The night before Christmas, Christmas Eve, is a very magical and special time of the year. Children are "wide-eyed" with anticipation on what tomorrow will bring. They have been waiting for this time of the year for a long, long time, and it is finally here. Christmas Eve traditions differ in various countries around the world, and in this article we will be exploring some of these traditions.
This big night has been a long time in the planning. Santa and his little helpers have been working tirelessly throughout the year to get ready for just this moment. Taking all these gifts around the world to all the good boys and girls can work up quite the appetite. Children to the rescue. They understand that Santa needs nourishment to complete such a huge task, so they leave him a little something to keep him going. Kids from Britain and the United States will leave out a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. British and Australian children prefer to leave mince pies and sherry. Hoping to satisfy Santa's love of chocolate, kids from Sweden will leave brownies.
Now that Santa has been fed, attention must be turned to the reindeer. After all, who can pull a sleigh full of Christmas presents around the world and not work up a big appetite? Children to the rescue one more time. Kids from Canada, Australia, Britain, and the United States leave a carrot to help give Santa's reindeer a "bit of a push" as they span the globe. Children who follow the Dutch custom of sinterklass go a bit further. They will leave a carrot and some hay in a shoe. When they wake up the next morning it will be replaced by a gift.
Reading books and watching television or videos have become a Christmas Eve tradition as well. One popular book is "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clark Moore. Popular videos are: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, A Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, or Frosty the Snowman. For those who like to sing Christmas Carols, popular titles are: Here Comes Santa Claus, Up on the Housetop, or Santa Claus is Coming to Town.
Just before they nod off to bed, children around the world put their stockings on mantels (i.e.: In hopes that St. Nick will soon be here). They anticipate them being filled by Santa Claus with all kinds of goodies...ready for consumption the next morning. They will take a quick look up the chimney to make sure nobody has arrived yet, and take a quick glance out the window to see any movement in the sky, and sometimes even leave the front door unlocked (i.e.: In case Santa has problems with the chimney).
Parents have their part to play in Christmas Eve as well. There are a lot of gifts that need to be placed under the tree, and they will often be signed "From Santa" or "Love Santa".
Did you enjoy this little tour of "The Night Before Christmas"? Christmas Eve is certainly a magical time of year...but we are not done yet. In future articles we will be exploring more aspects of Christmas, so stay tuned... - 31409
This big night has been a long time in the planning. Santa and his little helpers have been working tirelessly throughout the year to get ready for just this moment. Taking all these gifts around the world to all the good boys and girls can work up quite the appetite. Children to the rescue. They understand that Santa needs nourishment to complete such a huge task, so they leave him a little something to keep him going. Kids from Britain and the United States will leave out a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. British and Australian children prefer to leave mince pies and sherry. Hoping to satisfy Santa's love of chocolate, kids from Sweden will leave brownies.
Now that Santa has been fed, attention must be turned to the reindeer. After all, who can pull a sleigh full of Christmas presents around the world and not work up a big appetite? Children to the rescue one more time. Kids from Canada, Australia, Britain, and the United States leave a carrot to help give Santa's reindeer a "bit of a push" as they span the globe. Children who follow the Dutch custom of sinterklass go a bit further. They will leave a carrot and some hay in a shoe. When they wake up the next morning it will be replaced by a gift.
Reading books and watching television or videos have become a Christmas Eve tradition as well. One popular book is "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clark Moore. Popular videos are: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, A Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, or Frosty the Snowman. For those who like to sing Christmas Carols, popular titles are: Here Comes Santa Claus, Up on the Housetop, or Santa Claus is Coming to Town.
Just before they nod off to bed, children around the world put their stockings on mantels (i.e.: In hopes that St. Nick will soon be here). They anticipate them being filled by Santa Claus with all kinds of goodies...ready for consumption the next morning. They will take a quick look up the chimney to make sure nobody has arrived yet, and take a quick glance out the window to see any movement in the sky, and sometimes even leave the front door unlocked (i.e.: In case Santa has problems with the chimney).
Parents have their part to play in Christmas Eve as well. There are a lot of gifts that need to be placed under the tree, and they will often be signed "From Santa" or "Love Santa".
Did you enjoy this little tour of "The Night Before Christmas"? Christmas Eve is certainly a magical time of year...but we are not done yet. In future articles we will be exploring more aspects of Christmas, so stay tuned... - 31409
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