Traditions of Christmas Valeria Petrunina Onik Andryan 11А

The Great Britain You probably know that in the UK Christmas is celebrated on December, 25. And the official opening of the Christmas season is advent. Advent is pre-Christmas post, it begins 4 weeks before Christmas. The first sign of Christmas is advent calendars. These smaller calendars with little doors for the 24 days. Behind them is a picture or a poem dedicated to Christmas. Every day it is allowed to open only one door, which corresponds to the new date. This is how children are counting up to a bright Christmas holiday.

Advent calendars

The Great Britain The English decorated their houses with holly and mistletoe. There is a funny tradition. On the eve of Christmas, men have the right to kiss a girl that accidentally stopped under the decoration of this plant. Nowadays Christmas tree decorated with sweets and multicolored toys and at the top hand a star or fairy.

The Great Britain The traditional Christmas dinner in the UK necessarily include a turkey with potatoes and other vegetables. After dinner, Christmas plum pudding should be a sweet pudding, consisting of a large amount of dried fruit and often watered burning brandy. The main decoration of the Christmas table is the British special cake, on which the fate of guessing. In the ancient custom, into the pie before baking put some subjects which predict events in the coming year. If you came across the ring, it's a wedding, a coin - to wealth, little horseshoe - good luck and good fortune.

Germany December, 24 In the evening everywhere is heard the bell’s sound, that tells about the beginning of the Christmas service. At this time, Christmas Eve, come all - young and old, even those who consider themselves very far from the religious traditions. At Christmas in Germany in the window of every house is burning Christmas candle. Residents of Germany put on the windowsills antique candlesticks and Christmas wreaths with four candles, each of which represents one Sunday of Advent. Every week on Sunday is lit one of the candles. And so four weeks in a row.

Germany The tradition of Christmas dinner: the head of the family rings the bell and calling all to the table. And to the table in Germany as the main festive dish served on Christmas goose or carp and а lso on a table there are a Christmas strudel and gingerbreads with ginger.

Germany On the eve of Christmas Germans celebrate one more remarkable holiday loved by children - a day of Saint Nikolaus - on December 6. Saint Nikolaus in Orthodoxy is Nikolay Ugodnik which holiday in Russia is celebrated on December 19. In Germany on this day it is accepted to turn Saint Nikolaus footwear out for a window or to put it near a fireplace. According to tradition Saint Nikolaus puts in footwear different delicacies, toys and gifts to those who caused a stir within a year in good behavior, and the same who behaved not really well, can find in the footwear dry branches.

Russia History of Christmas in Russia has its roots in the remote past. Most of believers in our country celebrate Orthodox Christmas on Old style on January 7. Parishioners of Catholic church celebrate a holiday on December 25, on New Style. In ancient times such traditions of celebration of Christmas as guessing on the promised, were, perhaps, the most widespread. Each unmarried girl looked forward to this holiday to tell fortunes on the promised - masked. That is why great Russian writers devoted a set of works to this tradition. In them they describe Christmas fortune-telling as something mystical, madly intriguing and even the frightening.

Russia Wax molding was the most widespread Christmas guessing. Slowly pouring out in a basin with water the melted wax, it was possible to receive the most freakish and intricate figures. On them also predicted the future. Our ancestors didn't forget about guessing on a coffee and tea thick, and also on ashes. As for the concept of a holiday, our ancestors perceived it as silent, quiet, family celebration.

Russia According to the tradition the Christmas table in Russia was decorated with 12 dishes. However, it isn't necessary to think that their number included only delicacies or any expensive viands. Fast or vegetarian dishes acted as an entertainment on a Christmas table. Fish which on this day was resolved by church was considered as the biggest chic.

Conclusion In each country of tradition of celebration of Christmas differ from each other but in each of them Christmas is a light and kind holiday which gives new hope and a lot of love.

Thanks for your attention and happy Christmas!!!