This document provides an overview of Christmas traditions around the world including in Greece, Spain and the Philippines. It also discusses the origins of Santa Claus and the candy cane. Recipes are provided for roast turkey, Christmas pudding, trifle and gingerbread along with instructions for making each. The most popular Christmas presents and a conclusion about the digital Christmas story are also mentioned.

1. By: Katrina Miranda
(Awesome Kat)
4/5 stars

2.  Introduction- pg 1
 Different ways to celebrate Christmas- pg2
 Christmas foods- pg 9
 Where Santa originated- pg 21
 Where the Candy Cane originated- pg 22
 Most wanted presents!- pg 23
 The Digital Christmas Story- pg 24
 Conclusion- pg 25
 Bibliography- pg 26

3. Don’t we all love Christmas? Whether it’s getting
all the presents or the succulent tender turkey
waiting there on the table or just gathering with
your family on this special day, everyone LOVES
Christmas!
Here, I will show you different ways people
celebrate Christmas around the world, popular
Christmas foods (and how to make them!),
where Santa and the Candy Cane originated,
most wanted Christmas presents and something
cool.
Enjoy!
The Editor: Katrina Miranda

4.  A traditional Greek Christmas:
Expecting Santa? Don’t! Santa Claus with his red
coat, deep laughter and endless sack full of toys,
is a North-American invention from the mid-
nineteenth century and has nothing to do with
the Greek traditions.
Children did receive gifts but on New Years eve
offcourse it wasn’t Santa who brought them but
Saint Basil the Great, the powerful bishop of
Caesarea, a Greek City on the coast of the Black
Sea in the fourth century. He was born in a
wealthy family but preferred to give his
possessions to the poor. He loved and protected
children.

5. On the Morning of Christmas Eve, children in
groups, go from door to door, asking “Shall
we sing them?” When the housewife
approves they mostly sing the most popular
carols which goes like this:
Good Evening, Lords
If it’s your bidding
Of the Christ’s divine birth
I shall tell in your mansion
Christ is being born today
In the town of Bethlehem
Heavens rejoice
The whole creation delights (continued..)

6. This still happens in every big city in Greece.
Children sing the carols then are rewarded with
money and sweets and run to the next house. In
order to gather as many treats as they can get.
A traditional Spanish Christmas:
Balthazar, who rides a donkey, is the one believed to
deliver the gifts. Christmas Eve is known as
Nochebeuna. It is a time for families to gather to
rejoice and feast around the Nativity Scenes that
are set up on almost every home.

7. A traditional Christmas treat is a turrόn, a type
of almond candy. The children of Spain
receive presents at the feast of Epiphany. Los
Tres Reyes Magos (The Magi) are particularly
admired in Spain. It is thought that they
travel to the countryside re-enacting their
journey to Bethlehem at this time.

8. A traditional Filipino Christmas:
The Philippines is known for having the world’s
longest Christmas season. The four months that
end with the syllable-ber are considered the
Christmas season. The Parol is a Christmas
lantern, commonly in the shape of a star. Almost
every family either builds or buys one to hang on
the window or door. Shopping centres construct
giant versions.

9.  On Christmas Eve (Bisperas ng Pasko), a few Filipino towns
commemorate Joseph and Mary’s search for a place to stay
with a re-enactment called panunuluyan.
What every Filipino looks forward to is Noche Buena, the
grand family dinner after the midnight mass. Christmas
morning is the time for visiting relatives. Filipinos wear
new if not their best clothes. Children do mano, which is
kissing or bringing to their forehead the hand of an elderly
person. This is when they receive their pamasko, certainly
aguinaldo from godfathers and godmothers. Christmas
lunch and Christmas dinner are with family.

10. Here I will show you how to make the following
dishes:
 Roast Turkey!
 Christmas Pudding!
 Trifle!
 Gingerbread !
I hope you don’t get too hungry!!

11. SORRY!
The recipe for this will take to much space (12
pages or so) So here is the link:
http://www.taste.com.au/how+to/articles/77
4/how+to+cook+a+turkey

12.  INGREDIENTS:
 500 g / 1 lb currants
 500 g / 1 lb raisins
 500 g / 1 1b golden raisins
 500 g / 1 lb bread crumbs
 500 g / 1 lb brown sugar
 250 g / 8 oz suet – get it from a butcher; if you can't find it, substitute with solid vegetable
shortening
 120 g / 4 oz mixed peel
 120 g / 4 oz glace cherries, chopped
 120 g / 4 oz almonds, chopped
 grated rind of 1 lemon
 grated rind of 1 orange
 1 carrot, grated
 1 apple, grated
 1 Tbsp flour
 1 tsp mixed spice (pudding spice) – it's a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, and
sometimes includes mace, cloves, ginger, coriander, caraway, and/or Cayenne pepper; you can
mix your own to taste.
 6 eggs
 300 ml / 10fl oz Guinness
 a pinch of salt
 a knob of butter, for greasing

13. 1. Mix the dry ingredients, into the large bowl,
put the following: raisins, golden raisins,
currants, breadcrumbs, suet, brown sugar,
mixed peel, grated carrot, glace cherries,
lemon peel, orange peel, chopped almonds,
mixed spice, flour, grated apple and the pinch
of salt.
2. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
3. Beat the eggs. Crack all six eggs into a bowl
and beat them lightly with a fork.

