FRANCEITALY!SPAIN!

To say 'Merry Christmas' you say 'Joyeux Noël.' Father Christmas is le Père Noël. If you are going to send him a letter then it should begin:-

Cher Père Noël....

In many parts of northern and eastern France, Christmas celebrations begin on the 6 December - also known as

Saint Nicholas' Day.

The celebrations take place because, once upon a time there were three children who got lost in the countryside.

An evil butcher kidnapped them.

Luckily, Saint-Nicolas rescued the children and returned them to their parents. This is why Saint Nicholas is known as the protector of children. Another name for him is Santa Claus!

On the night of 5 December (the eve of Saint Nicholas) children place their shoes in front of the fireplace and they sing traditional songs to the saint before going to bed. They believe that he will arrive on his

donkey carrying treats and gifts for children. Below is a traditional song for the celebration of Saint Nicholas' Day.

FRANCE!

ITALY!• To say 'Merry Christmas' in Italian, you say 'Buon Natale'. It actually means 'Good Christmas.'

Very often, you will see and hear 'Buone Feste.' This means 'Have good festivities.‘

• Father Christmas is Babbo Natale.In Italy, some children write their Christmas letters to Babbo Natale and others write to The Baby Jesus (Gesù Bambino).

• If you are writing to Father Christmas, your letter should begin: Caro Babbo Natal.If you write to The Baby Jesus your letter should begin: Caro Gesù Bambino.This means that on Christmas Day, some Italian children find presents left by Father Christmas, and others find gifts that have been left by Gesù Bambino. It all depends upon who they wrote to!

• The largest Christmas tree in the world can be seen every year in the Italian town of Gubbio. It is the illuminated shape of a Christmas tree, arranged on a mountain slope. It is 650 metres long and 350 metres wide. Eight and a half kilometres of electric cable are used to light up the shape. It can be seen from very far away. A team of workers called 'Gli Alberaioli' set up the famous tree every Christmas.

SPAIN!• To say 'Merry Christmas' you say 'Feliz Navidad.'

Father Christmas is Papá Noel.

• The first celebration of Christmas is on 8 December. This is called El Día de la Inmaculada and it is a celebration in honour of The Virgin Mary. There are processions with music and singing. It is a national holiday.

• La Inmaculada is the patron saint of the city of Sevilla, so there are many important events taking place in that city on 8 December. For example, children dance around the statue of La Inmaculada in the square called La Plaza del Triunfo. This special dance is called La Danza de los Seises.

• Above is a painting of La Inmaculada by the Spanish artist, Murillo. He was born in Sevilla in 1617 and he died in Sevilla in 1682. This painting is kept at El Museo del Prado in Madrid.