Christmas In
Other European Countries
In Finland, Christmas Eve is the traditional time to
set up the Christmas tree and it's also traditional
to visit the sauna and for families to listen to a
broadcast of the national 'Peace of Christmas' on
the radio. Christmas Dinner generally consists of a
main dish of boiled codfish that is snowy and fluffy
in appearance, served with cream sauce and boiled
potatoes. Christmas dinner is rounded out with roast
suckling pig or roasted fresh ham and vegetables.
Among
peasants, there is a tradition to tie a sheaf of
grain, with nuts and seeds, to a pole that is put in
a garden for birds. Many peasants will wait until
after the birds have eaten before having their
Christmas Dinner. And Santa Claus is expected to
visit homes in person with his Christmas elves to
give out Christmas gifts.
Christmas in France is called Noel, from the phrase
'les bonnes nouvelles,' or 'the good news,' which
refers to the gospel. On Christmas Eve, cathedrals
and churches are beautifully lit and filled with the
sounds of Christmas carols, ringing church bells and
carillons. The tradition among children is to put
their shoes by the fireplace for Pere Noel or le
petit Jesus to fill them with gifts.
In the north of France however, children receive
gifts on Dec. 6, St. Nicholas Day, instead of
Christmas. Most French homes will have a Nativity
scene or crèche on display during the season. In
Southern France, some people will burn a log in
their home from Christmas Eve until New Years Day,
which comes out of a farming tradition of using the
log for good luck in the coming harvest.
The French
also make a traditional cake called the buche de
Noel, or Christmas Log, which is shaped like a Yule
log and is part of a late supper called le reveillon
held after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. The main
dish for this meal generally consists of poultry,
ham, salads, cake, fruit and wine but varies
according to region. The main course in Burgundy is
turkey with chestnuts and in Paris it's oysters,
foie gras and the buche de Noel cake. The wines
generally served are Champagne, Muscadet, Sauterne
and Anjou. An annual tradition of puppet shows,
particularly in Paris and Lyons, is popular during
Christmas time. In Paris, it's also popular for big
department stores to have grand, animated window
displays.
Christmas in Italy is called 'Il Natale,' or 'the
birthday.' Christmas season starts eight days before
Christmas, a period called the Novena, and runs for
three weeks. During the Novena, children dress as
shepherds and go from house to house saying
Christmas poems, singing and playing pipes. They
often receive money to buy gifts during this
activity. The Nativity scene, called the Presepio,
has miniature figures, carved in great detail out of
clay or plaster, of the Holy Family in the stable
and is the center of Christmas for families.
Families say prayers and children recite poems
around the Presepio. Christmas Eve dinner, called
cenone, is a traditional dish of roasted, baked or
fried eel.
In some regions, various types of fish is prepared
for this dinner, as well as pork, sausage in a pig's
leg or turkey stuffed with chestnuts. Christmas
sweets are called panettone and traditionally have
nuts and almonds. On Christmas Eve, children set out
their shoes for a kind, old woman or ugly witch
called La Befana, who rides on a broomstick down
chimneys, to fill them with gifts of toys or
candies. If they were bad, their shoes will be
filled with coal. Some children wait until Jan. 6,
the Epiphany, to receive gifts.
Norway is where the tradition of the Yule log
started and which gave rise to log-shaped cakes,
cheese and other desserts during the holidays.
Norwegians today often go into the forest to cut
their own Christmas trees, which is secretly
decorated on Christmas Eve to surprise children.
After the Christmas tree is revealed, Norwegians
engage in 'circling the Christmas tree,' a tradition
in which everyone joins hands forming a ring around
the tree. They then walk around the Christmas tree
singing carols. Gifts are distributed after this
ritual is finished.