Christmas traditions vary from country to country.

Christmas celebrations for many

nations include the installing and lighting of Christmas trees, the hanging of Advent
wreaths, Christmas stockings, candy canes, setting out cookies and milk, and the
creation of Nativity scenesdepicting the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas carols may
be sung and stories told about such figures as the Baby Jesus, St Nicholas, Santa
Claus, Father Christmas, Christkind or Grandfather Frost. The sending and exchange
of Christmas card greetings, observance of fasting and special religious observances
such as a midnight Mass or Vespers on Christmas Eve, the burning of a Yule log, and
the giving and receiving of presents. Along with Easter, Christmas is one of the most
important periods on the Christian calendar, and is often closely connected to other
holidays at this time of year, such as Advent, the Feast of the Immaculate
Conception, St Nicholas Day, St. Stephen's Day, New Year's, and the Feast of the
Epiphany.[1]
 Christmas traditions in UK

• In the United Kingdom Christmas decorations are put up in shops and

town centres from early November. Many towns and cities have a public
event involving a local or regional celebrity to mark the switching on of
Christmas lights. Decorations in people's homes are commonly put up
from early December, traditionally including a Christmas tree, cards,
and lights both inside and outside the home.

• Every year, Norway donates a giant Christmas tree for the British to
raise in Trafalgar Square as a thank you for helping during the Second
World War. Christmas carolers at Trafalgar Square in London sing
around the tree on various evenings up until Christmas Eve and
Christmas decorations are traditionally left up until the evening of
January 5 (the night before Epiphany); it is considered bad luck to have
Christmas decorations up after this date. In practice, many Christmas
traditions, such as the playing of Christmas music, largely stop after
Christmas Day.
• Mince Pies are traditionally sold during the festive season and are a popular food for
Christmas. It is common in many UK households for children and adults to put up advent
calendars in their homes, which may either contain chocolates or Christmas scenes behind their
doors.

• A common feature of the Christmas season is the Nativity play which is practiced in most
primary and some secondary schools across the UK. This practice is becoming less common, and
Christmas pantomimes may be performed instead.Midnight Mass is also celebrated by
Anglicans, Catholics, and other denominations, and services take place in nearly all Church of
England parishes on Christmas Eve.

• On Christmas Eve, presents are supposedly delivered in stockings [119] and under the Christmas
tree by Father Christmas, who previously had been something like The Ghost of Christmas
Present in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843), but who has now become mainly
conflated with Santa Claus. The two names are now used interchangeably and are equally
known to British people, though some distinctive features still remain. Many families tell their
children stories about Father Christmas and his reindeer. One tradition is to put out a plate of
carrots for the reindeer, and mince pies and sherry for Father Christmas to help him on his
way.
• Christmas in Scotland was traditionally observed very quietly, because the Church of Scotland –
a Presbyterian Church – for various reasons never placed much emphasis on the Christmas
festival; although in Catholic areas people would attend Midnight Mass or early morning Mass
before going to work.[135] This tradition derives from the Church of Scotland's origins including St
Columba's monastic tradition, under which every day is God's day and there is none more special
than another. (Thus Good Friday is not an official public holiday in Scotland.); [136][137] the Kirk and
the state being closely linked in Scotland during the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern
period. Christmas Day was commonly a normal working day in Scotland until the 1960s, and even
into the 1970s in some areas. [138] The New Year's Eve festivity, Hogmanay, was by far the largest
celebration in Scotland. The gift-giving, public holidays and feasting associated with mid-winter
were traditionally held between December 11 and January 6. However, since the 1980s, the fading
of the Church's influence and the increased influences from the rest of the UK and elsewhere,
Christmas and its related festivities are now nearly on a par with Hogmanay and "Ne'erday". The
capital city of Edinburgh now has a traditional German Christmas market from late November
until Christmas Eve and on the first Sunday in Advent a nativity scene is blessed by the Cardinal
Archbishop in the main square. [139] On Christmas Day, people sometimes make big bonfires and
dance around them to the playing of bagpipes. Bannock cakes made of oatmeal are traditionally
eaten at Christmas.
 Christmas traditions in U.S.A

• Christmas is a widely celebrated festive holiday in the United States, [55] and
Christmas Day is officially recognized as a federal holiday by the US Government.
The Christmas and holiday season begins around the end of November with a major
shopping kickoff on Black Friday, the day after the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving,
though Christmas decorations and music playing in stores sometimes extend into
the period between Halloween and Thanksgiving.
• Many schools and businesses are closed during the period between Christmas and
the New Year's Day holiday, which is a time commonly used to spend time with
family and close friends, return unwanted gifts at stores, and shop after-Christmas
sales. Most decorations are taken down by New Years or Epiphany. Other
observances considered part of the season (and potentially included in non-
denominational holiday greetings like "Happy Holidays") include Hanukkah, Yule,
Epiphany, Kwanzaa, and winter solstice celebrations.
• Christmas Eve is popularly described as "the night before Christmas" in the poem actually
titled "A Visit from St. Nicholas". Better known as Santa Claus, he is said to visit homes while
children are sleeping during the night before Christmas morning. The fireplaces in many
homes have been replaced by electric fireplaces, but the yule log has remained a
tradition. Christmas stockings are hung on the mantelpiece for Santa Claus to fill with little
gifts ("stocking stuffers"). It is tradition throughout the United States for children to leave a
glass of milk and plate of Christmas cookies for Santa Claus nearby.[56]
• Presents the family will exchange are wrapped and placed near the tree, including presents to
be given to pets.[57] Friends exchange wrapped presents and tell each other not to open
presents before Christmas. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, siblings and occasionally
guests from out of town are entertained in the home or else visited.
• Wrapped presents are most commonly opened on the morning of Christmas Day; however,
some families choose to open all or some of their presents on Christmas Eve, depending on
evolving family traditions, logistics, and the age of the children involved; for example, adults
might open their presents on Christmas Eve and minor children on Christmas morning, or
everyone might open their gifts on Christmas morning. Others follow the tradition of opening
family-exchanged gifts on Christmas Eve night, followed by opening of the presents Santa
brought on Christmas morning. Children are normally allowed to play with their new toys
and games afterwards
 Christmas Traditions in Romania

• Christmas (Romanian: Crăciun) in Romania is on December 25 and is generally considered the

second most important religious Romanian holiday after Easter. In Moldova, although
Christmas is celebrated on December 25 like in Romania, January 7 is also recognized as
an official holiday. Celebrations begin with the decoration of the Christmas tree during
daytime on December 24, and in the evening (Christmas Eve, in Romanian: Ajunul
Crăciunului) Moş Crăciun (Father Christmas) delivers the presents.
• The singing of carols is a very important part of Romanian Christmas festivities. On the first
day of Christmas, many carolers walk through the streets of the towns and villages, holding a
star made of cardboard and paper on which are depicted various scenes from the Bible.
Romanian tradition has the smallest children going from house to house, singing carols and
reciting poems and legends during the whole Christmas season. The leader of the group carries
with him a star made of wood, covered with metal foil and decorated with bells and coloured
ribbons. An image of the Nativity is painted on the star's centre, and this piece of handiwork is
attached to the end of a broom or other long stick.
• Romanian food served during the holidays is a hearty multi-coursed meal, most of which
consists of pork (organs, muscle, and fat). This is mainly a symbolic gesture for St. Ignatius of
Antioch.
 Writers :

• Ichim Cosmin Daniel (Coord.,50%)

• Daniel Grosu (25%)

• Martinescu Cosmin (25%)