Most of you are familiar with American, Canadian and English Christmas customs, which are largely the same, including Santa bringing presents that sit below a lit up tree. But have you ever wondered just how Christmas is celebrated in China, or in Finland?
Whether you’re just interested in learning more about other cultures or want to incorporate some new traditions into your holiday celebrations, this article is filled with all you need to know about international Christmases.
大多数人对英美加这些国家如何过圣诞都很熟悉。它们的圣诞习俗大同小异，包括圣诞老人在点亮的圣诞树下放上礼物。但是你曾想过中国、芬兰这些国家是如何庆祝圣诞的吗？不管你是有兴趣了解其他文化，还是想为自己的圣诞庆祝添点新花样，这篇文章将给你所有“必知”的不同国家的圣诞知识。
Poland
波兰
For Poles, Christmas Eve is a night of magic when animals are said to talk and people have the power to predict the future. It’s a time for families to gather and reconcile any differences, and to remember loved ones who have gone before them.
对于波兰人来说，平安夜是充满魔力的一夜。据说动物在这一夜可以与人说话，而人有预测未来的能力。家人们会在平安夜团聚一堂，调和矛盾，并怀念过世的亲人。
Wigilia (vee-GEEL-yah), which literally means "vigil," or waiting for the birth of Baby Jesus, is considered more important than Christmas Day itself.
对波兰人来说，“守夜”或“等待婴孩耶稣的诞生”（Wigilia）比圣诞节那一天更重要。
Wigilia is a meatless meal because, years ago, Roman Catholics fasted for the four weeks of Advent, including Christmas Eve. In the past there were thirteen main dishes
(representing the Apostles and Christ), but, these days, many families have replaced this tradition with a twelve-fruit compote for dessert.
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“守夜”晚餐是素食，因为多年前，罗马天主教徒在降临节四周一直到平安夜都斋戒。过去晚餐有13道主菜（代表耶稣和他的使徒）。但是如今许多家庭转而选择12样水果的果盘甜点。
The foods are to represent the four corners of the earth -- mushrooms from the forest, grain from the fields, fruit from the orchards, and fish from the lakes and sea.
食物代表地球的天涯海角——蘑菇来自于森林，谷物来自于田地，水果来自于果园，而鱼来自于湖海。
Meals vary from family to family but usually include a special soup followed by many elegant fish preparations, vegetables, and pierogi.
每家的饭菜都不同，但通常都包括一种特制的汤，还有许多精致的鱼肉餐、蔬菜和半圆形小酥饼。
Czech Republic
捷克共和国
The Czech version of Saint Nick is known as Svaty Mikulas, who is said to climb down to Earth from the heavens using a golden rope. Mikulas is accompanied by an angel and a 2
devil who help him decide which girls and boys deserve treats and toys, and which ones deserve a swatch.
捷克人称圣诞老人为“米库拉斯”（Svaty Mikulas）。据说他用一根金绳从天堂爬到了大地。陪在他身边的是一位天使和一位恶魔。他们俩决定哪些男孩女孩值得得到美食和玩具而哪些孩子该被鞭打一顿。
There are a lot of fortune-telling traditions that are associated with Christmas as well. One involves a family member cutting a branch from a cherry tree and putting it inside in water. If it blooms in time for Christmas it is good luck. It also may represent that the winter will be short, or if a single woman picked the branch, it could mean she will get married in the next year.
圣诞节也有一些算命的习俗。其中有一个是家庭成员从樱桃树上砍下一根树枝并把它放入水中。如果它在圣诞节开了花，就表示好运。它也代表冬季会很短。倘若一位单身女子捡到了这根树枝，这表示她在明年将会结婚。
On Christmas Eve, single woman also try to see if they will get married in the next year by standing outside with their back to their front door, removing one of their shoes and
throwing it over their shoulder. If the shoe lands with the toe facing the door, then she will marry in the next year. If not, she will have to wait at least another 12 months.
