Surfing Santas is an annual festival held in Cocoa Beach, Florida , on Christmas Eve . Participants dress up as Santa Claus and surf, while thousands of spectators watch from the beach, which hosts a costume competition and live music.
69-529: Surfing Santas is a free beach party held between 8 a.m. and noon on Christmas Eve at the Minutemen Causeway area of Cocoa Beach, Florida ; the Santas surf from 10 a.m. It attracts hundreds of surfers, traditionally dressed as Santa Claus but some also wearing elf, reindeer, and Grinch costumes, as well as thousands of spectators every year. Local food stalls open on the beach for
138-746: A Christmas custom in the United Kingdom. It is broadcast outside the UK via the BBC World Service , and is also bought by broadcasters around the world. In the Byzantine Rite , Christmas Eve is referred to as Paramony ("preparation"). It is the concluding day of the Nativity Fast and is observed as a day of strict fasting by those devout Byzantine Christians who are physically capable of doing so. In some traditions, nothing
207-489: A carp (baked or fried) and a potato salad. In French-speaking places, Réveillon is a long dinner eaten on Christmas Eve. In Guam and the Northern Marianas , dishes include shrimp kelaguen ; coconut crab; and kadon octopus (octopus stewed in sweet peppers and coconut milk ). Beef is a rarity, but a popular dish is tinaktak , ground beef in coconut milk. While other Christian families throughout
276-595: A drink made from reconstituted dried fruits. Other typical dishes are borscht , varenyky , and dishes made of fish , phaseolus and cabbage . The twelve dishes symbolize the Twelve Apostles . Just as in Poland, it is obligatory to try a portion of all of the dishes. The table is spread with a white cloth symbolic of the swaddling clothes the Child Jesus was wrapped in, and a large white candle stands in
345-446: A festive dinner is traditionally served for the family and close friends in attendance, when the first star (usually Sirius ) appears in the sky. Lithuanian Christmas Eve blends pagan and Christian traditions, as initially it was a celebration of the winter solstice. Traditionally, Lithuanians believed that animals could talk on that night, and it was possible to predict the future with charms and various games. Kūčios ("Holy Meal")
414-468: A holiday, which had stopped happening for several decades. In the Czech Republic, fasting on the day of Christmas Eve (or only eating meatless food) is a medieval tradition. The belief is that if one lasted until Christmas dinner, they would see a golden pig, which is a symbol of luck. A typical Christmas breakfast is a sweet braided bread vánočka . Christmas Eve dinner traditionally consists of
483-816: A popular feature in some traditions. Midnight Mass is held in churches throughout the world and celebrates the birth of Christ, which is believed to have occurred at night. Midnight Mass is popular in Poland ( pasterka ) and Lithuania (piemenėlių mišios). In Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula , the Midnight Mass is also referred to as "Rooster's Mass" ( Misa de Gallo in Spanish, Missa do Galo in Portuguese and Missa del Gall in Catalan). In
552-520: A powerful flame. In Cuban and Cuban-American tradition, the pig is sometimes cooked in a Caja China , a large box where an entire pig is placed below hot coals. The dinner features many side dishes and desserts, and often games of dominoes are played. The tradition is continued by Cuban families in Florida and the United States. The dinner on the 24th, Christmas Eve itself, is the center of
621-661: A traditional family celebration featuring the New Year tree . In accordance with the Christmas traditions of the Serbs , their festive meal has a copious and diverse selection of foods, although it is prepared according to the rules of fasting. As well as a round, unleavened loaf of bread and salt, which are necessary, this meal may comprise roast fish, cooked beans, sauerkraut , noodles with ground walnuts, honey, and wine. Families in some Slavic countries leave an empty place at
690-630: Is also a reminder of the cave in which Jesus was buried. The services of Christmas Eve are also similar to those of the Eve of Theophany (Epiphany), and the two Great Feasts are considered one celebration. In some Orthodox cultures, after the Vesperal Liturgy the family returns home to a festive meal, but one at which Orthodox fasting rules are still observed: no meat or dairy products (milk, cheese, eggs, etc.) are consumed (see below for variations according to nationality). Then they return to
