Writing the script for our Rick Steves’ European Christmas special was a fascinating challenge. We had two crews to fan out across Europe, visiting seven countries in two weeks leading up to the 25th. While we could only actually be in two places on Christmas Eve and Day (Salzburg and Rome), we managed to fake Christmas Eve in the other places. This required calling on European friends (mostly tour guides and people who run B&Bs that I recommend in my guidebooks who had small children) to let us come into their home as they celebrated “Christmas Eve”…several days before the actual holiday. As they cooked the goose, invited the grandparents, hung out under the mistletoe, and so on, we were right there — on the carpet, in the kitchen, and under the tree — with our cameras rolling. Since we were footing the bill, we encouraged each family to pull out all the stops and put on a blowout Christmas to remember…and they all did. These kids will always recall 2005 as the strange year they celebrated Christmas twice.
I’ve worked with producer Simon Griffith for many years, and his brilliance was what I’ve come to expect. When Simon suggested that his wife, Val, co-produce and direct the second crew, I was skeptical. My rule is generally, no family on the crew. I knew Val socially but had never slogged through a TV production with her. But smartly, I trusted Simon. Val was absolutely wonderful — an artist, a great writer, and a strong leader and manager. Her crew ended up with the hardest schedule (England, France, Italy), and they did more than just cover the script. Val also co-authored the Christmas book that was a byproduct of our project.
We could never have pulled off the production of this special without the help of Steve Cammarano (editor and assistant field producer), Gene Openshaw (script and book editing), Maddie Thomas (England mom/guide/organizer), Christinia Schneeweiss (Salzburg guide/organizer), our two talented and hardworking cameramen (Karel Bauer and Peter Rummel), and many more both in Europe and in our home office. We hope you can enjoy Rick Steves’ European Christmas each holiday season on your public television station. Buon Natale! Frohe Weihnachten! Joyeux Noël! Merry Christmas!
By the way, I’m hoping to do a similar public television special on European Easter, with related Carnival and Lent festivities. I expect we’ll have two crews filming in Europe during the next two Easters to put this together. I’d love your help in planning this. What are your favorite Easter-related happenings in Europe that you’d recommend I consider for our Easter special?
this is a no-brainer, I know, but Seville Semana Santa and Spring Feria should be on every traveler’s bucket list.
An argument could be made for celebrating both events in smaller towns in Spain, like spending Oktoberfest somewhere other than Munich.
Italy, Italy, Italy! The mass at St. Peters, the exploding cart (Florence?), and the feasts before (and after on Easter Monday)!
Chech out the Easter celebration in my grandfathers hometown – Pianna deli Albanesi, Sicily.
Easter Monday in Poland offers the fun of Smingus Dyngus Day and public water fights.
Greece with the lamb feast. Memorable!
I vote for Greece too, but not the mainland. How about the Cyclades or Chios?
Doesn’t hurt production as the Easters usually do not align either.
Rick,
One of the highlights of 100+ weeks of travels in Europe was Easter weekend spent in Greece. We hiked the Gorge of Samaria Good Friday morning (admittedly, not part of the Easter festivities but a wonderful start to the weekend), then that evening when we returned to Chania we joined in the Easter processional walking from the main Greek Orthodox Church in the city center through the streets of town with thousands of others as locals came out on their decorated balconies, joining in the Easter hymns and festivities. People took turns carrying the crucifix and at the end of the evening an effigy of Judas Iscariot (that greatly resembled a scarecrow dressed in denim overalls with a soccer ball for a head). To top it off, the next day we flew to Athens and spent Easter Eve walking around the Plaka, ducking into several Greek Orthodox Easter services, admiring all the Easter decorations and enjoying the fireworks going off all around the city at midnight.
Meant to say in the prior post that at the end of the Good Friday processional an effigy of Judas Iscariot WAS BURNED…
More of a Lent than Easter activity, but the Kloster in Seligenstadt am Main, near Frankfurt, host a popular Easter egg sale every year. This is a very attractive, well-preserved town that’s less than a 30 minute commute from most traveler’s point of entry into Germany.
I haven’t seen a city more festivly celebrate Carneval/Fasching than Maastricht.
The various official city Fasching celebrations in Germany are quite interesting and they probably belie just about every stereotype of Germany. Many are limited-access ticketed events, but they’re also televised.
How about the trees blooming in Paris along the seine in the spring.
I was in Athens @ Easter 1968. Don’t know if it is still done. I bought a painting from a Greek artist. He invited me and my traveling companions to join him for Easter. He picked us up in an old Citroen. At his home we were welcomed with wine and provided with a red dyed hard boiled egg and a candle. We walked from his home to the neighborhood Greek Orthodox Church. At the end of the service the priest came out with his egg and everyone in the square knocked eggs until there was only one uncracked egg. The holder was promised a good year. Then the priest lighted his candle and the flame was passed around. All the street lights in the neighborhood were off and we walked back in a candle lit stream.