Finnish people like Christians of other nationality spend the maximum time in decorating Christmas tree on the Eve of Christmas. Visiting sauna and listening to the national broadcast of the program ‘Peace of Christmas’ on the Radio are few other popular activities in Finland. Lavish Christmas dinner includes snowy and fluffy boiled codfish garnished with creamy sauce, fresh ham, boiled vegetables and boiled potatoes. Several Finnish people prefer roast suckling pig in the main course. In Finland, there is an interesting tradition among labor class and other low social class of people. Peasants put up a pole in the garden. On the top of the pole, they place a bushel of grain decorated with nuts and seeds to feed the birds. Most interesting part is the peasants do not take their Christmas dinner until the birds have eaten nuts and seeds. Finnish people eagerly await Santa Claus to receive gifts, sweets and candies.
Popular name for Christmas in France is Noel, which is derived from a French phrase “Les Bonnes Nouvelles” meaning ‘Good News”. Beautifully lit and decorated Churches and Cathedrals with jingles of chimes and bells from the Church make a wonderful sight. Children hang their stockings over the doors or place their shoes by the fireplace in anticipation of receiving presents from Jesus, Le Petit. Children in the Northern region of France believe in the fairy-tale that Santa Claus visits them on 6 December, St. Nicholas day. In Southern France, farmers consider burning a log of wood as a good omen for the forthcoming harvest.
Influenced by this tradition, mainstream society also keeps a burning log in their house as a symbol of good luck right from the Eve of Christmas to New Year Day. French dinner usually consists of poultry, ham, salads, fruits, cake and famous French wines like Champagne, Muscadet, and Anjou. Little variations in main dishes can be observed in different regions. For example, in Paris, Oyster is famous and in Burgundy, turkey stuffed with chestnuts is popular. After midnight mass on the Christmas Eve, French people enjoy late night supper called as ‘Le Reveillon’. Traditional cake ‘Buche De Noel’ or Yule log shaped Christmas cake is the main component of late supper. In Paris and Lyons, annual puppet shows are held during Christmas season. It is worth visiting big departmental stores and malls in France during Christmas for excellent window-shopping.
Christmas, Il Natale or ‘The Birthday’ in Italy, commences at least eight days before Christmas. ‘Novena’, as the name goes runs for about three weeks when children dressed as shepherds visit neighborhood singing Christmas poems and playing pipes in anticipation of gifts or money for buying sweets and toys. Presepio, the Nativity scene, features miniature idols and artifacts of the Holy family carved out from clay and plaster. Cenone, Christmas Eve dinner, goes with baked or fried eel as the main component, besides fish or pork or turkey, depending upon the region. Penettone is a traditional Italian Christmas sweet that is rich in almonds and nuts. As a legend goes in Italy, ‘La Bafan’, au ugly looking old woman or a witch riding on a broomstick visits the house to deliver gifts and sweets to nice children and coal to bad children. Children hang around until January 6, Epiphany Day, to receive presents and sweets.
Norway is considered as the origin of Yule log traditions, which gave birth to log-shaped cakes stuffed with cheese and other dried fruits. Even in the present generations, Norwegian people go out in the forest to fetch their genuine Christmas tree, which are presented to the children after nice decoration. In Norway, there is a sort of unique ritual. All the family members and guests form a chain with their hands around the decorated Christmas tree and sing carols while dancing around the Christmas tree. Gifts are distributed only after this ceremony is over.