759-587: Is also the practice among the British Royal Family since it was introduced by Queen Victoria and Albert, Prince Consort —while in Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Malta, English Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, this occurs mostly on the morning of Christmas Day. In other Latin American countries, people stay awake until midnight , when they open
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#1732782946783828-496: Is calm, all is bright Round yon virgin mother and child! Holy infant, so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace! Sleep in heavenly peace! Silent night! Holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight! Glories stream from heaven afar, Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia! Christ the Saviour is born! Christ the Saviour is born! Silent night! Holy night! Son of God, love's pure light Radiant beams from thy holy face With
897-551: Is composed of figurines depicting the infant Jesus resting in a manger, Mary, and Joseph. Other figures in the scene may include angels , shepherds , and various animals. The figures may be made of any material, and arranged in a stable or grotto. The Magi may also appear, and are sometimes not placed in the scene until the week following Christmas to account for their travel time to Bethlehem . While most home nativity scenes are packed away at Christmas or shortly thereafter, nativity scenes in churches usually remain on display until
966-651: Is eaten until the first star appears in the evening sky, in commemoration of the Star of Bethlehem . The liturgical celebration begins earlier in the day with the celebration of the Royal Hours , followed by the Divine Liturgy combined with the celebration of Vespers , during which a large number of passages from the Old Testament are chanted, recounting the history of salvation. After the dismissal at
1035-468: Is often accompanied with wine or Bulgaria's traditional alcoholic beverage rakia , in the past olovina (a type of homemade rye beer). The meals used to be put on top of hay, directly on the floor, together with a ploughshare or a coulter . In Cuba, roasted pig ( lechón ) is often the center of Christmas Eve ( Nochebuena ). It is believed that the tradition dates back to the 15th century when Caribbean colonists hunted down pigs and roasted them with
1104-409: Is popular in the early evening, and Midnight Masses are also widespread in regions which are predominantly Lutheran. The old Lutheran tradition of a Christmas Vigil in the early morning hours of Christmas Day (Christmette) can still be found in some regions. In eastern and middle Germany , congregations still continue the tradition of " Quempas singing": separate groups dispersed in various parts of
1173-631: Is referred to simply as "the Third Day of the Nativity". The Saturday and Sunday following 25 December have special Epistle and Gospel readings assigned to them. 29 December celebrates the Holy Innocents . Byzantine Christians observe a festal period of twelve days , during which no one in the Church fasts, even on Wednesdays and Fridays, which are normal fasting days throughout the rest of
1242-460: Is the evening or entire day before Christmas , the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus . Christmas Day is observed around the world , and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation of Christmas Day. Together, both days are considered one of the most culturally significant celebrations in Christendom and Western society . Christmas celebrations in
1311-495: Is the most important event of the year and family reunion. Dead relatives are remembered with an empty plate set at the table. The feast starts after the rise of the evening star. No products made from meat, milk and alcohol are allowed during the Kūčios. In all, 12 dishes are served, all of them rustic, made from grains, fish, dried fruit or mushrooms including kūčiukai . Small biscuits soaked in poppy seed milk are served. After
1380-536: Is traditionally 12, but has been an odd number in the past. According to the Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego ( Etymological Dictionary of the Polish Language ) by Aleksander Brückner , the number of dishes was traditionally related to social class: the peasants' vigil consisted of 5 or 7 dishes, the gentry usually had 9, and the aristocracy, 11 dishes, but the even number 12 is also found today to remember
1449-627: Is usually accompanied by traditional Christmas music known as " aguinaldos "; in Venezuela, the traditional music is known as joropo . During the Reformation in 16th- and 17th-century Europe, many Protestants changed the gift bringer to the Christ Child or Christkindl , and the date of giving gifts changed from 6 December to Christmas Eve. It is the night when Santa Claus makes his rounds delivering gifts to good children. Many trace
