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The Republic of Poland is a small country located in the center of Europe, bordered by the Czech Republic, Russia, Germany, Slovakia, Belarus, Lithuania, and the Baltic Sea. Poland is influenced by all of these cultures, which is apparent in the food they eat, their way of life, and the way they celebrate holidays – Christmas in particular.

Christmas may very well be one of the most popular holidays in Poland. The Christmas season may begin as early as four Sundays before Christmas at the beginning of the Advent. Special church services are held every morning, sometimes as early as 5 or 6 o’clock in the morning. During the Advent, the Polish people exercise many Christmas traditions. One of the most popular traditions is the pouring of hot bees wax into a bucket of cool water. The wax immediately cools off when it touches the cold water, and the pieces of wax may take one of several forms. The different shapes that the pieces of wax form are used to tell fortunes, and are popular because the holiday is so close to the New Year.

Christmas trees are a cherished tradition in Poland during the holiday season. Not only are trees in the homes of practically every person who celebrates Christmas and can afford it, but they are also displayed in the neighborhoods, on city streets, and in parks. The trees are gaily lit and decorated with candles, Christmas lights, ornaments, cookies, and even candy wrapped in bright red or green paper or foil. Sometimes apples may also be used to decorate the trees.

Oplatek, Christmas bread, is an integral part of the Christmas tradition in Poland. Oplatek are pieces of bread that have been pressed flat and imprinted with Christmas scenes. In the old days, people used to bake lots of pieces of Oplatek and distribute them to their neighbors in the name of good will; it was a way of wishing their friends and family a Merry Christmas. These days many people do still use oplatek as an object of good feeling between neighbors, but these days the distribution of these Christmas novelties is kept mostly within the realm of friends and immediate family.

Wigilia is the Polish word for Christmas Eve, or the day before Christmas. On Christmas Eve, some families distribute gifts on Christmas Eve and others wait until the more traditional occasion of Christmas morning. Whatever day they choose to open their presents, Wigilia is a time for families to spend time together, celebrating the Christmas holiday. Women bake cookies and bread and spend time with their daughters or female family members. Men eat, spend time with the family, and they may get a small amount of work done to prepare for the upcoming holiday.

Christmas Eve is when Polish families partake in their Christmas dinner, and it does not start until the first star appears in the sky. This is in remembrance of the star in the sky that guided the three wise men to Bethlehem to baby Jesus’ manger.

Norway is the westernmost country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in northwestern Europe. Norway’s west coast is bordered completely by the Norwegian Sea, and the country shares borders with both Finland and Sweden.

As in most countries through out the world, the Norwegian Christmas celebration reaches its peak on December 24th, Christmas Eve. By this time, children have already made their paper baskets and decorated them with foil to hang on the Christmas tree, for they will be filled with candy and nuts during the night time. Christmas trees are a popular Christmas commodity in Norway; they were introduced to their first Christmas trees by Germany in the early 1900s, and these days they can be seen in every home where Christmas is celebrated. Some wealther homes in Norway may even have more than one Christmas tree in their home. Christmas trees are a big deal to the people in Norway; they spend a lot of time decorating their trees with ribbons, lights, and the paper baskets that the children have made.

The parents or older children of the family usually dress the tree in its baskets, lights, and ornaments in another room, and then bring it out for the family to see once it has been completed. This is made out to be a time of great anticipation, and younger children are always made to be very excited. Before gifts are opened, the family will traditionally dance in a circle around the Christmas tree. They hold hands and sing Norwegian Christmas carols; in Norway, Christmas is a time to spend with family and the people that are close to you in life.

In Norway, children are not visited in the night by a jolly old elf named Santa Claus, or even a bishop-like figure named Saint Nicholas. They are tended to by a man named Nisse, their version of Santa Claus. Nisse and the commercialized version of the man in red and white are not as similar as one might think; Nisse are small, stout men with facial hair that tend to the animals in the farm, if there are any. Nisse is a lot more fickle than other Christmas icons; it is said that if he does not receive a bowl of porridge on Christmas Eve when he visits the home, he may play practical jokes on the family, usually involving the farm animals or family pet. He usually has small elf like men with him called nisser that help him along.

