A Danish Xmas in Summer

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=90598

My family always began the Christmas celebration on Dec. 24, a day before it is celebrated in most Western nations. That is because my father was Danish, and in Denmark the holiday is celebrated from Dec. 24-26.
The best part about this was we were allowed to open our presents the night before all our friends. The Christmas tree would go up in a corner of the living room at the beginning of December, and slowly more and more presents would surround it.
My three sisters, one brother and I spent many hours sitting in the living room “present watching” during those weeks before Christmas. My mother used to make a circle of pine branches, put four candles in it, and hang it above the kitchen table. Four Sundays before Christmas one candle was lit. The next Sunday two, the Sunday after that three, and on Christmas Day all four.
On the night of Dec. 24 I, as the oldest boy, would sit under the tree and pass the presents out to my youngest sister. She then gave them to the people they were for.
We ate two Christmas dinners, one on the 24th and another on the 25th – often with friends. The main course would be either roast chicken or roast pork with apple sauce, and white wine for the adults.
This would be followed by a traditional Danish rice dessert with an almond hidden in it. There was an extra present for the person who found the almond in their dessert.
Our Christmas celebrations were also different in another way. Because we lived in New Zealand, the Christmas was in summer. Instead of snow, we always had hot weather and sunshine.
This is the reverse of the original purpose of the holiday. In fact, the word “holiday” comes from “holy (religious) day,” but the celebration is older than Christianity.
It began thousands of years ago as the celebration of the Winter Solstice, or shortest day of the year. The ancient Babylonians celebrated the birth of the queen of heaven at that time, the Egyptians celebrated the birth of the son of Isis, and the Arabs celebrated the birth of the moon.
The Romans celebrated Saturn, the god of agriculture. They believed the sun was born on the shortest day of the year. The emperor Constantine celebrated this way – before he became a Christian.
As Christianity spread into Europe the old beliefs were replaced and people began to celebrate the birth of Jesus instead. But still they have Father Christmas, the fat man in the red suit who rides across the sky, representing the disappearing sun.
But now Father Christmas is thought to be the same person as Santa Claus, who many people believe was “Nicholas of Patara.” He came from a village in the south of Turkey 1,700 years ago. Jesus told him to sell his possessions and give money to poor people, and he spent the rest of his life doing this.