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#17327829467831518-701: The Austrian Empire on the Salzach river in present-day Austria. A young Catholic priest, Father Joseph Mohr, had come to Oberndorf the year before. In the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars , he had written the poem " Stille Nacht " in 1816 at Mariapfarr , the hometown of his father in the Salzburg Lungau region, where Joseph had worked as an assistant priest. The melody was composed by Franz Xaver Gruber , schoolmaster and organist in
1587-755: The Canon of the Nativity that was chanted the night before during the Vigil). This greeting, together with many of the hymns of the feast, continue to be used until the leave-taking of the feast on 29 December. The first three days of the feast are particularly solemn. The second day is known as the Synaxis of the Theotokos , and commemorates the role of the Virgin Mary in the Nativity of Jesus . The third day
1656-499: The Philippines , the custom has expanded into the nine-day Simbang Gabi , when Filipinos attend dawn Masses (traditionally beginning around 04:00 to 05:00 PST ) from 16 December, continuing daily until Christmas Eve. In 2009 Vatican officials scheduled the Midnight Mass to start at 10 pm so that the 82-year-old Pope Benedict XVI would not have too late a night. A nativity scene may be erected indoors or outdoors, and
1725-421: The Twelve Apostles . It is obligatory to try a portion of all of them. Some traditions specify that the number of guests cannot be odd. In Poland, gifts are unwrapped on Christmas Eve, as opposed to Christmas Day. It comes from fusing the traditions of Saint Nicholas Day (6 December) and Christmas. In the past, gifts were opened on the morning of Saint Nicholas Day. In the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico ,
1794-515: The denominations of Western Christianity have long begun on Christmas Eve, due in part to the Christian liturgical day starting at sunset, a practice inherited from Jewish tradition and based on the story of Creation in the Book of Genesis : "And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day." Many churches still ring their church bells and hold prayers in the evening; for example,
1863-749: The public domain , although newer translations usually are not. In 1998 the Silent Night Museum in Salzburg commissioned a new English translation by Bettina Klein of Mohr's German lyrics. For the most part, Klein preserves both Young's translation and the interpretive decisions that inform his word-choices. Yet Klein also attempts occasionally to restore Mohr's original phrasing, changing, for instance, Young's "Holy infant, so tender and mild" to Mohr's "Holy infant with curly hair" ( Holder Knab' im lockigten Haar ). However, she continues to interpret Mohr's traute heilige Paar as referring to Mary and
1932-687: The theological point that the purpose of the Incarnation was to make possible the Crucifixion and Resurrection . This is illustrated in Eastern icons of the Nativity, on which the Christ Child is wrapped in swaddling clothes reminiscent of his burial wrappings . The child is also shown lying on a stone, representing the Tomb of Christ , rather than a manger . The Cave of the Nativity
2001-511: The yuca con mojo [Cuban side dish made by marinating yuca root (also known as cassava) in garlic, sour orange, and olive oil], the roasted pork or the stuffed or unfilled guanajo that, along with homemade desserts, such as Christmas fritters, and a wide range of sweets in syrup and Spanish nougat. The visit to the archipelago of Pope John Paul II , in 1998, promoted the Cuban State, in a gesture of goodwill, to declare December 25 again as
2070-491: The Christmas Day paper. As he intended, Trosset continued his tradition, inviting along friends and drawing crowds of similar-minded people. The surfing Santas all convened near Trosset's beach house, but grew too numerous in 2013. Cocoa Beach city council then approved organizing the event downtown. In 2018, around 10,000 people attended, 75% of which spent more than one day for their visit, creating Christmas tourism in
2139-465: The English translation that is most frequently sung today, translated from three of Mohr's original six verses. The version of the melody that is generally used today is a slow, meditative lullaby or pastorale , differing slightly (particularly in the final strain) from Gruber's original, which was a " moderato " tune in 8 time and siciliana rhythm. Today, the lyrics and melody are in
