We congratulate this month’s Fin Facts winners from Jodi Miller’s 4th grade class Bigelow Hill Intermediate School

· The first Christmas in old Mexico was celebrated in 1538 by Fray Pedro de Gante.

· Many Mexicans take a vacation at this time of year, and schoolchildren have an extra long holiday.

· The Christmas observances today are a blend of Spanish and Indian cultures.

· The festivities continue with the Day of Innocents on December 28th , New Years Eve on the 31st, and the Day of the Three Kings on January 6th.

· Some foods they enjoy eating during the holidays are nut cookies, bunuelos, chestnut cake, and capirotada.

Christmas in Denmark:

· Danish children use advent calendars of many which are homemade to mark off the days before Christmas.

· In Denmark, presents are often wrapped in the colors of Christmas red and white.

· Most Danish Christmas ornaments are homemade. Hearts, a national favorite, are an expression of love, family warmth and goodwill between men.

· The long wait for Juleaften, or Christmas Eve, is nearly over when the fourth candle, representing the final Sunday before Christmas is lighted on the Advent wreath.

· Christmas foods include: pebbernodder (dark peppernuts), rombudding (rum pudding), and julekage (Christmas coffee cake).

Christmas in France:called Noel.

· Mistletoe isn't to touch the earth and has to be cut down by a priest.

· Santa's name in French is Pere Noel.

· The crèche is the most important French Christmas symbol. A crèche is an image created by figures sometimes wood, paper, and plastic trees.

· Children put their slippers near the fireplace or the Christmas tree during Christmas Eve.

Christmas in Spain:

· In Spain, they have three Christmas holidays: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the Day of the Three Kings, which is January 6th.

· Instead of Santa giving them their presents, Spain children believe that the Three Kings give them their presents on Christmas Eve.

· The universal Christmas treat in Spain is turron, a kind of nugget made with toasted almonds, sugar, honey, and eggs.
· The traditional fish to eat is called a besugo.
· At Christmas, they put up swings, and children compete to see who can go the highest.

Christmas in Ireland:

· On Christmas night, the Irish tell stories of Mary and Joseph.

· The Saturday before Christmas is, by custom, the day to "bring home the Christmas."
· The Christmas tree is relatively a new custom in Ireland.

· Although Christmas gifts have become more lavish as the Irish economy has grown stronger, a single present for each member of the family is still the custom.
· Some Irish Christmas foods are marzipan, mince tartlets, apple and bread dressing, and Irish Christmas pudding.

Christmas in the Philippines:

· Filipinos are proud to proclaim their Christmas celebration to be the longest in the world. It begins formally on December 16th and continues nonstop until January 6th, Three Kings Day.

· Filipinos enjoy decorating their homes with star lanterns.

· The bamboo parol or star lantern is the nature and spirit of Christmas.  This five- pointed star represents the star of Bethlehem. A candle is placed in the center of it.

Christmas in Britain:

· In Britain, they put toys on the tree instead of ornaments and use real candles and real fruit.

· To hold the tree in place, they use sand.

· They put a fairy on top of the tree instead of an angel.

· The British call Santa Claus Father Christmas.

  Dishes they enjoy eating on Christmas are mincemeat, mince pies, apple yule logs, trifle, and fruitcake.

Christmas in Germany:

· Many of our favorite Christmas carols and aspects of the Santa Claus tradition came from Germany.

· Nearly everyone celebrates four main holidays: St. Nicholas Day, Christmas, New Year's Day, and Epiphany.

· The Christmas season lasts more than a month.

· Many Germans decorate their trees with gingerbread figures, marzipan Saint Nicholas, gilded fruit and nuts, religious figures, gold stars, and angels.

· In some areas, children hold Wunderkerzen (sparklers) as they stand around the tree.