- Custom.
Christmas in Ecuador.
Christmas in Ecuador live in style and are a synonym for reunion with loved ones and closest friends. It's a party where are given and received and held meetings and family dinners. Among the traditions more representative can be found:
-The placement of the Christmas tree.
-Elaboration of the Manger: consists of a representation to scale of the birth of the child Jesus.
-The Christmas Novena: The novena to the infant Jesus paves the way for the celebration of the eve and Christmas, is a series of prayers held for 9 days Recalling the events leading up to the birth of the baby Jesus.
-The Mass of the Rooster: Is a habit particularly Catholic that consists of attending a mass celebrated on December 25 at 00 h 00 .
-Child pass: is a procession that is made in honor of the image of the Christ child.
-"Secret friend": is a popular game in which with the help of papers exchanging gifts with someone else without knowing who is.
-Christmas dinner: held December 24 and a representative dish is turkey.
-Advent wreath: during the 4 Sundays leading up to December 25, family gathers around this to remember Bible passages and doing some prayers, while the candles are lit.
-Among others.
 |
| Christmas Tree |
 |
| Mass of the Rooster |
 |
| Manger |
Christmas in Italy.
For Italians, Christmas is a holiday that must be spend in the company of family, tasting dishes from the 'cenone' and open the 'Babbo Natale' gifts
"Christmas with your family, Easter with who like" this slogan, well known in Italy, may well explain the importance for Italians spend with their families the most important day of the year
The customs that we found are:
-The "cenone" dinner Italian typical where you can enjoy variety of dishes but the traditional ones are pasta, fried vegetables, the "panettone", tartinas and fish salad.
-A well known custom about Italian Christmas is that it can not miss sweets eaten in lots 24 and 25 December, even the days after these dates.
-The tree and the Manger not only are custom from Italy but from almost every country in the world, but instead unlike other Italians placed the tree on December 8 at the "Festa dell'Immacolata Concezione". Their cribs are trying them to creatively adding unique touches of every Italian and prefer to use natural trees to decorate their homes.
 |
| Panettone |
 |
-Also in Rome there is a large custom letters and poetry to the so-called "Bambinillo" which is the statue of the Holy child, kept in the Church of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli, located beside the "Campidoglio"; per the legend this had miraculous powers.
-One of the Customs is when children are waiting for the 'Babbo Natale' (Santa Claus) so bring them their gifts.
 |
In the Nordic country this Christian celebration has several elements of traditional Norwegian celebrations up to the "Chanukah". For the Norwegians this celebration is mainly dedicated to family, friends and good food.
There are common customs as in other countries and there are also very peculiar customs and are the following:
- Hide brooms: The origin of this custom is that before it was believed that during Christmas Eve witches and bad spirits looking for brooms to be able to fly out of the houses of the Norwegians.
-The Christmas tree: arrived in the 19th century to this country and and can not light until Christmas Eve.
-Initiation of the celebration: At five o'clock Christmas begins and most Norwegians have dinner with their families. The Christmas presents have already been placed under the tree, and will be opened at night.
- Christmas Dinner: the Norwegians usually give absolute priority to the family dinner, where food becomes the central axis of the celebration. It is a real banquet in which some typical dishes that can not be served at the table are served.
-In families: In each family there are all kinds of different customs such as eating a certain dish or making gingerbread cookies.
 |
 |
| Gingerbread Cookies |
 |
- Typical food
Christmas in Ecuador.
In our country the food is very varied, but there is still a menu that Ecuadorians prepare commonly and consists of: turkey or chicken with stuffing that sule carry prunes, salads that usually carry apples and potatoes, rice that can be white, yellow or green can also take another type of accompaniment depending on each cook and drink wine.
As a dessert they eat pristinos, easter bread, tamales, donuts, quimbolitos and humitas.
 |
| Pristiños |
 |
| Easter Bread |
Christmas in Italy.
Typical Italian Christmas dishes include baccalá (salted cod dried fish), noodles, baked pasta, capon and turkey. The traditional Christmas dinner includes seven types of fish, or nine, eleven, thirteen or, depending on the city of origin.
