“It’s the most wonderful time of the year”- is the most common phrase when Christmas season is near. It’s a time of Love, Peace and Thanksgiving for everyone. Rich or Poor Christmas, will always be special. People buying gifts exchanging them to others or even giving for free. Generally is a time to let out the  money that we’ve been saving for the past days. Besides exchanging gifts, countries like Poland, Russia, Luxembourg, Alaska and Netherland celebrate Christmas in a way that forgetting it would seem impossible.

 

                From cleaning the house through opening the Oplatek , Polish Christmas sure is special. Before Christmas nearly every women are cleaning windows in apartment and houses. It is believed that if a house is dirty on the Christmas eve so shall it be in the next year. It is also part of their custom to leave an empty chair or seat in the table during Christmas, for they believe that during Christmas no one should be left alone. The use of Christmas wafers or otherwise known as Oplatek is a really fine tradition in Poland. Oplatek is a thin wafer made of flour and water. White Oplatek are used in tables while the Colored Oplatek is used as a decoration in the Christmas tree.

 

Ever heard of Father Frost? Well come take a tour in Russia during Christmas and I’m sure you’ll find him. The Russian Santa Claus is named Ded Moroz, or Father Frost. Together with Snegurochka, the Snow Maiden, he brings presents to children to place under the New Year's tree. He carries a staff, wears valenki and is carried across Russia in a troika. Hay is spread on the floors and tables to encourage horse feed to grow in the coming year and people make clucking noises to encourage their hens to lay eggs. Goose and suckling pig is by far the most common and favorite meal during Christmas in Russia.

        

Now Luxembourg maybe small but during Christmas its Cities will glow like tiny stars from above. Most of the people in Luxembourg celebrate Christmas eve with their family and friends, they attend mass or maybe enjoy a supper of black-pudding with mashed potatoes. Don’t think of Clubs Closing during Christmas because in Luxembourg, Clubs and associations also organize Christmas Eve and Christmas Day festivities. There is no Santa Claus in Luxembourg at Christmas time, however "St.Nicolas Day" is celebrated on December 6th.

            Everywhere in the streets of Alaska you can hear people singing “God grant you many years” and “Christ is born”, you can even join them and there might be a chance that you’ll receive a gift.  At the end of the carols the host in the house provides carolers with maple-frosted doughnuts, they also serve cookies, smoked salmon and fish pie. In Alaska Children wonder from house to house to sing carols and give blessings.

 

Sinterklaas or St. Nicholas is widely known in Netherland for his Generosity and kindness that is why people eagerly await the 5^th of December or the St. Nicholas day to celebrate or commemorate it. Children are told that if they are good during the year Sinterklass will visit them and give them presents or candies like Nuts and Chocolate. During Christmas they celebrate it with their families, friends and for some even strangers or poor and homeless. It is also their custom to give the extras you have to those in need. 

All around the globe, people celebrate Christmas with different customs and Traditions but no matter where you go or where you are now Christmas will remain special for all of us Christians. For it is a time for Love and Peace. Thus, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year.