DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

    If you are looking to spend Christmas in Spain you may want to plan on spending a month there because Christmas in Spain is a very religious holiday which starts on the 8th of December and celebrations last until the 6th of January.  The  festivities for Christmas in Spain start on December 8th, which is also a national holiday in Spain, celebrating "Immaculada"...the feast of the Immaculate Conception.  In  Sevilla (Seville), one celebration is the "Dance of the Six" and in Caceres the young children of the town dress in jeweled clothing and holds a figure of the Virgin Mary as high in the air as they can run through the streets.    In Spain, Christmas Eve is known as "Nochebuena" , meaning the Good Night .  It is a huge candlelight celebration which consists of a magnificent feast and going to mass at midnight.  One of the most beautiful masses is the Mass of the Rooster, held at a mountain monastery at Montserrat, the boys cho...

   When Virginia O'Hanlon, an 8 year old girl from New York City, sent a letter addressed to the newspaper The Sun in 1897, she asked a very simple question: "Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?"  In what must have been a surprise to her, the question was answered quite frankly.  After calling out Virginia's "little friends" for doubting the existence of Santa Claus and being clouded by an age of skepticism, the writer of the article, Francis Pharcelius Church, replied, "Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus".    Today, children all over the world are still asking the same question as Virgina did.  So who exactly is this Santa Claus guy, and why would he cause so much skepticism among boys and girls?  Is he some kind of magical figure?  How could one person cause so much excitement, doubt and even concern?    This Santa Claus guy appears to be pretty secretive about his operations.  Along with Mrs. Claus, elves...

    Why is Christmas in Poland such a wonderful opportunity to learn about a rich country's religious traditions???  Because Poland has many terrific ways to celebrate Christmas, from the simple to the elaborate.  Like most of Europe, Poland's history as a Christian country stretches back across the ages.  The Polish people have always taken great pride in their religious fervor, and a a result, many beautiful churches (and many wonderful traditions) have been attributed to Polish Christianity.  Christmas, in particular, is a Polish favorite.  Whether you have the good fortune to spend the Christmas season in Poland or you'd just like to do some arm-chair traveling to this beautiful country, here are some Polish Christmas traditions that may or may not have caught your eye.    SAY IT IN POLISH: MERRY CHRISTMAS !!  Different words, same meaning:  If you want to say "Merry Christmas" like they say it in Poland, try p...

   In Norway,  Christmas festivities start on the last Sunday in November, or the last Sunday that ends up the 4th Sunday before the 24th.    Almost everyone has a four armed chandelier with 4 candles in it.  Every Sunday a candle is lit, while they say a little verse as they light it.  This is what really gets Norwegians into the Christmas spirit early.    From December 1st to the 24th, there are Christmas calendars on the t.v.  These shows have 24 episodes, and there are shows for both children and adults.  Every day leading up to Christmas, another space in the calendar is opened as another episode airs.  The finale happens on December 24th, Christmas day.     On the 23rd, the Christmas tree is brought in and gets decorated.  The presents are then put in front of the tree for opening the following day.  A stocking is hung up for the kids as they wake up on the 24th, and usually they also ge...

   Why is Rudolph's nose red???     It's no wonder Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer is the most famous member of Santa's team...on top of being a skilled flyer, his nose, as his name suggests, glows bright red.  This unusual variation on the reindeer nasal prominence could have all kinds of benefits, the most important of which would involve guiding Santa's sleigh.    According to folklore, if the weather's ever bad on Christmas Eve, Santa's cleared for flight by the FAA, for that matter...thanks to the brightness of Rudolph's nose.    But how does Rudolph's nose actually work?  How could one reindeer create a light bright enough to lead a sleigh through darkness and inclement weather?  And how could a reindeer actually develop a red nose?    Although no one may ever know for sure just how Rudolph got his unusual nose, I have what could be the most logical explanation for how the doe-eyed deer guides Santa's sleig...

   Imagine a white robed angel whose face is delicately hidden by a veil, held in place by a jeweled crown, walking into your families Christmas gift exchange.  The glow of the candles on the tree enshroud his form with a beautiful orange glow, as he enters and hands out presents from the basket held by his child helpers.  A bit different from a traditional American Santa stories, this Swiss traditional story of the Christkindli is a well-known tradition in Switzerland.  Most Swiss children eagerly await the arrival of the Christ Child in his reindeer drawn sleigh to come bearing gifts for everyone.    For the week preceding Christmas, kids in Switzerland dress up and visit others bearing small gifts.  Bell ringing competitions between villages to call people to midnight mass have become common traditions, as have the gathering after the service for families to share giant homemade donuts (ringli) and hot chocolate.    Because ...

    Christmas begins early in Germany with the season of advent.  Starting 4 weeks before the big day, a wreath made of fir tree branches, or holly or other greens, is laid on a table.  There are 4 candles placed around the wreath and one is lit each Sunday of Advent.  A little bit about Advent, since it is an important part of the season.  It begins on the 4th Sunday before Christmas Day, the Sunday nearest November 30th, and ends on Christmas Eve.  If Christmas Eve is a Sunday, it is counted as the 4th Sunday of Advent.  Advent is a time of fasting and prayer, leading up to the Christmas Eve feast.  There is a special tradition for children during Advent, too.  It is the Advent calender.  It is made up of 24 windows, one to be opened each day of Advent.  In most of the Advent calendars, there is a picture to be revealed each day, but the more elaborate ones can hide little presents or candy treats.     The m...