Christmas is celebrated with great fanfare across different countries of the
world. The day is preceded by Christmas Eve, which falls on December 24, and
followed by eleven days of the festival, ending on January 6. Christmas Eve
holds special significance in the celebrations of the festival. The day is
celebrated with much enthusiasm by the Christians all over the world. On
Christmas Eve, people would follow a number of rituals and customs associated
with the celebration of the festival. In fact, Christmas Eve is as important as
the day of the festival. It holds social as well as cultural significance,
because it is the time to have get together with family and friends and to pray
to God for their wellbeing.
On Christmas Eve, houses are cleaned from top to bottom and are decorated
beautifully with lights and other lovely festoons. Kids and youngsters get
excited about decorating their houses and the festive season ushers in a spirit
of well being and contentment. During the afternoon or early evening, the Mass
of Vigil is conducted. At the stroke of midnight, a Midnight Mass is observed by
Christians all over the world, thus officially marking the start of Christmas.
Christmas Eve is very exciting, yet a peaceful time. Presents packed in
attractive gift-wraps are placed under the Christmas tree, which is decorated
beautifully with lights, ornaments and sweet treats.
Planning dinners on Christmas Eve is a tradition that followed since a long
time. Usually, a typical Christmas Eve is celebrated by organizing a family
dinner or an elaborate meal. The main dish varies from place to place, depending
upon the culture, taste and preference so the people. For instance, the
traditional Christmas Eve dinner may consist of roasted goose in Germany, fish
soup and breaded roasted carp with potato salad in Czech Republic and Slovakia,
seven types of sea food in Italy, etc. The idea is to have a hearty meal with
the family and pray for the wellbeing of all. The cozy atmosphere at home is
enough to warm up the severest of winter nights.
The main attraction and highlight of Christmas Eve is the arrival of the famous
and everyone's favorite - the legendary character Santa Claus. Young kids hang
stockings on fireplaces for gifts and leave eatables for Santa Claus. Kids wait
enthusiastically to catch a glimpse of the legendary character, who brings along
with him Christmas gifts. Santa Claus continues to enchant young and old alike,
across the world. In some places, people stay awake until midnight, to open
their gifts. It is a tradition in some places, while it is a trend in other
places. The idea is to have fun and spread good cheer, on Christmas Eve.
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