The Ultimate Guide

to

Christmas on the Net

Author – Kevin Fichtner

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

From the Publishers!

OK, it’s that time of year! Are you ready? If you’re like most people, Christmas sneaks up on you and, before you know it, you’re scrambling to decorate the house, come up with a menu and find the perfect gift for some distant relative you hardly know.

Well, Merry Christmas! Okay, it may be a little early, but consider this a pre-Christmas gift to help you prepare for this year’s holiday season. It’ s a gift that should be opened well in advance of December 25^th. We are here to help you and, best of all, you can get all the information you need to survive the season at a click of a mouse!!

We don’t have a lot of pictures or graphics in this book for two reasons: First, to save you time downloading this ebook and, second, to allow you to focus on the information at hand.

As you can see from the Table of Contents, we cover a wide range of subjects. The guide is set up with hot links, www.thenorthpole.com that will take you to the website where you can download the information you need, email a Christmas card, keep your children occupied or purchase that perfect gift.

We intend to make this the best guide available on or through the Web for now and into the future. To do this, we need the help of our valued customers. If you locate relevant web sites, find errors, have suggestions for additional information or products you think should be included in future editions of this guide, please email us at comments@christmasebook.com.

If you like the book, let us know, too. We have tried to keep this book entertaining, useful and as kid-safe as possible. The book is also for people of all faiths. We have only touched on a few and would appreciate hearing from other faiths on how to improve our section on religious traditions.

All URL links were in working condition as of October 24, 2011. Please contact us if any become defunct so we can keep future editions up-to-date.

Special Thanks to www.christmas-quotes.com who have provided us with Christmas quotes to use throughout the book.

What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.
--Agnes M. Phar

SANTA

One of the biggest thrills kids have at Christmas time is writing to Santa Claus. Below are links to various post offices around the world where children can send a letter to Santa the old-fashioned way.

POST OFFICES

AUSTRALIA

Santa Clause

North Pole 1420.

Australia

CANADA

Santa Claus

North Pole HOH OHO

Canada

GREAT BRITAIN

Father Christmas

Santa's Grotto, REINDEERLAND,

SAN TA1

UNITED STATES

SANTA CLAUS

Local City, State

ZIP Code

For other countries, contact your local post office or visit Other Post Offices which contains links to many other central post offices.

NORTH POLE

Children can also send Santa Clause an email to the North Pole! Here kids can visit the North Pole itself and send an email!

www.thenorthpole.com

(NORAD) North American Air Defense

NORAD offers a site that allows kids to track Santa as he circles the globe. There is also a wealth of music and information. This is the site created by the North American Air Defense organizations.

The site is available in the following languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Japanese.

www.noradsanta.org

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.
--Charles Dickens, Ebeneezer Scrooge, A Christmas Carol

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

There are many Christmas legends and traditions with many variations. Here are some of the more well-known legends.

Birth of Jesus

Christians around the world annually celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25^th -- Christmas Day. Most members of the Roman Catholic Church and followers of Protestantism celebrate Christmas on December 25, and many celebrate on the evening of December 24 as well.

Members of the Eastern Orthodox Church usually delay their most important seasonal ceremonies until January 6, when they celebrate Epiphany, a commemoration of the baptism of Jesus. Epiphany also traditionally commemorates the arrival of the Three Wise Men of the East in Bethlehem (near Jerusalem, Israel), where they adored the infant Jesus and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The official Christmas season, popularly known as either Christmastide or the Twelve Days of Christmas, extends from the anniversary of Christ’s birth on December 25 to the feast of Epiphany on January 6.

"Christmas," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2003
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Bell Ringing

This is a beloved custom that began in Medieval times when, on Christmas Eve, bells would toll to warn the Devil of the imminent birth of Jesus, who would save the world from darkness.  The bells would toll for an hour before midnight and, at the stroke of twelve, a joyous pealing of the bells would announce the birth of the Savior. **

Candles

In today’s Christmas ceremonies, candles can be found everywhere, from the carolers who walk around and sing to us to many of the beautiful greeting cards we send to our friends and loved ones. Candles are a part of almost every culture’s Christmas.

