Christmas Traditions in Other Countries

[Mercy]

Quintessentialshadows recently posted about changing curtains and cushions for winter and Christmas in Norway which was really interesting (and amusing )

What traditions do you have in your native or adopted country?

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Hi
We're living in Belgium and my partner is Dutch - they both do the same.
We have St Nikolaas on the 5/6 dec and he comes on a steam boat from Spain with his white horse and his helpers white people with painted black faces called pete. He has a book which lists all the naughty kids - and if you are naughty he throw you in a sack and takes you back to Spain. Every evening in the run up to the day the children sing a song and leave their shoe out with a carrot for the horse and in the they find cookies the size of choc buttons. They do get presents but traditionally they had to write a poem or make a picture to get one - they didn't just get presents for the sake of them.
They eat Speculaas cookies and pepernoten. They also normally get a chocolate letter normally that of their first name.

I'm in Ireland, Mercy, and there is a lovely tradition here of putting a lighted candle in your window on Christmas eve, so that Mary and Joseph [if they are passing by] will know that there's room in your inn for them and the baby Jesus.

Thanks Timmette and Tnog (that's very cute btw)

What about any special food? Isn't Christmas Eve the big celebration rather than Christmas Day itself in northern Europe?

Well the Dutch and Belgians tend to do more the 5/6 th Dec althought they also celebrate Christmas.
They also eat Olliebollen (sp) which are like donuts but shoped like a ball and have bits of apples or raisins in and are sprinkled with icing sugar.
The Dutch are really huge into their desserts anything cream filled or dairy based - I mean they really really love them.

Another wife of a Dutchman here . We live in the UK but we still celebrate Sinterklaas Feest. Kids think its brilliant because they get two christmases! Little do they know they still get same amount of toys...just divided between Sint and Father Christmas . DH tells me that they would have big celebration on 5th December then on the 24th they would have a special meal and a gift delivered to the door.

Kids sit by the fire with their shoe every evening from 30th November to 4th December. We sing a few songs to encourage Sinter Klaas to visit and leave a carrot for Schimmel (his horse). During the night, Sint waits on the roof with his horse whilst Schwarte Piet puts a present and stroepgoed (candy) and pepernoten (biscuit type things) in the shoes. On the evening of the 5th we wait in anticipation of a knock on the door and open it to (hopefully) find a sackful of presents. If the kids have been naughty they will be taken back to Spain. Cue very well behaved kids from mid November onwards (tis when Sint arrives in the Netherlands for his grand tour!)

Tnog, I love your idea so much it nearly made me cry!

Clearly too tired and emotional from festivities and should go to bed.