Belgian Royal Christmas

fifiona · #1 12-05-2004, 01:30 AM

Hello, All-

I would like to know if the Belgian Royals do anything special for the Christmas holidays as a family? Or for the nation?

Also, are they very religious? I that Queen Fabiola is a devout Catholic, but I was not sure about the rest of the family and their devotions to the Catholic faith.

hillary_nugent · #2 12-05-2004, 04:24 AM

Do the Belgium royals send a Christmas greetings via the television to their people like Quen Elizabeth II of England?

Dennism · #3 12-05-2004, 04:26 AM

Yes, the King makes a speech to the nation.

Emily · #4 12-14-2005, 11:49 AM

Although this thread was started a year ago -- I'd like to bring it back to life, if possible. Do any of our Belgian posters know how the royals celebrate Christmas or what traditions they are likely to observe? I have been curious about how Belgians do celebrate Christmas -- the food/the traditions/the decorations?

Emilia · #5 12-14-2005, 12:23 PM

They celebrate it with a lot of food ! :)

There is also a lot of decoration , lights everywhere ...
Most of the people celebrate christmas with their family , and go to the church . They also buy gifts for eachother . I think overhere there is also a lot of firework , at least in the big city's.

Last year , Mathilde visited on christmas evening a dinner for poor people , that was so kind !

Emily · #6 12-14-2005, 01:59 PM

Emilia - are you from Belgium? If so, what is traditional Christmas food? Do people go to church on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? When are gifts exchanged? Do people hang stockings? Set out nativities in their homes? Do you celebrate St. Nicholas Day? Is there lots of gift giving or simple or does that vary by family? I'd - obviously:) - love to know more!

selminha · #7 12-14-2005, 04:03 PM

Great, Emily! I love to know more!

Emilia · #8 12-15-2005, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emily

Emilia - are you from Belgium? If so, what is traditional Christmas food? Do people go to church on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? When are gifts exchanged? Do people hang stockings? Set out nativities in their homes? Do you celebrate St. Nicholas Day? Is there lots of gift giving or simple or does that vary by family? I'd - obviously:) - love to know more!

Yes , I'm from Belgium ( flanders):)

I think here the traditinal food is turkey , chicken ,... with chips(yumy

) . As dessert it's most of the time ice-cream ( ice-cake) ,and ofcourse chocolate! Most people go to the church on Christmas Eve , at 9 or 12 o'clock . We exchange gifts at christmas and at newyears day. Most of the time it are expensive presents ( like moblie phones , MP3 , playstation , clothes , parfume , jewels ) it can be everything .We set out nativities in our homes , and also big ones in the city , at churches.
4 weeks ago , people were already decoration their home ,... we do love christmas !We get two weeks vacation , and sometimes people go on a winter holiday ( in Austria , Italy , ...) . We also send carts to eachother.
Actually , christmas begins here on half december and ends after new-year

But now I can't enjoy it , because I have to make exams until 21 december!

I realy hate it . But I do know what I gonna get for christmas , a trip to Londen in April

Emily · #9 12-15-2005, 09:02 AM

Emilia -- Thank you for writing about Christmas and I am glad you - or someone - re-named the thread! I find it interesting to learn how people are actually celebrating in different countries as opposed to learning from books how Christmas is "traditionally" celebrated.

Emilia · #10 12-15-2005, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emily

Emilia -- Thank you for writing about Christmas and I am glad you - or someone - re-named the thread! I find it interesting to learn how people are actually celebrating in different countries as opposed to learning from books how Christmas is "traditionally" celebrated.

How do you celebrate it ?

Emily · #11 12-15-2005, 09:52 AM

We set up the Christmas tree around December 10th and most years we have an "indoor picnic" when we do that: set up a blanket on the floor and have all our favorite hors d'oeuvres as our 'dinner', play Christmas CD's and put the ornaments and white lights on the tree. We also hang a fresh wreath decorated with white lights in the outside entryway to our home. Inside we set up the Advent Wreath and a little wooden Nativity Scene that has been in our family for several generations.

