We had no snow this Christmas in Northwest Switzerland. It was about 7 degrees Celsius (about 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Traditionally, Christmas in Switzerland is celebrated the night of the 24th. On that night the family from my host fathers side came over. We ate, sang, and opened presents. The next day, my host family gave our presents to each other before the family on my moms side came over. I gave my family Mizzou T-shirts and Cardinal Hats... they loved it! :)
Then my moms family came over. My moms brothers both have little kids so it was fun to watch them get excited and open presents.
Santa doesn't bring the Christmas presents in Switzerland. Instead Christkindli (what I've come to understand is a little baby angel/ baby jesus) bring the Christmas tree and decorates it. So I got to play Christkindli with my Host sister Annina. We put the tree with the presents in my host brother Yannick's room because it is so big and we could hide the tree from the little kids until it was time to open presents. (Yannick is in the United States right now on Exchange.) We all ate dinner then the little kids went upstairs to play. While they were up there, Annina and I went downstairs to light the candles on the tree (yes! Swiss christmas trees have real candles!!) Then we rang the bell that the Christkindli rings when he is finished, we then ran out the "back door", up the stairs outside, then back in the "front door" right after the little kids ran down the stairs to see what the Christkindli had brought. Then we walked casually down after them. It was a really fun celebration. The little kids played and sang Christmas songs. One of the kids had a guitar and the other 2 had little flute recorders that they played. It was so cute! It was truly a fun Christmas!
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