Have we had a thread about Xmas traditions around the world?

[MmeHereWeGoAWassailLindt]

With all the overseas MNetters we should hear some interesting stories.

Until recently we lived in Germany where Christmastime starts on the 1st advent. We make a wreath for the table with 4 candles on it. The first candle is lit on the 4th Sunday before Xmas with each subsequent candle being lit until all four burn on the Sunday before Xmas.

During Advent most towns have their own Christmas Market where you can drink Gluehwein or Feuerzangenbowle (turbo gluehwein with rum), eat roasted chestnuts and almonds, buy assorted Xmas decorations and cheap tat. There are some markets that sell arts and crafts, handmade decorations and jewellery etc.

We also bake Xmas biscuits called Plaetzchen and Lebkuchen. Don't be conned into thinking that the Lebkuchen Herzen that you buy in Lidl are the real McCoy. The really good ones are from Nuernberg and are called Elisenlebkuchen and cost the same for one as for the bag in Lidl.

On 6th December St Nikolas brings chocolate that he puts in the boots that the children leave out.

The Christkind, or in some families, der Weihnachtsmann brings the main presents on 24th Dec in the evening.

What are the traditions in the country that you ate living in?

ooh in Bavaria thee was some mad man who came and scared kids before xmas...

Krampus

fark me

I remember him, scared the kids to death. I knew him as Kronprinz Rupprecht, I think he was called.

Krampus scared me to death the first year I had a Bavarian Christmas, age 6!! He carries about a huge bunch of sticks. Had been used to UK Christmases until then....

I'm now in NZ, and Christmas is very different here. The norm tends to be a barbecue lunch with lots of salads and fruit, followed by a swim at the beach (if you can still be bothered!). It's a little strange until you're used to it, but it's nice to have your annual leave in summer. Otherwise pretty much the same as the UK!

Here (in North West Switzerland) he's called Schmutzli, although thankfully the one who came to ds's Kindergarten was a rather benign incarnation.

There is also the Christmas Market (although I was suprised to see a sign today sayign that this is the 10th one - so a fairly recent "tradition" I guess)

Swiss Christmas Cookies are the thing to eat. Quite unlike anything in the UK. According to dh the best are made by his colleague's mother, but if you buy them, Migros is the place to go.

I made the cookies, called Plätzchen in Germany last week with the DC.

Oh I love these threads, please do keep it coming

Well, here in Spain we start on Christmas Eve with a big meal in the evening, followed by the Misa del Gallo (midnight mass). On Christmas Day most people with have a big lunch as well. Seafood, cod and turkey generally figure highly in the culinary delights, while cava and cider are the main tipples. The Spaniards love their sweets, pastries and cakes, and so we have Turrones, marzapanes, polvorones and marquesinas amongst others.

However, presents do not traditionally arrive until 6th January, when the Three Wise Men arrived from the East bearing gifts. On the evening of the 5th January, there are parades in the streets with the Three Wise Men processing into town, handing out sweets. Children put out a pair of shoes, which in the morning are filled with sweets and covered with mounds of presents.

Cies - Do they still give the naughty children coal these days? Where in Spain are you?

Overseas MNetters
If presents are traditionally given on a day other than Xmas day, do you do both?

Here in the Lindthaus the Christkind brings the presents from our German relatives in the evening of the 24th and his colleague Santa Claus follows during the night with the DC's main presents and the ones from our British relatives.

As DD has a very wobbly tooth, we are a bit concerned about the tooth fairy arriving on Xmas eve too. It might get a bit crowded in the Lindthaus this Xmas.

Ours are nothing amazing here in Aus - often along the lines of Uk ones.

More outside things like carols by candlelight rather in cathedrals. Often they will be held in parks or church grounds instead of inside. Lights outside houses etc is a big thing. We have competitions here that people are very enthusiastic about.

In our family we meet with some extended family and have dinner on christmas eve - presents are exchanged and the dds go mad and stay up late.

Christmas day - often families head to the beach etc. This is our summer holidays so often families are away on holidays.

We get together at my mum's - whoever can make it - have db and sil who are shift workers to often one or other is working - like this year. Other db and sil live almost 3 hours drive away so they sometimes come down. We have lunch and exchange gifts at my mum's.

For us christmas morning - dds open their stockings and then we have breakfast - smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. Then open the rest of their presents after breakfast and getting dressed.

For some people in Aus - traditional roast dinner is still done. For others it is a lot of seafood, ham and salads instead. Pavlova and cold desserts rather than plum pudding.

MMe Lindt my dh works with a guy who is married to a lady from Germany At dinner on Sat night - I asked that question. They do the traditional European christmas eve thing and then do it all again on 25th Dec.

Eidsvold
No barbies on the beach then? I will just put my stereotypes back in the box.

My DC think it is great that they get 2 Christmases

oh MMe Lindt I am sure there are lots of families who do barbies at the beach or on if they are camping on the beach. So you can keep that stereotype. And santa wears shorts and thongs you know and he has boomers instead of reindeers.

six white boomers

It's amazing how Christmas traditions even within Europe.

Very interesting thread!

aussie 12 days of christmas

here

Alibean, yes, if children have been bad they get coal! You can actually buy sugar coal, I suppose to wind up your children into thinking they've been bad...

As to which traditions to go with, we don't have children yet, but when we do I would be very upset if we didn't put out stockings on Christmas Eve and open presents on Christmas Day morning. I think we'll do half and half.

I like the idea of sugar coal.

My DC are wound up as tight as springs and likely to send us up the wall by this evening. One good thing about the Xmas Eve tradition is that they sleep reasonably well because they are exhausted from the first round of present giving.