湖畔的一棵小圣诞树，奥地利魏森湖 Holiday tree at Weissensee, a small lake near Ehrwald in Tyrol, Austria (© nagelestock/Alamy)

湖畔的一棵小圣诞树，奥地利魏森湖 Holiday tree at Weissensee, a small lake near Ehrwald in Tyrol, Austria (© nagelestock/Alamy)

'Smoking nights' in Austria

Behold the lovely Tannenbaum ('fir tree' for you non-German speakers). Here in Tyrol, Austria, Christmas Eve marks the first of three Rauchnächte, or 'smoking nights.' A long-standing Tyrolean tradition, people in this Alpine region burn frankincense and herbs in homes, barns, and stables to avert bad fortune. The custom is then repeated on the other two 'smoking nights,' New Year's Eve and the night before Epiphany.

It's said that everything that happens on these nights is of great significance, including one's dreams. Whatever you dream on smoking nights is thought to be a message from above foretelling what the next year may bring. Pardon us while we drift off to the holiday carol 'O Tannenbaum,' currently playing in our heads. Sweet dreams!

奥地利的“吸烟之夜”

看看可爱的坦嫩鲍姆（“冷杉树”适合非德语人士）。在奥地利的蒂罗尔，平安夜是三个“吸烟之夜”中的第一个这个阿尔卑斯地区的人们在家里、谷仓和马厩里燃烧乳香和草药以避免厄运，这是一个由来已久的蒂罗尔传统。这一习俗随后在另外两个“吸烟之夜”——除夕夜和主显节前一晚重复。

据说，在这些夜晚发生的一切都具有重大意义，包括一个人的梦想。无论你在吸烟之夜做什么梦，都被认为是来自上面的信息，预示着明年会发生什么。请原谅，当我们去度假的时候，卡罗尔·奥·塔南鲍姆正在我们的脑海中演奏。甜美的梦！