Holidays all over the world (Xmas, New year...)
 

I think it'd be interesting to know how Christmas and New Year holidays are celebrated in different countries. Here's people from many countries, does anybody want to share?
I'll write about Argentina tomorrow.

here in mexico we prepare for dinner
-spaguetti
-apple salad that is apple with cream, pineapple,nuts,raisin
-"romeritos" is a food that includes a shrimp, mole, potatoes, and a plant tha is called romeritos
-turkey
-codfish takes olives Potatoes,onion,tomato,garlic and other things

and that is the typical thing that cooks here in Mexico and then as in all the places takes champagne, there is a little music and the celebration is finished at dawn, haha (tipical in mexican the long parties):D :coctail:

and in new year we cook the same, we make the wishes with the grapes,etc..

well here in Argentina we get the whole family together for Christmas (usually my house, haha). So aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents all come for dinner, there's no special dish like every year we eat the same. However some food is traditional, like "pollo arrollado", that is chicken wrapped in a net in a tube-like way, full with cheese and ham (salty) or pineapple and plums. We also have salads, usually with lettuce, tomato, egg, ham and cheese and carrots. Plus pig. We drink red and white wine and beer. For dessert my mother cooks a pineapple cake accompanied with vanilla icecream. And of course to toast we drink champagne or lemonchamp. After that we have puddings and panettone, homemade. That is the December, 24th. At midnight, after the toast "Papá Noel" (Santa Claus) comes with the presents for the children, and the rest of the family too.
For New Year we use to get together with friends, all the families. We have similar dinner and at midnight instead of Papá Noel coming we celebrate firing fireworks.
And that's it!
I made a special decoration this year, probably tomorrow I'll upload the pics I took.

10 Days celebrate In Russia :D And drink vodka :coctail: :coctail: :laugh:

Haha now that's the way to do it! :coctail: :laugh:

In my country we...

Celebrate with family, have dinner on 25th Turkey, give and open gifts.... it's not necessaire ro put it under the tree......

On 31th december (in my family) we eat turkey too ..... and in the whole country we burn a big size rag doll,,, dunno how to name it in english,,, in spanish it's called "monigote", it's like a maniqui made on paper, clothing and wood..... that represents the things we want to forget of this year so we can start a new one with new hopes and attitude. We put fire on it and we eat 12 grapes and make a wish for each one.... drink champagne and some ppl (not me),,...

- wear yellow undewear, for money (or red for love)
- pick up handbags and walk around the street (expecting to have travels this new year)


I personally make slides of things I've made in the whole year and mix them with some old pics.... he he.... this is the one of this year......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cySD0CUWbB4

http://www.sendspace.com/file/tb0aah

Here Christmas is actually a Christian celebration, which doesn't have presents and stuff. Most people do give presents these days, but it's not always been that way. For the smaller kids we have "Sinterklaas" which takes place on the 5th of December and actually Santa Clause comes from Sinterklaas.. :) With Sinterklaas, we celebrate the fact that Sinterklaas came with his boat from Spain to Holland and brings everyone presents. The smaller kids (up 'till the age of 7 or 8) actually believe Sinterklaas exists and they put their shoes in front of the fireplace and in the morning there will be small presents or candy inside of them, and on the 5th of December Sinterklaas will bring everyone presents in the evening and we'll all sing songs to make sure he'll hear us and won't forget us.. And the older kids and the adults will make what we call "surprises" which are like funny things and a poem and inside you'll put a small present.. Sinterklaas and his "zwarte pieten", the guys that help him
But well.. Christmas, on Christmas eve some people go to church, afterwards we sit at home and drink gluhwine and stuff.. Then the teenagers go to the clubs and get drunk haha.. :) And on 1st Christmas day (25th of December) we go see the family and stuff, have dinner alltogether, blablabla the usual.. On the 2nd Christmas day (26th of December) most people stay home and have a family day, or the teenagers celebrate Christmas with their friends and presents..

On New year's eve the adult usually go to family again, drink, eat "oliebollen" (don't know the english word, this is what they look like: oliebollen) and the teenagers usually go with their family or stay with friends to watch a movie 'till midnight and then go outside and have fireworks and stuff and afterwards go to the clubs and party 'till dawn..

nice... why is it 10 days in Russia?

Because they like to party, I think ;)

Christmas used to be a family holiday when older members of the family would go out and nick a pine-tree from the forest. He did the whole present thing in the 80s but it was rather modest. But I do remember getting a BMX bike from my granny in the late 80s.

These days it turned into a shopping-mall extravaganza where people compete in who'll spend more money for the most useless thing in the store.

I agree on that part. And I think it's stupid. I don't care bout spending money on presents, but I don't need Christmas to give people presents.. :) If I feel like it, I will. I hate those people who are pretending to be very caring and showing that by giving you useless stuff, and that way you know they don't care and don't even know you. I try to give people presents they like, but what they never dreamt of getting, like a ticket for a concert they don't have the money for (girl I have a crush on), a doll for my little brother (he was scared to buy it himself), or a sweater for little anais (parents don't have a lot of money but they loved that sweater).. I don't care bout candles or photoframes or whatever.. :) Give me something I care about, don't care if it costs next to nothing, because it proves to me that you've thought about me, that you know me, and that you want to make me happy. And if you can't think of something, just give me a hug and send me a sweet text, that's just as good.. It's the thought that matters, not the amount of presents..