Christmas Blog

To celebrate a French style Christmas is to observe it with family and friends, surrounded by children and by exchanging gifts and good wishes. It is marked by generosity, family reunions, candy for children and gifts for the poor. Midnight Mass is now very sparsely attended but is still regarded as important. Christmas trees (sapins de noël) are popular and they believe in the Yule log or the Christmas log. Read more »

To celebrate a Russian style Christmas might require you to adjust to observing the event more as a winter festival rather than a religious one. Russian Orthodox Christmas takes place on January 7th and the celebration lasts six days. Read more »

To celebrate an Indian style Christmas you must be prepared for a coming together of two extremely diverse cultures and traditions. Not only do the Indians celebrate the birth of the Lord with total panache, they have lent the whole festival a local color in true indomitable Indian style. Read more »

To celebrate a Swiss style Christmas you must begin your festivities almost a month in advance, on December 6th, with the feast of St. Nicholas. At dusk on this day a procession of men (lifeltrager ) goes walking through the towns and cities wearing gigantic illuminated lanterns in the shape of a Bishop’s mitre on their heads. Read more »

To celebrate an English style Christmas means enjoying beautiful and melodious Christmas music, hanging evergreens, lilting carol singing and ornamented Christmas trees. Christmas, for the English, is a truly magical season bringing friends and families together, to share the love and affection of the season with each other. Read more »

To celebrate Christmas in the Holy Land you must travel to Bethlehem, by the end of December, along with other pilgrims who make this journey for the same purpose i.e. celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ at His place of birth. Read more »

For many of us Christmas is the reason and season to get far away from the madding crowd to the cooler climes of ski slopes. Hit the slopes in Christmas with one of the many amazing offers, choosing from a wide selection of accommodation and resorts in France, Austria, Italy, Andorra and more. Read more »

To celebrate an Italian style Christmas you must start celebrating at Novena that falls eight days before Christmas. During the holiday season, in the villages, the shepherds play musical instruments and sing Christmas songs. Children get together in groups and dress up as shepherds. They go from door to door playing pipes, reciting Christmas poems and singing Christmas songs. Read more »

To celebrate a Polish style Christmas you must start preparations four Sundays before because, in Poland, Advent is an important season in which special church services known as ‘Rororaty’ are held every morning at 6 am. Read more »

In Japan Christmas is celebrated more as a holiday period full of fun and frolic; therefore, to celebrate a Japanese style Christmas you must be prepared for the unconventional. Read more »