In other areas of Norway there is a version of a Nisse called Julenissen that does somewhat resemble the traditional version of Santa Claus. Julenissen prefers to knock on the door on Christmas Eve with gifts rather than sneak down the chimney with them at night, though.

Gifts are most often opened on Christmas Eve. The following day, December 25th is normally a very relaxing day, used to clean up their homes and prepare for Boxing Day. The family usually shares in a large meal on or before Boxing Day, and children dress up on this day, usually in masks or costumes, and go out to ask the neighbors for treats–a lot like the American version of Halloween!

The southern United States and Mexico are similar in many respects. They share many traditions when it comes to cuisine, music, and even religious orientation. But Mexico has a rich culture of its own, and it is very well displayed in their cultural celebration of Christmas. The country of Mexico as a whole celebrates the Christmas holiday in many various, interesting ways.

In Mexico, the Christmas holiday can begin as early as December 16th. On this day, local children may participate in posadas throughout the village. During a Mexican posada, the children depict the scene of Mary riding a donkey through the streets of Bethlehem, belly bulging out in front of her. Mary’s donkey is being led by her husband Joseph, and behind them is a group of children (sometimes they sing Christmas carols) who knock on doors asking if the couple can stay the night there. Of course, nobody does let them in to stay the night, but as the procession moves from home to home some people will join in the procession, which ends at the local church. A mass is held, and then the Christmas holiday really begins.

During the Christmas season in Mexico, sometimes pastorelas are held to celebrate the holiday. Pastorelas are little plays that depict the appearance of the angel before the three kings and their journey to the manger the night Jesus was born, frankincense, myrrh and gold in tow. Their journey is depicted from beginning to end, with the magi facing numerous obstacles and moments of extreme temptation. They are harassed by Satan and his posse along the way, but eventually Michael, an archangel of God, (usually somebody’s child in a robe with a plastic light saber) comes along and defeats them, as the men move along their way.

There are lots of children in Mexico that receive their Christmas gifts from a jolly, rotund old elf named Santa Claus whose principal mode of transportation is a flying sled pulled by a fleet of flying reindeer–one of them bearing an extremely vibrant red nose. Still other Mexican children receive their gifts from el nino dios, “the holy child.” El nino dios passes out gifts to the good boys and girls. In places where Reyes Magos (Three Kings) day is celebrated, the kings may leave gifts for the children in their shoes.

Pi?atas are also an integral part of an authentic Mexican Christmas. Pi?atas are hollow paper dolls that are usually handmade and filled with candy or coins. They are strung from a tree or a rafter in the ceiling, and children take turns swinging at the pi?ata with a stick or bat. Traditionally, the child at bat is blindfolded.

In Mexico it can sometimes feel like celebrating Christmas for an entire month. On the midnight of Christmas Eve, midnight masses are held in churches everywhere. Most people attend the mass, whose main theme is el nacimiento, the birth of Jesus Christ. Sometimes pastorelas may take place during this time as well.

Preparing a large meal for a number of people can be a very daunting task. However, it is often something that we are called upon to do for Christmas dinners. If you have done it before, it becomes a second nature eventually, but initially you might need some tips. Four courses is usually a pretty good number to go with, so here I have outlined a four course meal that is simple, elegant, and is easy to change for portion differences.

The first course is a tortellini soup. First you want to bring two parts chicken broth and one part water to a boil. When the water is boiling, add the tortellini. About five minutes later you want to add chopped carrots and celery and then lastly pre cooked turkey meatballs. While you are letting the soup thicken on simmer, grate some fresh parmesan cheese over it and slowly stir it in. This can be served as a first course with a crusty Italian bread to sop up the excess broth.

