Holiday Traditions
What kinds of Christmas traditions does your family follow? While you’re baking cookies or opening flaps on an Advent calendar, kids in other countries around the world are carrying out their own holiday rituals. Let’s visit a few countries to find out what they’re up to.
The Netherlands
The Dutch call their Santa Sinterklaas, or St. Nicholas. He spends the year before Christmas writing in a big red book about the behavior of all the children.
St. Nicholas arrives on Dec. 5 on a big ship from Spain and parades through the streets of Amsterdam. He is dressed as a bishop and rides a white horse. He has a helper called Sooty
Peter.
On the eve of St. Nicholas Day, children put out their shoes filled with hay and carrots for St. Nicholas’ horse. Sooty Peter takes the horse’s food and leaves behind candies and small gifts.
On Dec. 6, kids wake up and find their presents. The Dutch love to disguise their gifts or to hide them in funny places.
France
The French set up their Christmas trees on Christmas Eve. They also go to church, after which they have a late supper. They usually serve a special log-shaped pastry.
Small children place their shoes by the fireplace for Père Noël, or Father Christmas, to fill with candies and gifts.
The French also give each other some gifts on New Year’s Day. On Jan. 6, they celebrate Epiphany, the arrival of the Three Kings who visited the baby Jesus.
Iceland
Iceland’s celebrations begin on Dec. 23, when Icelanders remember St. Thorlakur. They shop and decorate a Christmas tree on this day.
From Dec. 12 to Christmas Eve, magical Jóltide Lads are said to come down from Iceland’s mountains to leave little gifts in children’s shoes and play tricks on people. And legend says that if you don’t wear at least one piece of new clothing on Christmas Day, the Christmas cat will eat you!