Family Carol Service 2001

This year we have tried to find out how people around Europe celebrate Christmas and discover........

• Where does Father Christmas come from?
• Who was King Wenceslas?
• Why do children in Sweden get up very early on Christmas morning?
• Why do we have Christmas Trees?
• What was a mystery play
• Who is Lussibruden?

The answers lie in the customs of the six countries of Europe that we will tell you about in this page.

SWEDEN St. Lucia was an Italian saint from Sicily and her feast day on December 13th is associated with festivals of light, as the name Lucia comes from the Latin word for light.

St. Lucia was adopted by the Swedish people as a symbol of light in their long, dark winter and they have changed her name in Swedish to Lussibruden.

Lussibruden is represented by the youngest daughter of the household, whose task it is to slip out of bed early on December 13th before the rest of the family wake. She puts on a long, white dress and a scarlet sash. On her head she wears a crown of leaves with tall, white candles.

When she is dressed, Lussi wakes the rest of the family with a song and cups of coffee and buns. The boys can do the same thing, but they are called "Star Boys".

HOLLAND I n Holland the 5th of December is Sinterklaas Eve. Sinterklaas is the Dutch name for St. Nicholas who was an Archbishop over a thousand years ago.

We remember St. Nicholas as Santa Claus, but in Holland he is still the old white bearded bishop with his scarlet cloak and mitre, carrying the gold crozier in his hand.

Dutch children know that Sinterklaas spends most of the year in Spain recording the behaviour of all children in a big red book, while his servant, Peter, stocks up presents for the children. Then, in November Sinterklaas boards a boat for Holland and he is welcomed in Amsterdam harbour by the mayor and citizens.

The old bishop and his servant, Peter, ride across the rooftops giving out presents. The Dutch children leave hay and carrots for his horse in their shoes and clogs by the fireside. While Sinterklaas listens quietly at the chimneystacks to check on the children's behaviour, Peter exchanges the hay and carrots for small gifts and sweets.

When Dutch people went to live in America, they took the story of St Nicholas with them to their new home and now, "Father Christmas" is known by children everywhere.

In Poland, the most important celebration takes place on Christmas Eve and is known as the "Wigilia" or vigil a time when families watch for the coming of the Christ child.

No-one eats on Christmas Eve until the children have spotted the first star in the evening sky. Then families sit down to their special Wigilia supper.

Hay is spread over the floor and on the table to make the room look like the stable in Bethlehem. Friends and relatives are invited and made specially welcome.

The family sit down to a meal of twelve courses, starting with the sharing of a wafer which is passed from person to person round the table. Herring and Beetroot soup comes first. This is called "uski". The main dish is Carp served with Barley, poppy seeds and honey.

One place at the table is left empty in case Mary and her baby should wish to visit the family and share the meal. After the supper, the Christmas tree is decorated and the family sing carols and open their presents.

The children have already left letters on their window-sills for the wise men to find.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

The famous King Wenceslas was a real king of Bohemia in Czechoslovakia who lived in the 10th century.

These were difficult times for the young king and his simple ways and Christian beliefs made him many enemies.

There are many stories of the deeds performed by Wenceslas, but the one we know best tells how he set out on the feast of St. Stephen - 26th December on a bitterly cold day. Although the wind was chill, the air around Wenceslas was warm and the deep snow melted under his feet.

His small page boy was able to follow easily in his footsteps as they both set out to take food to a poor peasant.

For this, and his other acts of kindness, Wenceslas was made the Patron Saint of Czechoslovakia and his statue stand in the city of Prague.

Chzechoslovakia is now two countries -Slovakia and the Czech Republic

GERMANY

Many of our British Christmas Customs originated in the land of Germany. From earliest times, people decorated their homes with the branches of evergreen trees to remind them of the spring days to come and to provide a cheerful display of leaves and berries in the midst of winter.

Candles were lit in the dark December days and reminded people of Jesus as the "Light of the world"

In Germany, Christmas trees were very popular and the idea is said to have come to Britain because of Queen Victoria's husband Albert, who came from Germany.

The royal family celebrated Christmas with many customs remembered from Albert's youth and people all over the nation began to bring Christmas trees into their homes and decorate them with candles and bright decorations.

England

In the Middle Ages, few ordinary people could read bible stories for themselves but many English towns had "Mystery Plays" - a series of well known bible stories performed as a sort of festival by ordinary people from each trade and profession.

These would be performed in the open air with crowds gathering in the streets or market place to listen. Here are characters from "The Shepherds' Play" from the Chester Cycle of plays. In this play, the shepherds are from Wales and are found on a cold and rainy hillside in winter.