This document discusses Christmas traditions in several countries including England, Italy, Japan, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Norway. In England, people decorate their homes in December and Santa Claus delivers presents on Christmas Eve. In Italy, children receive gifts from La Befana. In Japan, white Christmas cards are given instead of red ones. Ukrainians put fake spiders in Christmas trees for good luck. Venezuelans go rollerblading to church on Christmas morning. Norwegians hide brooms to prevent witches from stealing them.

1. Christmas in
England and
around the
world

2. Christmas in England
In England, everything leads up to the 25th
December because this is Christmas Day… the day
everyone is waiting for.
Most people start decorating their homes in
December, with lights, garlands and a Christmas
tree.
Some people get really excited and start preparing
for Christmas in November!

3. Father Christmas, or Santa Claus, comes
on Christmas Eve and brings presents to
all the children who have been good during
the year.
He fills their Christmas stockings, and
sometimes leaves presents under the tree
too.
On Christmas Eve, lots of children leave
something for Santa and his reindeer to
snack on…
Mince pies and
sherry for Santa.
Carrots for the
reindeer!

4. On Christmas Day, everyone
exchanges the gifts from under the
tree.
Christmas dinner is eaten in the
middle of the day, between 1pm
and 3pm, depending on how
organised everything is!

6. In Italy…
The traditional belief for receiving
presents is that the kind old witch, La
Befana, travels the skies on a broom. She
delivers presents to good children and
charcoal, or bags of ashes, to bad
children.

7. In Japan…
Funeral notices are usually printed in
red, so people think it’s bad practice to
give red Christmas cards.
Christmas cards are therefore usually
white, a colour which represents snow
and purity.

8. In Ukraine…
When people decorate their Christmas trees
they put a fake spider and spider web
somewhere in the branches.
The spider is supposed to bring good luck to
the person who finds it on Christmas Day.

9. In Caracas, Venezuela…
On Christmas morning lots
of people go to church on
roller blades!
Some of the areas of the city
even close the roads off so
cars can’t drive where people
are rollerblading.

10. In Norway…
There’s an ancient belief in Norway that
witches and evil spirits come out on
Christmas Eve.
People therefore hide all the
brooms in the house so that
the witches can’t steal them
to ride on!