The second course is a pasta dish as well. The first thing that you want to do is boil a large pot of water. When the water is boiling you want to put in the amount of manicotti shells that you would like to serve. Meanwhile, you want to be simmering stewed tomatoes and adding oregano, basil, parsley, and garlic to taste. This will be your sauce. The mixture for the inside of the shells is very easy, and you can make it while the sauce is simmering. Take a sixteen ounce container of ricotta cheese and empty it in to a bowl. Add shredded asiago and mozzarella cheese blended, about a half cup, and season it with oregano and rosemary to taste. This will be the stuffing for your shells. When they are done cooking, you want to rinse them with cool water before stuffing them, and placing them in a baking pan. Pour the sauce over them, and top with the mozzarella asiago cheese blend and bake on low until the cheese has browned.

The fourth course is a simple meat dish. Take boneless, skinless chicken and wash the amount that you are going to use. Place it in a coverable storage container and fill the container with balsamic vinaigrette, Make sure that all of the chicken is submerged and refrigerate over night. Cook in a shallow glass baking pan according to the package direction for time and temperature, and leave the marinade covering the entire chicken. Serve over brown rice or green vegetables.

For dinner you can make a very simple, but delicious dessert that has an Italian flavor to it. Line a small pie pan with lady fingers, and add a thin layer of coffee brandy. In a separate bowl mix two parts ricotta cheese with one part coffee brandy and one part chocolate shavings. Pour that mixture in to the lady fingers crust and top the pie with chocolate shavings. After that, just enjoy!

The country of Japan has one of the most interesting means of celebrating Christmas in the world. While children around the world are sitting around brightly lit evergreen trees opening gifts that were delivered in the middle of the night from a jolly old man named Santa Claus, most Japanese children don’t receive gifts. Small children do receive gifts on Christmas morning, but presents are generally not given to older children who don’t believe in him.

That is about where the similarities between the meaning of Christmas in the western part of the world and the Japanese people’s meaning of Christmas ends. In Japan, people are not usually granted time off from school and work as in western customs, because Christmas is not celebrated as an official holiday.

It is important to take into consideration that there is a variance between different households’ celebration of the Christmas holiday because some households practice Christianity while others still practice Shinto or Buddhism in the home. For this reason, Japan has adopted a lot of the very same Christmas themes that the United States has commercialized, such as the red-faced and rotund version of Santa Claus, the workshop at the North Pole, the magical ability to pop into and out of chimneys, the flying sleigh pulled by reindeer, one in particular possessing a very bright nose. Japan also has its own version of Santa Claus, a man named Hoteoisho. Hoteoisho looks a lot like the commercialized version of Santa Claus. His apparel is similar, and he carries a large bag full of gifts for all of the children who have been on their best behavior that year. The celebration of Christmas in Japan does not focus so much on the birth of Jesus Christ as in other areas; instead, it is more a time for Christmas trees, gifts for the children, food, friends, and more-than-friends.

Most Japanese homes erect Christmas trees during the holiday season, and just as in the United States, some families in Japan will sit down to a turkey dinner, but New Year’s tends to be more of an appropriate time to spend with the family. In Japan, Christmas is similar to the American version of Valentine’s day. It’s just as important to have a mate to spend Christmas Eve with as it is to have a Valentine on February 14. Christmas has been completely romanticized; this is the day where lovers do special things for one another, take romantic walks and exchange gifts. Christmas lights and decorations are strung up all over town during the Christmas season. They contribute to the Christmas spirit and the romantic atmosphere.

In some places in Japan where Christmas is celebrated, Christmas Cakes are baked. Christmas cakes are white frosting cakes, sometimes bearing fruit topping, that is said to symbolize a birthday cake for the baby Jesus. The Christmas cake in Japan is an important part of the holiday tradition.

