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.
Sure, Santa needs refreshment, but what about his reindeer? Children love animals, and they are not about to forget Santa’s little helpers on the big night. Kids from Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States leave a carrot to give those reindeer an extra “boost of energy”. The children who follow the Dutch custom of sinterklass go a bit further…they also leave some hay with a carrot. Placed in a shoe before going to bed, it is replaced by a gift.
Another tradition that has become popular in the United States is the reading of the book “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clark Moore (or similar tale about Santa Claus). Other families watch a Christmas-related video or television show, like: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas or Frosty the Snowman. Singing Santa Claus songs such as Up on the Housetop, Here Comes Santa Claus, or Santa Claus is Coming to Town are also very popular.
On Christmas Eve, children all around the world will put their stockings on the mantel. They are full of anticipation that St. Nick will soon be here, and will fill their stocking with gifts, candy, and “other goodies”. Next they will look up the chimney to make sure that the “Big Guy” has not arrived yet. They will take a glance out the window to see if they can see a passing sleigh, and then perhaps unlock the front door (just in case Santa has problems getting down the chimney). With all the prep work done, it’s time to go off to bed…
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…
Want to find out more about Christmas, then visit Emily Latimer’s site on how to choose the best Christmas gifts for those special people on your list.