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2208-566: The Fourth Sunday of Advent is only commemorated. The festivities of Christmas Day have, however, extended farther and farther back into Christmas Eve. While Roman Catholics , Lutherans , and some Anglicans traditionally celebrate Midnight Mass , the first mass of Christmas, either at or near midnight on Christmas Eve, some churches have in recent decades scheduled their "Midnight" Mass as early as 7 pm in an effort to better accommodate young children, whose choral singing has become
2277-693: The Mass for the Vigil of the Nativity being that of the Annunciation to Joseph in Matthew 1 . The Vigil of the Nativity is not so much the first day of Christmas as it is the last day of Advent , and so it traditionally retains the liturgical color of violet. In traditional western liturgical practice, when the Fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve occur on the same day, the Sunday mass is of Christmas Eve and
2346-694: The Nordic Lutheran churches. Since tradition holds that Jesus was born at night (based in Luke 2:6-8), Midnight Mass is celebrated on Christmas Eve, traditionally at midnight, in commemoration of his birth. The idea of Jesus being born at night is reflected in the fact that Christmas Eve is referred to as Heilige Nacht (Holy Night) in German, Nochebuena (the Good Night) in Spanish and similarly in other expressions of Christmas spirituality, such as
2415-461: The area. Beach Grit suggested that Surfing Santas had become Cocoa Beach's biggest claim to fame, overtaking Kelly Slater . Despite the COVID-19 pandemic , the event continued in 2021; it had been held virtually in 2020, though several hundred people still went to the beach to surf as Santa without the festival. Christmas Eve This is an accepted version of this page Christmas Eve
2484-867: The baby, whereas Mohr's use of the word traute can mean "espoused," thus suggesting perhaps that the "holy pair" represents Mary and Joseph watching (picking up Mohr's wacht ) over the curly-haired infant/boy. The carol has been translated into about 300 languages. Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht, Alles schläft; einsam wacht Nur das traute hochheilige Paar. Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar, Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh! Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh! Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht, Hirten erst kundgemacht Durch der Engel Halleluja, Tönt es laut von fern und nah: Christ, der Retter ist da! Christ, der Retter ist da! Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht, Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht Lieb' aus deinem göttlichen Mund, Da uns schlägt die rettende Stund'. Christ, in deiner Geburt! Christ, in deiner Geburt! Silent night! Holy night! All
2553-434: The business in 1998. Inspired by a Honda commercial showing surfers driving to the beach on Christmas and surfing while wearing Santa hats and white beards, Trosset decided to expand on this and make it a Christmas tradition. His wife made him a Santa costume and he went out surfing on Christmas Eve 2009 with his children; Florida Today photographer Rik Jesse was at the beach, and published photographs he took of Trosset in
2622-493: The celebration. That day—it may also be 31—for many it is important to wear a new piece of clothing, be it a jacket or underwear. The Cuban family does not have a fixed time for dinner. It is necessary, yes, in most of the Island, to have it as a family, and it is expected to be all at the table to start tasting the frijoles negros dormidos [sleeping black beans] and the arroz blanco desgranado y reluciente [shredded white rice],
2691-630: The center of the table symbolizing Christ the Light of the World . Next to it is a round loaf of bread symbolizing Christ Bread of Life . Hay is often displayed either on the table or as a decoration in the room, reminiscent of the manger in Bethlehem . In Venezuela , hallacas are normally the staple dish for Noche Buena alongside of either ham or pork leg known as "pernil", panettone , rum and "Ponche Crema" (a form of alcoholic eggnog ). The night
2760-579: The church for the All-Night Vigil. The next morning, Christmas Day, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated again, but with special features that occur only on Great Feasts of the Lord. After the dismissal of this Liturgy, the faithful customarily greet each other with the kiss of peace and the words: "Christ is Born!", to which the one being greeted responds: "Glorify Him!" (the opening words of
2829-517: The church sing verses of the song "He whom shepherds once came Praising" ( Quem pastores laudavere ) responsively. Methodists celebrate the evening in different ways. Some, in the early evening, come to their church to celebrate Holy Communion with their families. The mood is very solemn, and the only visible light is the Advent Wreath , and the candles upon the Lord's Table . Others celebrate
