In my previous blogs I have written about preparations for Christmas in the UK.

Another tradition in the UK is that many Anglican (Protestant) churches have Christingle (Christ light) services on Christmas Eve (24 December in the UK).

A Christingle

A Christingle is a symbol of Christ's light given to children during the service. It consists of an orange with a candle pushed into its centre, a red ribbon around the outside, and sweets or dried fruits stuck into the orange with cocktail sticks. The orange symbolises the world, the candle represents Jesus Christ (the light of the world), the red ribbon represents the blood of Jesus and the fruits represent the fruits of the earth.

Other religions also celebrate festivals of light at this time of year. Diwali, the festival of light celebrated by Hindus, takes place between mid-October and mid-December. This year Diwali was on 26 October. The festival involves lighting small clay lamps for five days and nights to signify the triumph of good over evil. Firecrackers are also lit to drive away evil spirits.

A woman lighting clay lamps for Diwali

And this week Jewish people in the UK, and around the world, are celebrating their Festival of Light. This festival is also known as Hanukkah or Chanukah. It is an eight-day Jewish holiday, celebrated on different dates each year, in November or December.

Hanukkah commemorates a miracle which Jews believe took place a long time ago, when the Temple in Jerusalem needed to be re-dedicated after a war. There was only enough oil to light the menorah for one day but it remained lit for the eight days needed to prepare new oil. The Jewish people have celebrated this eight-day festival ever since. During Hanukkah, a nine-branched candelabrum, based on the original menorah, is lit every evening at nightfall. The ninth candle in the middle of the menorah is used to light the other candles.

A menorah - lampstand

This year, Hanukkah started on Wednesday 21 December and the first candle was lit the evening before on Tuesday 20 December. The lights are put at the window so that people passing by can see them and be reminded of the holiday's miracle. Special prayers or blessings are said before or after lighting the candles, traditional songs are sung and traditional food is eaten. Some families give each other presents on each night of the Hanukkah festival.

Whichever festival you are celebrating at the moment, I wish you many blessings and happiness as we come to the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012.

Emily

Glossary:
Tradition - the passing on of cultural practices from generation to generation
Advent Wreath - a ring of leaves, flowers, twigs, with five candles, one for each week of Advent and one for Christmas Day
Christingle - the word means 'Christ light' and is an orange with a candle pushed into the centre of the orange, a red ribbon around the outside, and sweets or dried fruits stuck into the orange with cocktail sticks
Symbol - an image or object used to represent something else
To consist of - to be made from
Cocktail sticks - thin wooden sticks with sharp ends used to put food on at parties
To symbolise/ to represent - to illustrate something using a symbol or image
Fruits of the earth - types of food which have come from plants; e.g. vegetables
Festivals - an occasion for feasting or celebration
Diwali - a festival of light celebrated in the Hindu religion
Firecrackers - a small explosive used at celebrations to make noise
Hanukkah/ Chanukah - a festival of light celebrated in the Jewish religion
To commemorate - to remember
Miracle - something that can't be explained by the laws of nature
To re-dedicate - to dedicate or consecrate something again
Menorah - a lampstand traditionally used by Jews, with either seven or nine candles or lamps
Candelabrum - a decorative candle holder which holds multiple candles
Blessings - a short prayer or wish for happiness and well-being

A couple of people mentioned Advent calendars, so I'll start with that.

Our office Advent calendar

It has a picture of Santa Claus (also called Father Christmas) surrounded by lots of small children. He is carrying a sack of presents on his back and he has a finger to his lips, indicating that the children should be quiet and not tell their parents that they've seen him! The tradition is that Santa Claus comes at night and children are supposed to be asleep and then when they awake they find lots of presents at the foot of their beds.

This Advent calendar has 24 little doors with a chocolate behind each one. The doors are numbered 1-24 for each day from the first day of Advent (1 December in the UK) to Christmas Eve (24 December in the UK). Children in the UK love opening the doors of the calendar each day. Sometimes they find a little picture inside, sometimes a chocolate and sometimes a sweet.

Do you have Advent calendars in your country? What about Santa Claus? Or do you celebrate St. Nicholas' day on 6 December?

Can anybody tell me more about St. Nicholas' day? Elisabeth wrote about it in reply to my blog last week. She said, "Children put their shoes on the windowsill on the eve of that day, and the next morning they find their shoes filled with fruit and nuts and sweets." I didn't like the sound of the 'Krampus' - a scary figure. If St. Nicholas brings the presents, what does the Krampus do?

If you live in another country, what other traditions do you have at this time of year? Have you got any special foods or celebrations as the weather gets colder? Or perhaps in your country the weather is getting hotter now - if so, how do you celebrate this time of year?

Thanks,
Emily

Glossary:

Advent calendar - a way of counting down to Christmas - it has a window to open for every day from 1-24 December (Christmas Eve) with a picture or chocolate behind each window
Santa Claus/ Father Christmas - the man that British children believe brings them Christmas presents during the night before Christmas Day
Sack - a large bag of strong coarse material
Tradition - the passing on of cultural practices from generation to generation
At the foot of - at the end of (something)
Advent - a time of preparation for Christians, leading up to Christmas
Christmas Eve - (24 December in the UK) the day before Christmas Day
Eve - the evening before (something)

I thought I'd write about Advent, the time of preparation for Christmas in the Christian Church.

My friend Angela has sent me a picture of her family wreath, which is made using five candles, holly and ivy leaves and red berries. Sometimes pine branches are used too.

Angela's Advent Wreath has five candles with holly and other leaves around it

Purple is the colour used in the Catholic Church to symbolise a time of waiting or preparation. It is used in Advent (four weeks leading up to Christmas) and Lent (six weeks leading up to Easter). So the purple candles are lit on three of the four Sundays of Advent. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday of Advent, because it is 'Gaudete Sunday', a day to rejoice that Christmas - and the birth of Jesus Christ - has nearly arrived.

I have read that the tradition might have been started by a Protestant pastor in Germany during the 19th century. He made a circle out of wood and placed 19 small candles and 4 big candles around it. Every weekday during Advent one of the small candles was lit and every Sunday one of the big candles was lit, to symbolise the time leading up to Christmas.

Do you celebrate Advent in your country? What special traditions do you have for the beginning of Advent? Do you light an Advent Wreath in your church or in your home?
Or perhaps you have an Advent calendar?

If you are not a Christian, what other traditions do you have at this time of year? I'd like to hear about Diwali, which was celebrated recently, and Hanukah, which is coming up soon. Please share your winter festival traditions with me by commenting on this blog.

I look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks
Emily

Glossary:

Advent - a time of preparation for Christians, leading up to Christmas
Advent Wreath - a ring of leaves, flowers, twigs, with five candles, one for each week of Advent and one for Christmas Day.
Evergreen plants - plants and trees which have leaves all year round
Christmas Day - the day Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ (25 December in the UK)
Holly - a bush with spiky leaves, which has red berries in the winter
Ivy - a trailing plant with green and white patterned leaves
Pine - an evergreen tree with green leaves that look like needles
Tradition - the passing on of cultural practices from generation to generation
Symbolise - to represent something using a symbol or image