Category: Christmas Traditions
Twelfth Night, Epiphany, or Three Kings Day
Don’t Forget to Leave Out Some Food for the Camels!
January 6th is the twelfth day after Christmas, celebrated as Epiphany or the Feast of the Three Kings in many countries with strong Christian traditions, such as Germany, Austria, Poland, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Argentina. It commemorates the visit of the Three Wise Men, or [...] Read More »
The Christmas Tree or Tannenbaum
During the Christmas season, families bring home small evergreen trees and decorate them with ornaments and lights. Presents are placed under the tree, and, on Christmas, the families gather around the tree to open presents. The origins of the Christmas tree tradition are another example of the intermingling of pagan traditions with religious holidays.
One of [...] Read More »
The Yule Log and La Bûche de Noël
At Christmas time, people all over France and Belgium serve the “Bûche de Noël” – a cake shaped and decorated to look like a tree trunk. In Anglo-Saxon cultures, many people still burn a “yule log” in their fireplace at Christmas. There is even a television station in New York that shows a [...] Read More »
Lucyfest: Santa Lucia’s Festival
On December 13th, one of the shortest, darkest days of winter, Sweden celebrates Lucyfest, in honor of Saint Lucia, the Queen of Lights, in a festival that also has roots in Italy, Germany and Norway. Traditionally, each village had its own Santa Lucia: a young woman, dressed in a white gown, wearing a red [...] Read More »
Yuletide: The Viking Origins of Santa Claus
The word “yuletide,” referring to the Christmas season, was passed to the British through the Vikings. The word originated with the Viking god Odin, whose persona associated with the month of December was Jul, and the month of December was called “Jultid.” The Vikings believed that Odin would come to earth during the [...] Read More »
St. Nicholas Day: Open Presents on December 6!
December 6 is Saint Nicholas Day, celebrated with various traditions in many European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland. In Holland and the Flemish-speaking parts of Belgium, the morning of December 6 is the day that children receive presents, rather than Christmas Eve [...] Read More »
Make a Matchbox Advent Calendar
Advent Calendars are used to count down the days in December leading up to Christmas. This matchbox version is easy to make if you have the materials, and can be re-used year after year.
Materials: Christmas fabric or paper, cardboard, 25 matchboxes, foil or other decorated paper to wrap the matchboxes, string to hang [...] Read More »
Two Easy Ways to Make an Advent Calendar
Advent Calendars are used to count down the days in December leading up to Christmas. Here are two easy and quick ways to make your own Advent calendar:
Make a Paper Chain Advent Calendar:
Create a paper chain with 25 loops, creating each loop with a strip of paper that you can decorate with seasonal [...] Read More »
St. Andrew’s Day: Scotland’s National Day
November 30 is St. Andrew’s Day in Scotland. St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, and it is celebrated as Scotland’s National Day. St Andrew is credited with spreading the gospel to Romania, Greece and Russia, and is also the patron saint of those countries. St. Andrew is also said to [...] Read More »
Advent: The Season of Preparing for Christmas
Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and ends on the 24th of December, Christmas Eve. The name “Advent” comes from the Latin “Adventus,” which refers to the “coming” of the Savior. It is the beginning of the year in the Christian liturgical calendar.
It is a season rich with traditions in both [...] Read More »
