2. A French Christmas presents
● In some parts of France, Christmas comes early when
Father Christmas, brings small gifts for children on
December 6th, the feast day of Saint-Nicolas
● In other parts of the country, children place their shoes
by the fire and wake up on Christmas Day to find them
filled with presents from Father Christmas and small
toys hanging on the tree.
● While they all open their Christmas presents, les
Cadeaux de Noël on this day, not all parents do -
some are patient and wait until New Year's Eve, la
Saint-Sylvestre, which is more of an adult celebration.
3. Food and Drink
● After Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve people gather
at home or in a restaurant for a feast called le
réveillon.
● This usually consists of oysters, les huîtres, snails, les
escargots, seafood, les fruits de mer, smoked salmon,
saumon fumé or le caviar as a starter, followed by
goose, l'oie, or some other roasted bird for the main
course, all washed down with wine.
4. A French Carol -Vive le Vent
Vive le vent, vive le
vent, vive le vent d'hiver
Qui s'en va, sifflant,
soufflant
Dans les grands sapins
verts, Oh !
Vive le temps, vive le
temps, vive le temps
d'hiver
Qui rappelle aux vieux
enfants
Leurs souvenirs d'hier !
Sur le long chemin
Tout blanc de neige
blanche
Un vieux monsieur
s'avance
Avec sa canne dans la
main
Et tout là-haut le vent
Qui siffle dans les
branches
Lui souffle la romance
qu'il chantait petit enfant
6. An Italian Christmas presents
● Most Italians open their presents on Christmas Day morning or
after lunch, although some wait until Epiphany, on January 6th.
It's traditional for children to receive a long socks full of sweets,
if they’ve been good, but they’re filled with coal which is made
of black sugar, if they’ve been bad.
● Traditionally, it's not Santa Claus but the kind witch, La Befana,
who brings the gifts and sweets. It’s thought she followed the
wise men but got lost and has been wandering ever since,
handing out presents to children at Christmas.
● In Venice and Mantova, it’s Santa Lucia who brings the
presents, while in some regions it’s Baby Jesus, Gesu'
Bambino, who bears the gifts. But nowadays, 90% of Italians
also believe in Santa Claus or Father Christmas, Babbo Natale.
7. Food and Drink
● he essence of Christmas Day in Italy is family, love and food,
Italian festive food varies from region to region, although there
are some common dishes. In the Italian Catholic tradition,
Christmas Eve is a day of abstinence from meat so a
celebratory banquet frequently features fish In Rome and
southern Italy, a dish made with fried eels is a firm favourite.
After dinner, Italians head off for midnight mass.
● Lunch on Christmas Day is the most important of all the
Christmas feasts and is a lengthy affair.
● Delicacies such as crostini with liver pâté or the classic tortellini
in chicken stock, while lo zampone, a pig's foot filled with spiced
mince meat, or il cotechino, a sausage made from pig's
intestines containing a similar filling, are particularly popular in
northern Italy.
8. Food and Drink
● Sweet-toothed Italians indulge in desserts such as nougat, il
torrone, and a light Milanese cake filled with candied fruit and
raisins, called il panettone. The main, traditional cake is gold
bread, il pandoro.
9. An Italian Carol -Astro del Ciel
Astro del ciel, Pargol divin,
mite Agnello Redentor!
Tu che i Vati da lungi
sognar, tu che angeliche
voci nunziar,
luce dona alle genti, pace
infondi nei cuor!
luce dona alle genti, pace
infondi nei cuor!
Astro del ciel, Pargol divin,
mite Agnello Redentor!
Tu di stirpe regale decor, Tu
virgineo, mistico fior,
luce dona alle genti, pace
infondi nei cuor!
Luce dona alle genti, pace
infondi nei cuor!
Astro del ciel, Pargol divin,
mite Agnello Redentor!
Tu disceso a scontare
l'error, Tu sol nato a parlare
d'amor,
luce dona alle genti, pace
infondi nei cuor!
Luce dona alle genti, pace
infondi nei cuor!
11. A German Christmas presents
● Christmas starts early in Germany. On the night of
December 5th-6th, Nikolaustag, St. Nicholas Day, children
leave their shoes or boots outside the front door.
● That night, Santa Claus, , visits and fills them with
chocolates, oranges and nuts if they’ve been good.
Nikolaus also has a sidekick, in the form of his servant
Knecht Ruprecht, who leaves bundles of twigs in the
shoes if the children have been naughty and are listed in
his ‘black book’.
● In some parts of the country, it’s believed the Christ Child,
das Christkind sends a messenger on Christmas Eve, an
angel in a white robe and crown, bearing gifts. There's also
a figure called der Weihnachtsmann, who looks like Santa
Claus and also brings presents.
12. A German Christmas presents
● In some homes, it's traditional for parents to prepare a
room for Christmas and then lock it up. A bell is rung
as a signal for children to enter the room where they
are delighted to find the tree lit up with presents
awaiting them underneath it. There are also fruit, nuts,
marzipan, chocolate and biscuits to eat, carols are
sung, the Christmas story is read and children open
their presents. This magical event, for many families,
takes place on the afternoon of Christmas Eve, before
attending mass at 4pm, returning home at 6pm to eat,
read the Christmas story and then open their presents.
13. Food and Drink
● The German Christmas tree pastry, das
Christbaumgebäck, is a white dough which is moulded
into shapes and baked to make tree decorations.
● On Christmas Eve, there's an evening feast, generally
of carp and potato salad.
● On Christmas Day the family tucks into suckling pig or
roasted goose, white sausage, macaroni salad, and
regional dishes, der Christstollen, long loaves of bread
with nuts, raisins, lemon and dried fruit, der
Lebkuchen, ginger spice cookies, das Marzipan and
der Dresdner Stollen, a moist, heavy bread filled with
fruit and marzipan.
14. A German Carol -Stille Nacht
Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Alles schläft; einsam
wacht,
nur das traute heilige Paar.
Holder Knab' im lockigem
Haar,
schlaf in himmlischer Ruh,
schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht
Lieb' aus deinem
göttlichem Mund,
da schlägt uns die rettende
Stund.
Jesus in deiner Geburt!
Jesus in deiner Geburt!
