Cutting a tree for the home is an important Christmas tradition in many families. This photograph shows an Austrian family carrying a freshly cut Christmas tree through a snow-covered forest.
© Hans Huber, Westend61/Alamy Images

The Christmas season is here! Christmas is a special holiday for many people around the world. Christmas is a Christian feast day that commemorates the Nativity. The Nativity is the birth of Jesus Christ. A feast is a time of celebration. The Nativity feast originated in ancient times and evolved over many years. Most Christians observe Christmas on December 25, but the exact date of Jesus’s birth is unknown. The modern English word Christmas that is used today came from the early English term Cristes maesse, meaning Mass of Christ. Both religious and nonreligious traditions developed around the feast.

Christmas traditions vary throughout the world. People in different places share some Christmas customs. For example, many people attend church services, exchange gifts, put up decorations, and share a special meal. Some customs are unique to a particular group or region. In many countries, Santa Claus brings presents to children during the Christmas season. Children look forward to receiving gifts from Santa Claus on the night of Dec. 24. They also may hang up stockings for Santa to fill with small treats. Today, friends and relatives give one another gifts at Christmastime.

A festive Christmas market in Ettal, Germany, offers a variety of Christmas decorations and gifts. Germany is known for such markets, which fill town squares with temporary booths and shops during the holiday season.
© iStock Editorial/Thinkstock

In the United States and Canada, people decorate their homes with Christmas trees, evergreen wreaths, and Nativity scenes. They place presents for one another under the tree. City streets sparkle with outdoor lights and other decorations. Many people send greeting cards to relatives and friends who live far away. In some places, groups of carolers walk from house to house singing Christmas songs. Charity also has become an important part of the Christmas season. Many people feel a desire to share their good fortune with those who cannot afford Christmas gifts or a large holiday meal. Churches, schools, and businesses organize food and gift drives.

Many people watch shows and movies about Christmas. The Nutcracker ballet, first performed in Russia in 1892, remains a tradition during the Christmas season. Many people have favorite Christmas movies to watch with friends and family such as It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), Miracle on 34th Street (1947), A Christmas Story (1983), and Home Alone (1990). However you choose to celebrate, we hope you have a safe and joyful Christmas!

Credit: © FooTToo, Shutterstock

When thinking of the Christmas holiday, many think of Saint Nicholas. Did you know he had a beastlike companion who disciplines naughty children? The Krampus is a figure in the Christmas folklore of the central European nation of Austria. Krampus didn’t dole out coal, it often threatened ‘bad’ kids with physical punishment. Krampus was modeled after the Christian Devil, also known as Satan, and northern European gods whose worship predated the introduction of Christianity in the region. The name Krampus comes from the old German word krampen, meaning claw.

Krampus originated in the Middle Ages (about the 400′s through the 1400′s), when the famous bishop St. Nicholas became a popular gift-giving figure. Traditionally, St. Nicholas brought presents to well-behaved children on December 5 or December 6, his feast day. Medieval Christians also created a companion for St. Nicholas to discipline badly behaved children, as they pictured the Devil punishing sinners. The companion served as a sort of alter ego of St. Nicholas—that is, another aspect of his nature, or a close associate. This tradition was especially popular in central and eastern Europe. The companion was known as Knecht Ruprecht (Servant Rupert) or Belsnickel (also spelled Pelznickel or Belsnichol) in parts of Germany, Schmutzli in Switzerland, Zwarte Piet (Black Peter) in what is now the Netherlands, and Krampus in Austria.

An illustration of Krampus
Credit: © darko m, Shutterstock

Among the different versions of St. Nicholas’s companion, Krampus was especially frightening. Images of Krampus show him with large, goatlike horns; a long tongue and sharp teeth; and hooves on one or both legs. Some accounts describe Krampus with an empty basket on his back, for carrying away naughty children. In some descriptions, Krampus carries chains, and holds a whip or birch twigs for beating children.

The purpose of Krampus was to scare children into being good. Accounts about St. Nicholas describe the bishop as intervening on behalf of naughty children so that Krampus did not actually harm them. St. Nicholas would scold a naughty child, usually a boy, and tell him that he had to change his ways and obey his parents. Over time, Krampus became a less frightening figure. In the 1800′s in Austria, accounts described Krampus as accompanying St. Nicholas through village streets and to children’s homes, suggesting that he was not really all that dangerous.

In some parts of the world, St. Nicholas developed to become the jolly figure of Santa Claus. Santa’s only associates are elves who make toys and visit with children in department stores at Christmastime. However, the Krampus tradition has survived. Some communities in Europe hold Krampus events on December 5, known as Krampusnacht (Krampus night). People dress up as Krampus and celebrate in the streets. Krampus also has been the subject of novels, television programs, video games, and even a motion picture called Krampus (2015).