In the sixteenth century, candles were placed on evergreen trees to remind children of the heavens from which Christ descended. Our ancestors held winter festivities to signal the return of the sunlight, warmth and fertility with candles. Candles signified life, the living flame, and the renewal of life. Many of today’s religions use candles to symbolize the rebirth of the sun’s life-giving energy.

Candles have been around for centuries and no one really knows who actually invented the candle. But we do know that candles where replaced by oil lamps and that they were used by prehistoric people to make wall paintings deep inside caves.

Candles were used on Christmas trees for many years until the risk of deadly blazes became very apparent and when electricity became available for all. The use of candles can be traced back to Germany, like so many Christmas traditions. In Germany, the season begins with the start of Advent, four Sundays before Christmas Day. This time period is marked by what is known as the Advent wreath. This wreath consists of a circle of evergreen branches and the evergreen branches are holding four candles. The wreath holds three purple candles and one pink candle. At the end of each week a candle is lit, which signifies the coming of Christmas Day.

The candle continues to play an important role in many seasonal celebrations. In China, Christians celebrate by using paper lanterns to turn Christmas trees into trees of light. In parts of India, clay oil-burning lamps are used. In Sweden, many believers participate in what is known as Lucia. This is a celebration in which they give thanks to the Queen of Light for bringing hope during the darkest time of the year.

In today’s society, Christians light candles at Christmas as a symbol of the birth of Christ, and his renewing light force that guides his followers along the righteous path that has been chosen by them. This tradition was taken from the German tradition of lighting candles in the windows and lighting candles on the Christmas tree. The German tradition was to light a candle and place it in the window or on a tree to light the way for the Holy Family on their way to Bethlehem. Today, this still ensures a year of light, warmth and good tidings for the whole family.

Candles are used in non-religious holidays also. In the non-religious holiday of Kwanzaa, a candleholder called a Kinara is used; this was introduced after the Watts riots in the 1960’s. The use of candles can also be found in the Jewish holiday Hanukkah, which is the Jewish festival of lights celebrating the victory of Judas Maccabees over the Syrian tyrant Antiochus more than two thousand years ago.

Whether it is a religious holiday or a non-religious holiday, the candle honors the cycles that turn within us representing light and darkness.

Thanks to caca.essortment.com/christmascandle

Candy Cane

The candy cane represents one of the oldest symbols of Christmas, the shepherd's crook, since the shepherds were among the first to experience that first Christmas.

The colors of the candy cane have special meaning, too. The wide red stripe represents the sacrifice of Christ: "For by his stripes we are healed." The narrow red stripes represent our own sacrifices (giving). The white stripe is a symbol of purity.

The peppermint plant is a member of the hyssop family, referred to in the Old Testament as a medicinal herb used for cleansing. ****

Christmas Carols

Not all songs that we sing at Christmas time are carols. Most songs sung in church or by church choirs are actually hymns. Centuries ago, a carol was a group dance accompanied by a joyful song. Gradually it came to mean the song itself. A carol became a happy melody that anyone could sing. Caroling still means singing songs of joy but, more than that, it means singing the beautiful songs about the most joyous news that men have ever heard. ****

Christmas Tree

While Santa Claus became increasingly familiar to Americans, the German Christmas tree also acquired popularity in North America. As early as the 17th century, Germans had transformed this pagan symbol of fertility into a Christian symbol of rebirth. According to legend, the Christmas tree tradition began with the founder of German Protestantism, Martin Luther.

While walking through the forest on Christmas Eve, Luther was so moved by the beauty of the starlit fir trees that he brought one indoors and decorated it with candles to remind his children of God's creation. In 1841 Prince Albert of Germany gave his wife, Queen Victoria of England, a gift of a Christmas tree.

