Christmas: a holiday for friends!

Our European Christmas card tree!

2008-12-21T09:26:00.002+01:00

This is the tree with all the cards we received from our partners so far!Thank you all so much!!!

Merry Christmas to all!!!

2008-12-21T09:23:00.002+01:00

This is one of the crafts we made for Christmas at school!We wish we could send you one!

Merry Christmas to all of you little Jesus will bring you health,happiness and success!

... more drawings from Italy

2008-12-17T22:56:00.000+01:00

Italian Children's Drawings

2008-12-17T22:44:00.003+01:00

Aren't they nice?

Our school sends you a simple and sincere wish:

Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year!

Our favourite Christmas traditional sweet

2008-12-17T22:40:00.002+01:00

Crocette

The fig tree of Cosenza is the best making tasty sweets.Crocette are four figs simply sun dried and crossed and stuffed with almond.”I palloni di fichi” (fig balls) are also very famous and are made by stuffing leaves from the fig tree with small pieces of dry fruits.Serve with a Locride passito IGT wine.

Dry figs, peeled and toasted almonds or walnuts or dried citrus peel.

Divide two figs into two halves from the stalk to the bottom, leaving the bottom of the fruit connected, Fill some of the figs with almonds or half the walnuts or the citrus peel. Then put the oder figs on top, close by pressing down with the finger. Repeat with the remaining two figs and place on top of the other figs to form the shape of a cross. Press the figs again using a utensil that allows them to stay that way for 24 hours. When ready put on a baking tray and cook in the oven at between 150-120°until golden.When cold brush figs with a solution of water and fighoney, dust ith sugar and garnish with laurel leaves.

Giorgia (I A), an Italian student from Catanzaro

Christmas in Poland

2008-12-10T18:33:00.002+01:00

In Poland people start preparing for Christmas at the beginning of December. Christmas trees are set in every home and decorated with sparkling tinsel, lights, glass balls. On Christmas Eve when the first star appears in the sky people sit at a table. They do not forget about leaving an empty place for an expected guest.

At midnight many people go to church to attend a special mass. 25 December is spent at home. The next day people pay and receive visits. Christmas in Poland is the most familiar, traditional and joyful time. The most popular dishes are: red borsh with pies, carp: fried or in a jelly, pies with mushrooms, herrings, poppy-seed cake. Before the supper members of the family share the holy wafer, after supper they give each other presents which were put under the Christmas tree.

Christmas songs

2008-12-06T22:48:00.000+01:00

Christmas songs

2008-12-06T22:41:00.001+01:00

We have been learning Chritmas songs. We have put up displays about our songs.

2008-12-06T22:28:00.002+01:00

We have been busy getting ready for Christmas. We have put up a Christmas tree, an advent calendar and some advent promises in the main hall.Each day we open a door on the advent calendar to count down to Christmas.

Reindeer craft

2008-12-03T21:39:00.002+01:00

This is the reindeer we made today with a wooden spoon.Tomorrow we will make a Santa!

Melomakarona:recipe from Greece

2008-12-03T21:22:00.002+01:00

Ingredients:

- 7 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

1 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1 3/4 cup of mild olive oil

1 1/4 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of cognac

3 oranges zested and juiced

4 teaspoon of freshly ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground clove

3/4 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg

Syrup:

- 1 pound of honey-

1 cup of sugar & 1 clove

- 1 1-inch piece of cinnamon

- 1 lemon zested & juiced-

1 cup of water

Topping:

- 1/2 cup of shelled almonds

- 1 tablespoon of sugar

- 1 teaspoon of freshly ground cinnamon

Making:

Syrup:

put honey, sugar, cinnamon, clove, & lemon zestin a saucepan

- add water, bring to boil & simmer for 5-10 minutes

- add lemon juice & chill

Preparation:

- sift flour, baking soda & salt together

- put the olive oil & sugar in a large bowl & beat togetherwith a wooden spoon

- beat in the Cognac, orange zest, spices, & juice from2 oranges (about 1/2 cup)

