Steve: Hi, this is Steve Webb, your OG Godcaster.
Steve: You're about to hear the Lifespring Advent Calendar, which was recorded in 2006.
Steve: It's a daily show which will run right up to Christmas Day,
Steve: so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode.
Steve: Now, the story of Advent and Christmas is a timeless story, so it doesn't age.
Steve: However, the links and the phone numbers mentioned on the podcast have all changed but one.
Steve: WhyChristmas.com is still current and active,
Steve: and it's the best Christmas information website on the Internet.
Steve: LifeSpringPodcast.com now forwards you to LifeSpringMedia.com.
Steve: And the phone number you'll hear on the show is changed to plus 1-951-732-8511.
Steve: Well, it's good to see you back again.
Steve: Welcome to Day 18 of the LifeSpring Advent Calendar.
Steve: I'm your host, Steve Webb.
Steve: We've heard about Christmas carols, and we've heard about Christmas trees and mistletoe,
Steve: so I wonder what will be behind the door today.
Steve: Let's take a look.
Steve: Transcend.
Music: Winter fires were burning bright, travellers journeyed in the night.
Music: A husband led his weary wife through the falling snow.
James: Today, Steve, we're going to be finding out about some more ways that different people around the world celebrate Christmas.
James: We're going to start our round-the-world trip in Madagascar, and that's an island off the east coast of Africa,
James: so it's very warm there at Christmas time.
James: People decorate their houses with holly, robins and snow scenes
James: even though it's very warm and none of them actually exist in Madagascar
James: Most people go to church on Christmas Eve
James: The services start about 5pm and sometimes they last until midnight
James: The Christmas meal is often chicken or pork with rice followed by a special cake
James: and in Madagascar, Father Christmas or Santa Claus is known as Dadabi Noeli
Steve: In countries such as Russia and Serbia that have the Orthodox Church
Steve: Christmas is actually celebrated on the 7th of January.
Steve: That's because the Orthodox Church still uses the Julian calendar for their religious dates.
Steve: Advent in the Orthodox Church lasts for six weeks
Steve: and has fixed dates starting on the 28th of November
Steve: and ending on the 6th of January on their Christmas Eve.
Steve: Also in countries that have the Orthodox Church,
Steve: it's common to fast on Christmas Eve until the first star is seen in the sky.
Steve: Some people even eat a vegetarian diet through Advent.
Steve: In Russia, the first food eaten on the Christmas Eve is sosyevo,
Steve: a dish made from wheat or rice with honey and fruit.
Steve: In Poland, the meal starts with a large wafer biscuit called an oplotek,
Steve: which is passed around the table and everyone breaks a piece off and eats it.
Steve: In Serbia at Christmas time, a special bread called sesnika is eaten.
Steve: The loaf contains a coin and whoever finds the coin is said to be lucky for the next year.
James: That sounds a lot like our custom of putting a coin in our British Christmas pudding, Steve.
James: You have to be very careful not to break your teeth.
James: Well, we're going to finish today in another warm place.
James: That's Spain.
James: People in Spain also have their main Christmas meal on Christmas Eve,
James: but this time it's the 24th.
James: The traditional Christmas dinner in Spain is pavo trufado de Navidad,
James: which is turkey stuffed with truffles,
James: and they're the mushrooms, not the chocolate ones.
James: But in Galicia, a region in northwestern Spain,
James: which is entirely surrounded by the sea, the main Christmas meal is often seafood.
James: Although Spanish children get some small presents on Christmas Day,
James: the main present giving day in Spain is Epiphany, which is on the 6th of January.
James: Epiphany is when Christians, especially Catholics, remember that the wise men visited Jesus,
James: and this is also the same night as Twelfth Night.
James: In Spanish, Epiphany is known as Fiesta de los Tres Reyes Mejes,
James: and in English this means the Festival of the Three Magic Kings.
James: Children believe that the kings bring them their presents,
James: so they write letters to them on Boxing Day, which is the 26th,
James: and Epiphany Eve, the 5th of January,
James: they leave out their shoes to be filled with presents.
James: A special cake called Roscon is eaten at Epiphany,
James: and Roscon means ring-shaped roll.
James: It's a very doughy cake and can be filled with chocolate or cream.
James: Sounds really nice to me.
James: So wherever you are for Christmas and whatever you're eating and drinking, I hope you have a great one.
Steve: I'm quite sure James and I mispronounced plenty of those words,
Steve: but it was fun to bring the information to you anyway.
Steve: As always, today's theme music was Brian Duncan and the Neal Soul Band with This Christmas,
Steve: and our background music today was New Beat with Christmas in Bethlehem.
Steve: If you've got a special custom or tradition where you live or come from,
Steve: James would love to hear about it and add it to his site at www.whychristmas.com.
Steve: Either contact me at steve.lifespring at gmail.com or email James over there at his website.
Steve: I'm Steve Webb for James Cooper, and this has been Day 18 of the LifeSpring Advent Calendar.
Steve: Come on back. We'll be waiting for you right here.