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Saint Nicholas in Belgium
The king of Christmas in Belgium is Saint Nicolas, patron of children and students ! On December 6, he goes to distribute his toys to good children. He places the gifts in the slippers installed by the toddlers near the fireplace. In the absence of a sled, he has a donkey, then, remember to leave some carrots near the turnovers! It must be said that local traditions are being lost and in recent years, Santa Claus has appeared in Belgium.
Father Christmas or Saint Nicholas for little Germans?
It is to the Germans that we owe the tradition of the Christmas tree. In the north of the country, it is St-Nicolas who brings the gifts by toboggan on December 6. But in the south, it’s Santa Claus who rewards children who have been good during the year. The most popular dessert is gingerbread with a little text written on it.
Polish Christmas ceremony
On December 24, all the children look up to the sky. Why ? Because they are waiting the appearance of the first star which announces the beginning of the festival.
It is customary for parents to place straw between the tablecloth and the table, and the children to take out a bit each. In some families, it is said that the one who finds the longest will live the longest. In others, that he will be married within a year …
At table, we leave a table free, in case a visitor wants to join in the fun. The traditional Christmas meal in Poland includes seven courses. The menu often includes “borsch(Beetroot soup) and the main course consists of different fish boiled, smoked and presented in jelly. For dessert: fruit compote, then poppy seed cakes. All washed down with vodka and honey. At the beginning of the meal, the Poles break the unleavened bread (unleavened bread which is made into the hosts). Then everyone attacks the meal with a good heart, because fasting is required during the day before.
After the meal, the majority of Poles sing hymns, then go to the midnight mass (it is the “Pasterka”, the mass of the shepherds). On their return, the children find their gifts, brought by an angel, under the tree… Although more and more, the angel seems to be replaced by the Anglo-Saxon Santa Claus.
Did you know? La crèche is built on two floors. At first, the Nativity (Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the animals) and below, some figurines representing national heroes!
Christmas in Greece: a real marathon!
There is no Christmas tree but a rose, the ellebore ! Christmas Mass begins at … four in the morning and ends … just before sunrise. To recover from this half marathon, the whole family shares a cake topped with walnuts: the “Christpsomo”(Bread of Christ). Here again, Santa Claus gets the limelight stolen by a certain Saint Basil which, according to legend, was a poor man who sang in the streets to collect money to studyr. It is said that one day when passers-by were laughing at him, the stick he was leaning on blossomed. He brings the gifts to the children on January 1st. But be aware that the most important holiday in Greece is not Christmas, but Easter!