December 6, 2016

Last night, December 5, was Saint Nicholas Eve. On this night, the kindly patron saint of children traditionally visits homes to leave gifts for well-behaved youths. But did you know that last night was also Krampusnacht (German for Krampus night)? Krampusnacht is a celebration of the lesser-known, darker companion of St. Nicholas named Krampus, whose purpose is to scare little ones into being good.

On St. Nicholas Eve, some people dress in elaborate, frightening Krampus costumes and participate in parades celebrating Krampusnacht (Krampus night). Credit: © Sergio Delle Vedove, Shutterstock

In Austrian Christmas folklore, Krampus is a beastlike figure modeled after the Christian Devil and northern European pagan gods. Krampus disciplines naughty children, often threatening them with physical punishment. Images of Krampus show him with large, goatlike horns, a long tongue, sharp teeth, and hooves. Some accounts describe him with an empty basket on his back—used for carrying away misbehaving kids! He is sometimes pictured carrying chains, and holding birch twigs or a whip for beating unfortunate little ones.

The Krampus legend originated in the Middle Ages, when St. Nicholas, a historic bishop from modern day Turkey, became a popular gift-giving figure. Medieval Christians created a companion for the saint to discipline naughty children and to serve as a sort of alter ego (other self or close associate) of Nicholas. This tradition was especially popular in central and eastern Europe. The Krampus companion has various names, including Knecht Ruprecht or Belsnickel in parts of Germany, Schmutzli in Switzerland, and Zwarte Piet in the Netherlands.

In the legends, St. Nicholas prevents Krampus from actually harming any children. Instead, Nicholas scolds the children and tells them to change their ways. Over time, the Krampus figure became less frightening. In the 1800’s in Austria, accounts described him as accompanying St. Nicholas through village streets and to children’s homes, suggesting that he was not really so dangerous. In modern times, Krampus has been the subject of novels, comics, television programs, video games, and at least one motion picture (Krampus, 2015). Playful holiday cards called Krampuskarten feature such greetings as Grüß Vom Krampus! (Greetings from Krampus) and images of Krampus disciplining children or wooing attractive young women.

Today, communities in Austria, southeastern Germany, northern Italy, and other parts of Europe celebrate the Krampus tradition on Krampusnacht or other days with parades, Krampuslaufe (Krampus runs), and other forms of “frightening” revelry. Participants dress up in elaborate, terrifying costumes complete with glowing eyes and fiery hands, impersonating Krampus to pay tribute to this popular “anti-Santa.” Such events have even spread to communities in the United States. Spectators can expect to hear intimidating growls rather than jolly Ho-ho-ho’s, and possibly even a swipe with a birchwood switch!

December 25, 2015

“Merry Christmas!” (English)
“Fröliche Weihnachten!” (German)
“Linksmu Sventu Kaledu!” (Lithuanian)
“Meri Kurisumasu!” (Japanese)
“¡Feliz Navidad!” (Spanish)
“Eid Milad Majid!” (Arabic)

Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. During the Christmas season, many people set up Nativity scenes that show the baby Jesus surrounded by his parents, visitors called the Magi, shepherds, and various animals. © John Nordell, Getty Images

The Christmas season is a special time of year for many people around the world. There are more than 2 billion Christians worldwide, celebrating Jesus Christ’s birth with a multitude of traditions from early December through early January. Most Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25, but the exact date of Jesus’s birth is unknown. People in different places share some Christmas customs. For example, many people attend special church services, exchange presents, put up Christmas trees and other decorations, and share a big meal. Some customs are unique to a particular group or region. Christmastime can be especially exciting for children, who may get time off from school and receive presents from Santa Claus or other Christmas figures. (Have you ever heard of La Befana? Or how about the Weihnachtsmann? If not, don’t worry; you soon will.) Following is a description of just some of the many, varied customs observed around the world. Perhaps some of them will be familiar to you.

Germany is known for its unique Christmas markets. Town squares fill with booths selling holiday foods and handmade gifts. According to tradition, children in southern Germany receive gifts from the Christkind (Christ child) on Christmas Eve. In northern Germany, gifts come from the Weihnachtsmann (Christmas man).

In the United Kingdom, children look forward to receiving presents from Father Christmas. Popular Christmas foods and beverages include plum pudding and wassail, an alcoholic punch dating from the Middle Ages.

French children are especially lucky, receiving gifts from both Saint Nicholas, on December 6, and Père Noël (Father Christmas), on Christmas Eve. The French eat a rich chocolate cake called a bouche de Noël, shaped like a Yule log, a huge log traditionally burned by northern Europeans.

In Italy, an old woman called La Befana flies through the sky on a broomstick on January 6. She stops to leave children gifts as she searches for the baby Jesus.

In Eastern Europe, Christmas celebrations have been mainly religious. Children receive gifts from Svatý Mikulaš (Saint Nicholas) and the baby Jesus in Slovakia; and from the Star Man, the baby Jesus, or an angel in Poland. A type of Christmas scene called a putz, a miniature Christmas village, is popular in Moravia, in the Czech Republic. Many Polish families share an opłatek, a wafer resembling a Communion wafer. After the head of the family breaks the opłatek and asks God for peace, those present eat a piece of the wafer.