14. 4. Add the eggs and Guinness.
Pour the eggs and Guinness
over the dry mix.
5. Grease the bowl. Coat the inside of the
glass bowl with the knob of butter.
6. Transfer. Put the pudding mix into the
bowl, pressing it down lightly and giving a
final pat to make it level.
7. Cover and seal. Place the circular piece of
parchment paper over the mix, and gently
press it down and around the edges.

15. 8. Make a Bain Marie. Place the bowl into the saucepan.
9. Cook the pudding. Place the saucepan onto a high heat
and bring the water to a boil. Once it is boiling, turn it
down to a gentle simmer and allow to simmer for roughly 4
hours.
10. Remove the pudding from the heat after this time. Take
off the tin foil.
11. Serve. Your Christmas pudding is now ready to serve!
FINISHING PRODUCT!

16.  INGREDIENTS:
 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple
 3 medium firm bananas, sliced
 1 jar (10 ounces) red maraschino cherries
 1 jar (6 ounces) green maraschino cherries
 3-1/2 cups eggnog, chilled
 2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding
mix
 1 prepared angel food cake (8 to 10 ounces), cut into
1-inch cubes
 1 carton (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

17. 1. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Dip bananas in juice;
drain and discard juice. Set aside
pineapple, bananas, three red cherries and three green
cherries. In a bowl, whisk the eggnog and pudding mixes
for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.
2. Place half of the pudding in a 4-qt. serving or trifle
bowl; layer with half of the bananas, pineapple.
cherries, cake cubes and whipped topping. Repeat
layers. Garnish with walnuts and reserved
cherries. Yield: 16-20 servings
FINISHING PRODUCT!

18.  INGREDIENTS:
 Melted butter, to grease
 125g butter, at room temperature
 100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
 125ml (1/2 cup) golden syrup
 1 egg, separated
 375g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour
 1 tbs ground ginger
 1 tsp mixed spice
 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
 Plain flour, to dust
 150g (1 cup) pure icing sugar, sifted
 8-10 drops red liquid food colouring
 8-10 drops green liquid food colouring
 Smarties, to decorate

19. 1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush 2 baking trays with melted butter to
lightly grease.
2. Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale
and creamy. Add the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat until
combined. Stir in the flour, ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate of
soda. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Press
dough into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for
30 minutes to rest.
3. Meanwhile, place egg white in a clean, dry bowl. Use an electric
beater to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add icing sugar and
beat until stiff peaks form. Divide icing among 3 bowls. Cover 1 bowl
with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Add red colouring to 1 bowl
and stir until combined. Add green colouring to remaining bowl and
stir until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.
4. Place the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out until
about 4mm thick. Use a 9cm gingerbread man cutter to cut out
shapes. Place on trays about 3cm apart. Repeat with any excess dough.

20. 5. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until brown.
Remove from oven. Transfer to a rack to cool.
6. Place prepared icings in small plastic bags. Cut
a small hole in a corner of each bag. Pipe icing
over gingerbread men to decorate. Finish with
Smarties
FINISHING PRODUCT!

21. Santa Claus came from the Christian priest,
Saint Nicholas who’s name later was
pronounced as ‘Sinter Klass’ then ‘Santa
Klass’ and then was settled to the name we
know as ‘Santa Claus’. A famous story about
Saint Nicholas is about a poor man who
could not give any money to his three
daughters on their weddings. Saint Nicholas
dropped bags of gold into the stockings that
the girls hung by the fire to dry. They found
the gold and ever since, children have hung
up stockings hoping to receive presents on
Christmas.

22. Here is one of the explanations of the origin of the Candy
Cane: 200 years ago when children were loud and crazy
and would not pay attention at the Nativity Scene at the
church, Cologne Cathedral.
This was very upsetting to the pastor, so he came up with
the idea to give them long white sugar sticks. He bent
them into the shape of a shepherd's cane. The children
would be quiet, because they would be licking the canes
at the Nativity Scene.
By 1900, candy canes started looking like the ones we eat
today . They had red stripes and peppermint flavouring.

23.  Here are the most wanted Christmas presents 2011:
The Apple iPod Touch 4th Generation, Apple iPad 2, Xbox
360 Kinect Console and the Playstation Move are the most
frequently asked for Christmas presents for 2011.

24.  P.SWant to see something AWESOME????
 Just click this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkHNNPM7
pJA

25. SO THERE’S ONLY ONE THING LEFT TO SAY:
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
AND HAVE A NICE DAY!!

26. http://www.squidoo.com/greek-
christmas-traditions
http://www.ompersonal.com.ar/omchrist
mas2/christmas.htm
http://tagaloglang.com/Filipino-
Culture/Holiday-Celebrations/filipino-
christmas-traditions.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-
Christmas-Pudding
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/C
hristmas-Trifle
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/9761/g
ingerbread+men