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2898-570: The congregation receives a candle and passes along their flame which is first received from the Christ Candle. Lutherans traditionally practice Christmas Eve Eucharistic traditions typical of Germany and Scandinavia. "Krippenspiele" ( Nativity plays ), special festive music for organ, vocal and brass choirs and candlelight services make Christmas Eve one of the most beloved days in the Lutheran Church calendar. Christmas Vespers
2967-915: The custom of giving gifts to the Magi who brought gifts for the Christ child in the manger . In Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia, where Saint Nicholas (sv. Mikuláš/szent Mikulás) gives gifts on 6 December, the Christmas gift-giver is the Child Jesus ( Ježíšek in Czech , Jézuska in Hungarian, Ježiško in Slovak and Isusek in Croatian ). In Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland, presents are traditionally exchanged on
3036-481: The dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth! Jesus, Lord, at thy birth! In the second stanza, some English versions read "shepherds quail " rather than "shepherds quake." The carol was arranged by various composers, such as Carl Reinecke , Gustav Schreck , Eusebius Mandyczewski , Malcolm Sargent , David Willcocks , Charles Mackerras , Philip Ledger , John Rutter , Stephen Cleobury , Jacob de Haan and Taylor Scott Davis .. Max Reger quotes
3105-462: The dinner is over the table is left uncleared overnight for the feast of vėlės (spirits or soul). In Peru , turkey and panettone are the stars of Christmas Eve. In the Philippines , the traditional dinner (known as noche buena or nochebuena ) is served at midnight after the family attends the late evening Mass known as Misa de Gallo (sometimes referred to as Misa de Aguinaldo , "Gift Mass"). Common traditional dishes served for
3174-637: The end of the service, a new candle is brought out into the center of the church and lit, and all gather round and sing the Troparion and Kontakion of the Feast. In the evening, the All-Night Vigil for the Feast of the Nativity is composed of Great Compline , Matins and the First Hour . The Byzantine services of Christmas Eve are intentionally parallel to those of Good Friday , illustrating
3243-510: The evening of 24 December. Children are commonly told that presents were brought either by the Christkind (German for Christ child), or by the Weihnachtsmann . Both leave the gifts, but are in most families not seen doing so. In Germany, the gifts are also brought on 6 December by "the Nikolaus " with his helper Knecht Ruprecht . In Estonia Jõuluvana , Finland Joulupukki , Denmark Julemanden , Norway Julenissen and Sweden Jultomten , personally meets children and gives presents in
3312-447: The evening of 5 December, the eve of his nameday. On 24 December they go to church or watch the late-night Mass on TV, or have a meal. Silent Night " Silent Night " (German: " Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht " ) is a popular Christmas carol , composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in Oberndorf bei Salzburg , Austria . It was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011. The song
3381-425: The evening of Christmas Eve. In Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Colombia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, the Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Quebec (French Canada), Romania, Uruguay, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland, Christmas presents are opened mostly on the evening of the 24th—following German tradition, this
3450-474: The evening with services of light, which include singing the song Silent Night as a variety of candles (including personal candles) are lit. Other churches have late evening services perhaps at 11 pm, so that the church can celebrate Christmas Day together with the ringing of bells at midnight. Others offer Christmas Day services as well. The annual " Nine Lessons and Carols ", broadcast from King's College, Cambridge on Christmas Eve, has established itself
3519-438: The event. Cocoa Beach has a prominent surfing history, and is considered a capital of the activity. Surfing Santas began in 2009, started by George Trosset and his family, and since 2014 the event has been organized along with the Florida Surf Museum. Trosset grew up in Rockledge, Florida , and was around surfing Santa iconography from his childhood. He moved to Cocoa Beach to take over his grandfather's boat shop in 1979, selling
