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CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD
Category: Christmas

CHRISTMAS IN GERMANY


Germans love to decorate their houses at Christmas. Many houses have little wooden frames with electric candles in the windows, and coloured pictures of paper or plastic which look beautiful from the outside at night. German people often have an 'Adventskranz' - a wreath of leaves with four candles. (Advent - is the 4 week period before Christmas). On each Sunday of Advent, one more candle is lit. Most homes have little wooden 'cribs' - a small model of the stable where Jesus was born, with Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, and animals. Father Christmas - 'Der Weihnachtsmann' - brings presents in the late afternoon of Christmas Eve (December 24th), people find their presents under the Christmas tree when they come back home from a church meeting. TOne person in the family rings a bell and calls everyone to come to the room. On Christmas Day, German families eat fish or goose.

CHRISTMAS IN CATALONIA
Catalonia has its own unique traditions over the Christmas period and perhaps one of the most unusual is the so called Caga Tió. Politely translated, this means "empty your bowels" and is, in reality, a little log with a face drawn on one end and wearing a red peasant hat called a barratina. On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, depending on each particular household, the Tio - the log - sits in the living room covered with a blanket. After dinner on Christmas Eve or after lunch on Christmas Day children hit the Tio with a stick while singing a song that orders Caga Tió to loosen his bowels and let drop the presents. To see this tradition in full you can visit Sant Vicenç de Castelleton the 18th December where the festival of the Caga Tio is held. The ceremony begins at 5pm in the town square where you can also watch a human nativity scene and traditional dancing.

INTERESTING LINKS FOR CHRISTMAS TIME
How to say MERRY CHRISTMAS in 120 different languages

The Official Website of Santa Claus

The Best Christmas Recipes

Read the most fascinating Christmas Stories

E-mail Christmas Cards to your Friends