Christmas Eve

The Lord of Misrule's Christmas Guide
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Christmas Eve

Apart from the expected excitement that the anticipation of Christmas Day brings, there is also a significant historical reason for why Christmas Eve is important: being traditionally marked by the singing of carols and the celebration of midnight mass.

The origin of holidays starting on the evening before the actual day is probably thanks to Judaism where all religious observances start on the evening before at sundown and not at midnight, with rituals such as the lighting of candles or the sharing of food or gifts. Jewish religious days usually run from sundown to sundown, and not from midnight to midnight.

In the UK, Father Christmas visits children during the night of Christmas Eve. He travels from house to house on his sleigh, pulled by his flying reindeer, and climbs down each chimney with a sack of presents for good children.

To show Father Christmas some hospitality and to keep him nourished for the rest of his long journey around the world, children leave him food and drink. Typically, they will leave a glass of milk and a mince pie for Father Christmas, plus a carrot for his reindeers. In the morning, after Father Christmas has been, children usually find the mince pie plate covered in a few crumbs, the glass empty, and the carrot either completely gone or half chewed by the reindeer. Indisputable proof that Father Christmas really has visited the house during the night.

In some houses, the milk is substituted by drinks such as whisky or a good single malt … mysteriously it appears that the when Father Christmas gets to these houses he seems to share a liking for the same favourite tipple as the father of the house.

As you can imagine, eating so many mince pies does mean that Father Christmas puts on a little weight – hence his big round belly. The consumption of alcohol perhaps explains his bright red nose … perhaps Rudolph the red nosed reindeer likes to down a wee dram or two when Father Christmas is busy unpacking the toys from his sack.

In Norway, the 23 of December is known as "Little Christmas Eve".

For a Norwegian Christmas story, click here.

To buy a Christmas CD, click here.