This was reputedly the first Christmas tree in England, but the custom spread quickly. German immigrants took the Christmas tree to other parts of Europe and to the United States and Canada, where it soon became a popular tradition. Blown-glass ornaments, tin angels, paper chains, candles, cornucopias filled with sugarplums, and other decorations made the simple evergreen tree into a beautiful parlor centerpiece at Christmastime. ****

Holly Leaf

Holly is traditionally associated with masculinity and good luck. Now when it decorates the home at Christmas time, this symbol of joy and merriment conjures up thoughts of celebration and good cheer.

(Originally published as "Red-Berried Hollies," by Virginia Klara Nathan, Extension Technician, in The Virginia Gardener Newsletter, Volume 7, Number 12.)

Mistletoe

The tradition of kissing underneath the mistletoe began with a Scandinavian goddess called Frigga. Frigga's son, Balder, was shot with an arrow made of mistletoe. While Frigga's friends conjured up powers to save the boy, his mother cried tears that became the white berries on the mistletoe. Frigga's friends succeeded in saving Balder's life. Frigga ordered that the mistletoe should never again be used to harm others. Instead, she made it a symbol of love by kissing everyone who passed under it. ****

Reindeer Legend

Ordinary reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and flying ones play a role in the Santa Claus story. The legend of flying reindeer (eight of them) was probably originated by Clement Clarke Moore in his early 19th century poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas". "Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner (Donder) and Blitzen.” *

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

"Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is the newest addition to the folklore of Santa Claus.

In 1939, Robert May, an advertising copywriter for the Montgomery Ward department store in Chicago, sought something novel for the store’s Santa Claus to distribute to parents and children. May conceived the idea of a shiny-nosed reindeer, a Santa's helper. An artist friend, Denver Gillen, spent hours at a local zoo, creating whimsical sketches of reindeer at rest and at play. May considered many names and finally settled on Rudolph, the preference of his four-year-old daughter. That Christmas of 1939, 2.4 million copies of the "Rudolph" booklet were handed out in Montgomery Ward stores across the country.

"Rudolph" was reprinted as a Christmas booklet sporadically until 1947. That year, a friend of May's, Johnny Marks, decided to put the poem to music. One professional singer after another declined the opportunity to record the song, but in 1949, Gene Autry consented. The Autry recording rocketed to the top of the Hit Parade. The original Gene Autry version is second only to Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" as the best-selling record of all time.

Rudolph became an annual television star, and a familiar Christmas image in many of the countries whose own lore had enriched the international St. Nicholas legend. *

Santa Claus

The original Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, was born in the ancient southeastern Turkish town of Lycia early in the fourth century. His generosity was legend, and he was particularly fond of children. We know this primarily through Roman accounts of his patronage of youth, which eventually led to his becoming the patron saint of children.

He is honored in many countries on the day of his death, December 6 in the year 345.  Since this is so close to the day chosen to celebrate Christ's birth, the two merged.

The Dutch kept the St. Nicholas tradition alive. The Dutch brought with them to the New World two Christmas items that were quickly Americanized.

In sixteenth-century Holland, children placed wooden shoes by the hearth the night of St. Nicholas' arrival. The shoes were filled with straw, a meal for the saint's gift-laden donkey. In return, Nicholas would insert a small treat into each clog. In America, the shoe was replaced with the stocking, hung by the chimney.

The Dutch spelled St. Nicholas "Sint Nikolass," which in the New World became "Sinterklass," later changed to "Santa Claus."

Much of modern-day Santa Claus lore, including the reindeer-drawn sleigh, originated in America, such as the story, "The Night Before Christmas," which was written by Dr. Clement Clarke Moore in 1822, to read to his children on Christmas Eve.

