customs8

Christmas in Holland

Holland is truly the land of St. Nicholas----so much so that even the chilly, drizzly, and dreary climate of early December is referred to as "real St. Nicholas weather". On St. Nicholas Eve, December 5th, there is hardly a family in Holland that does not, in one way or another, pay tribute to the "Old Bishop" and his servant Black Peter with a party or some kind of social gathering. Usually, presents abound and tables are laden with candies, cookies, cakes, and plenty of hot chocoloate. St. Nicholas and Black Peter usually make their appearance, and everywhere their spirit is felt. To Hollanders, Sinterklaas, as it is called, is such an accepted event in their lives that most of them do not even question how it all came about, and how St. Nick assumed his present form as benefactor and friend of all children. In Medieval legend, St. Nicholas was actually a composite figure representing two bishops, both of whom came from Lycia in Asia Minor, and that image has not changed materially over the centuries. One, Nicholas of Myra, was an extraordinary churchman in the 4th century; the other, Nicholas of Pinora, died in 564. Both were important historical figures who lived so many hundreds of years ago thata much of what is known about them is based on tradition and legend. Long, long ago these two men named Nicholas became merged into a kind of symbol----a saintly miracle worker to whom the Greek Orthodox Church turned for protection against dangers and catastrophes. However, it is the Bishop of Myra whose deeds and acts are best known. A thousand years ago, when Myra fell into the hands of the Mohammedans, the treasured bones of St. Nicholas were taken to Bari in southern Italy and there interred. An impressive church was erected over his grave, and it became the center of St. Nicholas worship. Since Bari was a seaport, St. Nicholas became the patron of sailors, and thus the cult which developed around him was spread over western and northern Europe. As his popularity increased, in practically all of the harbor cities bordering the coastline of western and northern Europe, and the rivers as well, churches were built dedicated to St. Nicholas. Looking back six hundred years, we find that Holland, with its long coastline, its many wide rivers, and its seafaring population, counted no less than twenty-three edifices bearing his name. Many of these are still used as places of worship, although in Holland, since the Reformation, a number of them have been converted to use by Protestant congregations.
Christmas Eve and Christmas morning are both devoted to church services, while the afternoon is spent in the family circle. This is the time for telling stories and singing carols. Dinner, usually served at seven o'clock, is a feast in every sense of the word. The day after Christmas----another general holiday called Second Christmas Day----is spent in a somewhat gayer fashion. In recent years, it has been the fashion for the family to eat at a restaurant, mainly to give the housewife a rest from household duties.

Christmas in Ireland

While Ireland is not known for its wealth of Christmas traditions, this small country has contributed several Christmas customs which are popular today. As the countryfolk will tell you, St. Patrick brought Christmas to Ireland late in the 5th century, and they speak of the event as though it occured only recently. They glossy-leaved holly wreath with its showy clusters of red berries, popular as a door decoration in North America, can be traced to the early settlers from the south of Ireland who came to the US at the time of the potato famine. So, too, can the lighted candle placed in the window on Christmas Eve. According to one belief, the candle has long served as a symbol of welcome to Mary and Joseph who sought shelter in vain on that first Christmas Eve. The ceremony of lighting the candle is one of those simple ancient rituals during which prayers are said for the departed and the privilege of striking the match is usually given to a daughter named Mary. For centuries it has been a practice in many Irish villages to set the kitchen table after the evening meal on Christmas Eve. On it is placed a loaf of bread filled with caraway seeds and raisins, a pitcher of milk, and a large lighted candle. The door is left unlatched. Thus, hospitality is extended to the Holy Family or to any traveler who might be on the road. On December 26th, St. Stephen's Day, boys in the small villages in the south and west of Ireland observe an age-old ritual as they go from house to house with a stuffed wren or one made of straw (attached to a sprig or furze), singing a simple ditty and expecting a gift of pennies to buy candy or to provide a party. As the door is opened to give the "trate", the boys burst forth with a smile, dance a few steps, repeat the verse, and them move on to the next house, where they perform in similar fashion. Occasionally they blacken their faces with charcoal as a disguise. St. Stephen's name and feast are highly regarded in many parts of Europe, including Sweden, France, the British Isles (particularly Ireland and Wales), and other countries as well. A delightful old tradition largely forgotten now was the making of round cakes filled with caraway seeds, one for each member of the family. Woe to the one whose cake broke in the baking or handling, for it indicated bad luck for him. From this belief came a Gaelic name for Christmas Eve, "Night of Cakes".

Christmas in Italy

Weatherwise, Christmas in Italy varies greatly according to region. In the countryside around Lake Maggiore and elsewhere in the Alps and Apennines, it is winter. Leafless trees dot the frost-encrusted fields and snow-capped mountains frame the cold landscape. However, each late December day, as darkness approaches, the bleakness is overshadowed by starry Christmas skies. Rome, on the other hand, is likely to enjoy a taste of spring, with the sun urging its warmth on the renewal of growth. The refleted light on the laurel bushes is a welcome sight. Farther south, it is truly a time of sunshine, warm enough on the Riviera for sailing and even bathing in sheltered places. In Naples, beginning in the 18th century, the Christmas crib, or presepio as it is called in Italy, developed into a popular art. Workers in the trade were known as figurari, and the crib figures which they made were called pastori. The day of Bambino, the day that God was born as a little child, is spent throughout Italy in the simple human joyousness, the intimate affection of the family. The great love that Italians have for their presepi is even dsiplayed by the grocers in their windows. Against a mountain of hams and great columns of colored tins of food, they often place a manger scene carved out of butter. In fact, every conceivable way of expressing the artistic aspects of the Christmas season becomes the province of the food merchants at this season of the year. In Sicily, the Christmas cakes are so handsomely decorated with fruits and vegetables made of colored almond paste that the bakers' windows look more like greenhouse than bakeshops. Fresh fruit of various kinds lends itself to endless decorative possibilities and the fruiterer has more than the usual opportunity to display his skill with all the richness of color, form, and texture that nature has provided.