Christmas around the world Millions of children around the world are familiar with plump and jolly Santa Claus, much loved of North America, with his red suit, black boots and twinkling eyes. He arrives Christmas Eve bearing gifts from the North Pole in a sleigh pulled by reindeer. Other countries have their own native gift bearers of the holiday season as well.

Christmas Customs Christmas around the world: In Italy, children receive gifts from the good witch La Befana, old, bent and dressed in black. La Befana was a widowed, childless woman when the Three Kings passed on their way to see the Christ child. When they asked her the way to Bethlehem she was busy cleaning and sent them away. Realizing her mistake, she left to search for the Baby Jesus. To this day she is still searching going from house to house on Epiphany, January 6, leaving a gift for good children. Russian children await gifts from Babouska, a farmer's wife who offered food and shelter to the Three Wise men on their journey to Bethlehem, Baboushka declined their offer of travelling with them to visit the Christ child. Realizing her error on the eve of Epiphany, she tried unsuccessfully to find them, but handed the presents she had intended for the infant Jesus to children she passed along the way. In Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico and South America, the Three Kings or Wise Men bring Christmas gifts to children, while in France children eagerly await the coming of Father Christmas or Pere Noel who brings their gifts. In some cultures, Saint Nicholas travels with an assistant. The old bishop Sinterklass arrives in Holland on December 6 in his red bishop's costume astride a white horse. In many port towns, he is said to have sailed in on a ship from Spain. Beside him walks Black Peter with a black sack and a book recording each Dutch child's behavior through the year. Good children receive a gift from the bishop while bad children may be carried away in Black Peter's sack.

In Germany Saint Nicholas also travels with a helper, known as Knecht Ruprecht, Krampus, or Pelzebock, and comes with a sack on his back and a rod or switches in his hand. Saint Nicholas gives gifts to good children, while those who have been bad are punished by the assistant with a few hits of a switch. Swedish children wait for the gnome Jultomten, also called Julemanden or Julenisse, who dresses in red and carries a sack of gifts on his back. He flies in his sleigh pulled by the Julbocker, the goats of Thor, the god of thunder. Elves, called the Juul Nisse, hide in the attics of families throughout the year, eagerly waiting to help him. Children leave bowls of milk or rice pudding in the attic for the elves, hoping they will be empty in the morning. In Austria and Switzerland it is Christkindl or the Christ Child who arrives bearing gifts. In some towns children await the Holy Child and in others Christkindl is a beautiful girl-angel who comes down from heaven bearing gifts. And in England a thinner version of Santa Claus known as Father Christmas, wearing long red robes with sprigs of holly in his hair, delivers gifts to children.

Boxing Day

It is celebrated on 26th December.
Visit this link for more information about it: http://www.projectbritain.com/Xmas/boxingday.html

CHRISTMAS IN GREAT BRITAIN.

If you want to know about how the British celebrate Christmas, visit the following link:
http://projectbritain.com/Xmas/index.html

Christmas Wishes.

What about making your own wishes for this festivity? Here you have some examples:
You can add YOUR OWN CHRISTMAS WISH.

I wish all sick people get well soon.

I wish for peace.

I wish Santa visits all children.

I wish to see my family at Christmas.

I wish everyone is happy at Christmas.

I wish to share a delicious Christmas meal with my family.

I wish to relax with family and friends at Christmas.

I wish all homeless people have somewhere warm to sleep at Christmas.

I wish everyone a very happy New Year.

CHRISTMAS.

Practise this Christmas quiz and you will check your knowledge about it:
 

CHRISTMAS QUIZ

Choose the correct option:

1. The Christmas tree is a tradition from ....... a. Holland b. Greece c. Germany	2. Santa’s means of transport is the ……… a. reindeer b. sledge c. slide	3. Tom Smith invented Christmas ………… a. cards b. crackers c. pudding	4. Where does Santa live? a. In Finland b. In England c. In Iceland
5. Santa’s most popular reindeer is called……… a. Randall b. Rundolph c. Rudolph	6. People kiss under ……….. a. holly b. poinsettia c. mistletoe	7. ……….. help Santa to prepare children’s toys. a. wizards b. elves c. trolls	8. Boxing Day is on ……… a. 25th December b. 24th December c. 26th December
9. Poinsettias are native to………… a. Mexico b. Australia c. Scotland	10. Christmas songs are called………. a. carrots b. carrols c. carols	11. King cakes are   eaten on ……… a. Twelfth Night b. Twelfth Day c. St Nicholas Day	12. Some people put  a ………… on the door. a. tinsel b. garland c. wreath
13. This is a ………… a. sweet cane b. candy cane c. sweet-toothed	14.  People usually eat ……… on Christmas Day. a. chicken b.  duck c. turkey	15.  There are noisy parties on………… a.  Epiphany b.  New Year’s Eve c. Christmas Eve	16. The abbreviation  Xmas is of ……… origin. a. Greek b.  Italian c. German
17. About a billion...... are sent in the UK every year. a. Christmas letters b. Christmas messages c. Christmas cards	18. 12 …… are eaten on New Year’s Eve. a. olives b. m&m c. grapes	19. People usually drink a toast to the New Year with ........ a. wine b. champagne c. cider	20. A ………  is put in Christmas puddings to bring luck to the person that finds it. a. gold coin b. bronze c. silver coin