorstep. The seeds of the fruit spread on the floor mean happiness and health to the family.

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Spain's Christmas time lasts until January 6th with the arrival of the Three Kings. Cities and towns of Spain hold a parade on January 5th called " Cabalgata de Reyes" in which the arrival of the three kings is reenacted. They can be seen on big floats from which they throw candy to the children on the street. The next day, the three kings, have arrived from the east and left gifts behind which the children open excitedly as soon as they wake up in the morning. Children write their letter to the Three Kings, and on January the 6th is eaten a special cake called: the Roscon de Reyes.

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Els Poemes de Nadal- Pol martíne (Spain)

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Els Poemes de Nadal- Pol martíne (Spain)

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It is typical for Christmas, on December 25th, to have a family dinner with the whole family. The children, when they have all finished eating, get on a chair and say a Christmas poem. Once they have said the poem, the family members give them a small present such as money or chocolate.

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Spanish Christmas sweets are same thing important in this day.
they have too much species like:
Turrons: which is a tough candy with hazelnuts
Polvorón: are shortbread cookies famous for their crumbly consistency
Mantecados: it's sems like polvorón and they came in much tipes

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Nougat was always considered the food of kings and its consumption was often related to the court and its joy. As on so many occasions, the custom of the monarch was turned into a custom of the lower classes and later adopted by the rest of the social classes

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The turró, nougat in English, is a sweet desert that people eat usually in Christmas. It is very hard and expensive. It usually has nuts in it.

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Image taken from Google: "Public Domain Pictures".

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Villancicos (Spanish Christmas carols) - Anna, Spain

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Villancicos (Spanish Christmas carols) - Anna, Spain

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This Spanish Christmas carols are traditional melodies that people (principally children) usually sing during Christmas time with the family.

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On the night of January 5, the 3 kings Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar parade through the streets throwing candy to children. The same night they go to each child's house leaving the gift.

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Balthazar; one of the 3 wise men (they bring gifts to good children), and in my opinion the best of all

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Nougat is a traditional sweet dessert for Christmas in Catalonia. The nougat is composed of a mass obtained by cooking honey and sugar, with or without egg white, to which toasted and peeled almonds are subsequently incorporated, with a kneading.

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It is tradition to buy an advent calendar children love to open gifts and what better idea than to open one every day ((December)

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The Cavalcade of Kings is celebrated on the evening of January 5, when the Kings of the East walk in the afternoon through the streets of towns or cities with their helpers, throwing candies to children

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This tradition is very common in all homes in Spain: for Christmas, people make or buy a "tortell de reis" (King's cake). This cake consists of the base of the pastry open in the middle, full of cream and with candied fruit on top. It is said that whoever finds the bean inside will be considered the king of the day's meeting.

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The nougat (chocolate) is a mixture of chocolates and a variety of nuts, it is usually made at Christmas time to make our loved ones happy, the most traditional is Suchard.

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During Christmas, children usually write a letter asking for their wishes to the queens and say how they have behaved during the year.

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The canelones is the BEST dish, not even a dish, is a WORK OF ART. Made of pasta, bechamel and meat.

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The "tio tio" is a Catalan tradition that consists of hitting a decorated log with a stick with the idea that it will give gifts for the children. In order for this to happen, during the month of December the "tio" is fed. In the process of giving the blows, a traditional Catalan song is sung.

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Shortbread's are a typical product of Christmas confectionery in Spain and in many Spanish-speaking places that bears its name from breaking into powder when eaten.

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The "Tió" is a tradition of Catalonia. The objective is to hit the "Tió" with a stick or other object and wait until the gifts appear. Normally people go to another room and wait for the gifts.

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Listen to christmas songs like '' All i Want For Christmas Is You'' makes people happier in the house. HO HO HO Happy christmas. ;)

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Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You (Official Video)

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The mistletoe is a bouquet that is placed on a door at Christmas, and if two people are in that place under the mistletoe they have to kiss.

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"Panellets" are a typical dessert during the Christmas season in Catalonia. They are made with a sweet dough made with sugar, ground raw almonds, egg and lemon zest, so that it has a spongier texture. On the outside they are covered with egg white, which acts as an adherent to place a layer of pine nuts. The whole is baked and allowed to cool.

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The 5 of January here in Spain we have the 3 kings who brought presents to jesus the child (Gaspar, Melchor i Baltasar) giving candy to all the people as they go around all the city.

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At Christmas one of the most popular traditions is the hanging of stockings. If a person gives you these socks at Christmas they are telling you that they care about you, that they want you to be well and not to forget them.

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After the big dinner on December 31st, as a family, we have a after-dinner meal and prepare to eat the 12 good luck grapes. The tradition consists of eating 12 fresh grapes (this is how we do it in Spain) before midnight to start the year off right.

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The roscón de Reyes is a typical dessert eaten at Christmas in countries with a Christian and Latin tradition that consists of a sweet bun covered in fruit and filled with cream, cream or chocolate that hides a prize or small toy inside.

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At Christmas it is a tradition to decorate the house and one of the most important decorations is the Christmas tree that represents Paradise, where Adam and Eve ate the fruits, giving rise to original sin. Each house has a different tree which they decorate with the taste of each family

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"Escudella" Typical christmas food- Yarel, Spain.

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"Escudella" Typical christmas food- Yarel, Spain.

