“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
5th 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.
