The document describes some Christmas traditions in several European countries, including: - The Czech Republic celebrates on December 24th, eating carp or other fish, potato salad, and white sausages. Families may go to midnight mass and exchange gifts from Ježíšek. - Poland celebrates on December 24th with a supper of 12 dishes including beetroot or mushroom soup, carp, potatoes, and mushrooms. They look for the first star to start the meal and share opłatek wafers. Gifts are from Dzieciątko or Gwiazdor. - Italy celebrates on December 25th, eating roast meat, tortellini, and cotechino. They

2. Country open
presents on...
Christmas dinner go to church have for
dessert
Christmas
traditions
who brings
presents
The Czech
Republic
24th
December
carp or other
fish, potato salad
white sausages,
vienna staek for
those who don´t
like fish
not many
families
this year
there was
carol
singing in
the main
square at
midnight
Christmas
biscuits
cut apples to
see a star,
pour lead into
water, throw a
slipper
Ježíšek- Jesus
baby

3. Poland 24th
December
in Poland we
especially
celebrate
Christmas Eve
supper I(it is said
there should be
12 dishes,
including beetro
ot soup or
mushroom soup,
carp or other fish,
potatoes,
cabbage,
mushrooms and
sweets); we
traditionally don’t
eat meat on this
day but then we
have meat for
Christmas dinner
many
families,
especially
for Midnight
mass on
24th
December
various
dishes with
poppy (eg.
makówki or
kutia),
gingerbread
cakes and
other sweets
look for the
first star on the
sky to start
Christmas Eve
supper, this
supper begins
with sharig
‘opłatek” while
saying wishes
to other people
gathered
around the
table; leaving
one empty
plate for an
unexpected
guest
“Dzieciątko” -
Baby Jesus; in
some regions it’s
a person called
Gwiazdor

4. Italy 25th
December
morning
on 24th Dec.-
Feast of the
Seven Fishes
La Vagilia
On 25th Dec.
roast meat and
potatoes,
tortellini,
lo zampone -
the skin of the
lower pig leg,
il cotechino -
pig's foot
stuffed with
spiced minced
meat
go to church-
then drink hot
chocolate,
open presents
Christmas
cake
Pandoro
Panettone
Presepe-
The Nativity
scene
Urn of Fate
Zampognar
i and
Pifferai:
Bagpipers
and flute
players
dressed
with
traditional
costumes
entertain
the people
Babbo Natale,/
Father Christmas/
La Befana- an old
witch

5. Spain 25th
December
morning /
6th January
morning
(Spanish
tradition)
Special soup
with “galets”
and cannelloni.
Only some
families go to
mass at
Midnight on
24th
December.
Most people
stay at home
and sing
Christmas
songs.
We have
two
traditional
specialities:
“turrones”
or nougat
(confection
typically
made of
honey,
sugar, egg
white with
toasted
almonds or
other nuts)
and
“polvorones
” (Spanish
shortbread
made of
flour, sugar,
milk and
nuts).
After lunch,
there’s a
Catalan
tradition
called
“Caga Tió”.
Young
children hit
a tree trunk
in the
shape of an
animal,
with a stick
and some
small
presents,
usually
sweets,
appear
under it.
Father
Christmas on
25th December
/ The Three
Wise Men on
6th January.

6. Slovenia 25th
December
pork
potica
or grilled
turkey
mulled wine,
eggnog
Holiday Raisin
Bread (Sarkelj)
go to church Potica Slovene
people
speak of
three
Christmases
: the real
one and two
little
Christmases
(on New
Year's Day
and the
Three
Kings). On
these days,
every family
burned
incense and
the smoke
brought
magic power
and, at the
same time,
expelled
demons.
Christmas is
thus a truly
hallowed
and magical
time.
Baby Jesus or
Santa Claus
after new Years
day-
Grandfather or
Father frost
In every family
they have the
Nativity scene in
the corner

7. Croatia 25th
December
(after
midnight)
Christmas Eve
dinner:fish
(carp, cod),
octopus salad,
calamari.
On Christmas
Day we eat
pork, potatoes,
different
salads, sarma,
cookies...
yes;
midnight
mass,
childern’s
midnight
mass (u
sually at 6
o’clock on
24th Dec.)
Christmas
cookies,
women
usually do a
lot of
different
sorts (I
made 8
different
sorts of
cookies :)
the oldest
member of
the family
brings
Christmas
into the
house
baby Jesus, or
Santa Claus

8. Norway 24th
December
pork ribs-
svineribbe,
cranberries,
sauerkraut
lutefisk -cod
pinnekjøtt-
dried lamb
ribs
drink-
alcohol,
home made
Chrismas
beer
they sing
around
the
Christmas
tree and
dance,
go to
church-
Christmas
concert
sweet rice
porridge- with
raspberry or
current souce,
gingebread-
pepperkaker
Christmas
biscuits
flags on
the
Christma
s tree,
presents
have two
names-
the
person
who
gives the
present
and the
one who
is the
present
for,
a little dwarf
called-
Julenissen
brings the
presents,
children leave
rice porridge
in front of the
house for him