Christmas Around The World

A tradition that is becoming popular on Christmas Eve is giving apples. Many stores have apples wrapped up in colored paper for sale. People give apples because in Chinese Chistmas Eve is called "Ping'an Ye", meaning peaceful or quiet evening, which has been traslated from the carol Silent night. The word for apple in Mandarin is " pingguo" which sounds like the word for peace. Some people go carol singing, although they do not understand them fully or know the Christmas story. Jingle Bells is a popular Christmas song in China. Theodora Aggelopoulou

Christmas in Ukraine In Ukraine Christmas trees seem ordinary but with a small difference. The Ukranians build a spider web and hide it inside the tree. Whoever finds it will have good luck. The custom is linked to the myth of a poor widow who did not have enough money to decorate the family tree. Waking up one morning, she saw her desire come true by a spider weaving her web onto the bare fir tree. Elizabeth Manolopoulou

Christmas in Mexico Christmas in Mexico is celebrated from December 12th to January 6. The most important traditional Christmas decoration is the Nativity scene. It is generally set up by December 12th and left on display until February 2nd and is found in homes and churches. Konstantinos Andreou

New Year is also when "Grandfather Frost brings presents to children. He is always accompanied by his Granddaughter. On New Year's Eve children hold hands, make a circle around the Christmas tree and call for Snegurochka or Ded Moroz. When they appear, the star and other lights light up on the Christmas tree. Ded Moroz carries a big magic staff. The traditional greeting for Happy New Year is 'S Novym Godom". Christmas in Russia is normally celebrated on January 7th. The date is different because the Russian Orthodox church uses the old Julian calendar for religious celebraton days. The orhodox church also celebrates Advent. It has fixed dates, starting on 28th November and going on till 6th January, so it's 40 days long. The official Christmas and New Year Holidays in Russia last from December 31st to January 10th. Marita Stamelou Aggeliki Mourtzou

Christmas in Spain In Spain one special tradition is that you eat 12 grapes with the 12 strokes of the clock at midnight! Each grape represents a month of the coming year, so if you eat the twelve grapes, you will be lucky in the New Year. December 28th is " Dia de los Santos" and is like April Fools Day. People try to trick each other into believing silly stories and jokes. Newspapers and TV stations also run silly stories. Children also get some presents on Christmas Day, but most are opened at Epiphany. Children believe that the king brings them the presents. They write letters to the kings asking for toys and presents.

Christmas in Holland Just like the other countries Christmas in Holland is a big celebration. On the 5th December St.Nikolas gives gifts to the children. He has assistants. Their names are Black pitties. Families decorate the Christmas tree after the 6th December. On the 25th families get together , they eat and they exchange gifts. In this country the Christmas holiday is nice and they all have fun. Mariza Georgedaki Alexandros Karkantzos

Christmas around the world Christmas traditions include a variety of customs, religious practices, rituals and folklore associated with the celebration of Christmas. Many of these traditions vary by country or region while others are universal and practised all around the world. At Christmas, Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It is one of the most important celebrations. Maximos Mitsaras

Christmas in Australia A traditional custom that Australians love is called Carols by Candlelight. People gather at night, light candles and sing carols in the streets. After all, Australians love to do things outside the home. They surf, swim, ride a bike. They like to organize barbecues which they call "Barbie". Takis Iliopoulos

“Christmas in Hawaii 🌺” Christmas in Hawaii has many of the same traditions as on the mainland—but with a tropical twist. The Hawaiians have&nbsp;Kanakaloka, the jolly bearded man also known as Santa Claus.&nbsp;Santa Claus arrives for Christmas in a bright-red outrigger canoe.&nbsp;Don’t be surprised to find Santa decked out in a Hawaiian shirt and bright red swim trunks. He sometimes even rides his surfboard right up to the beach! The long white beard, however, is the same here. You’ll still see Christmas trees, lights, Santa and all the usual things you might expect to see at Christmas, but they’ll often have a Hawaiian twist.&nbsp;You may see a sandman instead of a snowman or a snowman wearing Hawaiian clothing. RALLIA KARATHANOU