It was in America that Santa put on weight. The rosy-cheeked, roly-poly Santa is credited to the influential nineteenth-century cartoonist Thomas Nast. From 1863 until 1886, Nast created a series of Christmas drawings for Harper's Weekly. These drawings exhibit a gradual evolution in Santa from the pudgy, diminutive, elf-like creature of Dr. Moore's immortal poem, to the bearded, potbellied, life-size bell ringer familiar to everyone today.

Santa is known throughout the world by many different names, such as:

- Saint Nikolaas (Sinter Klaas), from the Dutch

• Father Christmas, from the English

• Kris Kringle, from the Germans

• Befana, from the Italians

• Bobouschka, from the Russians (a grandmotherly figure instead of a male) *

Santa's Long Journey

Santa checks his list to make sure that all the children's names are on it and that all the presents are packed.

Then Santa and his reindeer have to make sure that they are ready to go. Santa checks the sleigh and makes sure that all the reindeer have eaten enough to make this long journey -- they can't stop off at McDonald’s, you know! Santa makes sure he has all the directions to everyone’s homes.

Santa starts out from his home at the North Pole where all the elves and Mrs. Claus live along with Santa and the reindeer. Here is where all the letters come to from all around the world.

When Santa arrives at night, the children are already asleep and are dreaming of all the presents and candy that they will get when they wake up in the morning.

Santa arrives on the roof top of each home, makes sure that his list is correct and that all the presents are in his bag. As he starts down the chimney with his bag of presents on his shoulder, he slips down the chimney and makes sure that the fire is not burning so he won’t be burned. As he reaches the bottom and climbs out of the fireplace, Santa makes sure that everyone is asleep and he is quiet as a mouse as he places the presents under the tree and fills the stockings.

If your house does not have a fireplace, don't worry. Santa is pretty slick; he finds a way in, because Santa is "cool." *

Other Symbols

Many more of our symbols are obvious in their meanings, such as the STAR representing the Star of Bethlehem;  the ANGEL representing the Angel of the Lord who appeared to the humble shepherds; and the WREATH made of evergreen boughs and formed into a circle, both standing for the eternal love that our Heavenly Father has for each of us. Each of the symbols we use in our homes can remind us, and our little ones, of the real reason we celebrate Christmas. *

Yule Log

There is a custom that, on Christmas Eve, an enormous log of freshly cut wood called the Yule log would be fetched and carried to the house with great ceremony. On Christmas Eve, the master of the house would place it on the hearth, make libations by sprinkling the trunk with oil, salt and mulled wine, and say suitable prayers. In some families, the young girls of the house lit the log with splinters from the preceding year which they had carefully tucked away. In other families, the mother had this privilege. It was said that the cinders of this log could protect the house from lightning and the malevolent powers of the devil. Choices about the variety of wood, the way in which it was lit and the length of time it took to burn constituted a genuine ritual which could vary from region to region.

The custom, which dates back to the twelfth century, was known in most European countries, notably in France and in Italy where the Yule log was called a ceppo. This tradition persisted in Quebec as it did in France up until the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Its disappearance coincides with that of great hearths which were gradually replaced by cast-iron stoves. The great log was thus replaced by a smaller one, often embellished with candles and greenery, placed in the center of the table as a Christmas decoration.

Today, the Yule log has become a traditional pastry, a delicious cake roll, smothered in coffee or chocolate-flavored icing and decorated with sugared holly leaves and roses.*****

Thanks to the following sites for their contributions to this section.

www.nicksspot.com/christmas *

www.bevscountrycottage.com **

www.culture.fr *****

Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles.
--Unknown

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! (In Languages Around the World)

Here is some information you can use to impress your friends and family: How about guessing how to say Merry Christmas in a number of different languages! Make a game out of it and have fun. Special thanks to the folks at www.santas.net, who gave us permission to share this with you.