- beat flour into bowl, a few spoonfuls at a time, until thedough is malleable, add more flour if it is too soft & moreorange juice if it is too stiff

- turn dough onto a floured surface & knead for10-15 minutes until very smooth

- pinch off pieces of dough (approx. 2 tablespoons) & forminto flattened oval shapes

- bake in an oven preheated to 400-425 F for about 20 mins.on oiled or non-stick baking sheet until golden browncool to 'hand' temperature, dip in syrup for approx. 1 minute& then place with a slotted spoon on a tray to cool

Sprinkle with chopped almond mixture

New Year's Day in Italy

2008-12-03T15:13:00.006+01:00

On New Year's Eve, families and friends get together for a huge party. The dinner includes:

“Cotechino” (a large spiced sausage ) or “zampone” (stuffed pig’s trotter ) and lentils symbolizing money and good fortune for the coming year.
In the bigger city you can find music and dancing.There is a unique tradition to light petards and fireworks. The New Year is also celebrated with Itaian sparkling wine. Don't forget to wear your red underwear in the New Year. They say it will bring you luck in the coming year!!!

A short description of Christmas time in Slovenia

2008-12-02T22:12:00.011+01:00

...the time around Christmas and New Year's is a magical time. Especially for children.
The children in Slovenia are probably amongst the happiest children of all during this time of year. And "Why?" you ask...it is beacuse they have more gift-bearers than the children in other countries. They get gifts from three good men: St. Nicholas, Santa Claus and Grandfather Frost.

In Slovenia, we celebrate Christmas just like in any other country. The preparations for celebrations begin in the first days of December. You can hear Christmas songs on the radio all the time, everything is being decorated, the bigger parks in the cities, the bigger towns and cities also and people make ornaments for their homes mostly by themselves.
We usually write and send Chrismas cards a few days before Christmas. Many people make and decorate the cards they send by themselves, so that they are more personal. We send best wishes to our relatives and friends. Merry Christmas-VESEL BOŽIČ and a Happy New Year-SREČNO NOVO LETO!
On the 24th of December mothers and grandmothers make potica's (a special cake made of wallnuts and nuts and raisins), children decorate the Christmas tree and set up the Christmas crib under the tree.
The Christmas tree can be artificial, or real/natural (you can buy them at different markets), and lately it doesn't even have to be a tree to decorate it. Many people decorate tree branches and it still looks great. After the tree is decorated with different ornaments (may they be homemade or bought), the families gather and prepare themselves to go to the Midnight Mass Service. In the countryside people used to walk at night with lamps or candles to the nearest church to pray and sing and celebrate Christmas time. There are places where this still exists. After the mass, people go home.

On the 25th of December, families gather for the Christmas lunch. Of course, children open the presents Father Christmas left under the Christmas tree as soon as they get up in the morning.
The Christmas lunch consists of soup, baked or roasted with onions and pork fat, potatoes, souerkraut, sausages, beans, žolca (specially made beef-jello with eggs and meat)and potica at the end as a dessert.

Christmas is a time of year when family gets together and friends visit each other...it is a time to share love and happiness!

SHARE JOY AND HAPPINES TO PEOPLE YOU CARE FOR and GET THE MOST OF THIS YEAR'S CHRISTMAS!!!

In Slovene: "VESEL BOŽIČ IN SREČNO NOVO LETO!"

GREETINGS from Slovenia across Europe!

I've added a short presentation of songs lyrics we sing during these holidays.

http://www.slideshare.net/alenkica/songs-we-sing-at-christmas-and-new-year-in-slovenia-presentation

CHRISTMAS IN SLOVENIA

2008-12-02T21:28:00.006+01:00

Click on the links and here are two short presentations of Christmas in Slovenia...there is more to come from us...Greetings!!!

http://www.slideshare.net/alenkica/christmas-in-slovenia-presentation

http://www.slideshare.net/alenkica/a-few-facts-presentation

CHRISTMAS IN CALABRIA (ITALY)

