Written by Rick Steves He begins his travels in England, where the European Christmas. For coronavirus (COVID-19) travel information, The TV Special: Experience Christmas with Rick Steves in England, Norway, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland! In Scandinavia, it's associated with the Viking goddess of love. In Norway, as in the rest of Europe, pagan symbols - like the evergreen tree - survive disguised as Christmas traditions. Rick Steves Classroom Europe® is a free online video library for teachers, students, and parents. Being Norwegian, I admit that I was biased…and Norway was destined to make the cut. In writing the script for the special, I had to choose which countries would “make the cut.” I could fit only seven into the mix. We're in Drobak, about an hour south of Oslo. Christmases everywhere come with special meals. To celebrate the season, I’m sharing clips, extras and behind-the-scenes notes from Rick Steves’ European Christmas. It's streaming, on demand, for free! From manger scenes and mistletoe to wintry wonderlands, RICK STEVES’ EUROPEAN CHRISTMAS celebrates the Christmas season throughout the European continent. All three for just $20 in our Travel Store! For Celtic people, it was a sacred plant. Seasonal treats are saffron buns, rice porridge, and marzipan cake. A highlight for our crew was filming the Midnight Mass at the Vatican on Christmas Eve in 2004 — which happened to be Pope John Paul II’s last Christmas. Lucia was a fourth-century Sicilian saint who (legend says) helped pe… Fixed iFrame Width: in pixels px Height: in pixels px. It's reminiscent of the old days when a peasant family's wealth was tied up in its precious pig. keywords Norway. And all over Norway, communities gather together in churches just like this as choirs cap Santa Lucia day with a concert. For scenes straight out of a box of old-fashioned Christmas cards, we head to England — to the city of Bath. see our FAQ. Published by: Gabe (Rick Steves' Europe) To learn more about European Christmas celebrations and how many contemporary Christmas traditions came to be, please join Rick in an exploration of Christmas in Europe by following along with this playlist. It's Santa Lucia Day… December 13th — one of the darkest days of winter — and an important part of the Scandinavian Christmas season. To celebrate the season, I’m sharing clips, extras and behind-the-scenes notes from Rick Steves’ European Christmas. Created by Rick Steves' Europe Staff Featured Playlist. You'll find it best not on the streets or in the malls, but in the homes, with friends… and in music. Candles flicker in grave yards as families remember lost loved ones. Being Norwegian, I admit that I was biased…and Norway was destined to make the cut. Buy your Rick Steves' European Christmas Book: Quantity: Add To Cart What's Included. Storyline Join Rick Steves for a colorful, musical celebration of Christmas across Europe. As they sing, the children's choir with their leader wearing her crown of candles processes down the aisle and into the night, as if to spread light to the needy community. The same is true with this sprig of mistletoe. This colorful companion book to the "Rick Steves' European Christmas" TV special takes you on a wintertime wander among local holiday celebrations in England, Norway, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland. For a little extra holiday cheer, join Rick for a colorful, musical celebration of Christmas across Europe. For most of us, it's just a handy excuse to steal a little Christmas kiss. We'll check back with the Santa Lucias and Julenisse later. Christianity They used it to heal the sick and enhance fertility. Christmas As they sing, the children's choir with their leader wearing her crown of candles processes down the aisle and into the night, as if to spread light to the needy community. In the special, Rick visits friends and families in England, France, Norway, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy to reveal their customs and practices of the holiday season. In comes a procession of girls, led by a young girl dressed as Saint Lucy (the Lussibrud, or Lucy bride), with a white robe, a crown of lights on her head, and a candle in her hand. In writing the script for the special, I had to choose which countries would “make the cut.” I could fit only seven into the mix. Just up the fjord, Norway's capital, Oslo, celebrates Christmas with a more urban charm. Youthful voices fill the city's oldest church. Religion … The child who discovers it wins a… marzipan pig. From England to Wales, France, Norway, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy, you'll see the bright Christmas markets, hear local choirs, share holiday traditions with families…and even play in the snow. Here, in the heart of the old town near the magnificent medieval Abbey, Bath hosts an annual Christmas Market. Available on DVD, you get the beautifully filmed, hour-long "Rick Steves' European Christmas" PBS-TV special — plus 45 minutes of content you won't find in the TV version, including full-length choir performances, Pope John Paul II's last midnight Christmas Mass, interview … The Christmas season in Europe stretches for well over a month - not to maximize shopping season but to fit in the season's many holy days: Advent starts four Sundays before Christmas Eve. All over Nordic Europe, little candle-bearing Santa Lucias are bringing light to the middle of winter and the promise of the return of summer. 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