Christmas in Japan Christmas is not seen as a religious holiday in Japan, even if people have widely celebrated it there for the last few decades. That happens because there are not many Christians in Japan. The traditional Japanese food Christmas food is the Strawberry Shortcake. It's a small cake with whipped cream and strawberries. Eating fried chicken on Christmas has been a Japanese tradition since 1970's. It's not rare for people to preorder chicken and meals for Christmas. People in Japan also do things thar are very common in other parts of the world, such as visiting Christmas markets, going shopping and exchanging gifts. Lambros Kateris

In Australia they celebrate Christmas at the beach. It's very hot like 45C. They eat chicken and soup and they decorate their homes with lights. It's so cool. Sophia Mouroutsou

Christmas in France Christmas in France is perfect. Merry Christmas in French is Joyeux Noel. Some typical French Christmas foods are truffles, Rabbit terrine roasted Capon and garlic soup. They decorate their houses with lights and Christmas trees. OLIVIA AGGELI

Christmas Markets A few thousand Christmas markets are held all over Germany each year. This traditions dates back to the 15th century. Vendors offer a wide variety of gigts, including many that are handcrafted. Mulled wine Christmas season in Germany is not complete without mugs of steaming hot Gluhwein. It is sold in Christmas markets and is vital in beating the winter chill as well as spreading the festive cheer. Melina Bellou

As part of the Brazilian Christmas tradition, sometimes  children leave a sock near the window. If Papai Noel finds their sock, he exchanges it for a present.

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil's capital city, boasts the world's largest Christmas tree, which floats on the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon. The tree weights 542 tons wrapped in 3.3 million light bulbs which are lit every year during their spectacular Christams fireworks show!!!

Christmas in Russia In the days of the Soviet Union Christmas was not celebrated very much. New Year was important. Christmas was banned as a religious holiday in 1929 and Christmas trees were banned until 1935 when they became New Year trees. If people wanted to to celebrate Christmas they had to do it secretly just with their families. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, people were free to celebrate Christmas again. But Christmas is still a holiday that is quieter than the New Year celebration. New Year is the time for spending money, eating and drinking. But Christmas is religious and private.

Christmas in China (part II) Most Chinese people do not celebrate Christmas at all. This is especially true in rural areas where Western influence is not big. Christmas is not a public holiday in Mainland China. In the biggest cities it has been a big commercial success but most people in China do not celebrate it as people do in the West. But China's Cristians which is only 1% of the population officially generally celebrate Christmas religiously, sometimes more so than in the West. Filippos Katsanakis

Swiss Christmas traditions Christian Advent candle Families in Switzerland place a four-candle wreath on the table. Every Sunday of December, they light up one candle, until all four are burning on Christmas Eve. The wreaths are made from different kinds of decorative materials. The four candles represent hope, faith, joy, and peace.

Advent windows Twenty-four people of a village decorate one of their windows in a Christmas theme.&nbsp; Every evening from December 1st to 24th, one window opens at one time. The other windows stay shut until their turn comes. The villagers every day wait to see the next decorated and beautiful window.&nbsp; Once a window is opened, stays open until Christmas Eve.

Poems for Santa On 6th of December Santa comes to Switzerland but he does not bring the Christmas presents. He has a big bag with nuts, mandarins, cookies, and chocolates, which he gives to the children who were not naughty the past year. When a child writes a poem to Santa, then Santa gives him/her more presents. Melina Vakrakou

Christmas in Spain In Spain Christmas is different. After everyone has eaten, they attend a midnight mass on Christmas Eve. The Mass is called the "The mass of Rooster". It's called like this because legend says that a rooster crowed the night that Jesus was born. Santa Who? Santa Claus doesn't come to Spain. Spanish girls and boys get their presents from the Three Wise Men. These Reyes Magos come on December 25th. Kids here have to wait until January 6th, the day of the Epiphany. December's Fool's Day Spanish people do pranks on December 28th. But in the other countries, they do pranks on April 1st. Tasos Liakopoulos

Christmas in Brazil Christmas in Brazil is very different from other countries. Many things are different like the food, the place they celebrate and the Santa Claus. In Brazil Christmas is in the summer and the Brazilias usually celebrate it at the beach.