How "Merry Christmas" is said:

Afrikaans: Gesëende Kersfees
Afrikander: Een Plesierige Kerfees
African/ Eritrean/ Tigrinja: Rehus-Beal-Ledeats
Albanian:Gezur Krislinjden
Arabic: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Argentine: Feliz Navidad
Armenian: Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand
Azeri: Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun
Bahasa Malaysia: Selamat Hari Natal
Basque: Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!
Bengali: Shuvo Naba Barsha
Bohemian: Vesele Vanoce
Brazilian: Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo
Breton: Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat
Bulgarian: Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo
Catalan: Bon Nadal i un Bon Any Nou!
Chile: Feliz Navidad
Chinese: (Cantonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun Chinese: (Mandarin) Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan
Choctaw: Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito
Columbia: Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo
Cornish: Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth
Corsian: Pace e salute
Crazanian: Rot Yikji Dol La Roo
Cree: Mitho Makosi Kesikansi
Croatian: Sretan Bozic
Czech: Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok
Danish: Glædelig Jul Duri: Christmas-e- Shoma Mobarak
Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!
or Zalig Kerstfeast
English: Merry Christmas
Eskimo: (inupik) Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!
Esperanto: Gajan Kristnaskon
Estonian: Ruumsaid juulup|hi
Faeroese: Gledhilig jol og eydnurikt nyggjar!
Farsi: Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad
Finnish: Hyvaa joulua
Flemish: Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar
French: Joyeux Noel Frisian: Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!
Galician: Bo Nada
Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr! German: Froehliche Weihnachten
Greek: Kala Christouyenna!
Hausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!
Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka
Hebrew: Mo'adim Lesimkha. Chena tova
Hindi: Shub Naya Baras
Hausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!
Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka ame Hauoli Makahiki Hou!
Hungarian: Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket
Icelandic: Gledileg Jol Indonesian: Selamat Hari Natal
Iraqi: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Irish: Nollaig Shona Dhuit, or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat
Iroquois: Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut. Ojenyunyat osrasay.
Italian: Buone Feste Natalizie
Japanese: Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
Korean: Sung Tan Chuk Ha
Latin: Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!
Latvian: Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno Gadu!
Lausitzian:Wjesole hody a strowe nowe leto
Lettish: Priecigus Ziemassvetkus
Lithuanian: Linksmu Kaledu
Low Saxon: Heughliche Winachten un 'n moi Nijaar
Macedonian: Sreken Bozhik
Maltese: LL Milied Lt-tajjeb
Manx: Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa
Maori: Meri Kirihimete
Marathi: Shub Naya Varsh
Navajo: Merry Keshmish
Norwegian: God Jul, or Gledelig Jul
Occitan: Pulit nadal e bona annado
Papiamento: Bon Pasco

Papua New Guinea: Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu
Pennsylvania German: En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr!
Peru: Feliz Navidad y un Venturoso Año Nuevo

Philippines: Maligayan Pasko!
Polish: Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie
Portuguese:Feliz Natal
Pushto: Christmas Aao Ne-way Kaal Mo Mobarak Sha
Rapa-Nui (Easter Island): Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua
Rhetian: Bellas festas da nadal e bun onn
Romanche: (sursilvan dialect): Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn!
Rumanian: Sarbatori vesele
Russian: Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom
Sami: Buorrit Juovllat
Samoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Sardinian: Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou
Serbian: Hristos se rodi
Slovakian: Sretan Bozic or Vesele vianoce
Sami: Buorrit Juovllat
Samoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Scots Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil huibh
Serb-Croatian: Sretam Bozic. Vesela Nova Godina
Serbian: Hristos se rodi. Singhalese: Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa
Slovak: Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok
Slovene: Vesele Bozicne. Screcno Novo Leto
Spanish: Feliz Navidad
Swedish: God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År
Tagalog: Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong Taon
Tami: Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal
Trukeese: (Micronesian) Neekiriisimas annim oo iyer seefe feyiyeech!
Thai: Sawadee Pee Mai
Turkish: Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Ukrainian: Srozhdestvom Kristovym
Urdu: Naya Saal Mubarak Ho
Vietnamese: Chung Mung Giang Sinh
Welsh: Nadolig Llawen
Yugoslavian: Cestitamo Bozic
Yoruba: E ku odun, e ku iye'dun!

