What do you celebrate during the winter holidays?

I know many rpers come from different places and different backgrounds. Now I usually celebrate Eid if it's coming up to that point in the states, or nothing at all. What I want to know is what do you guys celebrate during the winter months?

 

I don't celebrate anything, because winter sucks (At least for me)

 

Where do you live continent or region would be fine; if you don't mind me asking?

 

ROMANIAN TRADITIONS FOR WINTER HOLIDAYS​

On November, the 30-th, it is Saint Andrew's Day. The traditions say that on Saint Andrew's night, all the animals join each other in peace - the wolf and the deer, the fox and the rabbit, all of them going to a meeting in the deepest forest. They also say this night is haunted by ghosts and wolves, so people should stay inside.

People eat boiled wheat with sugar, cinnamon and vanilla during this night. They also put grains of wheat into a cup with some water. Each member of the family has got his own cup, and he can recognise it among the other cups.

On December, the 6-th, it is St Nicholas' Day. This saint brings toys and sweets to children, if they don't forget to put their boots near the window. his is a great holiday, and the table is laid festively, having, instead of flowers, the cups with wheat - now green and taller. Christmas table, New Year table and Epiphany table have also the cups with wheat on, and all the family members compare them. Whose wheat is the greenest and the tallest will be richer, luckier and happier in the year to come.

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Children adorn the Christmas tree on the 23-th of December, in the afternoon. In the evening and the next morning, little children (boys and girls) come to sing the carols of the Eve, announcing the arrival of Christmas. They receive for the carols fruits and sweets, not money.

On the 24-th of December in the evening, and in the next morning, there are carols for girls, telling parts of the Christmas miracle, and carols for boys and teenagers. "The Star", for example, is only for boys and they are allowed to receive only money. They have a big star, made by themselves of thick paper and sticks, covered with metallic paper and icons. Some stars are lightened inside by a candle or a torch. The carol tells about the three kings who followed the star to see the new born emperor and about the shepherds who worshipped the baby born in a poor stable.

Santa Claus brings presents in his seven rabbits - open sleigh, and he leaves the presents under the Christmas tree. On Christmas, we eat, according to the tradition, pork jelly, sausages and a national dish called "sarmale" (cabbage leaves stuffed with meat, rice and pepper), which look like this:

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During New Year's Eve, there are other carols and traditions. (At present, some of them are to be seen only in some Romanian villages).

* The GOAT - a boy is masked with a blanket and has a "mouth" made of two pieces of wood, clacking in the rythm of the carol, like Spanish castagnettas. Another boy carries him by a rope. The carol tells about "the white goat coming from the mountains, with white stars on its forehead" - the symbol of winter and snow.

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* The PLOUGH - some teenager boys with bells and noisy horse whips (in the country some have also a real old plough, ploughing the snow) come to tell a carol about all the field labouring works, finishing with "the good rolls made by the hostess to be given to the singers", and with wishes of prosperity.

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...and this round barrell is the "bull" which makes noise like a bull when you pull a rope...

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On January the 1-st, little children come with carols full of wishes of prosperity. Some of them have grains of wheat in their hands, and they spread some of them in the house, "to be rich and full of prosperity". The others have paper flowers in their hands. They touch people with these flowers, and their carol wishes the family "to be healthy and always young, like the fruit trees in the middle of spring, strong and well like the arrows and the iron".

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On January, the 5-th (Epiphany Eve) teenager girls and unmarried young ladies don't eat anything all day long. In the evening they go to the church, asking for a piece of holy sweet basil. Afterwards, they eat only a small loaf of bread, with much salt, after having guarded the first mouthful enveloped in a sheet of paper, together with the holy sweet basil. They put this small pack under the pillow. The tradition says that they will see in their dreams a boy who will become their husband.

On Epiphany Day people go to church to take holy water and sweet basil. In the villages situated near a river, the priest blesses the water by throwing a cross into the river, and the young men dive to find it and to bring it back, without being afraid of the frost.

 

Interesting, I read the whole thing...albeit reluctantly. I do a lot of reading for RPs though. My question is this, though; do you have that copied on Word or did you make that up on the fly due to the actual thread? o.O

 

For us, it isn't winter unless of course you are referring to winter in general; then that would be June through August in the Great Southern Land (Australia). If though we are speaking of December in principle, it will be both Christmas and Hanukkah for many of us here which will take in people from all cultures at least for the Christmas celebrations. December 24th, Christmas eve for a great deal of folks is their last chance to get any shopping done and many families will have either already left for their annual holidays to celebrate Christmas day at their chosen destination, or stay at home, possibly going away after the 26th Boxing day. That in itself is cause for celebration on its own, as all the larger stores will be having their sales on from that day until the end of the month.

My family make our annual pilgrimage to the north coast of our state (New South Wales) where we stay for around ten days, fishing, swimming and generally relaxing to unwind from the year. Christmas day I might add has often been one of the hottest days of the year in Australia, this year being not much different, peaking at 36c in Sydney, 32 on the coast where we stayed.

 

Just Christmas and New Years, unfortunately. I am unoriginal.

 

Sekah what could be more joyous.

 

I had it published on my site, where various people were talking about their Christmas traditions.

 

Christmas, New Year's Day, and as my father's parents immigrated from the Ukraine way back when, we also celebrate Old Christmas day (Jan 6th for us).

 

Christmas for me = food. December 26= left overs :D

 

Christmas Dinner. Sometimes a Ham for New Years.

 

Christmas for me and my family. We all get together at my Aunt and Uncle's house and have Pizza, chicken wings and salad and other various snacks like chips and cookies and to drink we have soda and juice. Our big meal with Turkey and stuffing and all that we have on Thanksgiving.

 

Christmas here in the Netherlands!

 

Christmas

 

Yep

 

Christmas, but not the religious parts.

 

While there are plenty of different things going on, I personally celebrate the winter Solstice. It's a tradition for myself to light a few candles and meditate, as well as exchange gifts for Yule. I spend the holidays in a general air of contentment, because I enjoy family and getting together with everyone. What's better than spending time with the ones you love?

Not to mention my birthday is in the middle of it all. XD

 

I break out the fur blankets and enjoy my winter time like an ice queen. I love the cold and this is my time of year.

Then there is also BAKING. : )

 

My birthday is in December so there's that! Christmas eve + Christmas otherwise.