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ItisinterestingtoseehowdifferentcountriescelebrateChristmas.TheUSAissomulti-culturalthatyouwillfindmanydifferentwaysofcelebratingChristmas.HowisChristmascelebratedaroundtheworld?GermanslovetodecoratetheirhousesatChristmas.Manyhouseswillhavelittlewoodenframesholdingelectriccandlesintheirwindows,andcolouredpicturesofpaperorplasticwhichlookbeautifulfromtheoutsideatnight.Oftentoo,theywillhavean'Adventskranz'–awreathofleaveswithfourcandles.(Advent-meaning'coming'–isthe4weekperiodbeforeChristmas).OneachSundayofAdvent,Anothercandleislit.Mosthomeswillalsohavelittlewooden'cribs'-asmallmodelofthestablewhereJesuswasborn,withMary,Joseph,BabyJesus,andanimals.ChildrenleavelettersontheirwindowsillsforChristkind,awingedfiguredressedinwhiterobesandagoldencrownwhodistributesgifts.FatherChristmas–'DerWeihnachtsmann'-bringspresentsinthelateafternoonofChristmasEve(December24th),afterpeoplehavebeentoachurchmeeting.ThepresentsarethenfoundundertheChristmastree.Onepersoninthefamilywillringabellandcalleveryonetocometotheroom.“FroehlicheWeihnachten”“MerryChristmas!”InthedaysoftheSovietUnion,Christmaswasnotcelebratedverymuch.NewYearwastheimportanttime-when'FatherFrost'broughtpresentstochildren.WiththefallofCommunism,Christmascanbeopenlycelebrated-eitheronDecember25th;ormoreoftenonJanuary7th.ThisunusualdateisbecausetheRussianOrthodoxchurchusestheold'Julian'calendarforreligiouscelebrationdays.SpecialChristmasfoodincludescakes,piesand'meatdumplings'.ChristmasoverhereinAustraliaseemstobemorecasualthananywhereelse,fromallthereportsI'veheard.We'llhavebreakfastwithourimmediatefamilies,first,ifwe'restayingatourownhouseorahotel.It'snormallybacon,eggs,toast,andblackpudding(Yum!).Then,atabout11am,wegotoarelative'shouseortheycometoours-normallyweswapeachChristmas.Weopensomepresents,Andhaveourlunch,whichwouldbeprawns,andcrab,thingslikethat.Afterlunch,weopenmorepresents,andexplorethem!Then,the'over30s'haveanap,whileweyoungeronesgiveeachotherlittlepresents,normallynotmorethanfivetotendollarseach.Then,wehaveaswimifthere'sapoolanywherenearby,butifthereisn't,wegotoapark,orsomethinglikethat.Wehaveourmainmealatdinnertime.Turkey,chicken,fish,crab,prawns,potato,pumpkin,peas,pudding-theworksandreminisceovertheyear.Thenwesleep.Andthat'sallChristmasisoverhere.InItalyChristmasbeginson1stofDecember.Wedecoratethetree,or,moreoften,wemakethePRESEPE.ThePresepeisasortofLittleminiatureofwhathappenedonDecember25thoftheyear0B.C.WeputabighutwithMary,Joseph,Jesus,adonkeyandabow.It'ssaidthatJesuswaswarmthduringthefirstnightbythetwoanimals.Inthepresepethere'snotonlytheholyfamily,weputalsothethreekings,shepards,withsheepofcourse,fishermen,curiouspeoplesomeangels,houses,lightsandanimals.Presentsareusuallyputunder,orinanycaseasnearaspossibletothepresepe.OnDec.25th'snightpresentsaretakenoutofthewardrobe.WebelievethatJesusChristinpersoncomestobringthepresents.ChristmasdinnerisservedonthenightofDecember24th,whileotherstakeitonmiddayof25th.Wegiveourpresentsbeforethemealbegins.Everyonehastohaveapresent.Welightupthemantelpieceandteenagersenjoythemselveswithlittlefirecrackers.ThisisourusualChristmasandthepresepeisputawayonlyonJanuary7th.“BuoneFesteNatalizie”“MerryChristmas!”ChristmasfestivitiesbeginwithLasPosadas,nineconsecutivedaysofcandelightprocessionsandlivelypartiesstartingDecember16.InvillagesandurbanneighborhoodsthroughoutMexicoyoungstersgathereachafternoontoreenacttheholyfamily'squestforlodginginBethlehem.TheparadeofSantosPeregrinos(HolyPilgrims)stopsatadesignatedhousetosingatraditionallitanybywhichtheHolyFamilyrequestsshelterforthenightandthosewaitingbehindthecloseddoorturnthemaway.Theyproceedtoasecondhomewherethesceneisrepeated.Atthethirdstopthepilgrimsaretoldthatwhilethereisnoroomintheposada(inn),theyarewelcometotakerefugeinthestable.Thedoorsareflungopenandallareinvitedtoenter.“¡FelizNavidad!”“MerryChristmas!”ForEnglishchildren,ChristmasbeginsinOctoberwhenmostEnglishchildrenwritetheirChristmasListstoFatherChristmas.EnglishhousesaredecoratedtwoweeksbeforeChristmasday.Thetreeisdecoratedwithtinsel,twinklingfairylights,tartanribbonsandbaubels.ThehomeisusuallydecoratedwithstatuesofFatherChristmas,hollywreaths,mistletoe,andwelcominglightsatthewindows.EnglishchildrengotobedonChristmasEvenightafterhaving'TheNightBeforeChristmas'readtothembytheirparentsandleavingamincepieandsomemilkforFatherChristmas(andacarrotforRudolph).OnChristmasDaymorningtheyrushintotheirparentsbedroomsanddragtheirparentsdownstairstothelivingroomwhereastackofChristmaspresentslieunderthetree,instockingsorinsacks.ThetreeanddecorationsareunwillinglytakendowntwoweeksafterChristmasday,asitisconsideredbadluckiftheyareuplonger.“MerryChristmas!”InbigNorwegiancountrykitchensinfarmsandvillagesoffthebeatentrackthehecticpreparationsstillbeginweeksbeforethefestivalseason.ThesmellofChristmasfillsthehouse,bringingthechildren'sexpectationsuptofeverpitch.Butthechildrendonotusuallyenjoythemealverymuch.Theireyeskeepturningtotheclosedlivingroomdoor,andtheygrowmoreandmoreimpatientwiththeunbearablyslowpacewithwhichtheireldersfinis