Christmas Around The World

In the UK (or Great Britain), families often celebrate Christmas together, so they can watch each other open their presents! Most families have a Christmas Tree (or maybe even two!) in their house for Christmas. Holly and Mistletoe are also sometimes used to decorate homes or other buildings. Like a lot of countries, Nativity Plays and Carol Services are also very popular at Christmas time. Children believe that Father Christmas or Santa Claus leaves presents in stockings. These are normally hung up by the fire or by the children's beds on Christmas Eve. Children sometimes leave out mince pies and brandy for Father Christmas to eat and drink when he visits them. Children write letters to Father Christmas listing their requests.

People in Spain spend Christmas Eve and Christmas with their family. Turrón is a typical Spanish dessert. Santa Claus delivers presents on Christmas Eve, and The Three Wise Men come on January 6th. New Years Eve is often celebrated with friends. At midnight people eat twelve grapes, one on each chimes of the clock. People sleep late on New Years Day and spend the day at home.

In France, Christmas is always called 'Noël. Everyone has a Christmas tree, sometimes decorated in the old way with red ribbons and real white wax candles. Fir trees in the garden are often decorated too, with lights on all night. Father Christmas is called Père Noël. The Christmas meal is an important family gathering with good meat and the best wine. Not everyone sends Christmas cards. “Joyeux Noel” “Merry Christmas!”

In Italy, families get together on Christmas Eve and Christmas. Santa Claus delivers presents the night of the 24th. On January 6th, La Befana, brings gifts to the children. La Befana is a friendly but ugly witch that flies on a broom. On New Years Eve, Italians eat a very large dinner with a tradition dish of eel. After dinner, they go dancing with friends until very late.

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CHRISTMAS CAKE

CANDLE

CHRISTMAS CARD

CHRISTMAS

CHRISTMAS TREE

CAROL

CHRISTMAS PRESENT

HOLLY

CRACKERS

SANTA CLAUS

CHRISTMAS STOCKING

DECORATIONS

SLEIGH

SNOWMAN

STAR

TURKEY

REINDEER

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS

1.- Where does Santa Claus leave the presents in UK?.................................................................................................................. 2.- Where does turrón come from?.................................................................................................................................................. 3.- Where do people eat twelve grapes?......................................................................................................................................... 4.- Who is Père Noël?..................................................................................................................................................................... 5.- Who is La Befana?.................................................................................................................................................................... 6.- What do Italians eat on New years Eve?................................................................................................................................... 7.- What do British people use to decorate their houses?............................................................................................................... 8.- When do the Three wise men come to Spain?.......................................................................................................................... 9.- What do people sing at Christmas?.......................................................................................................................................... 10.- Do you like Christmas?...........................................................................................................................................................

11.- How do you celebrate Christmas?.......................................................................................................................................... ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………... …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

In the USA, families spend Christmas Day together at home. After opening gifts from Santa Claus, families play games and watch Christmas films. In the evening they have a big Christmas dinner with turkey or ham. On New Years Eve many people go to parties with friends. On television they can watch the midnight countdown of Times Square in New York. On New Years Day, many Texans eat black eye peas for good luck in the year.

Australia celebrates Christmas in the summer. For some Australians, Christmas dinner is a picnic on the beach! Every year on Christmas Eve, tens of thousands of people go to Melbourne to sing carols in the event called Carols by Candlelight. Every big city has a New Years Eve celebration and many display fireworks.

In China, people light their houses with beautiful paper lanterns and decorate their tree with paper flowers. They call their Christmas tree “Tree of Light.” Children hang Christmas stockings and are visited by Dun Che Lao Ren which means “Christmas Old Man.” Many Chinese celebrate the Lunar New Year, which occurs months later.

In India, Christmas is not a celebrated by many people. Christians decorate Banana or Mango trees and put small candles on their roof. The weather is very hot. Families celebrate New Years Eve with concerts and dances.

Father Christmas is called Papai Noel. Many Christmas customs are similar to USA or UK. For those who have enough money, a special Christmas meal will be chicken, turkey, ham, rice, salad, pork, fresh and dried fruits. Poorer people will just have chicken and rice. “Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo” “Merry Christmas!”

In Russia, Christmas is celebrated on the 7th of January. On Christmas Eve, there is an enormous dinner with 12 servings, one for each of Jesus’ apostles. On New Years Eve, there are large celebrations and families give presents to friends. On New Years Day, Grandfather Frost brings gifts to children.

Christmas in Ireland Christmas in Ireland lasts from Christmas Eve to the feast of the Epiphany on January 6, which is referred to as Little Christmas. Ireland's Christmas is more religious than a time of fun.Lighted candles are placed in windows on Christmas Eve, as a guide that Joseph and Mary might be looking for shelter. The candles are usually red in color, and decorated with sprigs of holly. Irish women bake a seed cake for each person in the house. They also make three puddings, one for each day of the Epiphany such as Christmas, New Year's Day and the Twelfth Night. After the Christmas evening meal, bread and milk are left out and the door unlatched as a symbol of hospitality. St Stephen's Day, the day after Christmas, is almost as important, with football matches and meetings going on. For children, the Wren Boys Procession is their big event. Boys go from door to door with a fake wren on a stick, singing, with violins, accordions, harmonicas and horns to accompany them. The reason for the ceremony is to ask for money 'for the starving wren', that is, for their own pockets. Children often put out Christmas sacks instead of stockings. It is tradition to leave mince pies and a bottle of Guinness out as a snack for Santa.