This dinner is known as "The Neapolitan Vigil" in southern cities and includes a vegetable: broccoli and, therefore, is also known as Christmas broccoli; the eel and caponata di pesce (fish salad) to complete the main course.
In the different regions of Italy, sweets and typical desserts are consumed that have always occupied an important place in the Christmas table.
Among the best known are: struffoli (Neapolitan honey pasta), cenci (ribbons of fried pasta sprinkled with powdered sugar), dried figs, candied almonds, chestnuts and marzipan fruits and vegetables. The panettone is one of the best-known confections in Italian Christmas gastronomy.
Typical Italian Christmas dishes include baccalá (salted cod dried fish), noodles, baked pasta, capon and turkey. The traditional Christmas dinner includes seven types of fish, or nine, eleven, thirteen or, depending on the city of origin.
This dinner is known as "The Neapolitan Vigil" in southern cities and includes a vegetable: broccoli and, therefore, is also known as Christmas broccoli; the eel and caponata di pesce (fish salad) to complete the main course.
In the different regions of Italy, sweets and typical desserts are consumed that have always occupied an important place in the Christmas table.
Among the best known are: struffoli (Neapolitan honey pasta), cenci (ribbons of fried pasta sprinkled with powdered sugar), dried figs, candied almonds, chestnuts and marzipan fruits and vegetables. The panettone is one of the best-known confections in Italian Christmas gastronomy.
 |
| Pannetone |
Christmas in Norway.
The most traditional food are the ribs of pork (ribbe), but also eats lamb chops cured (pinnekjøtt), Baked cod, pork roast and turkey.The food can be accompanied by Christmas beers; arriving as well as traditional food shops and restaurants since November.
Something very curious of the Norwegian Christmas cuisine is that, there is thought that Santa Claus eats rice pudding which is a Christmas dessert from there.
In terms of drinks is served usually during advent glögg, a spicy drink that is served hot and is made with red wine.
This drink may be accompanied by a traditional and homemade gingerbread cookies. What is eaten in many quantities are sweets that them can always in contrar forming part of the Christmas table. some sweet everyday in these festivities are:risengrynsegrøt, marzipan figures, chocolates, dried fruits, toasted almonds and glazed apples, that a little lost prominence in Christmas.
 |
| Gingerbread cookies |
- Traditional costumes.
Christmas in Ecuador.
In Ecuador there is a certain clothing however, if you can see that it is quite popular in some Christmas events.
In the pass of the child they carry showy, colorful, embroidered and sequined, outfits
the characters of this popular parade are: María Virgin, St. Joseph and the baby Jesus, Shepherds, Angels, the Magi and variety of dancers.
Other costumes which is not typical from our country, but if people around the world is that of Father Christmas or Santa Claus; that sometimes is accompanied by Mrs. Claus or breast Noela.
Christmas in Italy.
In this country there are very representative clothing in relation to Christmas, however similar to around the world there are people who dress the famous Santa Claus.
Like many Italian adults dressing up Babbo Natale(Santa Claus), which as you know has a red suit and hat of the same color, with black boots and has to be burly.
Also, is could say that certain people decide to put a dress Italian typical that for women consists of a pleated skirt which is raised internally by an underskirt and is surrounded by ribbons at the ends and under it, medium white , white short sleeve shrunken at the ends and a corset adjusted by straps; all of this coupled with a few classic loafers.
The man carries a black pants to his knees, half long white, a white shirt, a jacket and tie; also with moccasins.
Christmas in Norway.
Like some Norwegians wear the traditional costume of the nation which is the "Bunad", a garment used for large celebrations, both parties as private celebrations or family.
There are hundreds of different "bunads", and each valley or village has its own, some with a variety of motifs and colors.
The inspiration is based on certain items of clothing or other regional elements, such as the traditional motifs of roses, wood carvings, or embroidery.
As it was mentioned, also in this Nordic country there is a Santa Claus, which in this case is called "Julenissen"; that also becomes protagonist of these festivities. Certain number of Norwegians, also prefers to only wear common, but be warm because it is quite cold a climate station.
Christmas in Italy.