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Galets soup is a typical food in Catalonia that is usually eaten on Christmas day.

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 Elizabeth ...Christmas tradition: Eat the twelve grapes on New Year's Eve in Spain.

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 Elizabeth ...Christmas tradition: Eat the twelve grapes on New Year's Eve in Spain.

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Eating twelve grapes to the sound of the chimes leads to a year of good luck and prosperity. As midnight approaches on December 31 to welcome the New Year, we prepare our grapes to be eaten during the twelve seconds before the start of the year.

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Galets soup is one of the traditional Catalan Christmas dishes. It is a popular dish that is cooked all year round, it is on every restaurant menu. But for reasons unknown to me, it has remained with the tradition of being the starter for the Christmas meal.

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Taking twelve grapes to the sound of the chimes leads to a year of good luck and prosperity.

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It's a representation of the birth home of baby Jesus, built with stones, logs, cork and characters of clay.

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The Christmas tree is one of te most popular traditons in Spain.
The tree is put in early December.

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The Roscon de Reyes is a Spanish Christmas tradition. This roscón contains a small king toy. This is distributed among the guests and the one who touches the toy has a reward.

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This is a typical plate in Catalonia. "Canelons" are eaten on December 26, which is Saint Stephen's Day.

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"Tió de Nadal," a Catalan and Aragonese tradition - Chaymae Z

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"Tió de Nadal," a Catalan and Aragonese tradition - Chaymae Z

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The "Tió" is basically a trunk, with a painted face. People feed him for days and then, the children start to hit it with a stick, until all the candies that the log had ate before, come out.

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A curious Christmas tradition in Catalunya, Spain - Pau Madeo, Spain

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A curious Christmas tradition in Catalunya, Spain - Pau Madeo, Spain

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"Tió" is a log which is fed by catalan popullation during a month. On the 24th of December, kids hit it with a stick so that it takes out gives.

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A typical Christmas tradition in Spain is Nochebuena (Christmas Eve). It's celebrated on the night of December 24 doing a dinner with family and friends.

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Christmas nativity scene - Alba Garcés, Spain.

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Christmas nativity scene - Alba Garcés, Spain.

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The nativity scene is an essential tradition in all Catholic homes, as it represents the mystery of the birth of Christ. We can say that it is the symbol of Christmas.

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A Chrismas tradition in Catalonia, Spain. Farah

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A Chrismas tradition in Catalonia, Spain. Farah

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It is a very common tradition, it is not celebrated throughout the country, only in the community of Catalonia, the Caga tió must be fed and then it is hit with a stick so that it shits gifts

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In Catalonia, it is traditional for the family to gather to eat. It is traditional to eat cannelloni and stuffed chicken or a round slice of dessert, there are always waffles and nougat.

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In spain, in Christmas, we play the loterie between the family or friends

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The "Pessebre" is the representation in miniature of the place where baby Jesus was born. It is built with moss, logs, cork, with clay figures of characters form rural life.

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"The zambomba" is a typical spanish instrument that is used to make music while we are singing Christmas songs.

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Christmas dinner is the time of the year where the family gathers and shares happy family moments.

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In Spain it is a tradition that the roscón contains a bean, which when found determines who is the king of the gathering.

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Is a tradition that consists of feeding a log.
Finally on Christmas night the uncle shits all kinds of presents.

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“Karavaki,” the Tradition of Decorating Boats-Thalia Ch Greece

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“Karavaki,” the Tradition of Decorating Boats-Thalia Ch Greece

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An old  traditional custom on Greece’s islands  is that people decorate a boat “Karavaki” rather than an evergreen tree at Christmastime.

Despite this, nowadays, almost every Greek household does decorate a Christmas tree, but there are still a number of public spaces in Greece where one can see a Christmas boat right next to a tree.

Greece is a nation which has been proud of its sailors and captains who are away for months and sometimes are battling the stormy seas during the holiday season, while their families back home anxiously await their return. Their family decorate the “karavaki” as symbol of their expectation, hope, and prayer for the sailors’ safe return.

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A Christmas tradition of Greece - Kalanta Dimitris L - Greece

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A Christmas tradition of Greece - Kalanta Dimitris L - Greece

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Every kid in Greece at Christmas day goes with its friends and rings bells of other houses and when the owners open the door they sing the Kalanta a Greek tradition.

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Vasilopita, a Greek Christmas tradition - Christina P and Maria T

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Vasilopita, a Greek Christmas tradition - Christina P and Maria T

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Vasilopita , is a New Year's Day bread or cake in Greece and many other areas in eastern Europe and the Balkans which contains a hidden coin which gives good luck to the receiver. It is associated with Saint Basil's day, January 1, in most of Greece, but in some regions, the traditions surrounding a cake with a hidden coin are attached to Epiphany or to Christmas.

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A Christmas tradition in Greece-Thomas M.

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A Christmas tradition in Greece-Thomas M.

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Every christmas all the Greek families, shops and every building, decorates something called a Christmas Tree. There is a widely-known shiny star at the top. Either on Christmas day or on the New Year's day, some families put presents for each member of the family under the tree. Some people believe that it was "Santa" who brought the gifts.

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A Christmas tradition of Greece Jason F - Greece

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A Christmas tradition of Greece Jason F - Greece

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Every Christmas all the families of Greece make traditional cookies which are called melomakarona and kourampiedes. They are so delicious that every people has to try it.