Christmas In France - Joyeux Noel!

Christmas is celebrated on December 25th in France, but other Christmas celebrations take place throughout the month. In some areas Christmas begins on December 6th, which is la fete de Saint Nicolas. In Lyon, December 8th, la fete de lumieres, is a day to pay homage to the virgin Mary by placing candles in window sills. Also, like Italians, some French celebrate Epiphany...but they celebrate this day on January 1st. (Around the world pick a day and call it Christmas...)

Christmas Eve, the actual Eve of Christmas being December 24th, families traditionally attend la Messe de Minuit, a Catholic midnight mass. After mass there is a large feast known as le Reveillon. Food served might be goose, oysters, turkey, or chicken. It varies by region.

Children put shoes in front of the fireplace that will be filled with gifts from Pere Noel. They will also wake to find that the Christmas tree (sapin de noel in French) has been covered with small toys, fruit, and candy. Naughty children might get a visit from Pere Fouettard, who dishes out spankings instead of toys.

The French too put much emphasis on nativity scenes and reenactments. Plays and puppet shows are used to teach the lessons of Christianity and the meaning behind Christmas. There may also be mistletoe and a yule log, which is burned from Christmas Even until the new year. Or eaten. Sometimes a real yule log is replaced by a cake that resembled a log.

So, Joyeux Noel everyone!

Christmas in Italy - Buon Natale!

Christmas in Italy is celebrated from Christmas Eve to January 6th, the day known as Epiphany. Epiphany is the day that the Three Wise Men arrived to meet and give gifts to Baby Jesus, and is the Italian's main day of celebration.

On the eve of Epiphany children are visited by La Befana. The legend of La Befana tells that the wise men stopped at an old woman's shack to ask for directions, and invited her to come along. She declined, also declining the invitation of a shepherd. Later in the night, when she saw the star in the sky she decided to find the manger. She gathered toys that had belonged to her deceased child and set out, but she got lost and never was able to find the Baby in the manger. La Befana still looks for Baby Jesus, filling children's stockings with toys as she searches. Most interestingly, La Befana is portrayed as an old witch who flies on a broomstick. Halloween meets Christmas.

Although La Befana and the Epiphany are still the most popular traditions, gift-giving on Christmas is also gaining popularity. Toys on Christmas Eve are delivered by Babbo Natale, Santa Claus. Christmas Eve is celebrated with a usually meatless dinner, or in the case of Naples fish is served. Nativity scenes are a main focus of Christmas celebration and decoration, and a live nativity is often held on Christmas Eve, along with bonfires in the main squares.Christmas trees are also becoming popular in Italy. The Guinness Book named the 650 meter (a little over 2,000 feet) tree on Monte Ingino, that is lit up with over 700 lights, "The World's Tallest Christmas Tree."

So, Buon Natale everyone!