Christmas Eve

You might wonder why the day before some special day is often given its own name - New Year's Eve, Hallowe'en and of course, Christmas Eve. Well the answer is that back in the mists of time, the day was deemed to start at sundown rather than, as at present, midnight. So all these Eves were in fact the beginning of the following day. In many parts of Europe, Christmas Eve is celebrated even more than the day itself - it is often the day presents are exchanged and the main festive meal eaten. And why do we hang up stockings - well one theory is that this is done to catch anything which Santa might drop while climbing down the chimney!