We all have them even if we think we don’t. From the Christmas tunes playing whilst wrapping the first presents, the carrots left out on Christmas Eve, champagne for breakfast on Christmas Day to visiting Aunty Ethel every Boxing Day, Christmas traditions feature heavily in our annual festivities.

The stool with the wonky leg gets dragged down from the loft (and it’s always mum who gets it), dad always has to wear his Christmas apron just to carve the Turkey and the age old tradition of ‘someone’ forgetting to buy the batteries, they all happen year after year in thousands of households and are so common that we don’t even realise we do most of them.

Traditions around the world vary and whilst some people might think we do strange things here in the UK, some of theirs are pretty unusual too. For example in Egypt, where only 15% of the country celebrate Christmas, they do the Holy Nativity Fast (as opposed to our tendency to over-indulge)  which means they don’t eat meat for the 40 days leading up to Christmas, which they don’t actually celebrate on the 25^th December, they wait until the 7^th January. Do you think if they celebrated on the correct day they wouldn’t have to fast for so long? If you’re thinking of planning a holiday to Egypt this Christmas, don’t worry as most of the hotels put decorations up even if it does seem a bit strange on a hot sunny day!

Christmas Eve in Greece is a magical time for children, especially the boys who wander the streets singing Christmas carols, known as ‘Kalanda’. Many play the triangle or a drum and they might also carry a boat covered in nuts and painted gold, as boat carrying is a tradition in Greece. What? You’ve never been to Greece and seen a man carrying his boat down the road? They’re not overly fussed on Christmas trees in Greece either; they prefer to have a bowl of water with wire across the rim and a sprig of Basel wrapped around a wooden cross tied to the wire (no idea where they put the fairy!) The mother of the house has to splash some of the water, using the cross and Basil into each room every day to ward off the ‘Killantzaroi’, or evil spirits that come down the chimney – don’t they know that’s just Santa after one too many whiskies?

In Jamaica it’s traditional to hang new curtains whilst hanging decorations – not so strange when I think about someone I know who decorates every year before Christmas, however in similar tradition to us, much of the Christmas Day meal is prepared the night before and the day is spent with friends and family. Christmas pudding is a large part of the Christmas tradition in Jamaica, and the fruit it contains can be marinated for anything up to a year! The drink of choice during December in Jamaica is Sorrel, made from dried Sorrel seeds (a small plant), orange peel, cloves, sugar and, of course – rum! Bet Santa enjoys his trip to Jamaica!

Christmas is huge in Malta and as with most nationalities; the church plays a very big part in the festivities. Every church is decorated with fairy lights and a nativity crib usually made by the congregation. The cribs are decorated with figures such as shepherds and angels and can be very ornate. At midnight on Christmas Eve the figure of baby Jesus is placed in the crib and on the Epiphany, the Magi (three Wise Men) are placed beside him. Traditionally the lady of the house would keep the fattest rooster and cook it in a casserole for Christmas dinner, however as Malta was under British rule for 160 years, the tradition of turkey for lunch has taken over (did you hear all the roosters in Malta heave a huge sigh of relief?)

Roosters also play a part in Christmas in Spain as the Christmas Eve Mass is known as ‘La Misa Del Gallo’ or the Mass of the Rooster – as one is believed to have crowed when Jesus was born – rumour has it they actually do that every day at dawn regardless of a holy birth, but if they want it as a tradition, who am I to argue? The main Christmas meal is eaten on Christmas Eve before going to church and after the service people walk through the streets carrying torches and playing tambourines, drums and guitars. A few gifts might be exchanged on Christmas Day but most are done on the Epiphany on the 6^th January and many children believe that it is the Three Kings who bring the gifts. (Does that mean they get three times as much?)

So what are your Christmas traditions? Do you look forward to them every year or do you do the same things just to please other people? One thing is for sure, we know by the end of the festivities you’ll all be ready for a holiday, well as a special present from us to you, we’re giving you up to 70% discount off all of our last minute holidays departing within 8 weeks! Oh yes, silly me…we do that all year round, well that just proves it really can be Christmas every day here at Latedeals.co.uk! Ho ho ho!