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Who says the holidays are celebrated in Siena the same as way as they are in Sydney? Here, a global sampling of who's making a list and checking it twiceplus, strange but true Christmas and New Year's traditions. Yule be astonished.
YO HO WHO?
Bilingual Belgium has two Santas: St. Nicholas visits children on December 4 to find out if they've been behaving, then returns on his feast day, December 6, with the goodies-or, if appropriate, twigs. Père Noël is the one responsible for Christmas Day surprises.
Julenisse, Norway's Santa, arrives via donkey-driven sleigh to deliver gifts on Christmas Eve, and plays tricks on any child who forgets to leave him a bowl of porridge.
In Nicaragua, the Three Wise Men themselves bring childrens' gifts on January 6th.
In Italy, tradition has it that a good witch known as La Befana turned away the Three Wise Men when they asked her for help finding the Baby Jesus. So overwhelming was her regret that ever since, she's attempted make amends by flying (yes, via broomstick) to every Italian child's house on January 5, dispensing presents to the good andwhat else?coal to the bad.
DID YOU KNOW?
The hymn "Silent Night" was reportedly first sung on Christmas Eve in 1818, when a priest in the Austrian hamlet of Oberndorf found his church's organ broken and saved the town sing-in by hastily writing a tune simple enough to be accompanied by guitar.
AN EXTRA NEW YEAR
On New Year's Eve in Bulgaria, children brandish a special stick and tap their elders on the back with it in exchange for money and candy.
The Spanish celebrate the New Year by eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight on December 31, for good luck in each of the upcoming months.
In Ecuador, effigies representing the past year's misfortunes are filled with newspaper and firecrackers. They're paraded through the streets on New Year's Eve, then burned to vanquish the bad luck.
Venezuelans don yellow underwear on January 1 to ensure sunny times ahead.
Copyright © 2008, American Express Publishing. All rights reserved.
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