Papai Noel is the Brazilian Santa Claus. They think that he delivers presents in the southern hemisphere and then he changes his Santa suit. This one is made of silk to keep him cool in the warm summer weather.

Christmas in Mexico The Christmas season starts with celebrations that honour the patron Saint of Mexico. The Virgin of Giadalupe is a powerful symbol in Mexico who plays a huge role in the country's religious history. People in Mexico celebrate with special masses a lot of dancing and singing. The traditional song to honour the Virgin of Guadalupe is "Las Mananitas". FOTINI ANASTASIADI

Christmas in Canada Canada is a very large country and people of many different Christmas cultural backgrounds live there. Because of that, there are lots of Christmas traditions. People send Christmas cards to their friends and family. Many Canadians open their gifts on Christmas Eve. Some open only the stockings on Christams Eve and others choose only one gift to open, then save the rest until Christmas. Canadians like to decorate their houses with Christmas trees, lights and other decorations. There is often Christmas stockings hung by the fireplace , ready for SANTA. The main Christams meal is often roast turkey with vegetables and mashed potatoes. Desserts include plum pudding and mince meat tarts. Going skiing, skating and toboganning are popular if there is snow. Cnadians usually have a white Christmas. VASILIS BOUTSIARAKOS

By the pupils of Year 4 and 5 - Ellinoagliki Primary School: Greece 2020-2021

Christmas in America Artificial snow, facades of houses covered with chains of lights, huge reindeer in the garden or otherwise the most shiny and bright decoration. In America Christmas is celebrated richly and between us maybe a little....too much! The Chistmas season begins with Thanksgiving on November 25th, which has its roots in the celebration of harvest, which for many Americans is the most important holiday of the year. Apollonas Dounis

Christmas in Germany Advent Calendar Counts down the four weeks unti Christmas Eve. It has paper windows and children open a window every day. Behind the window there is a sweet chocolate. Advent wreath It has four candles, one for every Sunday until Christmas Eve, and families put it on the table. Every Sunday parents light a candle and all the family spnds time together. Saint Nikolas Saint Nikolas day is very important. On the 5th December at night, children leave a pair of boots. They beleive that Saint Nikolas will come to their house and will put candies and little present in the boots. The next morning the chldre are very happy. VASILIS KROMMIDAS

Christmas in Germany St. Nicholas Day: On the night of December 5, children clean and polish their shoes and leave them outside the door before going to sleep. The next morning, they find their shoes filled with nuts, candy and small gifts from St. Nicholas. Krampus Night He is believed to accomapny St Nicholas to teach the naughty children a hard lesson. In Southern Bavaria, men in strange Krampus costumes patrol the streets on St Nicholas night and are sometimes invited in by the parents of particularly naughty children. Christmas Advent Calendars The Advent Calendar is an important countdown to Christmas for German children. Every day for four weeks until Christmas, a window is opened to reveal a poem, parts of a story, candy or a small gift. Epiphany and the Sternsinger In parts of Germany, Christmas cheer continues until January 6th which is the day of a religious feast known as Epiphany. Often childern dressed as the Magi go from house to house and sing songs requesting donations for various children's causes.

Christmas in England In Great Britain children write letters to Santa Claus but they don't send them by mail. They throw them into the fireplace and if the letters get out of it, then their wishes will come true. If they get burnt immediately, they have to write the letter again. Wondering around the strees you can see mimes doing Christmas tricks and singing the carols. In the countryside of Yorkshire, the bell of the church rings once for every year of the Jesus Christ birth. The final ring is heard at midnight. Pantelis Chaniotakis

Christmas in Austria On December 6th children leave their shoes outside the door, because they are waiting for Saint Nikolaus to bring them presents, sweets and cookies. Saint Nikolaus is Santa Claus. The main Christmas meal eaten on Christams Eve is usually a roast goose or roast turkey and dessert. On New Year's Eve day people love to watch the traditional classical music concert. The Austrians like to eat a bread like cake called stollen. It is filled with nuts, citrus and spices. Konstantinos Daramaras

Christmas Around the World by Year 5 pupils

Christmas in China In China only one per cent of people are Christians, so they only know a few things about Christmas. Because of this, Christmas is only celebrated in big cities. In these big cities there are Christmas tress, lights and other decorations on the streets and in department stores. Santa Claus is called Shen Dan Lao Ren. The post men might dress up as Santa when delivering letters before Chistmas. More young people are celebrating Christmas in cities where Christmas parties are becoming popular. Only a few people have a Christmas tree and if they do it's normally plastic one decorated with paper chains, flowers and paper lanterns. They are also called trees of light. It is strange that even though most of the world's plastic Christmas Trees and decorations are made in China, yet Chinese people don't decorate their homes with them.

Christmas in Italy (Part II) No meat on Christmas Eve The Italians don't eat meat on Christmas Eve. Instead they eat a variety of fish which is typical of the day and night before any religious celebration. Visiting the Vatican for midnight mass. A popular Christmas tradition for those who live in Rome is visiting the Vatican for midnight mass. This ceremony is magical. Gifts from the good witch It is not only Santa who brings gifts, but there is a visit frm La befana. The legend says she would fill stockings with candy for the children on the good list and coal for the naughty children. Katia Trahaliou

Christmas Customs&nbsp;in Italy Part 1 Nativity scenes are traditionally put out on the 8th of December. But the figure of the baby Jesus isn't put into the crib until the evening or night of December 24th! Sometimes the Nativity scene is displayed in the shape of pyramid which can be meters tall! One old Italian custom is that children go out for Carol singing and playing songs, wearing shepherd’s sandals and hats. On Christmas Eve, it's common that no meat and also sometimes no dairy is eaten. Often a light seafood meal is eaten and then people go to the Midnight Mass service. When people return from Mass, if it's cold, they have a slice of Italian Christmas Cake called 'Panettone' which is like a dry fruity sponge cake and a cup of hot chocolate Merry Christmas♪♪☺☺♥♥!! DIMOSTHENIS PAPASOTIRIOU

Nativity scenes, Known as Presepio are set up in churches and homes all through December. At Christmas night there is usually a show of fireworks in the big cities. Brazilian Christmas Food Christams dinner in Brazil includes turkey, vegetables, pork, potato salads and Iasagna. In the south of the country especially in cities that have been influenced by the German traditions, sweets usually include the well known stollen, while cities with an Italian area include panettone. Lunch takes place o the night of the stay, often around midnight when the festivities begin. Despina Kaptsi Dimitra Papadopoulou Anastasia Koukoumi

Christmas in England In the UK, families often celebrate Christmas together so they can watch each other and open their presents. Most families decorate a Christmas Tree and everyone helps to have a nice result. Most villages and towns are decorated with Christmas lights and usually a famous person switches them on. The switch on of the lights occurs at the beginning of November. Also the dinner table is decorated with a Chistmas Cracker for each person or sometimes with flowers and candles. Philippos Tsegas

The Christmas Eve is called NOCHEBUENA. The days before Christams Eve the children sing the carols. The main Chistmas meal is on Christmas Eve. The traditional Spanish Christmas dinner is turkey stuffed with mushrooms. In Spain the Christmas cake is called Roscon. It is like a big doughnut with a big hole in the center stuffed with cream. Melina Kalogeropoulou

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