Christmas around the world

[WebLady]

I found some interesting little tib bits online and thought I would share ...

Different countries and regions of the world have different traditional ornaments. Among them are:

Sweden - This Scandinavian country uses straw ornaments and animals on their trees
Brazil - Since Christmas comes in the summer in South America, Brazilians use small bits of cotton on their trees to simulate snow.
Germany - The Germans still excel in decorating their Christmas trees. In addition to the universal decorations, candles and gingerbread men are often found the tree.
Nigeria - This African country typically uses ornaments made from palm frounds.
Philippines - Instead of a star, this Asian island nation puts Santa Claus at the top of their trees.
Poland - Polish Christmas trees are traditionally decorated with shiny apples, walnuts, candles, and silver-wrapped chocolate shapes.
Japan - The small number of Christians in Japan decorate their trees with elaborate and colorful origami folded paper birds and animals.
*Source (http://christmas.lovetoknow.com/Christmas_Ornament)

Feel free to add your own or others you've heard of to this list :)

[acidcookie]

In Germany Christmas is a very big holiday and I love being there during the holidays. Most towns have a huge Weihnachtsmarkt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_market) outside where they sell gifts, food, and people drink Glühwein which is a hot spiced wine, like mulled wine:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2233/2126809489_092d033406.jpg?v=0 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rene-germany/2126809489/)

Here's a pic I took a few years ago of one of the huge decorations:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/77/156143311_6f33c8d8e2.jpg?v=0 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/acidcookie/156143311/)

We always decorated our windows with Weihnachststerne, those snowflakes you make by folding paper and cutting out designs.

Also, we don't have Santa like here in the U.S., but celebrate Papa Noel. Earlier in December we leave out our shoes and they get filled with treats. I think this is where stockings came from.

Advent calendars are huge, where you get a piece of chocolate from the calendar each December day until Christmas. Also, lebkuchen (sort of a German gingerbread, with more spice and less sweet).

There, Christmas events happen on Chrismas Eve (like gift opening, family dinner, etc.) and by Christmas morning people are just recovering ;)

Oh Christmas there is just a dream, it goes so well with the old classic buildings and everything.

[EarlyBird]

italians celebrate mostly on christmas eve. it starts with a 7 fish dinner.
they also have some sort of traditions surrounding the manger that night (many families do different things to honor this tradition, some keep an unlit manger and then light it the night of the eve, some act it out that night etc)
also, in italian families the christmas holiday lasts until jan 6. three kings day i believe. on this day is when the kids get treats etc and in the new times, its when the decorations can start coming down.