A Christmas tale
What does everyone want in the run-up to this wonderful holiday? Well, of course, a miracle. Where can I find him if not in Europe? It is Europe that is most suitable for this. Judge for yourself: there you and the old, and luxury, and one of the main characters of the holiday – the Nutcracker – comes from the fabulous pages of old Hoffman. So get a warm blanket. And it is advisable that on this frosty day you have something at hand that will warm you and take you away from the shackles of the Snow Queen. Like a glass of mulled wine. Joke.
So let's go.
Our journey begins in the attic of our parents’ house. It happens that they ask you to bring something from there, and you dig into this pile of old and forgotten things. And all of a sudden, your hands come across an old grandfather's music box. You open it and in an instant everything opens up to you. And there she is in front of you... Neat, toy Europe, like a graceful pastry masterpiece glowing in the shop window. And you swirl into a Christmas carnival sweeping through its old narrow streets filled with all sorts of scents. Here's ginger. This is cinnamon.
And Europe itself is like a huge old music box. So mysterious. And only a dense velvet curtain of black color, strewn with the sparkling of infinitely distant stars, separates us from this Christmas tale. What do you say? The old lady cuts herself, shows her little performance to herself.
Just to see through a snap what is happening there...
Open your eyes... The music is over. There. And head under the blanket.
Our New Year is not like Christmas in Europe. We don’t get a tenth of that feeling.
How do you celebrate Christmas in Europe?
In Catholic Europe, Christmas is celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, that is, on the night of December 24-25. But it all starts much earlier.
Christmas bazaars and fairs open throughout Europe, where you will find a variety of Christmas items. Souvenirs, Christmas toys, jewelry - anything you want. And you will certainly enjoy and warm an abundance of snacks and drinks, which are sold literally at every step. Especially popular hot wine, gingerbread, pancakes and many other sweets. The most famous in its scope are fairs in Germany.
On Christmas Eve, people start decorating their homes. In many European countries, it is customary to conduct a general cleaning before the celebration. There is also a strong tradition of throwing away old and unnecessary things. Some arrange home sales or give things to charity, shelters.
Like the rest of the world, carnival culture is very important in Europe. Europe is second only to Brazil. In general, such a phenomenon as carnival is very deeply entrenched in literature and traditions, in folklore. It is believed that masks scare away evil spirits, drive away troubles and misfortunes. It just brings a lot of fun and joy.
Europeans are very family people, and they are more respectful of customs than we are. Well, maybe with the exception of young people who want to make noise. And the rest of Europe, representatives of more mature age, are conservative and prefer a calm atmosphere of home in a close circle. Therefore, a special event in every European country is still Christmas dinner, which is attended by only the closest.
Kovalev Alexei