What traditions do you have during the Christmas season in your country?

We celebrate a spanglish Xmas, my children do regular Xmas on Dec 25 and Noche Buena, we do Los tres Reyes and Spanish Xmas in January

In Ukraine (like in many other Eastern-European countries where Orthodox Church is common) we celebrate Christmas on 6/7th of January. In fact, it is rather celebrated by people who attend Church on a regular basis and generally believe in God. However, many people would greet one another with 'Merry Christmas' or more traditionally - 'Jesus Christ is born', and the answer would be 'May he be blessed' (not exact translation, admittedly). 

Most common one is to put round fruits in the table to attract financial abundance. My sister used to do it but not me though.  

My family's not big on celebrations -- we rarely even celebrate birthdays. We go all out during Christmas though. It's...a season of giving for us so we all go overboard with the gifts :)

There's no one way to celebrate Christmas here. We go to church on the 25th, put on nice clothes and there's usually food in abundance. Fried rice and chicken with salad is usually main dish of the day. We also visit friends and family too.

Charlyn wrote:

Most common one is to put round fruits in the table to attract financial abundance. My sister used to do it but not me though. :slightly_smiling_face:

I thought this is for new year because we usually do that before New Year's eve. :slightly_smiling_face:

In my country we gather the 24 to wait until midnight and then we have a big dinner and exchange gifts. There is a lot of music and parties. I remember one of my favorites traditions growing up were Las Posadas, where kids will dress as shepards and there will be a representation of Mary and Joseph. And they will go from house to house singing and asking for a place to stay just like the story of the Nativity.  

In the month of December everything is more joyful, full of lights, decorations, music and more importantly the union of the families.

Jade.Xuereb wrote:

We celebrate a spanglish Xmas, my children do regular Xmas on Dec 25 and Noche Buena, we do Los tres Reyes and Spanish Xmas in January

what is Los Tres Reyes?

Vladyslava wrote:

In Ukraine (like in many other Eastern-European countries where Orthodox Church is common) we celebrate Christmas on 6/7th of January. In fact, it is rather celebrated by people who attend Church on a regular basis and generally believe in God. However, many people would greet one another with 'Merry Christmas' or more traditionally - 'Jesus Christ is born', and the answer would be 'May he be blessed' (not exact translation, admittedly).

Do you celebrate new year in your country?

Charlyn wrote:

Most common one is to put round fruits in the table to attract financial abundance. My sister used to do it but not me though. :slightly_smiling_face:

yeah, during new year, right? :blush:

Ari wrote:

In my country we gather the 24 to wait until midnight and then we have a big dinner and exchange gifts. There is a lot of music and parties. I remember one of my favorites traditions growing up were Las Posadas, where kids will dress as shepards and there will be a representation of Mary and Joseph. And they will go from house to house singing and asking for a place to stay just like the story of the Nativity.
In the month of December everything is more joyful, full of lights, decorations, music and more importantly the union of the families.

oh, seems like noche buena..

Los tres Reyes is the night the three kings (wise men mago magos etc ) come to visit the children they throw sweets in the streets as they parade around for the nightcabalgata then go to the church to give outgifts tieachchild in the village. Every town has a cabalgata celebration here is a video for Madrid ,my town only has 509 people do ours is smaller but the kids love it https://youtu.be/CNtONuVe-Hs

I can't embed maybe Leo can edit for me ? 

My mom used to do the round fruits thing too. I think you have to have lie 12 different round fruits, right? She stopped eventually because the fruits always end up uneaten. :P

ikaymoreno wrote:

My mom used to do the round fruits thing too. I think you have to have lie 12 different round fruits, right? She stopped eventually because the fruits always end up uneaten. :P

I think it needs to be 13 fruits.

Ari wrote:

In my country we gather the 24 to wait until midnight and then we have a big dinner and exchange gifts. There is a lot of music and parties. I remember one of my favorites traditions growing up were Las Posadas, where kids will dress as shepards and there will be a representation of Mary and Joseph. And they will go from house to house singing and asking for a place to stay just like the story of the Nativity.
In the month of December everything is more joyful, full of lights, decorations, music and more importantly the union of the families.

I think that we latinos have a lot of things in common xD.... 

In my country there are two options:

- People go to 11-12AM mass to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus.

- People party and drink and wait till 12AM to hug everyone, have dinner and give presents. Then they keep partying.

We eat hallacas (like mexican tamales with european and african heritage), pan de jamon (ham bread - with olives and raisins), pernil (pork) and ensalada de gallina (hen salad with potatoes)

On new years eve we have a tradition, we wait till 12AM and we eat 12 grapes and each one represents a wish :)

We do 12 grapesat midnight for new year too

Jess.PWinkler wrote:

Ari wrote:

In my country we gather the 24 to wait until midnight and then we have a big dinner and exchange gifts. There is a lot of music and parties. I remember one of my favorites traditions growing up were Las Posadas, where kids will dress as shepards and there will be a representation of Mary and Joseph. And they will go from house to house singing and asking for a place to stay just like the story of the Nativity.
In the month of December everything is more joyful, full of lights, decorations, music and more importantly the union of the families.

I think that we latinos have a lot of things in common xD....
In my country there are two options:
- People go to 11-12AM mass to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus.
- People party and drink and wait till 12AM to hug everyone, have dinner and give presents. Then they keep partying.
We eat hallacas (like mexican tamales with european and african heritage), pan de jamon (ham bread - with olives and raisins), pernil (pork) and ensalada de gallina (hen salad with potatoes)
On new years eve we have a tradition, we wait till 12AM and we eat 12 grapes and each one represents a wish :)

Why grapes? Is there a reason behind?

Michelle.Batan wrote:

Why grapes? Is there a reason behind?

I have no idea :o

My wife makes tacos for Christmas. ^__^ We have a whole big pile of fixings and boxes of hardshells and we just keep going back and making more like a buffet. Awesome sauce.