Italy, is a country in southern Europe. It is made up of a boot-shaped main peninsula, and the two small islands of Sicily and Sardinia. Italy is bordered on its northern end by France, Austria, and Switzerland so the country has a strong association with some of the most culturally rich areas in the world.

The Christmas holiday in Italy is truly an artistic, cultural experience. Italy is actually where the Nativity scenes first became such a popular tradition. Saint Francis of Assisi once asked a man named Giovanni Vellita to create a scene of Mary, Joseph and their newborn child in the manger. The manger scene, called a Nativity, was immediately a hit with the people in Italy. Saint Francis of Assissi gave his mass in front of this manger scene, and it helped promote reverence during the ceremony. Ever since then, the manger scenes which were usually called cribs have been an integral part to an authentic Christmas holiday in Italy. Every year, people construct cribs of whatever they have skill in making things out of–usually whatever they can get their hands on. The cribs are seen all over Italy, and they can be made of wax, wood, metal, straw, or even stone. Each crib is always very unique and artistic; some people make a hobby out of creating cribs each year for Christmas.

The central theme in a crib always involves the Virgin Mary, her husband Joseph, baby Jesus in the manger and usually the ox and the lamb since it is said that they kept the infant warm with their breath. The artist usually builds upon their crib from here, adding outlying scenery such as stables in the area, flocks of sheep, stars (the Star of Bethlehem) or additional animals in the manger. Sometimes, the artist will even add in the three wise men and their gifts, for effect.

Local churches may hold competitions, challenging one another to build the best crib scene, and multiple members of the church congregation make take part in the contest.

Unlike children in other areas of the world, Italian children do not receive presents from a jolly old man in a red and white suit named Santa Claus. They receive gifts from a kindly, yet rather ugly, old witch named La Befana. La Befana flies around on a broomstick dropping children’s gifts off at their homes. As legend tells it, La Befana encountered upon the three wise men on their journey to Bethlehem to visit the Virgin Mary and the promised, holy infant. They were weary and wanted to rest with her, and she denied them and sent the men along their way. After they left her sight, La Befana realized that she may have been too harsh and had a change of heart, but by this time the men were well along their way. She followed them, in search of the infant as well and of course she never found him. According to the legend, La Befana drops gifts off at the homes of all the children who have been well-behaved, because the baby Jesus may be in the home and she is trying to give the gifts to him. If a child has been bad that year, La Befana knows that baby Jesus could not possibly be there and so she tends to leave coal in children’s shoes instead of gifts.

Christmas is a time of joy, piece, and giving. It is also a time of being broke. Adults often think that the idea of making Christmas gifts is only for children who do not yet have their own money to buy gifts. However, with a little bit of ingenuity, some clever shopping, and a fair amount of free time, you can make some very grown up do it yourself Christmas gifts. The first step is to spend an afternoon at a craft store, and see what sticks out at you as things you would be comfortable sitting down to work on. Some very basic, but very nice final product ideas include:

(1) Knit caps. If you have time to pick up crocheting or knitting, Christmas is a perfect time of year to put that talent to good use. You can make knit caps, mittens and scarves for men and women alike on your holiday shopping list. With all of the different available colors and textures in yarns today, it is virtually limitless what you can do to personalize a knitted gift. For some extra special fun, you can work in some fun beads fairly easily to jazz up a more basic design.
(2) Pick up some shadow box frames at the art store, and make some personal home decorations. For example, if you have someone on your list who is a big fan of Beethoven, you can create a shadowbox picture with some music notes in the background with a copy of a Beethoven songbook and maybe a dollhouse piano in the frame. Stuff like the dollhouse furniture as well as lots of great designs for backgrounds and the like can usually be found in the scrapbook section of your favorite craft store.
(3) Jewelry is a great personal do it yourself gift. There are all different skill levels for creating your own jewelry, and lots of different pieces that you can purchase to make your gift as professional looking and beautiful as you want. If you go to a good bead store, they will have lots of different settings on which to put earrings and a great selection of different and interesting beads for you to use. The best part though, is that they have expertise. With a little bit of help from the experts, you can make beautiful, one of a kind jewelry for less than a dollar a piece.
(4) Ornaments are a great way to celebrate the Christmas season. There are so many different ways to create your own unique ornaments, that you could make a different type of ornament for nearly everyone on your list. You could cross-stitch some ornaments, hand paint a box of regular glass ornaments, create egg shell ornaments with glitter or paint, make picture frame ornaments, bead Holiday shapes with pipe cleaners and pony beads, string some Hawaiian flowers for a funky tree garland, or just put a glittery hook on a plain ornament bulb. The best part about this gift, is that you get to see it every year on your loved one’s Christmas tree.

