I’m not actually sure, looking it up suggested that it’s because historically all the Christian holidays started at sundown, as in Judaism too. It’s also technically Christmas tomorrow here and people often have to work in the morning still, but the main celebrations are in the evening today
My wife just made the annual Christmas Snack Table for after Christmas lunch
Definitely need to start running again
No idea, but that’s how it’s alwas been. Today is the main day and tomorrow is the start of Christmas. It’s the same with New Year’s, Easter and May Day; we like celebrating on the eve of the main event.
Yes, but finish the snacks first
I think you’re just impatient
I’m watching Twice Upon A Time as I wrap presents and get everything ready, my parents are about to arrive.
It’s the same over here! Santa arrives tonight with his big sack with presents. Or they are already under the tree, as we don’t have children. I believe stockings are a conspiracy against big presents. I mean, nothing fits inside them!
By the way, that’s a Santa with an unusually dark beard! And you’re looking very good there om the right, @Tian!
Santa arrives tonight for us too. What do you do on Christmas Day then if the main festivities are today? Is it just presents?
More food and snacks, time with family and friends, maybe watch a movie. Today, we celebrate with my in-laws at mys sister-in-law’s and swap presents. Tomorrow, we celebrate with my parents and big sister at our place and swap presents. And on Boxing Day, it’s just my wife and I and Christmas movies.
Presents is today as well here.
Tomorrow is Christmas Lunch with the family for us, and just time to enjoy the presents we received today
Merry Christmas everyone
Most of Sweden celebrates my birthday tomorrow
Is that the reason for your name?
Merry Christmas.
We are sharing different Christmas traditions? Cool.
When I was a child living in the Bavarian Forest, we got our presents on Christmas Eve. The “courier” was “Christkindl” (‘kindl’ being the Bavarian dialect word for ‘child’). Just going from the name, one could surmise that it means Baby Jesus brought the presents, but as far as I know, it is actually a special childlike angel. No Santa in our part of the World.
In the evening around 6pm, there was first a feast with some traditional food. In our household, it was mostly sauerkraut and bratwurst (my dictionary tells me no translation is necessary?) with some pretzels (the big ones). And a lot of it. Traditionally, the people in the Bavarian Forest were poor (a saying from here translates to ‘not enough to live but too much to die’). That was before my time, but I guess the tradition of at least at Christmas eating till bursting was still very much alive.
Afterwards, we children had to go into our rooms to allow the Christkindl to deliver the presents. With the sound of a bell, we were then allowed into the living room with the Christmas tree and presents. The excitement and impatience on the part of us children were, of course, enormous. The presents themselves were mainly necessary items like trousers, socks, etc., and one special item, like a book or something else not strictly necessary for everyday living. After that, some board games, watching TV, and doing things together as a family. And later on, the Midnight Mass (back then, mostly Catholics in the Bavarian Forest).
Christmas Day & Boxing Day: Church services in the morning, way too much to eat at lunchtime, and visiting grandparents, aunts, and uncles in the afternoon. And very important - getting more presents.
(I recently heard someone mention—maybe even on this forum—that Christmas in Europe is much like Thanksgiving in the US. All the relatives get together and somehow have to manage not to get into fights with each other. Indeed, Christmas was always the time to meet relatives one maybe did not see all year long.)
And nowadays? Details have changed, but the overall structure is still the same. Not going to church is nowadays absolutely accepted (in my youth, people would have talked), but most people still visit church at least on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. The church is festively decorated, and it just contributes to the overall Christmas atmosphere. And yeah, still way to much to eat.
We had. Christmas quiz and one lf the questions was: “Why do we celebrate Christmas on the 24th, when most of the world celebrates on the 25th?” and the answer was that it’s an old tradition from pre-Christian times, when the next day began after sunset, meaning that Christmas Day started on Christmas Eve after sunset.
I won the quiz my prize was a sudoku toilet paper roll, a back scracther and pre poop spray. Bought from the best Danish shop in the world, Tiger
No Kalle Anka here, but we will soon open presents and watch a Christmas concert together.
And your Queen celebrated hers yesterday.
We always went to church in the early afternoon as children to participate in the nativity play, actually I’ve just come back from that since now I’m organizing it, and afterwards there’s presents and dinner. When I was little it was always presents first since we weren’t that patient, now we eat first. And since I’m usually very busy during that first church service, I like to go to one at 11 pm for myself. Christmas Eve is celebrations with close family usually, and then we’ll visit my aunt and her family for brunch on Christmas Day and then we’ll visit my grandparents on the 26th. Christmas very much isn’t done after the 24th, but you’ll celebrate with those closest to you then and go to church and get the most presents as a kid, so it’s the main event so to speak
Though actually most Germans don’t do a big dinner, potato salad and sausages is actually the traditional Christmas Eve food.
My mum is going to make borscht though, since that’s tradition in her family.
Funny, that’s what we usually have for New Year’s Eve