This time a year can really get overwhelming. Maybe if we borrow some of the holiday

traditions from the old world, it can help us get into the real spirit of Christmas.

Hi, I'm Rick Steve's. Coming up, we're looking at how some of our friends in England, Belgium,

Hungary, Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Germany celebrate the holidays.

The 19th century is the invention of Christmas as we know it, the focus on family and

harmony and the kids. In Portugal it's traditional to set the table for all members of

the family. We put the table for our dead relatives.

Always we think about them in this important period.

And in England, everybody finishes Christmas lunch

and time to watch the Queen's annual speech on TV.

She talks about the importance of Christmas and what it means to everybody and she talks

about the Commonwealth of peoples.

Come along as we celebrate European Christmas traditions in the hour ahead.

It's Travel with Rick Steve's. The Oh, With Christmas fast approaching chances are you're racing to finish your annual shopping

frenzy on time. The kids are dreaming of what Santa might bring, and you've got to figure

out how your family and friends will share the biggest, brightest, and possibly the most stressful

holiday of the year.

Let's press pause for the hour ahead and take a few moments to learn how people in the

old world get into the holiday spirit. On today's

travel with Rick Steve's, we're exploring European traditions for the holidays

with friends from Germany, England, Belgium and Budapest, Portugal and

Prague.

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