Today I found Out...In Russia and Ukraine’. christmas is celebrated on the 7th of January and not the 25th of December like in most other countries. This unusuel date is because the Orthodox church uses the old ‘Julian’ calendar for religious celebration days. In the traditional Russian Christmas, special prayers are said and people fast. sometimes for 39 days. until January 6th (Christmas Eve). when the first evening star in appears in the sky. Then begins a twelve course supper in honor of each of the twelve apostles ~ In Dreland., it's traditional to leave mince pies ard a bottle ¢ © of Guinness out as a snack for Santa av we ca A Christmas tradition in parts of Spain, Portugals Di 'y is fo set up @ model village of Bethlehem. Along with Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, a Caganer, or "Shitter" in English, is placed in the scene. The Caganer is a figurine, iraditionally of a man. in the act of defecating, pants around his Knees bending over with pile of feces at his heels. Inthe Czech Republic. single women perform a very unusual ritual on Christmas Eve Day, fo find out if they will marry in the following year. With their backs to the house door. 4 throw one of their shoes over ther shoulder. If the shoe lands with the heel towards the door, she will definitely stay single for another year. while if the front of the shoe points towards the door. it means she will move out of her parents house. and she should start making wedding preparations. For over 40 years, the town of Gavle in Sweden, has erected a giant Goat made of straw to mark the beginning of the holiday season. Every year vandals do everything “PNY” they can to burn down the goat before Christmas Day. Since 1966, the Straw Goat has survived until Christmas Day only 10 times. People disguise themselves as Santa Claus or elves to get past the guardians and ignite the straw monument. sy My In Caracas, the capital of Venezuela: on Christmas Eve morning the reads of the city are closed fo cars, so people can roller skate to Mass.& According to ia ancient belief, witches and evil Z spirits would emerge on Christmas Eve fo steal brooms fo ride bs (ic skies. Thus. on Christmas Eve, all the brooms and similar | cleaning implements are hidden and men would fire ther shotguns: outside their houses to frighten these witches away. .y The people of Vletherlands’. who celebrate the holiday on December 6th, avait the arrival of Sinterkleas and his sidekic! - Black Pete, who come by way of steamer to leave candy & nuts for good little boys and gins who have filled their shoes with hay and sugar for his horse. In Germany, december 6 is litelaustag. St. Claus day. On the ete of that day. children leave out a eit oes ¢ their door. and the nest moming candies and/or small toys appear in them for thos who have been good or else a golden birch (a symbol for spanking) is placed next fo the sweets if they were bad. For many people in ee traditional Christmas dinner is Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFO). It is s0 popular and well marketed you would have fo make a neservationto eat at a KFC on Christmas| in the country. In Greentand, rather than the more traditional Christmas is like turkey. ham with crenberry sauce, meat pies, Sucking pig. christmas pudding and the likes "Kivial” which consists of raw flesh of an auk wrapped in seal skin and placed under a rock for several months, until it's well into decomposition. is the order of the day. I's a treat that most Greenland natives consider delicious. "Mattak". which is whale skin with a strip of blubber inside is also served to everyone during their celebrations In Slovakia: at the beginning of Christmas Eve dinner, the head of the family tates @ spoon af Lofsa (@ traditional Christmas dish made aut of bread. poppy seed filng and water) and throws it up at the celing. The more mixture that remains glued on the ceiling the richer his crops will be the following year: