Christmas Differences

Always hard to judge cultural differences on a brief trip. But I think I've observed some differences in the Christmas holidays. First of all, there are two distinct celebrations - December 6 (Advent) and the December 25 - which are celebrated. Father Winter or Father Christmas (more recently Santa Claus) brings children gifts on December 6th. So the Santa figure is not associated so much with December 25th. There were concerts in the cathedrals at both Pecs and Zagreb on Advent. The holidays around December 25 are similar in some ways - on Christmas Eve there is a midnight Mass (in a largely Catholic country), families get together for dinners on Christmas Day and the day after Christmas which is also a holiday. The Christmas tree is not put up and decorated until December 24 - and then it is left up until January 6 (12th night after Christ's birth) Children get presents on Christmas, but these presents come from the baby Jesus. So the Christmas holiday seems more focused on the birth of Jesus and family. The town and stores are decorated - you may have seen my post on the Arkad, the shopping mall which looks very much like any mall. But the decorations are not as extensive or gaudy as in America. They are simplier, primarily strings of white lights and garlands. The holidays seem to me to be more peaceful here - not quite as stressed, though I hear that women get stressed doing all the holiday cooking - same as home.