Christmas Eve
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Christmas Eve is the day before Christmas Day, and is treated to a greater or a lesser extent in most Christian societies as a public holiday.
It falls on December 24. Many Christians traditionally celebrate a midnight mass at midnight on Christmas Eve, marking the beginning of Christmas Day. Other churches like the Anglican Church hold Candlelight service which is typically held earlier in the evening. Large meals are common, often with turkey or ham as the main item.
It is also seen as the night when Santa Claus or his international variants, make their rounds giving gifts to good children. In Italy presents are opened on the morning of Christmas Eve, while in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Portugal and Poland, Christmas presents are opened on that evening. In North America, there is a mixture of families opening gifts in the evening and, more commonly, on Christmas Day morning. In families where a divorce has occurred, children may spend one day with one part of the family, and the next with the other. In Spain gifts are opened on the morning of January 6th, Epiphany day.
da:Juleaften de:Heiliger Abend ja:クリスマス・イヴ fi:Jouluaattosv:Julafton
