Chtistmas Around the World

Lithuania Almost everyone in Lithuania has a Christmas tree in their home. Christmas music includes "Linksmu sventu Kaledu" (We Wish You A Merry Christmas) and "Tyli naktis" (Silent Night). One Lithuanian folk song for Christmas is "Kaledu ryta" which means "On the Morning of Christmas." The gift-bringer is called Kaledu senis or "Father Christmas." When gifts were brought for New Year the same character was called Senis Saltis what would mean Father Frost. Kucios or Christmas Eve is a more important day in Lithuania than Christmas Day. In the evening on Christmas Eve families gathers together and have a big dinner with 12 special dishes. It's necessary to have 12 dishes because they represent the 12 months of the year. All dishes must be without fat, milk, butter and meat, because it’s the last day of fasting. Usually people make dishes with fish (especially herring), grains, green peas, and mushrooms. It is necessary to have some jelly. The main dish for Kucios is kuciukai – little cookies made from paste with yeast. They are eaten with milk made from poppy seeds. On Christmas day, it is an old Lithuanian tradition to eat some meat and some cakes. You can eat whatever you want because the fasting is over. Christmas Eve legends and traditions claim that the water in wells becomes wine at midnight and animals can talk. If you are able to taste the water when it changes to wine, it is said that you will be lucky throughout the year. Many of the legends and mysterious tales come from the days when Lithuania was a pagan country. Estonia Christmas time is still the most important holiday celebrated in Estonia. For Estonians, Christmas is a mixture of the traditional, the modern, the secular, and the religious. Like in other Nordic states, Estonia's celebration of Christmas mostly falls on Christmas Eve, however Christmas season starts in Advent with people buying Advent calendars or lighting Advent candles. In Estonian folk-tradition Christmas has a double meaning: on one hand, it is marking Christ's birth, on the other, it marks the whole period of mid-winter holidays. In Estonia Christmas with it's simple and pagan character of the festivities, the magic and mysticism combine with the sacred and spiritual. In earlier times, the tradition of making special Christmas crowns, imitating the church chandeliers, was widespread among the Estonians. The tradition disappeared around the turn of the century and was replaced by other Christmas symbols however, there was a revival of the ancient tradition in 1970s when it became very popular to make Christmas crowns once more. Each year on December 24 the President of Estonia declares Christmas Peace and attends a Christmas service. Declaring a Christmas Peace is a 350 year old tradition which began in the seventeenth century by order of Queen Kristina of Sweden. Poland On Christmas Eve, so important is the first star of the night that it has been given the affectionate name of "little star" or Gwiazdka, in remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem. On that night, all watch the sky anxiously, hoping to be the first to cry out, "The star!" The moment the star appears, everyone exchanges greetings and good wishes. Families unite for the most carefully planned meal of the year, Wigilia, the Christmas supper. The Wigilia derives its name from the Latin word vigilare which means to watch or keep vigil. Wigilia is a family feast and it's considered back luck to entertain a guest on this sacred night. In some places an empty place setting is left at the table for the Infant Jesus. Traditionally, there is no meat served during Wigilia. Still, the meal is plentiful and luxurious. It begins with the breaking of the Oplatek, a semi-transparent wafer of unleavened dough, stamped with scenes of the nativity. Everyone at the table breaks off a piece and eats it as a symbol of their unity with Christ. Custom prescribes that the number of dishes in the meal be odd, nine or eleven. An even number would eliminate any hope of an increase in wealth, children or anything desirable. Though the dishes vary between regions, certain items are found almost everywhere. Poppy seed cake, beet soup, prune dumplings and noodles with poppy seed are universally Polish. Often there is a compote of twelve fruits in honor of the Apostles. The remainder of the evening is given to stories and songs around the Christmas tree. It is decorated with nuts, apples and ornaments made from eggshells, colored paper, straw, and hand blown glass baubles. In areas of the country, children are taught that "The Little Star" brings the gifts. As presents are wrapped, carolers may walk from house to house, receiving treats along the way. Midnight finds many families Pasterka, the Shepherd's Mass. In the days leading up to Christmas, Szopka creche competitions are held in Crakow's Market Square. The elaborate and colorful Szopka are constructed to resemble the local architecture and they take hundreds of hours and great patience to complete. It's considered a great honor to be selected for the first prize. Russia St. Nicholas is especially popular in Russia. The legend is that the 11th-century Prince Vladimir traveled to Constantinople to be baptized, and returned with stories of miracles performed by St. Nicholas of Myra. Since then many Eastern Orthodox Churches have been named for the saint, and to this day, Nicholas is one of the most common names for Russian boys. Most Christian Russians belong to the Eastern Orthodox Church, and it is customary to fast until after the first church service on January 6, Christmas Eve. The church in Russia still uses the old Julian calendar, therefore their Christmas celebration is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar that we use. Christmas Eve dinner is meatless but festive. The most important ingredient is a special porridge called kutya. It is made of wheat berries or other grains which symbolize hope and immortality, and honey and poppy seeds which ensure happiness, success, and untroubled rest. A ceremony involving the blessing of the home is frequently observed. The kutya is eaten from a common dish to symbolize unity. Some families used to throw a spoonful of kutya up to the ceiling. According to tradition, if the kutya stuck, there would be a plentiful honey harvest. For many Russians, a return to religion represents a return to their old roots and their old culture. Throughout Russia, after Christmas Eve services, people carrying candles, torches, and homemade lanterns parade around the church, just as their grandparents and great-grandparents did long ago. The Krestny Khod procession is led by the highest-ranking member of the Russian Orthodox Church. After the procession completes its circle around the church, the congregation reenters and they sing several carols and hymns before going home for a late Christmas Eve dinner. Holidays Are Coming! >>>