Largely enclosed by the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, India shares its borders with Burma and Pakistan. With a population topping one billion citizens, India is the second most densely populated in the country in the world, second to China, as well as the seventh largest country (covering the largest geographical area) in the world. An overwhelming percent of the citizens in India practice Hindu or Buddhism as a religion. It is for this very reason that Christmas, being a largely Christian holiday, is not celebrated as an official holiday in the country.

In the areas of India where Christmas is celebrated and the population of Christian people is a little denser, Christian churches are gaily decorated in large leaves and numerous poinsettia plants. Since Christmas falls during the warmest part of the year in India, people tend to decorate tropical mango trees and banana trees, covering them with lights, and hanging candy, red-striped candy canes, cookies, and even Christmas ornaments on them. The classic, traditional versions of Christmas trees such as fir trees, spruce trees, and pine trees are not often seen in Indian Christmas celebrations. They are usually had by the very wealthy only, because they are not native to India and so they must be shipped into the country at an extremely high price. To some people, having a classic Christmas celebration is worth the extra dollars it costs to import evergreen trees from other areas of the world.

In some of the more densely populated Christian cities in India, oil-burning lamps made of a softer type of clay from the earth may be used as decorative Christmas lighting. They are set along the edges of sidewalks, along walls, along the edges of flat roofs, and on stoops to light the night time and bring the Christmas spirit into a country where the holiday is not officially celebrated.

Since Christians in India go to such great lengths to celebrate Christmas in a country where it is not of the more dominant faith, most of the Christmas celebration is spent in remembrance of the true meaning of Christmas. Time is taken out to tell the story of Mary, pregnant riding a donkey being led along by her weary husband as they are refused lodging door after door after door. The time is used to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, and people take time out to attend masses at all times during the day, including very early (as early as 5 or 6 o’clock in the morning) and as late as midnight.

Non-Christian people in India do celebrate a warm winter holiday during the same time the Christians celebrate Christmas. This holiday is called Diwali, and it is a custom of the Indian people to make small clay pots that burn oil (similar to the aforementioned kind) and hang them from rooftops; the oil gives off a warm glow and gives a festive, celebratory feel to the people.

The most well known symbol of the holiday season is undoubtedly the classic Christmas Tree. A Christmas tree is usually an evergreen tree that is decorated with ornaments, tinsel, and sometimes fruit, nuts, and even cookies and candy. “Santa Claus” puts gifts under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve night for all the good little boys and girls in the world. Christmas Trees symbolize the Christmas holiday, and the happy feelings, togetherness, and love for friends and family that go along with the Christmas season. They are taken for granted by most, simply erected and decorated in millions of American homes without ever knowing anything about them, or where the tradition had begun.

While many Americans may believe that Christmas Tree decorating is an American tradition, the first known Christmas tree decoration occurred in Riga, Latvia in the year 1510, and it was first physically documented in Germany in 1531, however people were using evergreen trees to commemorate the winter season before Jesus Christ was ever born. The Christmas tree is used to symbolize and celebrate Christmas and the winter season all over the world, in many different countries and even across different cultures.

