Nearly every French home at Christmastime displays a Nativity scene which are called crèche, and is the centerpiece of the Christmas celebration. It’s often decorated with small clay figurines called santons that represent little saints.  Santons are a tradition that’s been handed down through the generations.  They are made by craftsmen in the south of France, and can be purchased during annual Christmas fairs.
The Sapin de Noël, or Christmas tree, is also an important Christmas centerpiece. It is found decorating homes, streets, shops, offices, and factories. It was introduced to France by a German princess called Hélène de Mecklembourg. She brought one to Paris after her marriage to the French heir to the throne, the Duke of Orléans. The idea of the Christmas tree came from Alsace in the 14th century. In those days, people decorated Christmas trees with apples, paper flowers, and ribbons. To the French, the Christmas tree symbolizes light and the movement of angels, the gifts of the orchards and fields, forests and sea. All of these gifts are topped off by the star atop the tree that points to Heaven. 
The French bake a traditional Yule cake in the shape of a log, called the Buche de Nol, meaning Christmas log.  It’s served at the great seasonal feast called the Le Reveillon, a supper served following midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Depending on the region of France, the menu might include goose, turkey, or oysters.
French children receive gifts from Pere Noel who travels with his stern disciplinarian companion Pre Fouettard whose job it is to remind Pere Noel exactly who has behaved that year and who has not. In some parts of France Pere Noel brings small gifts on St. Nicholas Eve, December 6, and visits again on Christmas. In other places it is believed to be Le Petit Jesus, or baby Jesus, who brings the gifts. Adults generally wait until New Year’s Day to exchange gifts.

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Caroling is one of the oldest customs in Great Britain, going back to the Middle Ages when beggars, seeking food, money, or drink, would wander the streets singing holiday songs.

Wandering minstrels traveled from hamlet to castle, performing carols. In later years, villages had their own bands of waits. They were originally watchmen who patrolled the city streets and sang out the time of night each hour. During the holiday season, they would entertain the townspeople with a Christmas song as well.  The term eventually evolved to describe a group of carolers or musicians who sang and performed at numerous locations throughout the city during the holiday season.

Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, was a German native and brought the tradition of the Christmas tree with him when they married. Trafalgar Square is the home of one of the country’s most popular Christmas trees, a large spruce tree which is placed near a statue of Lord Nelson. During World War II when King Haakon of Norway was forced into exile in England during the German occupation of Norway, the Norwegian troops would smuggle a tree past the Germans into England so the King would have a Christmas tree to celebrate the holiday.  Since then, Norway has sent a large Norwegian spruce tree each year as a thank you to the British people.
The English gift giver is called Father Christmas. He wears a long red or green robe, and leaves presents in stockings or pillowcases on Christmas Eve. However, the gifts are not usually opened until the following afternoon.
Another English tradition is called mummering. In the Middle Ages, people called mummers put on masks and acted out Christmas plays. These plays are still performed in towns and villages
The day after Christmas in England is called Boxing Day. Boys would go around town collecting money in clay boxes. When the boxes were full, they broke them open.

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Santa Claus hasn’t always looked like the jolly old fellow we know today. Like so many other American traditions, he’s a product of the great American melting pot - a blend of many different cultures and customs. But the most influential figure in the shaping of who we know now as Santa was a real man, known as St. Nicholas of Myra. He was a fourth century bishop, and is legendary for being generous and kind.

According to one legend, St. Nicholas heard of a farmer who had three daughters of marrying age who could not afford to pay their dowries. Knowing the farmer was too proud to accept an offer of money, he climbed atop their home and tossed three bags of coins down their chimney, each of which landed in a stocking that each girl had washed and hung their by the fire to dry. The next morning when they woke, they found the gift and each went on to marry and live happily ever after. When word of St. Nicholas’ generosity spread, families far and wide hung stockings by their fireplaces and hoped to also receive gifts. 

Because of his wisdom and sensitivity, many groups claimed St. Nicholas as their patron saint. Children, orphans, sailors, and even thieves often prayed to the compassionate saint for guidance and protection, and even entire countries including Russia and Greece, also adopted him as their patron saint, as have students and pawnbrokers. Eventually, the image of the stately saint was transformed onto an almost mystical being, one known for rewarding the good and punishing the bad.