In the United States and Canada, people decorate with Christmas trees and other greens, place presents under the tree, and mail greeting cards. Caroling is popular in some places. Children receive gifts from Santa Claus, and stores hire people to dress up like Santa and visit with children. A traditional Christmas dinner may include roast turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. In Atlantic Canada, some people eat lobster for Christmas. Many people in Quebec follow French customs. Some African Americans combine Christmas with Kwanzaa, a holiday that lasts from December 26 through January 1.

In Mexico and Brazil, children receive gifts from the Three Kings or the Magi on January 6, known as Día de los Reyes or Three Kings Day. In Brazil, Papai Noel (Santa Claus) also has been part of Christmas celebrations since the 1950’s. Mexicans celebrate a nine-day Christmas festival called Las Posadas. From December 16 through 24, they reenact Mary and Joseph’s search for lodgings on the night of Jesus’s birth.

In Egypt and Ethiopia, members of the Coptic Orthodox and Ethiopian Orthodox churches observe Christmas on January 7. In Egypt, Christmas is mainly a religious festival. Ethiopian Orthodox Christians fast for 40 days before Christmas.

In South Korea and Japan, outdoor light displays are extremely popular. A minority of South Koreans are Christians, but Christmas is a national holiday. Santa Claus is called Santa Haraboji (Grandfather Santa) or Santa Kullosu. Japanese children receive gifts from Santa-san. Businesses and schools remain open, and Christmas dinner usually is restaurant take-out food. A famous Christmas celebration takes place every year at Tokyo Disneyland.

In Australia, which lies south of the equator, Christmas falls during the summer. Many people go to the beach. Australian cities sponsor huge caroling events led by famous local singers.

North, south, east, and west, people celebrate the Nativity in their own special way. But if none of these traditions appeal to you, perhaps you can follow the prescription of Buddy the elf, from the 2003 comic Christmas movie Elf:

“First we’ll make snow angels for two hours, then we’ll go ice skating, then we’ll eat a whole roll of Tollhouse cookie dough as fast as we can, and then we’ll snuggle.”

December 24, 2015

As the first Christmas of World War I (1914-1918) approached, many soldiers had been fighting since August. Already, hundreds of thousands had been killed, and the winter weather had turned the trenches into cold, muddy pits. Suffering was common to all front-line soldiers, but both sides took the time to celebrate Christmas. Soldiers received holiday parcels from their friends and families, as well as official gifts—such as chocolate and tobacco—from their governments. German troops brought Christmas trees to the trenches and decorated them with candles. Soldiers sang Christmas carols and held up banners with holiday wishes for their enemies.

British and German soldiers fraternizing in Belgium, on Christmas Day 1914.  Credit: © Imperial War Museum

On the Western Front in Belgian Flanders and northern France, a number of soldiers offered temporary truces for the celebration of the holiday. Throughout Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, 1914, many German and British troops walked above ground in relative safety. Some of them even shared food and drink, exchanged gifts and addresses, and took photographs. In at least one instance, soldiers engaged in a friendly soccer match between the enemy sides. Soldiers also used the truces to bury the dead on the battlefields.

Most of the temporary truces ended the day after Christmas, but in some areas the peace lasted until New Year’s Day, 1915. German and British commanders did not approve of the truces, and they quickly ended the agreements once they learned of them. Commanders issued firm orders against cease-fires for December 1915, but short, isolated truces nevertheless were reported. There were no such truces in 1916 or 1917.

Holiday truces between the Germans and French and Belgian troops were not as common as they were between the Germans and the British. Because Germany had occupied—and in some cases destroyed—much of Belgium and northern France, attitudes toward the Germans were not as friendly.

December 26, 2012

A powerful winter storm brought a white Christmas to the U.S. Midwest and tornadoes to the South. Little Rock, Arkansas, received 9 inches (91 centimeters) of snow, breaking a December 25 snowfall record that had stood for 86 years, and blizzard conditions hampered holiday travel in parts of Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.

The National Weather Service reported the sighting of more than 30 tornadoes in a line stretching from Texas and Louisiana to Mississippi and Alabama. Hardest hit was Mobile, Alabama, where numerous twisters and brutal, straight-line winds knocked down countless trees, blew off roofs, and left thousands of households without electric power on Christmas Day.

(Credit: © Colin McPherson, Corbis)

The storm caused the deaths of at least six people, primarily victims of car accidents on snow- and sleet-slickened highways in Arkansas and Oklahoma. One man was killed in Houston, Texas, when a tree fell on his pickup truck.

The same storm system is currently moving eastward, threatening the Carolinas. By the end of the week, it was expected to move up into the Northeast, with 12 inches (30 centimeters) of snow predicted.

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