A business owner and his partner bought the entire contents of a toy shop to give to families who need presents this Christmas. Ryan Powell, owner of Brecongate Projects purchased all the toys left at D. Emlyn Lloyd in Ystrad Mynach for families in need following the announcement that non-essential retailers are to close.
Visiting Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Lapland Finland just before Christmas. Meet the Father Christmas and Santa’s reindeer and husky dogs at the Arctic Circle. Visit the Santa Claus Main Post Office and Santa Claus Office in Finnish Lapland. Incredible reindeer of Santa Claus. Santa Claus lives in his house in Santa’s Village.
Where did the phrase “Jiminy Christmas” come from? What about “Godspeed”? Why do some people write “Xmas”? The answers may surprise you! Enjoy Christmas facts and trivia about the festive season.
Austria’s “Stille Nacht”
The world’s most famous Christmas song, “Silent Night,” comes to us from Austria (Österreich in German). Called “Stille Nacht” in its original German, this beautiful Christmas carol is now sung and enjoyed around the world in over 140 languages.
In the Christian tradition, a nativity scene (also known as a manger scene, crib, crèche (/krɛʃ/or /kreɪʃ/), or in Italian presepio or presepe) is the special exhibition, particularly during the Christmas season, of art objects representing the birth of Jesus. While the term “nativity scene” may be used of any representation of the very common subject of the Nativity of Jesus in art, it has a more specialized sense referring to seasonal displays, either using model figures in a setting or reenactments called “living nativity scenes” (tableau vivant) in which real humans and animals participate. Nativity scenes exhibit figures representing the infant Jesus, his mother, Mary, and her husband, Joseph.
The Yule goat is a Scandinavian and Northern European Yule and Christmas symbol and tradition. Its origin may be Germanic pagan and has existed in many variants during Scandinavian history. Modern representations of the Yule goat are typically made of straw.
The Candle in the Window otherwise in Gaelic Coinneal Mór na Nollag. On Christmas Eve a big candle was left to burn in the window, often lit by the youngest member of the family. The idea was to light the way of the Holy Family who was travelling the road. It was also lit as a welcome to visitors.
The Conservatives have announced that they have officially cancelled Christmas pantomimes, the switching on of Christmas lights and even the traditional Nativity school play. These are just a few of the festivities cancelled. They are even mandating how many of our friends and family members can share Christmas dinner in our own homes, even who we can and cannot hug.
While we observe the winter solstice around the world, Germanic cultures of northern and western Europe primarily celebrated Yule. At the midpoint of winter, they celebrated the rebirth of the sun and the light it would bring to the Earth.
A Guide to Christmas Markets in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and other European countries.
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