2008-12-02T07:58:00.002+01:00

CHRISTMAS IN CALABRIA

Every year in Catanzaro, on “Corso Mazzini”, there are some pipers near some people dressed like Santa Claus. They give some sweets to the children. Italian children don’t wait the morning of the 25th , but they open their presents during the night of the 24th . The night of the 24th in Italy it is costum to have a big dinner named “cenone”. In this big dinner we generally eat: fish dishes, the “zeppole”, flour pancakes stuffed with anchovies or tuna in brine. In Cassano you eat:, cod, broccoli, spaghetti with anchovies, fennel, fried pumpkin, oranges, pears. In Diamante it is typical to eat “chinali”, a sweet pastry. In Cosenza and in the Sila there are an infinity of desserts. After the “cenone”, it is costume to play bingo, with your relatives and friends.
You eat panettone, pandoro, fruit, especially dried.
It’s costume on the 25th December, to go and give wishes to the neighbours.
In my school, “the Mattia Preti”, we pass very well the Christmas. Each year we do a party where we eat and drink. We sing Christmas carols and we do a small show to manifest the peace. My school is decorated for Christmas very well,
There is the tree, the crib, Christmas garlands and some decorated billboards. My school is very beautiful every day, but when Christmas arrives it is particularly beautiful. During the week we go to learn the computer in the computer room. In this room there are 13 computers. Out teacher, Mr Giovanni Barbuto, teaches us how to use it with great patience. During the art hours our teacher, Mr Giuseppe Celi, shows us the beauty of his paintings. We are learning two languages: English with the teacher, Ms Antonella Sellia, and French with the teacher Ms Patrizia Ariosto. In our school there isn’t a gym, but we’ve a good time when we go to our court and do gymnastics.

JACOPO FERA (III A), a student

Thank you Jemma

2008-12-01T21:12:00.002+01:00

Thank you Jemma and the children in Brynteg school for your card, news and cd which we received today - the children were very excited to receive it. We will post our letters this week. Looking forward to receiving letters from the rest of you.

Anne Harper

Christmas cards from Italy

2008-11-26T16:02:00.013+01:00

Italian children made this Christmas cards just for you all!!!

Preparing for Christmas

2008-11-25T20:58:00.004+01:00

Advent begins on the Sunday nearest to 30th November and lasts until midnight on Christmas Eve.. The beginning of Advent is when the preparations for Christmas really begin - the Christmas menu is planned, gifts are chosen and wrapped, carols are sung, cards are sent to friends and family and houses are decorated. An Advent wreath might be used to count down the weeks to Christmas. It has four candles around the outside, and one is lit each Sunday leading up to Christmas. The Fifth Candle in the centre is lit on Christmas Day. The circle of evergreen used on the wreath reminds Christians that God’s love has no beginning or end.

From December 1st British children might start to open the windows on an Advent calendar. There are 24 windows and one is opened each day leading up to Christmas Eve. There is usually a Christmas picture inside the window, and sometimes there might even be a chocolate !

Angel and Santa Claus we made in our school (Greece)

2008-11-25T16:41:00.004+01:00

Reindeers in Greece

2008-11-25T16:32:00.002+01:00

Today we made reindeers at school with our hands and foot!They are so cute, aren't they?

A Christmas video presentation from Greece

2008-11-25T16:22:00.004+01:00

To take an idea....Christmas in Greece...Trigona Kalanta the song you hear!!!
Merry Christmas: Kαλά Χριστούγεννα: Kala hristougena

Christmas in Taranto ( Italy )

2008-11-24T10:29:00.010+01:00

carteddate and sannacchiudere

pandoro and panettone

rice and seafood

The streets in our city are full of coloured lights, everywhere we can feel a joy and a holiday time!!! In the week before Christmas, people go shopping and spend a lot of money. They buy presents for their friends and relatives and food for the special Christmas dinner. In the houses women prepare local sweets “carteddate” and sannacchiudere”.On Christmas Eve , at six o’clock ( more or less ) all the family gather round the table and start the special dinner. On Christmas Eve dinner we used eat fish and different vegetables. Here it is a local menu:
Starter: sea food salad, fried artichokes or artichokes in oil, aubergines in oil, stem sprouts, stem turnip tops, olives…
First course: spaghetti with mussels or clam/ rice and seafood.

