Christmas is perhaps the most popular holiday in the whole world. In Europe, the celebrations last from the beginning of November to the end of December. Christmas sales, fairs, decoration of streets and houses, all kinds of festivals and concerts - every country in the world has its own traditions. We have prepared an article with the most beautiful Christmas cities in Europe, which are considered a must visit at all times.
Christmas has always been and remains the most revered holiday for all Christians.
A month before the holiday, shops and shopping centers are dressed in Christmas paraphernalia, but few people know that this tradition has its deep spiritual roots.
In Western Christian culture, this special pre-Christmas time has become widespread under the name - Advent. Advent (from lat. adventus - arrival) - a four-week period of preparation and waiting time preceding the feast of the Nativity of Christ.
The term "advent" in the Latin translation of the Bible - the Vulgate - denotes a word that in Russian sounds like "coming".
The most famous Advent tradition that has spread all over the world is the Advent wreath.
It is usually made from spruce branches woven into a circle with wire or fishing line, into which four candles are woven, each of which has its own symbolic spiritual meaning. On the first Sunday of Advent, one candle is lit, on the second - two, and so on, so that it becomes brighter every week.
As a result, on the last - fourth Sunday of Advent, all the candles will be lit over the spruce wreath, announcing the imminent onset of the Nativity of Christ.
ROME
Probably, in every country, Christmas is the most long-awaited holiday, because it brings not only many gifts, but, most importantly, the expectation of a miracle and magic.
One can argue for a long time where Catholic Christmas is the most real, but the answer has long been known - in Italy. To say that Christmas is the main holiday in Rome is to say nothing.
They start preparing for it at least six months in advance. Preparation goes simultaneously along two lines - secular and ecclesiastical. According to the secular, because it is a lively and bright holiday, and requires mandatory attributes in the form of Christmas trees, lights, toys, gifts, feasts with relatives and friends.
“For Christmas with your friends, for the New Year with whoever you want,” the Italians never get tired of repeating the phrase that has become a proverb.
Religious, because Rome is a Catholic center. The Christmas mass in St. Paul's Cathedral, the main ceremony of the year, proclaims to the Christian world about the next anniversary of the birth of the Savior. All stages of this significant celebration are strictly regulated, consecrated by tradition and repeated from year to year. In the capital of the Catholic world, in the eternal city.
There, as elsewhere in the world, the holiday falls on December 25 and is called Natal. Of course, in fact, everything starts earlier, back in November. All streets, boutiques and pizzerias are decorated with bright multi-colored lanterns, which are removed only by mid-January. They hang a wreath with bells on the front door and decorate the Christmas tree. Since Christmas in Italy is a family holiday and often relatives get together at the festive table and play loto.
Italian Christmas always starts with the Presepio. Presepio is a reproduced scene of the birth of Christ. Presepio is placed in every house, always in churches, in central squares. The basis of the Presepio is three figures: the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The baby Jesus always lies in a manger on a straw.
Already in mid-November, the first decorations and garlands appear on the streets, but the holiday comes into full force in the second week of December.
Each shop, street is decorated with multi-colored light bulbs, imitations of Christmas trees, garlands, wreaths. Probably, in this - the cities of Italy do not differ from other countries. All this is very beautiful and creates a sense of celebration, uplifting. Throughout the city, large flower tubs are placed, in which, like exotic plants, miniature Christmas trees flaunt, and on the Roman sidewalks on the eve of the holidays you can walk, feeling like a Hollywood celebrity: at Christmas in Rome, they are customarily covered with red carpets.
On December 25, a roasted rooster can be served at the festive table, at which the whole family gathers, but rather, it will be tortellini, which look like small dumplings that are necessarily boiled in broth.
Traditional Christmas dishes, however, are very diverse from region to region, of which there are 20 in Italy. Christmas morning is the gifts brought by Babbo Natale, that is, Santa Claus, and going to church.
RIGA
Every year from the end of November, a real fairy tale descends on Riga. On the squares of the capital of Latvia, fluffy Christmas trees are set up and decorated. Shop windows begin to sparkle with festive lights and, of course, the famous Riga Christmas markets, or Christmas markets, open.
Beautifully decorated wooden houses sell a variety of Latvian souvenirs, dishes, clothes, jewelry.
It is very pleasant to walk among this beauty to the sounds of New Year's melodies! At the fairs, you just need to try a variety of local sweets, Riga bread, roasted almonds, various smoked meats, mulled wine and Latvian beer. And For all visitors, entertainment events are held here. The traditions of celebrating Catholic Christmas were revived in Riga almost immediately after Latvia withdrew from the Soviet Union.
