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We celebrate Christmas 24th

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S

Syringe

Member
Having a job that let me travel around the world and meet interesting people, I've learned that there are a lot of weird Christmas traditions out there. I'm genuinely interested in knowing what your country, state or maybe city (but please no specific family traditions, that could be another thread) do that would be considered funny and/or strange to other people.

It could be some local food, some special songs or specific things that your country do that just is out of the ordinary.

I'll start. And since I'm from Sweden - I can inform you all that we all celebrate Christmas the 24th of December. So the actual Christmas day really isn't anything else than a day off from work for us.
 
I

InaudibleWhispa

Member
I9oBZ9d.jpg


I was really surprised when watching an episode of Bizarre Foods that christmas crackers weren't really a thing in America. I thought they were more global. It's not christmas unless you're wearing this

cu3Uo6c.jpg
 
E

Elija2

Member
My family celebrates on both the 24th and 25th, but we open presents on the 24th. I think I recall one time as a child opening presents on Christmas morning, but ever since then we've always done it at night on Christmas Eve.
 
W

Willkiller

Banned
InaudibleWhispa said:
festive_paper_hat.jpg


I was really surprised when watching an episode of Bizarre Foods that christmas crackers weren't really a thing in America. I thought they were more global. It's not christmas unless you're wearing this
Click to expand...

That Is a pretty weird thing to wear!. What do free images have to do with Christmas?
 
Rei no Otaku

Rei no Otaku

Member
Syringe said:
Having a job that let me travel around the world and meet interesting people, I've learned that there are a lot of weird Christmas traditions out there. I'm genuinely interested in knowing what your country, state or maybe city (but please no specific family traditions, that could be another thread) do that would be considered funny and/or strange to other people.

It could be some local food, some special songs or specific things that your country do that just is out of the ordinary.

I'll start. And since I'm from Sweden - I can inform you all that we all celebrate Christmas the 24th of December. So the actual Christmas day really isn't anything else than a day off from work for us.
Click to expand...
While we still celebrate Christmas day in my family, Christmas Eve is far more important. I believe it's a Catholic/Italian thing. On Christmas Eve night we eat a huge dinner that consists of seven different kinds of fish and then open presents. On Christmas itself we really don't do much. Just have a small meal and relax at home.
 
F

Flandy

Member
Christmas is pretty much always celebrated on the 24th. Hang out with family on the 24th and eat lots of food. Gifts are opened at midnight and any food remaining from the previous night is normally eaten Christmas day.
 
E

Entropia

No One Remembers
InaudibleWhispa said:
90_04_35-christmas-cracker_web.jpg


I was really surprised when watching an episode of Bizarre Foods that christmas crackers weren't really a thing in America. I thought they were more global. It's not christmas unless you're wearing this

christmas_hat.jpg
Click to expand...

What, really?! My family has always worn those. Though we are Canadian.
 
Fury Sense

Fury Sense

Member
Anyone ever invent a tradition? I want to make something up and spread it around. Something ridiculous, yet still enjoyable.
 
C

CrazyDude

Member
My parents are Hungarian immigrants and we opened our presents on the night of the 24th. Generally speaking, Christmas is celebrated on the 24th, 25th, and 26th to allow people to celebrate it with the extended family.
 
T

thefit

Member
We also celebrate it on the 24th which blows because i have to work then rush back to head out to the folks. We don't do shit on the 25th.
 
F

FrsDvl

Member
Samarecarm said:
This thread is going to get real "fun" as soon as someone from the Netherlands shows up.
Click to expand...

Yes! We get 2 days of Christmas, the 25th and 26th I believe. But since I moved to Canada, that's over now. So just the 25th. Could be wrong in dates, but pretty sure it's the, 25th
 
S

Stet

Banned
InaudibleWhispa said:
I9oBZ9d.jpg


I was really surprised when watching an episode of Bizarre Foods that christmas crackers weren't really a thing in America. I thought they were more global. It's not christmas unless you're wearing this

cu3Uo6c.jpg
Click to expand...

Do it here in Canada too. I would never hold it like in the picture though. Always grab the cardboard tabs and pull directly apart for the best crack.
 
R

RGVNOE

Member
Pau said:
Most Hispanics celebrate it the 24th, Noche Buena, too. Christmas Day we go to the theater.
Click to expand...

Yup, Christmas day you usually just relax. We have a cookout on the 24th and start opening gifts at midnight, and wind up going to sleep around 3-4.
 
C

Coffee Dog

Banned
InaudibleWhispa said:
I9oBZ9d.jpg


I was really surprised when watching an episode of Bizarre Foods that christmas crackers weren't really a thing in America. I thought they were more global. It's not christmas unless you're wearing this

cu3Uo6c.jpg
Click to expand...

