Christmas Eve is the night before Christmas, December 24, marking the beginning of Christmas. Many Western countries in Europe and the United States have designated Christmas as a legal holiday. Christmas here is like the Spring Festival in our country, and Christmas Eve is like our Chinese New Year's Eve, but the content of the activities is different.
Christmas Eve here is mainly the celebration of Jesus' birthday in the church. Some faithful attend Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, where priests and leaders preside over the consecration and a portion of bread and wine. Some Protestant denominations no longer hold Mass, but only hold assemblies and different forms of Christmas rituals, usually in the evening candlelight services, singing "Silent Night" songs, theatrical performances and other activities.
On the eve of Christmas, Poznan people rush home to spend Christmas Eve with their parents and relatives. On Christmas Eve, when the first star appears in the sky, the festivities begin with families blessing each other and sharing crepes, symbolizing gratitude. Next, we will have a sumptuous dinner, first with soup, followed by traditional vegetarian dishes, cabbage leaves wrapped in mushrooms, cereals, stewed sauerkraut, etc. You don't eat meat for Christmas Eve, but you can eat fish. There is quite a variety of dishes, up to 12 dishes, as well as Polish dumplings. After the meal, there is dessert and drink, and we chat while drinking. Some young people also went to congratulate their friends and family on a happy holiday.
The children hang brightly colored socks at the head of the bed, and it is said that on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus will ride a reindeer sleigh full of colorful gifts, climb into the chimney and quietly stuff the gifts into the socks hanging at the bedside to give to the children who have behaved well this year. Therefore, children hang a pair of socks at the head of the bed in case they receive gifts. At the same time, put a glass of milk to comfort Santa Claus, who has worked tirelessly to deliver gifts, and happily wait for Christmas gifts.