And this is not surprising: Christmas Riga is fabulously beautiful. Long before the holiday, Christmas markets and fluffy Christmas trees begin to be arranged in the city squares. The decoration of the city includes generous illumination on all streets, squares and boulevards, and special illumination of bridges and bridges, and special design of shop windows, each of which turns into a masterpiece of design art and the embodiment of creativity for the holiday. All this creates that special mood, which is called Christmas.
Christmas markets offer shoppers a lot of those cute useless things that evoke childhood memories: all kinds of Christmas tree decorations, traditional Christmas sweets, handicrafts, souvenirs. The most interesting Christmas market takes place on the Dome Square, in the very center of Old Riga. The good old tradition of holding all kinds of cultural events on Christmas days is unchanged. These are festivals, and exhibitions, and concerts, and meetings with celebrities.
Riga - home of the Christmas tree
The world's first Christmas tree was installed in Riga on the main market square in 1510. Strasbourg is considered to be the birthplace of the New Year tree, but in Riga they began to install a festive tree 95 years earlier!
... On the Town Hall Square (once the Market Square) near the House of the Blackheads, an inconspicuous slab is mounted on the pavement, which pedestrians mistake for the cover of an ordinary sewer manhole.
In fact, this is a monument to the first Christmas tree in Europe. On the octagonal plate, decorated with a pattern in the form of Christmas trees, there is an inscription, duplicated in several languages, that the first Christmas tree stood in this very place back in 1510 - it turns out that not only in Latvia, but throughout Europe.
PRAGUE
Christmas in Prague is celebrated on the night of December 24-25, as the Czech Republic is considered a Catholic country. And this holiday is a family holiday, so it is customary to celebrate it in a narrow circle with the closest and dearest.
When is the holiday celebrated?
Surprisingly, the celebration of Christmas begins long before the holiday itself, these are the traditions of the Czech Republic.
On December 4, the day of St. Barbara is celebrated here, and a little later (December 6), Mikulas is celebrated - the day of St. Nicholas. And after a week or two, the anticipation of Christmas covers the whole country.
It takes a long time to prepare for Christmas in the Czech Republic.
So, on the day of St. Barbara, many Praguers put cherry branches into the water. If by Christmas they sprout, then the coming year will be fruitful, and all wishes will come true. The celebration continues on December 6, on this day the patron saint of the holiday, Mikulas, and his entire retinue walk the streets of the Czech capital - dressed up in costumes of various saints, the devil, and so on. They ask children about their behavior and treat all obedient ones with sweets and other sweets. After a couple of weeks, you can also see Christmas attributes - posters with images of a manger and a newborn Jesus, themed figurines and other products.
Spruce trees appear at the door of every house, and few people cut them down in Prague, Praguers prefer to buy seedlings or trees growing in pots.
On the two main squares of the capital (Old Town and Wenceslas), shops open and unfold bazaars and fairs, where you can buy a variety of products, souvenirs, accessories, dishes, toys and much more.
Another Prague tradition is connected with the Christmas table.
All year round, carps are fed and raised in artificial ponds, and they must be present at every feast. This fish is baked or fried and is certainly eaten at Christmas for a successful year. You can not throw out the bones, but bury them in the yard, so you will ensure your well-being in the near future. Also on the table you can see various meat products, roasted chestnuts.
Champagne, warming mulled wine, grog and punch are considered traditional drinks.
ZURICH
Spending Christmas in Switzerland is like being in a fairy tale. Switzerland never looks so cozy as during the Christmas holidays. Many houses are decorated with festive garlands and other Christmas symbols, small installations with Santa Clauses and figures of animals are arranged on the balconies and walls of houses.
One of Zurich's main Christmas attractions is the magnificent Christmas tree adorned with Swarovski crystal stars, which is placed at Zurich Central Station (Zurich Haupt Bahnhof) for the start of the Christmas season at the end of November.
The Christmas tree is simply magnificent - it shines incredibly and is the main decoration of the Christmas market located in the station building.
The Christmas tree is surrounded by bulletproof glass, and a guard is constantly on duty near the fence.
The Christmas tree is removed immediately after Christmas: on December 26 it is taken away. So on New Year's Eve, the Swarovski tree in Zurich is no longer to be found. Most of the station building is occupied by the Christmas market: rows of small wooden pavilions, stylized as huts, are lined up, where they sell everything: local cosmetics, Indian incense, ethnic-style floor lamps, Swiss cheeses, Italian pasta, and much, much more.
Here you can also warm up with hot sweet mulled wine, taste delicious pancakes or try raclette, or treat yourself to local sweets. A similar fair (Christmas Market) is also organized on the territory of the underground shopping complex under the station - Shop Ville, but on a smaller scale.