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#17327829467833588-448: The event. A live band plays music at the event, which also features a costume competition and Hawaiian dancers . Festival regulars include "Mr. and Mrs. Surfing Santa" – Clifford "Peanut" and Terrie Keuhner. The festival collects charity donations for the Florida Surf Museum and Grind For Life. The festivals have raised over $ 90,000 for local charities. As Cocoa Beach is on the Space Coast , themed shirts depicting Santa in space are sold at
3657-512: The feast of the Baptism of the Lord . Whilst it does not include any kind of Mass, the Church of Scotland has a service beginning just before midnight, in which carols are sung. The Church of Scotland no longer holds Hogmanay services on New Year's Eve, but the Christmas Eve services are still very popular. On Christmas Eve, the Christ Candle in the center of the Advent wreath is traditionally lit in many church services . In candlelight services, while singing Silent Night , each member of
3726-417: The first performance of the song in the U.S., in New York City in 1839. By the 1840s the song was well known in Lower Saxony and was reported to be a favourite of Frederick William IV of Prussia . During this period, the melody changed slightly to become the version that is commonly played today. Over the years, because the original manuscript had been lost, Mohr's name was forgotten and although Gruber
3795-554: The lyrics, or what prompted him to create a new carol. According to Gruber, Karl Mauracher, an organ builder who serviced the instrument at the Oberndorf church, was enamoured of the song, and took the composition home with him to the Zillertal . From there, two travelling families of folk singers, the Strassers and the Rainers, included the tune in their shows. The Rainers were already singing it around Christmas 1819, and they once performed it for an audience that included Franz I of Austria and Alexander I of Russia , as well as making
3864-1113: The main course include: lechón , various types of pancit (noodles), Filipino spaghetti , hamonado , jamón , queso de bola , morcón , embutido , chicken galantina , almondigas (meatballs), paelya ( arroz valenciana , bringhe , etc.), lumpia , menudo , mechado , caldereta , callos , chicken pastel , relyenong bangús (stuffed milkfish), lengua estofado , adobo , and various types of barbecue ( inihaw ). Almost all of these dishes are eaten with white rice. Desserts and side dishes include úbe halayá , turon , leche flan , macaroni salad , membrilyo , fruit salad , buko salad , crema de fruta , ensaymada , champorado , mango float , fruitcake , castañas ( roasted chestnuts ), and various other kakanin (rice cakes) like puto bumbong , bibingka , suman , biko , and sapin-sapin . Popular beverages are tsokolate as well as coffee, soda , wine, beer, alcoholic drinks, and fruit juices. A tradition similar to Italy ( Wigilia , or 'Christmas Vigil') exists in Poland. The number of dishes
3933-477: The music was composed by Gruber in 1818. This is the earliest manuscript that exists and the only one in Mohr's handwriting. The first edition was published by Friese [ de ] in 1833 in a collection of Four Genuine Tyrolean Songs , with the following musical text: The contemporary version, as in the choral example below, is: In 1859, the Episcopal priest John Freeman Young , then serving at Trinity Church , New York City, wrote and published
4002-433: The nearby village of Arnsdorf [ de ] , now part of Lamprechtshausen . On Christmas Eve 1818, Mohr brought the words to Gruber and asked him to compose a melody and guitar accompaniment for that night's mass, after river flooding had possibly damaged the church organ. The church was eventually destroyed by repeated flooding and replaced with the Silent-Night-Chapel . It is unknown what inspired Mohr to write
4071-434: The presents. In Spain, gifts are traditionally opened on the morning of 6 January, Epiphany day ("Día de Los Tres Reyes Magos"), though in some other countries, like Mexico, Argentina and Uruguay, people receive presents both around Christmas and on the morning of Epiphany day. In Belgium and the Netherlands Saint Nicholas or Sinterklaas and his companion Zwarte Piet deliver presents to children and adults alike on
4140-621: The song "Silent Night, Holy Night" . Many other varying cultural traditions and experiences are also associated with Christmas Eve around the world, including the gathering of family and friends, the singing of Christmas carols , the illumination and enjoyment of Christmas lights , trees, and other decorations, the wrapping, exchange and opening of gifts, and general preparation for Christmas Day. Legendary Christmas gift-bearing figures including Santa Claus , Father Christmas , Christkind , and Saint Nicholas are also often said to depart for their annual journey to deliver presents to children around