Then we can eat fish or sweet-and-sour yellow eel
Fresh fruit and dried fruit and a typical Italian cakes “panettone” or “pandoro”.
Many people at eleven o’clock ( evening ) go to church, others go to church on Christmas Day.At midnight the Baby Jesus is placed in the Crib.

On Christmas day, children get up early and open their presents, the people also exchange gifts. Then it’s time x Christmas lunch. Italian families usually have : lasagne, roast lamb with roast potatoes, and many different kinds of sweets : “panettone” ( spiced brioche with sultanas ), “pandoro” (a Veronese cake),” sannacchiudere and carteddate” ( local sweets in Taranto). We usually drink red wine and sparkling wine.

On the 26th of December ( Boxing Day ) the family meet again all together, we have a light meal, like” tortellini” ( ring- shaped pasta parcel with a savoury filling) in chicken stock. We spend time chatting or playing board games or cards games.

CHRISTMAS IN CATANZARO (ITALY)

2008-11-23T22:54:00.003+01:00

CHRISTMAS IN CATANZARO (ITALY)

Ilenia and Sharon, two students of the "Mattia Preti" school of Siano, are collecting pictures about how people celebrate Christmas in Catanzaro.

The photos here included represent the Basilica of Immacolata, during the Christmas Mass, on Christmas Day, and a typical Italian nativity.

GREEK NEW YEAR'S EVE TRADITIONS

2008-11-23T10:46:00.005+01:00

At New Year’s Eve we cut the Vasilopita,Vasilopita is Santa Claus’s cake.It has a coin inside,every member of the family takes a piece,we also cut a piece for the work,the home, Santa, Christ and virgin Mary.The one who finds the coin in his/her piece will be the lucky person of the year!!!
Santa Claus is called Aghios Vasilis in Greece.Saint Vasileios was a very faithful man who lived in Ceasaria.There was a very cruel King Ioulianos,who was asking all the valuable objects from the
Citizens.Saint Vasileios saw a vision that Ioulianos will be destroyed.And that happened.In order to give back the valuable objects to their owners Saint Vasileios baked pies and put them inside.
And the miracle happened everybody took the pie with his/herobject.That’s why we made this cakes every new Year’s eve!This day Saint Vasileios brings presents to the children

At New Year’s Day people enter their home with their right foot and break a pomegranate. We think that this will bring us luck and we will make a fresh start!
In some places, Greeks place outside their houses a special big onion(Scilla maritima,the formal name)to bring them luck and health in the new year!

GREEK CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

2008-11-23T10:23:00.013+01:00

In Greece we decorate Christmas tree as well as a traditional ship, especially in the islands they still decorate ship instead of tree!!

On Christmas Eve we make Chistopsomo(Christ Bread). It is a bread with a cross in the middle made with walnuts that we eat at Christmas lunch after we get back from the church. This day church function starts at 5 in the morning!

We also make sweets like melomakarona(it’s a kind of biscuit with honey) kourampiedes(a kind of biscuit with almonds)and sweets with honey syrop like mpaklavas, kantaifi etc.

At Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and Twelfth Day’s Eve children sing the Carols and
we give them sweets and money!!!They hold triangles!!

UK Christmas preparations at school

2008-11-22T16:54:00.003+01:00

We are a school in South London. At the moment we are getting ready to celebrate Christmas. First of all we will celebrate Advent. At the beginning of December we will make a big advent calendar in the school hall. As we open the windows of our calendar we will see images of the Christmas story. We will make an advent wreath and light a candle each week during assembly and say some prayers and hear the Christmas story to help us to prepare for Christmas.

At the moment our Year 1 and 2 children (aged 5-7 years) are preparing for a Christmas Nativity. Some of our older children (7-11 years) are preparing for a Christmas concert and our junior children will have a carol service in our parish Church (ours is a Catholic School). I will post some pictures of this year’s celebrations when I have them.

We will send you some pictures and news of our celebrations over the next few weeks. At the moment we are preparing some information for you about our Christmas celebrations and traditions which we will send you, as well as Christmas music and cards.