Similar pavilions can be found near Bahnhofstrasse and in the Old Town. At this time, it is very pleasant to walk around the city center.
Bahnhofstrasse is decorated with long garlands of light bulbs. Particularly beautiful is the small street Rennweg, going up the hill from Bahnhofstrasse, as well as the little Augustinergasse, next to the Augustinian church, where, in addition to a number of pretty bay windows, charming stars are added. On Saturdays, you can also find the "Singing Christmas Tree" there - this is a pedestal in the form of a Christmas tree, on which teenagers - in red hats like balls on a Christmas tree - sing Christmas songs.
PARIS
Festive events begin in France almost a month before the New Year. On the night of December 6 (St. Nicholas Day), children wait for gifts from Santa Claus and hang huge socks for them in the living room or by their bed. Unlike many countries, France has two Santa Clauses: Per Noel, who comes to obedient children and gives them gifts, and Per Fuetard, who punishes naughty children.
One glance is enough to fall in love with Paris.
To get to know Paris, you need to go through it. Walking through Christmas Paris will be a great pleasure. During the festive period, the city is transformed before our eyes. Thousands of Christmas trees adorn the streets, houses, shops, restaurants. Trees are sprinkled with artificial snow and sparkle with colorful lights. Illumination covers about 120 streets, so at night in Paris it is as bright as during the day. For a month, France is immersed in an atmosphere of kindness, warmth, fun and fairy tales.
Christmas markets, costume balls and various performances are held everywhere. The largest fairs are held on the Champs Elysees and in the business district of La Defense. Wooden houses sell Christmas decorations, decorations, souvenirs, hot wine and treats. Parisians and tourists drink mulled wine, enjoy sweets and enjoy the unique atmosphere of the holiday.
Traditional European window puppet theaters are found in many department stores in Paris: here reindeer bring Santa Claus, gnomes make gifts, bells ring, and teddy bears and bunnies sing Christmas carols. Special mention deserves the illumination of the largest Galeries Lafayette store, which has become one of the hallmarks of New Year's Paris.
Among the attractions that must be visited during the Christmas weeks, we note the following: the main Christmas tree in the square in front of Notre Dame, the annual skating rink in front of the Paris City Hall, the Ferris wheel in Liberty Square, the "manger" in front of the city hall - a huge tent, inside which dolls depict scenes birth of Christ, episodes from cartoons and musicals.
COLOGNE
Christmas in Cologne is a special time when the city streets begin to “sink” in festive lights, Christmas melodies, the aroma of pancakes, roasted chestnuts and cinnamon can be heard from everywhere ...
On the first day of Advent, the Germans set up a wreath of mistletoe in a place of honor, lighting 1 candle on it every week (on Sundays) until the holiday.
During the Christmas holidays in Cologne, not Father Frost, but Weihnachtsmann hosts, and the Germans decorate the Christmas tree with candles, nuts and candies. On the holiday itself, housewives treat their family with potato salad with sausages, fried carp or goose in apples, as well as gingerbread with icing.
Ice skating is possible at the Eiszauber artificial ice rink on the Heumarkt square (you can also enjoy the view of the Old Town on rented skates).
If you wish, you can go for a walk along the Rhine, for example, on the ship-salon "MS Stolzenfels" - travelers will be treated to a Christmas meal, holiday pastries and other culinary delights.
A show program will be waiting for them on a boat trip, and Christmas itself can be celebrated on the water as part of a festive party. Travelers who go on holidays to the Nursing Road tourist route will be able to visit city sites - Christmas mangers will be installed there (all of them are a reflection of various historical eras and cultures).
From November 11 until Christmas, it is worth visiting the Weihnachtsfest Christmas Festival.
The Cologne Christmas markets are open from 24 November to 23 December.
The Christmas market next to the Cologne Cathedral deserves special attention.
Here you can not only get the necessary things and trifles, but also enjoy a variety of treats, and listen to a variety of music every evening (jazz, rock, traditional German church carols, church chants).
If you decide to visit the floating fair, welcome to the ship "MS Wappen von Mainz" - they sell exclusive souvenirs and Christmas tree decorations, aromatic oils, tea, leather goods and collectible coins.
With children, it is worth going to the Christmas market on Alter Markt square - here they will be delighted with the presence of a large carousel and a puppet theater.
In addition, they will be able to meet Nikolaus and receive a toy from him as a gift. Christmas markets open in city squares and are distinguished by their own color, the design of shopping pavilions and even ceramic mugs that sell mulled wine (they take a deposit for them, and if you decide to keep one for yourself, just do not return the mug).
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