The #1 BIG THING was the 15-days vacation OFF-school!!! So yeah, in this respect it was a Big thing! [but this was for Christmas and New Year, both]
The 2nd BIG THING was the presents!!! The shopping and giving gifts, as well, but mainly the receiving ones! [traditionally on New Year Eve/Day]
The 3rd, would be the family dinners gorgeously cooked & prepared by my mother, and of course the family time together!
Now in my country, religion-wise, the big celebration is at Easter!
We do celebrate Christmas, but Mainly New Year, where traditionally the big feasts, big gatherings were, and still are, taking place, and where the presents were exchanged!
It was in my mid-to-late twenties when to my big surprise I found out that some people were going to church on Christmas (Day, or Eve ???) -
even though once when I was in primary school we had gone all together with the school [not for long, though, I think]
For Christmas, well on Christmas Eve there would be parties for the younger adults.
Or, occassionally visits to Family members, especially the elderly. Mostly, though, it was nice & homey and preparing for the main dinner on Christmas.
Christmas dinner, mainly served at lunch, or late lunch, is the FAMILY thing!
Friends parties etc go to all the days before or after.
Nowadays, since the Christmas Day is usually spent with family-members gifts may even be exchanged on the Day or Eve,
unless these people is who we're spending the New Year festivities with - in which case gifts are exchanged normally in New Year!
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif)