Sweden- The Swedes
celebrate the Feast of Santa Lucia at the beginning of the Christmas season.
Santa Lucia was a martyred Catholic saint who wore a wreath of candles on her
head to light her way as she brought food for the Christians hiding
underground. On this day, the eldest daughter of the family dresses in a white
gown with a wreath similar to Lucia’s famous one and takes breakfast to her
parents in bed.
Ireland- On New Year’s
Eve, at the last stroke of midnight, the Irish open their doors to welcome in
the New Year. Their hope is that a dark haired man will be the first to open
the door, as a dark haired man is considered a good omen.
Spain- Spain, along
with people from some other Latin countries, eat twelve grapes at the stroke of
midnight to symbolize the twelve months of the year. Eating all the grapes is a
symbol of fortune and good luck for the New Year.
Puerto Rico- During the
Christmas season Puerto Rico celebrates Asalto. In this tradition, friends show
up at your doorstep unannounced singing and playing instruments. They’re
invited in to drink dance and— well, be merry. Sounds like my kind of
tradition.
Poland- The Polish enjoy Wigilia on Christmas
Eve. Wigilia is essentially a dinner celebrated on Christmas Eve where guests
enjoy different types of fish and starts when the first star of the night
appears. Everyone gets a piece of oplatek, a paper-thin wafer. The oplatek is
broken into pieces and offered as wishes to each guest. There is always an
empty seat left at the dinner table for Jesus on his birthday celebration.
Check them out and be sure to leave a
message in the comments section. What are your favorite holiday traditions?
Keep doing
Angelika
( credit: L.R.)
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