The date of his death, December 6th, was commemorated with an annual feast, which gradually came to mark the beginning of the medieval Christmas season. On St. Nicholas’ Eve, youngsters would set out food for the saint, straw for his horses and schnapps for his attendant. The next morning, obedient children awoke to find their gifts replaced with sweets and toys, found their offering untouched, and might also find a bundle of firewood. When people came to America, they brought the legend of St. Nicholas with them, which evolved into excitedly awaiting his arrival on Christmas Eve.

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Centuries ago many people, especially those of pagan origin, firmly believed by ringing bells they could ward off evil spirits. It was believed at that time that when winter came the evil spirits were very strong because it was so dark and cold, and would harm them and their families. People would have ceremonies and loudly ring bells to drive the bad spirits away while they waited for the warmer days of spring to arrive. They also rang bells to celebrate their bounty following a successful harvest or hunt. It was this tradition of celebration and giving thanks that bells also became known as a symbol for happier times.

Many villages had a large central bell in the middle of town.  When an important occasion arrived, such as Christmas, villagers would ring the bell. It became commonplace for children to ring bells in celebration of Christmas.  Most families had bells back then, and since they were known to be a celebratory sound, most parents didn’t mind their children making a ruckus with their constant bell ringing during the holiday.

Now, people hang bells on their front doors so they’ll ring out cheerfully to announce visiting guests, and children the world over know that Santa’s reindeer wear bells so he can locate them in bad weather or darkness of night. Many popular Christmas carols such as Jingle Bells are a staple song during the holiday season.  We also traditionally ring in the New Year with bells as well.

Today church bells ring throughout the world on Christmas Eve, not to drive off evil spirits, but to welcome in the spirit of Christmas with joyful noise.  In Scandinavia, bells signal the end of work and the beginning of celebration. People in England recognize the tolling of the devil’s knell as the sound that welcomes the birth of Christ, where in Italy and Spain, it signals the beginning of Midnight Mass.

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Christmas shopping for close relatives can be extremely easy in some aspects but it can also be extremely difficult in other aspects. One the one hand shopping for close relatives is simple and a great deal of fun because they are people you really care about and people you know really well. However, on the other hand shopping for close relatives can also be extremely difficult and stressful because there is the added pressure to select Christmas gifts your relatives will really cherish and enjoy. This article will discuss some of the aspects of this Christmas shopping situation to help shoppers find the perfect gift for their loved ones.

Most people really look forward to Christmas shopping for their close relatives. For them this is an opportunity to purchase a gift for a loved one that he or she is sure to enjoy and appreciate. They also look forward to shopping for these close relatives because they know them well and likely have a number of great ideas for what to buy. However, all of these great ideas may turn out to be a source of stress. For example, you may immediately think of five or six great gift ideas for a particular relative. The problem you may encounter is that you think each of the gifts would be absolutely perfect and therefore have a great deal of trouble deciding which gift to select. Purchasing all of the items may not be feasible in terms of your budget and you may be disappointed that you can only select one item from the list of ideas. This can create stress because you may worry about selecting the best possible choice.

Another problem which may stem from having a lot of great ideas about what to get a particular relative is you may not be able to find the exact item for which you are searching. This can be particularly stressful and frustrating especially if you know a particular item would make the perfect gift for your loved one but are simply unable to find the exact item you are seeking during any of your shopping trips. In this case you may become obsessed with finding this particular item. Not being able to find this item can be incredibly frustrating. This frustration can make the shopping a great deal less fun. It can also cause you to not see other items which would also be great gifts because you are so focused on finding this one particular item.

Even when you don’t have a list of gift ideas for a particular relative, you may experience a great deal of frustration during your Christmas shopping. This frustration may stem from being too concerned about finding a gift which your close relative will really cherish and appreciate. The pressure of finding a great Christmas gift for a loved one is so important because you do not want someone you care so much about to be disappointed by the Christmas gift you give them. Although this should not really be a concern because it is most likely your close relatives will all be thrilled with the gifts you select for them but it still caused stress for many people.

Another problem associated with shopping for close relatives is it may be difficult to select appropriate gifts for multiple relatives without worrying that the relatives will compare the gifts. Again, this is not a likely scenario as most people would not go out of their way to discuss the gifts they were given but it is something that causes concern for many. Some individuals will feel that it is not appropriate to purchase an expensive gift for one relative but not for others. One way to deal with this is to select one item and give similar items to all of the relatives. Although the gifts will not be unique or selected for each individual it is one way to deal with the possibility of the recipients sharing information about the gifts they received. One example of how to do this is to give an item such as a sweater to each relative but to personalize the gift by selecting different styles or colors for each relative.

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