Thanks for the folks at www.santas.net for the information above

From Home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another. The warmth and joy of Christmas, brings us closer to each other.
--Emily Matthews

AROUND THE WORLD

Ever wonder how your neighbors around the world celebrate Christmas?

To give you an idea of what Christmas is like in different parts of the world, here is a sampling from five different countries. For a more comprehensive list, please visit www.santas.net

Christmas in Scotland

The Scottish people have their big celebrations on New Year's Day, called Hogmanay. A long time ago, there was a superstition that it was bad luck for the fire to go out on Christmas Eve, since it was at this time that the elves were abroad and only a raging fire would keep them from coming down the chimney.

On Christmas Day, people sometimes make big bonfires and dance around them to the playing of bagpipes. Bannock cakes made of oatmeal are traditionally eaten at Christmas.

In Scotland, Christmas has traditionally been celebrated very quietly, because the Church of Scotland - the Presbyterian Church - has never placed any great emphasis on the Christmas festival. However, the Scots are members of the Church of England, and other churches generally celebrate Christmas in the same way as the English people. But they disapproved of Christmas because they believed that there was too much riotous festivity that occurred. Nowadays these things are held at Hogmanay, but the Scots do celebrate Christmas with some very interesting customs.

Christmas in Iraq

In Christian homes in Iraq, an unusual ceremony is held in the home’s courtyard on Christmas Eve. One of the children in the family reads the story of the Nativity from an Arabic Bible. The other members of the family hold lighted candles and, as soon as the story has been read, a bonfire is lit in one corner of the courtyard. The fire is made of dried thorns and the future of the house for the coming year depends upon the way the fire burns. If the thorns burn to ashes, the family will have good fortune. While the fire is burning, a psalm is sung. When the fire is reduced to ashes, everyone jumps over the ashes three times and makes a wish.

On Christmas Day a similar bonfire is built in the church. While the fire burns, the men of the congregation chant a hymn. Then there is a procession in which the officials of the church march behind the bishop, who carries an image of the infant Jesus upon a scarlet cushion. The long Christmas service always ends with the blessing of the people. The bishop reaches forth and touches a member of the congregation with his hand, putting his blessing upon him. That person touches the one next to him, and so on, until all have received "the Touch of Peace."

Christmas in Finland

Everybody's house is thoroughly cleaned in preparation for Christmas. Hours are spent in the kitchen cooking and baking special treats for the festive season.

Fir trees are felled, tied onto sleds, and taken home to be decorated.

A sheaf of grain is often tied to a pole, together with nuts and seeds and placed in the garden for the birds. Many of the peasants will not eat their Christmas dinner until the birds have had their dinner.

The meal begins as soon as the first star appeared in the sky.

In Finland, the Christmas tree is set up on Christmas Eve. Apples and other fruits, candies, paper flags, cotton and tinsel are used as decorations, and candles are used for lighting it.

The Christmas festivities are preceded by a visit to the famous steam baths, after which everyone dresses in clean clothes in preparation for the Christmas dinner, which is served from 5 to 7 o’clock in the evening.

Christmas gifts may be given out before or after the dinner. The children do not hang up stockings, but Santa Claus comes in person, often accompanied by as many as half a dozen Christmas elves to distribute the presents.

The main dish of the dinner is boiled codfish served snowy white and fluffy, with allspice, boiled potatoes, and cream sauce. The dried cod has been soaked for a week in a lye solution, then in clear water to soften it to the right texture. Also on the menu is roast suckling pig or a roasted fresh ham, mashed potatoes, and vegetables.

After dinner the children go to bed while the older people stay up to chat with visitors and drink coffee until about midnight.

Christmas Day services in the churches begin at six o’clock in the morning. It is a day for family visits and reunions. In some parts of the country the Star Boys tour the countryside singing Christmas songs. During all these days the people keep wishing each other a "Merry Yule."

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