Category: CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
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 »
Chanukah (Hanukkah or Hanukah), the Jewish Festival of Lights
Chanukah, the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, begins on the evening of Kislev 25, in the 9th month of the Jewish calendar. Similar to other festivals centered around lanterns, candles or lights, the holiday celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and of spirituality over materialism.
At the heart of the festival is the nightly [...] 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 »
Celebrating Birthdays in Chinese Culture
In traditional Chinese cultures, age is based on the Chinese Lunar New Year. Babies are said to be one year old when they are born, and they turn two as soon as they enter the New Year – regardless of how many months ago they were actually born.
Not all birthdays are important in traditional [...] Read More »
Our Lady of Guadalupe: the Virgin Morena, or la Reina de Mexico
December 12 is one of the most important dates in the Mexican calendar: the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico’s patron saint. Thousands of faithful make the pilgrimage to the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City, which houses the cloak of the "Virgen Morena," the "Dark Virgin." Festivals are held all around the [...] 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 »