In Italy is not custom to sing carols as in the countries mentioned above, the reason is very simple. In Italy there is a huge variety of breeds and have to take care of these details for not to offend other religions.
But if these Christmas songs are played in churches in the form of concerts and in Spanish or latin and the most popular singing in houses, are usually during family gatherings of Christmas dinner.
Christmas in Norway.
In Norway the traditional music also are carols at Christmas, these are usually carols composed from Psalm and sometimes are very popular all over the world, but translated carols. "Mitt hjerte alltid vanker" (my heart always vague) is a Psalm that, in 1732, he composed the Danish Lutheran Bishop Hans Adolph Brorson.
With the passage of the centuries it has become one of the most important Carols of the traditional repertoire both in Denmark and in Norway, and it has been versioned by all kinds of musicians and singers, such as the Norwegian pianist Bugge Wesseltoft.
Also, is could say that certain people decide to put a dress Italian typical that for women consists of a pleated skirt which is raised internally by an underskirt and is surrounded by ribbons at the ends and under it, medium white , white short sleeve shrunken at the ends and a corset adjusted by straps; all of this coupled with a few classic loafers.
The man carries a black pants to his knees, half long white, a white shirt, a jacket and tie; also with moccasins.
Christmas in Norway.
Like some Norwegians wear the traditional costume of the nation which is the "Bunad", a garment used for large celebrations, both parties as private celebrations or family.
There are hundreds of different "bunads", and each valley or village has its own, some with a variety of motifs and colors.
The inspiration is based on certain items of clothing or other regional elements, such as the traditional motifs of roses, wood carvings, or embroidery.
As it was mentioned, also in this Nordic country there is a Santa Claus, which in this case is called "Julenissen"; that also becomes protagonist of these festivities. Certain number of Norwegians, also prefers to only wear common, but be warm because it is quite cold a climate station.
- Dance.
Christmas in Ecuador.
In our country there is no dance that is representative of Christmas, but if you can find a variety of presentations that are made at Christmas events or in Christmas entertainments in which any kind of music is danced.
You can dance music or music representative of the Ecuador, is a free choice.
Christmas in Italy.
Dancing Christmas in Italy under conditions similar to the Ecuador, since in the same way there is a dance typical of Christmas in the country.
A variety of dances of other types carried out at fairs and flea markets, taking the typical dress of the nation.
Christmas in Norway.
In Norway there is a dance for the holiday season, however there is usually danced in different events related to this holiday,
The Norwegians sometimes tend to dance in parades and things related to the Christmas tradition, they tend to dance traditional dances of his country.
- Music.
Christmas in Ecuador.
In Ecuador in relation to Christmas music the most representative are those songs that are heard by all during these festivities, in churches, homes, the Novena to the infant Jesus.
In relation to these songs, in our country there is a huge diversity of as he interprets them; one of them is the chigualos which is heard much in the coastal areas of our country especially in Manabi.
The chigualo of Christmas is a song peppered with verses, songs, carols, games, dance... is the celebration of the village montuvio which brings together men and women, children and elderly to celebrate the birth of the Christ child.Through these songs, they talk about different religious Christmas characters.
Also to emerged an option more attached to the Ecuadorian culture which is singing Christmas carols in quichua.
Christmas in Italy.
In Italy is not custom to sing carols as in the countries mentioned above, the reason is very simple. In Italy there is a huge variety of breeds and have to take care of these details for not to offend other religions.
But if these Christmas songs are played in churches in the form of concerts and in Spanish or latin and the most popular singing in houses, are usually during family gatherings of Christmas dinner.
Christmas in Norway.
In Norway the traditional music also are carols at Christmas, these are usually carols composed from Psalm and sometimes are very popular all over the world, but translated carols. "Mitt hjerte alltid vanker" (my heart always vague) is a Psalm that, in 1732, he composed the Danish Lutheran Bishop Hans Adolph Brorson.
With the passage of the centuries it has become one of the most important Carols of the traditional repertoire both in Denmark and in Norway, and it has been versioned by all kinds of musicians and singers, such as the Norwegian pianist Bugge Wesseltoft.
References:
