”Christmas is a source of joy for every nation, because it brings happiness to the children and to the people from all over the world!

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”Christmas around the world!”

eTwinning project

2021-2022

Partner countries:

Romania, Italy, Lithuania, Turkey, Spain and Armenia

ITALY

SCHOOL: San Michele al Tagliamento (VE),

ICS di San Michele al Tagliamento

coordinator teacher: Tiziana BLASIGH

Holiday Traditions in Italy:

One of the most important ways of celebrating Christmas in Italy is the Nativity crib scene. Using a Nativity scene to help tell the Christmas story was made very popular by St. Francis of Assisi in 1223 (Assisi is in mid-Italy). The previous year he had visited Bethlehem and saw where it was thought that Jesus was born. A lot of Italian families have a Nativity scene in their homes.

The city of Naples in Italy is world famous for its Nativity scenes. These are known as 'Presepe Napoletano' (meaning Neapolitan Nativity/cribs scenes). The first Nativity scene in Naples is thought to go back to 1025 and was in the Church of S. Maria del presepe (Saint Mary of the Nativity), this was even before St. Francis of Assisi had made Nativity scenes very popular!

Having Nativity scenes in your own home became popular in the 16th century and it's still popular today (before that only churches and monasteries had scenes). Nativity scenes are traditionally put out on the 8th December. But the figure of the baby Jesus isn't put into the crib/manger until the evening/night of December 24th!

CHRISTMAS Traditions in Italy

Christmas Traditions in Italy

Christmas Traditions in Italy

ROMANIA

SCHOOLS:

1. ”Florin Fleșeriu” Sportive High School from Sebeș, ALBA, Romania;

2. „Avram Iancu” Secondary School from Alba Iulia, ALBA, Romania

coordinator teacher: Diane Popa

Christmas Traditions in Romania

How our families celebrates the holidays:

In Romania, children decorate the Christmas tree. Mothers and grandmothers on Christmas Eve prepare the traditional food: sarmale, cozonac, fish and sallads.

Children go to sing Christmas carols to their family, neighbours and in their community. They reveive candies, fruits and some money for this

Christmas Traditions in Romania

Christmas Traditions in Romania, Scoala Avram Iancu, Alba Iulia

Christmas Traditions in Romania, LPS Sebeș

In Romanian, Merry Christmas is 'Crăciun Fericit'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

In Romania Santa Claus is known as 'Moş Crăciun' (Old Man Christmas). During the time the country was under communist control, the gift bringer was 'Moş Gerilă' (Old Man Frost) but Moş Crăciun is the main gift bringer now!

Traditional Romanian Christmas foods include Roast Gammon and Pork Chops (made from the killed pig!), 'Ciorba de perisoare' which is a slightly sour vegetable soup made with fermented bran and pork meatballs; 'Sarmale' cabbage leaves stuffed with ground pork and served with mămăligă/polenta; 'Cozonac' a rich fruit bread; Romanian doughnuts called 'gogosi' and cheesecakes.

New Year's Eve is also an important celebration in Romania. It's sometimes called Little Christmas. Traditionally a small, decorated plough called a 'Plugusorul' is paraded through the streets on New Year's Eve. It is meant to help people have good crops during the following year.

Christmas Traditions in Romania, Țelna, Ighiu

Christmas in Alba Iulia, 2021

Romania

school: ,,Viceamiral Ioan Murgescu” Valu lui Traian”, Constanța

coordinator teacher: Niculina Muntean

Christmas Traditions in Romania

In Romania, Christmas and mid-winter celebrations last from 20th December to 7th January. The 20th is called 'Ziua de Ignat' or simply 'Ignat Day'. It is traditional that if the family keep pigs, one is killed on this day by the head of the household. The meat from the pig is used in the Christmas meals. After the pig is killed, the family members share a dish called 'Pomana Porcului' (Pork's Charity) which is traditionally cooked in a cauldron and consists of a variety of pork bits (pork belly, shoulder, liver, kidneys, etc.) in a garlic sauce and served with mămăligă (polenta). The name 'Ignat Day' comes from the 20th is also the saint day of 'Saint Ignatius of Antioch' and also 'Saint Ignatius, Archimandrite of the Kiev Caves' in some churches.

Sfantul Nicolae's Day (St Nicholas) is celebrated on the 6th December. On the evening of the 5th December children clean their shoes or boots and leave them by the door and hope that Sfantul Nicolae will leave them some small presents! Sfantul Nicolae might also be called 'Moş Nicolae' (Old Man Nicholas) and although he is celebrated in December, it's not part of the Christmas celebrations! A tradition says that if it snows on December 6th, Sfantul Nicolae has shaken his beard so that winter can begin.

school: ,,Viceamiral Ioan Murgescu” Valu lui Traian”, Constanța, RO

Christmas Traditions in Lithuania

Christmas Eve (Kūčios) is even more celebrated than Christmas. That evening whole family reunites to eat a special vegetarian (fish permitted) supper that must include at least 12 meals, and every participant should taste each meal. A prayer is said before that supper. The first meal is always the flatbread wafers (Lithuanian: Kalėdaitis). They are identical in the recipe to the Holy Communion and inscribed with Christian imagery.

During the first day of Christmas (December 25th) family meets for a dinner while the Second day of Christmas (December 26th) is also a public holiday.

Lithuania

school: Kelme district, Lithuania

Pakrazantis Gymnasium, Kelme district.

coordinator teacher: Brigita Banienė

Christmas Traditions in Lithuania

Christmas Traditions in Armenia

The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates Christmas on January 6th. On this day it also celebrates the Epiphany (which means the revelation that Jesus was God's son). Epiphany is now mainly the time Churches remember the Visit of the of Wise Men to Jesus; but some Churches, like the Armenian Apostolic Church, also celebrate the Baptism of Jesus (when he started his adult ministry) on Epiphany.

Some Armenians fast (don't eat anything) in the week before Christmas. The Christmas Eve meal is called khetum 'Խթում'. It often includes dishes such as rice, fish, nevik 'նուիկ' (green chard and chick peas) and yogurt/wheat soup called tanabur 'թանապուր'. Desserts include dried fruits and nuts, rojik (whole shelled walnuts threaded on a string and encased in grape jelly), bastukh (a paper-like dessert made of grape jelly, cornstarch and flour). This lighter menu is designed to ease the stomach off the week-long fast and prepare it for the larger Christmas Day dinner. Children take presents of fruits, nuts, and other candies to older relatives.

Christmas Traditions in Armenia

In Armenia, Santa Claus can be known as Gaghant Baba / Kaghand Papa (a traditional figure who's associated with the New Year) or Dzmer Pap[ik] / Ձմեռ Պապ (which translates as 'Winter Father/Grandfather' and is the Armenian version of Ded Moroz). He traditionally comes on New Year's Eve (December 31st) because Christmas Day itself is thought of as more of a religious holiday in Armenia.

In Armenian Happy/Merry Christmas is Shnorhavor Amanor yev Surb Tznund (Շնորհավոր Ամանոր և Սուրբ Ծնունդ) (which means 'Congratulations for the Holy Birth').

Christmas Traditions in Turkey