The ancient Egyptians and Romans also used evergreen trees or pieces during the holiday season. The Egyptians use evergreen boughs to celebrate life, and the triumph of life over death, as associated with their god, Ra. The Romans used evergreen boughs to decorate their homes during the winter solstice, when they had their annual Saturnalia feast to honor Saturn, the god of Agriculture. This was a time of good will between men, and evergreen trees and sprigs symbolized that.

Christmas tree decorating became very popular in Germany in the 1500s. The Christmas Tree evolved from the Germans’ “Paradise Tree” (as in the tree in Paradise in the story of Adam and Eve), on which they hung red and green apples. It was from this that the idea of hanging red and green items evolved, in the process dubbing red and green as Christmas colors. Eventually people hung not only apples on their Christmas trees, but fruit, candy, nuts, cookies, and other treats as well.

Christmas trees have been sold as a commercial item in the United States since the mid 1800s. Until recently, Christmas trees used to be cut down in the forest and sold. These days, 95 percent of all Christmas trees that are commercially sold come from Christmas tree farms. Nowadays many tree farms will even give their customers the option of selecting their future Christmas tree while it is still young and growing on the farm (the average tree may take as long as 10 years to fully mature). Some tree farms sell Christmas trees on a “you-cut-it, you-buy-it” basis, enabling the customer to select and cut down the tree of their choice on their own.

24.3 million Christmas trees were sold in the United States in 2003, most of which originated in one of 12,000 American farms that employed over 100,000 people. The Christmas tree will probably always continue to be used to celebrate Christmas and ring in the holiday season. The world has held on to this cherished tradition this long, why not?

Christmas Day, you can put in all of the work you want on Christmas dinner and gathering your friends and family for a special day. No matter what though, come that evening, no one cares about anything quite as much as what is for dessert. Many families have items that are traditional dessert items based on either cultural heritage or their own personal family history. One thing that was particularly tempting growing up in my large Italian family, was looking at the untouchable dessert table all day, as the hours and minutes dwindled by toward the time at which we would actually be able to eat the delicious concoctions. Here are a couple of simple ways to tempt your eager guests.

Eggnog Cheesecake: A new twist on an old favorite, substitute milk for egg nog in your favorite cheesecake recipe. Be liberal with seasoning the mix with cinnamon, nutmeg, and other apple-pie like spices. Top the egg nog cheesecake with dollops of whipped cream sprinkled with cinnamon sugar or nutmeg. This is a great way to work some of the flavor of the season in to a tried and true family favorite.

Chocolate Cake Pudding Trifle: A favorite in my family for years, this simple recipe is rich, filling, and a little bit different for those craving a change from the norm. Bake two chocolate cakes layers, either round or square, about nine inches in diameter. While these are cooling, make about 8 cups of chocolate and vanilla pudding in equal parts. Do not mix the chocolate and vanilla puddings together. In a large bowl, put about an inch of chocolate pudding in the bottom. Tear bits of cake to create a layer of cake above the pudding about equal height. Next create a one inch layer of vanilla pudding on top of the cake. Repeat the cake layer, and alternate between chocolate and vanilla pudding until you reach the top of the bowl. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings for a dessert sure to dazzle any chocolate loving audience.

Saltine Sugar Candy: Take a large glass oven pan, about nine inches by fourteen inches, and coat it well with margarine or vegetable oil. Coat the bottom of the pan with saltine crackers, over which you are going to pour about a quarter inch think layer of milk chocolate. You want to refrigerate this chocolate and saltine mix until it is hardened, and then take it out and break it in to smaller candy sized pieces. In a separate bowl, mix melted butter and sugar, and then simmer until caramelized. Dip each piece individually in the caramel solution and then set out to cool. Once these are cool, you have a delicious toffee chocolate treat that is sure to horrify any dentist and tantalize any taste bud.

There are a lot of ways to make your Christmas dessert table stand out. The best is to just be yourself. Modify classic recipes, or come up with your own. Cook to taste, that way, you know someone will like it.