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How Christmas is celebrated: a few examples from around the world

Published on 25/12/2023

The Christmas holiday is celebrated on 25 December. It is the day on which Christians believe Jesus Christ was born and it is a tradition that is celebrated with great enthusiasm every year. The tradition of exchanging gifts at Christmas dates back to the Roman Saturnalia. The Romans gave gifts to each other and decorated their houses with evergreens and lights.

The history of St. Nicholas is an amalgam of many different stories and myths. One theory is that he was a Christian bishop who shared his wealth with the poor and helped children the night before Christmas. Another theory is that he was a holy man in medieval Europe who disguised himself to hand out sweets to children in winter. The origin of Father Christmas remains a mystery: there are many hypotheses about who he really is.

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  1. Christmas in England
  2. Christmas in France
  3. Christmas in Portugal
  4. Christmas in Germany

Christmas in England

English people have their own Christmas traditions and customs. Many of these are shared with other cultures that celebrate Christmas, but others are unique to the country. Some of the most important aspects of the English Christmas are family gatherings, festive food and the exchange of gifts, as is done in many areas of the world. What is the most popular food eaten during the Christmas season? Turkey is one of the most popular dishes and Christmas pudding is the star dessert. English Christmas carols are very popular, and many of them have been translated into other languages such as Spanish or Italian.

Christmas in France

The French New Year is one of the most celebrated national holidays in France. It is a day of celebration and family, a day to feel close to friends and relatives.

The New Year's Eve dinner in France is one of the most important meals of the year. The menu usually includes oysters, foie gras, champagne, lobster and other seafood dishes, but France has a very diverse Christmas gastronomy.

France is a very large country bordering other countries such as Germany and Italy, as well as sharing a large part of Spain. These regions have diverse Christmas customs. This has influenced the Christmas carols, which tell the stories of these very specific areas. For example, the whole of France's border with Germany is culturally rich. In this region, the restaurants go all out at Christmas and offer cuisine from both areas, and menus are translated from German. To ensure the best experience, restaurant owners entrust this task to a translation agency in order to achieve a good result. There is no doubt that a translation company knows how to give the right feel and the right meaning to a menu.

Christmas in Portugal

Christmas in Portugal is a festive season celebrated with family and friends. The Portuguese love to give gifts to their loved ones, decorate their houses with lights and Christmas trees, and enjoy traditional dishes such as bolo de rei (king's cake) and pastel de nata (cream cake). The Portuguese also have a tradition of celebrating Three Kings Day. This day is on 6 January, which is the day on which the Three Wise Men are believed to have visited the baby Jesus. They brought gifts for the baby Jesus from afar: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Portugal shares many borders with Spain, so in the border areas there is a mixture of Portuguese and Spanish traditions.

Christmas in Germany

German Christmas traditions are a mixture of pagan, Catholic and Protestant customs. The season begins on 1 December with the celebration of Advent. In Germany, Advent is celebrated with the arrival of Christkind, the Christ Child, who is said to visit every house in the country during this time. Children traditionally hang up their stockings on Christmas Eve, and expect them to be filled with presents from Father Christmas or Christkind in the morning.

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Virginia Pacheco's picture
Virginia Pacheco

Blog writer and Community Manager interested in multiculturality and linguistic diversity. From her native Venezuela, she has travelled and lived for many years in France, Germany, Cameroon and Spain, passing on her passion for writing and her intercultural experiences.

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