Program 427a: More European Christmas Traditions

Learn about holiday traditions observed in France, Norway, Greece, London, the Spanish Basque Country, and small-town Italy. From festively decorated Greek boats to dishes of fresh oysters and fermented trout, and Santas who live not on the North Pole but on a farm or in the woods, Christmas is a little different across the pond.

• Tom Hooper and Gillian Chadwick, tour guides from London
• Cecilia Bottai, vintner and tour guide from Orvieto, Italy
• Patrick Vidal, tour guide from Brittany, France
• Virginie Moré, tour guide from Lyon, France 
• Pål Bjarne Johansen, tour guide from Oslo, Norway
• Anastasia Gaitanou, tour guide from Thessaloniki, Greece
• Danae Kousouri, tour guide from Athens
• Agustín Ciriza, tour guide from San Sebastian, Spain

• An online guide to Christmas markets in France.
• Saint Vasilios, also known as Basil the Great, was a contemporary of Saint Nicholas, and brings gifts to the children in Greece on January 1.
• The Olentzero is a Christmastime character that brings toys to the children of the Basque Country in Spain.