4209-424: The table for guests (alluding to Mary and Joseph looking for shelter in Bethlehem ). In Ukraine, Sviatyi Vechir ( Ukrainian : Святий Вечір , Holy Evening) is traditionally celebrated with a meatless twelve-dish Christmas Eve supper , or the Holy Supper ( Ukrainian : Свята Вечеря , Sviata Vecheria). The main attributes of the Holy Supper in Ukraine are kutia , a poppy seed, honey and wheat dish, and uzvar ,
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#17327829467834278-1111: The traditional Christmas Eve dinner consists of arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), lechón asado ( pig roast ) or pernil asado (pork roast shoulder), morcilla (rice-filled pork blood sausage ), pasteles (root vegetable-based dough, meat-filled tamale ), guineitos en escabeche (marinated, sliced green bananas ), ensalada de papa puertorriqueña (Puerto Rican potato salad ), and ensalada de coditos puertorriqueña (Puerto Rican macaroni salad ). The traditional Christmas Eve desserts are arroz con dulce (coconut rice pudding), tembleque (coconut pudding), flan de queso o coco (cheese or coconut caramel custard ), tierrita (chocolate mousse ), turrón , galletas florecitas (small meringue-topped biscuits ), Danish butter biscuits , nueces surtidas (assorted shelled nuts ), bombones dulces de navidad surtidos (assorted Christmas hard candy ). The traditional Christmas Eve beverages are coquito (coconut eggnog), Don Q or Bacardi ( rum ), and Pitorro ( moonshine rum). Rozhdenstvenskiy sochelnik ( Russian : Рождественский сочельник )
4347-425: The tune in the Christmas section of his organ pieces Sieben Stücke , Op. 145 . Alfred Schnittke composed an arrangement of "Stille Nacht" for violin and piano in 1978, as a holiday greeting for violinist Gidon Kremer . Due to its dissonant and nightmarish character, the miniature caused a scandal in Austria. Several theatrical and television films depict how the song was ostensibly written. Most of them report
4416-401: The world celebrate the Christmas Eve meal with various meats, Italians (especially Sicilians) celebrate the traditional Catholic " Feast of the Seven Fishes " which was historically served after a 24-hour fasting period. Although Christmas fasting is no longer a popular custom, some Italian-Americans still enjoy a meatless Christmas Eve feast and attend the Midnight Mass. In various cultures,
4485-412: The world on Christmas Eve, although until the Protestant introduction of Christkind in 16th-century Europe, such figures were said to instead deliver presents on the eve of Saint Nicholas' feast day (6 December). Western churches have traditionally observed Christmas Eve (properly the Vigil of the Nativity) as a liturgical observance distinct from the masses of Christmas Day, with the proper Gospel at
4554-498: The year. During this time one feast leads into another: 25–31 December is the afterfeast of the Nativity; 2–5 January is the forefeast of the Epiphany . In Bulgaria, the meal consists of an odd number of lenten dishes in compliance with the rules of fasting. They are usually the traditional sarma , bob chorba (bean soup), fortune kravai (pastry with a fortune in it; also called bogovitsa , vechernik , kolednik ), stuffed peppers , nuts , dried fruit, boiled wheat. The meal
4623-404: Was a common Eastern Orthodox tradition in the Russian Empire , but during the era of the Soviet Union it was greatly discouraged as a result of the official atheism of the former regime. In modern-day Russia, the church has a service on that day, but the celebration itself has not yet regained its popularity among the people. Instead of the Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve is considered to be
4692-399: Was first recorded in 1905 and has remained a popular success, appearing in films and multiple successful recordings, as well as being quoted in other musical compositions. It is the world's most recorded Christmas song, with more than 137,000 known recordings. " Stille Nacht " was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 at the Nikolauskirche , the parish church of Oberndorf , a village in
4761-423: Was known to be the composer, many people assumed the melody was composed by a more famous composer, and it was variously attributed to Haydn , Mozart , Beethoven or Schubert . However, a manuscript was discovered in 1995 in Mohr's handwriting and dated by researchers as c. 1820 . It states that Mohr wrote the words in 1816 when he was assigned to a pilgrim church in Mariapfarr, Austria, and shows that
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