"Pettole " ( Recipe ) ITALY

2008-11-22T13:36:00.003+01:00

Mix flour, yeast, water and salt. Let stand for 2 hours, heating oil in the pot, put a bit of mix in the oil, do brown... are they cooked? Put them in a cup and add sugar!!!

Christmas Time- ITALY

2008-11-22T13:23:00.004+01:00

In Taranto, the Christmas atmosphere start to feel on the 22nd of November ( Saint Cecily’s Day ), when the band plays through the streets traditional Xmas music. Women prepare the “pettole” (sweet pancakes ) and people start to join with their friends and relatives, at home, to play cards or “tombola” ( a game like bingo).Another important day is the 8th of December ( Virgin’s Day ). People start to prepare the Xmas tree or the Crib, just in these days.

Christmas preparations in NORTH WHALES

2008-11-18T20:01:00.004+01:00

I am Jemma Pugh from Brynteg School in North Wales, Wrexham. Our school enjoys celebrating Chirstmas, so we thought it would be a very good idea to join in with your project!

As we are a school in Wales, we learn the Welsh language at our school. At Christmas time, we learn Welsh words based on Christmas. Here are some for you to try (I have put the pronunciation in brackets to make it easier!):

Christmas - Nadolig (Nah-do-leeg)
Christmas Tree - Coeden Nadolig (Coy-den Nah-do-lig)
Present - Anrheg (An-r-eg)
Baby Jesus - Baban Iesu (Ba-ban Yes-ee)
Father Christmas - Sion Corn (Shorn Corn)
Star - Seren (Seh-ren)
Snow - Bwrw eira (bu-roo eh-ra)

We are practising our school Christmas play at the moment. Our Infant children (aged 3-7 years) tell the Christmas story. Our Junior children (aged 8-11) tell a traditional story. We perform our plays to our parents in a big Christmas concert. We enjoy singing Christmas carols too.

We send Christmas cards to our friends and family, and we give each other gifts on Christmas day.

We also enjoy eating some delicious Christmas food, such as Christmas pudding, mince pies and Christmas fruit cake.

On Christmas Eve, some children and adults go to Church at midnight to take part in Midnight Mass. This is a very special Church service where people sing Christmas carols and remember the Christmas story.

The children in our school write letters to Father Christmas, telling him what presents they would like for Christmas. Then they wait patiently on Christmas Eve and go to bed very early. Father Christmas visits every child's house on Christmas Eve and leaves a present. The children wake up very early on Christmas morning and open their presents.

In our country, the weather is very cold at Christmas time, so we are hoping that it will snow on Christmas day!

We hope our Christmas traditions have been interesting. We will send you some pictures soon to show you our Christmas pictures. We will also send you some Christmas cards for your children to have in their classroom.

Merry Christmas!

Jemma Pugh

Christmas in Malta

2008-11-17T08:12:00.003+01:00

Hello,
I am Josephine Ebejer Grech and I am a teacher at "San Gorg Preca" Boys' Junior Lyceum Hamrun Malta. I teach Biology to boys between 13 and 16 years. I also teach Chemistry and Physics after school hours.

I am a Christmas lover. From when I was young I used to love Chrismtas carols, Christmas decorations, Christmas food, parties, the midnight mass etc.

Here I am going to upload a power point presentation about Christmas in Malta. I hope you like it. If you would like to ask more please send me an email on josephin@onvol.net

Happy Christmas everyone
Josephine Ebejer Grech
Malta.

http://www.slideshare.net/josephineebejergrech/christmas-in-malta-presentation

Christmas In Malta

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: christmas josephine)

ROMANIA

2008-11-13T18:24:00.004+01:00

Happy Christmas from Romania!

Welcome!!!

2008-11-12T12:15:00.002+01:00

Welcome to our Christmas blog! Here we can exchange information about Christmas traditions, recipies, music, dances, fairytales...whatever you can think about! A great season with lots of joy and happiness!We will all have a great time here!!!

Just join the Christmas club!!!!