Christmas Eve has many of its own customs and traditions. The most widely practised one that still exists today is going to a Midnight Mass Church Service.
In many countries such as Spain, Mexico, Poland and Italy, this is the most important Church service of the Christmas season.
People might fast during Christmas Eve (not eat any meat or fish usually) and then the main Christmas meal is often eaten after the Midnight Mass Service in these countries.
In some other countries, such as Belgium, Finland, Lithuania and Denmark the meal is eaten in the evening and you might go to a Midnight Service afterwards!
Christmas Eve is also the day when people in some countries, like Germany, Sweden and Portugal exchange their presents.
In many European countries including Germany, Serbia and Slovakia, Christmas Eve is the day when the Christmas Tree is brought into the house and decorated.
It was also traditional to bring the Yule Log into the house and light it on Christmas Eve.
It’s also the time that the wonderful book ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens is set and that going out Carol singing was and still is very popular. In the past, if you weren’t carol singing, in parts of the UK, you might go out wassailing (to sing carols from house to house at Christmas.)
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