在平安夜，单身女子还会通过“扔鞋子”来测试自己明年是否会结婚。她们在屋外背对前门站着，脱下一只鞋，把它从肩上向后扔。如果鞋子落地时鞋头朝门，这就表示她们明年将会结婚。如果鞋子鞋尾朝门，她们就得再等个一年了。
Austria
奥地利
Austrian children still get to celebrate the arrival of Ol’ Saint Nick, but they also have to brace themselves for the arrival of his evil counterpart, Krampus. Where Saint Nicholas 3
rewards good behavior with treats and toys on December 6, the demonic Krampus arrives on December 5, looking to punish all the bad children. His weapons of choice are birch switches to beat children with and burlap sacks to kidnap them and throw them into the river. The worst part is that local men actually dress up like Krampus (just like many men dress up as Santa in America) and terrorize the streets. In some villages, kids are even made to run what is known as a Krampus-gauntlet, in an attempt to outrun the switches. 地利的孩子们庆祝圣诞老人的到来，但同时他们也得迎来邪恶的克拉普斯（Krampus）。圣诞老人在12月6号给表现好的孩子送美食、发玩具。而恶魔般的克拉普斯5号就到了，意在惩罚所有的坏孩子。他把桦树枝做的鞭子当武器，还用粗麻袋绑架他们，把他们扔到河里。最糟糕的是，当地的男士会打扮的像克拉普斯（就像许多美国人打扮的像圣诞老人一样），在街上吓唬小孩子。在很多村庄里，很多小孩子甚至必须接受“克拉普斯大挑战”，他们努力比克拉普斯的鞭子跑得更快。
France
法国
Children of East France have an evil visitor to keep them behaving all year long. Le Pere Fouettard, which translates into “The Whipping Father,” accompanies Saint Nicolas in on December 6. While St. Nick gives good children presents, Le Pere Fouettard gives coal and whippings to the naughty children.
法国东部的孩子们有个邪恶的造访者，他叫“鞭子老爹”（Le Pere Fouettard），确保孩子们一整年都表现乖巧。圣诞老人12月6号给孩子分发礼物时，他也陪伴左右。“鞭子老爹”会给淘气的孩子煤块和一顿鞭子。
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One of the most popular origin stories of the character say that he was a greedy inn
keeper who killed three rich boys on their way to boarding school. In many versions of the story, he even eats the children. Whether or not he cannibalizes the boys, the story ends when Saint Nick finds out and resurrects the children and forces Le Pere Fouettard to act as his servant throughout time.
关于“鞭子老爹”这个人物的起源，最流行的一个版本是说，他是一个贪婪的旅馆老板，在三个富男孩上学路上把他们杀了。很多其他版本甚至流传他吃小孩。故事的结局是圣诞老人找到并救出了孩子们，还迫使“鞭子老爹”永世做他的仆人。
Aside from The Whipping Father, another popular French tradition involves making a cake that looks like a traditional Yule log, known as buche de Noel. Christmas trees never really caught on in the country and while most people don’t have any use for an actual Yule log, the cake is a fun and festive substitute. Some of the buche de Nol can get fairly elaborate and even involve meringue mushrooms and edible flower decorations.
除了“鞭子老爹”的故事，法国圣诞还有一个传统是做“圣诞柴蛋糕”。其实圣诞树从未风靡全法国。虽然圣诞柴对法国人来说没什么实际用途，但这个蛋糕代表了人们的愉快和节日的喜庆。有些“圣诞柴蛋糕”做得相当精致，甚至有蛋白酥皮小蘑菇和能吃的花朵装饰品。
Germany
德国
Belsnickel is the German Santa’s dark enforcer, but he’s not nearly as evil as Krumpus or The Whipping Father. Instead he just wears fur from head to toe and gives good girls and boys candy and bad children coal and switches.
贝尔森克（Belsnickel）是德国圣诞老人的惩罚执行者，但他没克拉普斯或鞭子老爹那么邪恶。他从头到脚穿着毛皮，给好孩子们发糖果，给坏孩子们煤块和一顿鞭子。
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