Haha, what? That's very strange to me; you could not convince anyone in my family to wear silly hats for the holidays. We're having fun already, we don't need to look goofy :p

Pau said:
Most Hispanics celebrate it the 24th, Noche Buena, too. Christmas Day we go to the theater.
Click to expand...

I didn't realize how common this was until I got a job at a movie theater. Christmas was always a day to relax in pajamas and play with your gifts. Leaving the home is almost blasphemy.
 
P

Pau

Member
Echoenigma said:
I didn't realize how common this was until I got a job at a movie theater. Christmas was always a day to relax in pajamas and play with your gifts. Leaving the home is almost blasphemy.
Click to expand...
It didn't happen so much when we were younger, but nowadays it's a tradition to go watch a movie. Although this year we might just have a LOTR marathon.
 
R

RatskyWatsky

Hunky Nostradamus
My family celebrates on the 24th as well. One time we opened our presents on Christmas morning and it just wasn't the same. Never again!
 
L

Lissar

Reluctant Member
My family has always celebrated on the 24th. On the 25th we drive home because there's very little traffic on the roads. I've only actually celebrated Christmas on the 25th once because I was staying with my boyfriend (at the time)'s family. I had to wake up early to go to church and it was all around a miserable time.

Christmas Eve forever.
 
way more

way more

Member
Here in the Russo-Finnish region SaЋter Kriss doesn't wear a red suit with white trim. He is depicted as grown pink man with the, you say, big dong?

smQB6k8.jpg
 
K

Kintaco

Member
We celebrate on the 24th as well. Mexican Catholic family. We eat a late dinner and open gifts at midnight. On the 25th we normally just relax, although my wife's family does their thing on the 25th so it works out good.
 
F

Fritz

Member
Germany celebrates on Christmas Eve as well.

The Christmas Tree is a German tradition. Albert, Prince Consort to Queen Victoria, brought it to the UK and from there it went viral.

A lot of Germans have very basic dinners on Christmas Eve or at least something that isn't a lot of effort.

ba6d6438e3698dc0ed53d3460b885830v1_max_440x330_b3535db83dc50e27c1bb1392364c95a2.jpg
Click to expand...

There are several reasons. One is to commemorate the hardships of Mary and Joseph. Another one is probably that everybody can enjoy the evening without having to spend hours in the kitchen. As far as I can tell my mom hardly ever leaves the kitchen during the 25th and 26th.
 
G

GillianSeed79

Member
I'm from the U.S., but growing up Christmas was always a two-day affair. We had Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve and opened family presents on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day was "Santa" presents. My family's neighbors do the same thing. I actually prefer it that way. I was kind of surprised when I found out that most people don't do anything Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve is great. Opening family presents after a nice dinner, it's night out, the tree is illuminated...it's nice. My parents lived a few years in Germany when my dad was in the service, so maybe that's where they picked it up.
 
J

Jasup

Member
Sauna.

On christmas eve before the dinner and the evening's celebration people have a family sauna together.
 
S

smurfx

get some go again
Syringe said:
I'll start. And since I'm from Sweden - I can inform you all that we all celebrate Christmas the 24th of December. So the actual Christmas day really isn't anything else than a day off from work for us.
Click to expand...
family is the exact same way. we used to wait till midnight to open gifts but little by little we kept breaking that rule and eventually by 8pm all gifts are exchanged and not much later everybody goes home.
 
J

Jake.

Member
christmas crackers are common in australia too - i can't remember a christmas without a paper hat that doesn't fit my head either.
 
G

Gargoyle

Neo Member
Samarecarm said:
This thread is going to get real "fun" as soon as someone from the Netherlands shows up.
Click to expand...

I think you might be confused if you're referring to the whole Sinterklaas debacle. The Dutch actually have two separate holidays: Sinterklaas, which is the one that gets all the attention for it's supposed racist origins and is celebrated December 5th and Christmas which starts on Christmas eve and lasts until the 26th.

Traditionally it looks like this for most people I know:
24th: Usually something fun/family style dinner like fondue, teppanyaki or gourmet, followed by presents from under the tree.
25th: Visiting relatives/friends during the day, going out for a walk (especially if there is snow), fancy mulitcourse Christmas dinner at home in the evening.
26th: Chilling out during the day or visit the in-laws/other half of the family, then in the evening most older people go out for dinner and young people go out to meet up with friends in bars etc.

Church/religion doesn't really have a place anymore during Christmas (at least in my surroundings) other then the music and the cribs on display, but they are treated more like Christmas decorations than any real religious affiliations.

Fun fact: Sinterklaas is usually the holiday most people celebrate when there are small kids involved because the lore around it is a lot more fun for kids (I'm not talking about Zwarte Piet/Black Peter) and when the kids get older and realize it's all fake they tend to switch to Christmas as Sinterklaas is all about kids and presents and Christmas is more about being together and family (and presents :D).
 
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