On Christmas Eve day there is always alot of cooking, delivering and receiving gifts from good friends and then we go to either an 8:00 or 11:00 Candlelight Church Service and either before or after we have a huge meal of roast beef, lobster, a gratin of potatoes and peas, salad and creme caramel sometimes with other favorite foods, it depends on who comes to visit for Christmas! We always get together with extended family for the meal.

On Christmas morning we get up and have a Sour Cream Coffee cake, Breakfast Casserole of ham, broccoli, cheese and bread with coffee and orange juice and then we open our gifts. In my husband's family everyone gets new, matching pajamas on Christmas, so he always buys those and we open them first. Apart from that - and out of concern for the environment and the materialism that has become Christmas for many - we tend to each get one "big" gift, hopefully the one that a person really wants, and then in our Christmas stockings we give practical gifts: stamps, stationery, toothbrushes, socks, gas cards. And we always get a new game or jigsaw puzzle that people can play during the day. Depending on which families are left in the neighborhood, sometimes we get together briefly during the day for coffee and so the kids can play with each other's toys -- or they go sledding. If there is enough snow, our family will often X Country ski some in the afternoon since there are trails right outside our house. At about 6 PM we have another nice dinner. Afterwards, since we have several 'amateur' musicians in the family we usually bring out the cello, violin and viola and with the piano play music -- sometimes we sing. It is a quiet day focused on enjoying extended family and playing games, doing whatever...a nice break from the hectic pace of normal life!

We leave the tree and indoor decorations up until about New Year's day but we leave the wreath outside until February -- or until you can tell it is getting light out earlier. That's about it here.

Emilia · #12 12-15-2005, 10:22 AM

:) sounds very nice !

Cathérine Bergeyck · #13 12-18-2005, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emilia

But now I can't enjoy it , because I have to make exams until 21 december!

I realy hate it . But I do know what I gonna get for christmas , a trip to Londen in April

Oh I'm so glad those days are over for me! I hated the exams as well. Two extremely tiring weeks, but when it's over and you have two weeks of holiday it really feels like a holiday!

They're nearly over for you, but good luck Emilia!

Lila Rose · #14 12-19-2005, 08:10 AM

But now I can't enjoy it , because I have to make exams until 21 december!

I realy hate it . But I do know what I gonna get for christmas , a trip to Londen in April

[/quote]

I have only to do 2 exams , and I'm glad that they are almost over , because I realy hate them to ! Now I can start enjoying christmas :)

Because this is my first post , I want to wish everybody a merry christmas and a happy newyear !:) I hope 2006 will be a great year for you all...

fanletizia · #15 12-21-2005, 11:49 AM

King Albert II of Belgium, third from left, along with his wife Queen Paola, second from left, his son Crown Prince Philippe, left, his daughter Princess Astrid, second from right, with her husband Prince Lorenz, right, and Queen Fabiola, third from right, wife of the late King Baudouin, pose for photographers in front of their Christmas tree at the Royal Palace in Brussels, Wednesday Dec. 21, 2005, prior to a Christmas concert

from polfoto

purple_platinum · #16 12-21-2005, 11:55 AM

from reuters via yahoo

Member's of the Belgian royal family (L-R) Crown Prince Philippe, Queen Paola, King Albert II, Queen Fabiola, Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz pose next to a Christmas tree ahead of a traditional Christmas concert at the Brussels Royal Palace December 21, 2005.

selminha · #17 12-21-2005, 01:58 PM

The pictures are so beautiful! Thanks for the photos Fanletizia.

Cathérine Bergeyck · #18 12-21-2005, 02:44 PM

the christmas concert at the royal palace, 21st Dec. 2005

Belga

Cathérine Bergeyck · #19 12-21-2005, 02:45 PM