Christmas Traditions Around the World

Millions of people worldwide celebrate Christmas; however, the traditions and customs linked with the occasion vary widely depending on the region and culture.

It is universally recognised that Christmas is a time of joy, reflection, and togetherness, with each country observing the festive season with their own traditions. As Christmas looms large, we thought that we would take a look at some of the unique traditions from the different corners of the world.

The Christmas Tree and Santa Claus

Like the UK, many countries celebrate Christmas with the central feature of a Christmas tree. Families decorate their trees with lights, ornaments/baubles, and tinsel, often adding personal touches like homemade decorations. The tree is usually adorned with an angel or star on top, sometimes this has been handmade by the children of the family or handed down from generation to generation.

Santa Claus, or Father Christmas, is based on the legend of Saint Nicholas, and plays a central role in Christmas celebrations. Come Christmas Eve, children hang stockings by the fireplace, eagerly awaiting Santa’s visit, leaving a mince pie and a glass of milk, or similar, for him and a carrot or 2 for the magic Reindeer that transport him through the night. It is also common for the exchange gifts on Christmas morning, followed by a festive meal with family.

Las Posadas

The word Posadas means inn or lodging, and traditionally in Mexico, is a celebration of the Christmas story. They take place on 9 nights from December 16 to December 24, re-enacting Mary and Joseph’s search for a place to stay in Bethlehem. Posadas started out as a way for the Spanish to teach native people the story of Christmas. Over time the Posadas have changed into a more familiar and tightly knit occasion as well as a preparation for Christmas. Each night, families and friends gather to go door-to-door, singing carols and asking for shelter, symbolizing the couple’s journey. The celebration ends with a joyful party featuring other traditions:

Piñatas:

Usually having 7 spikes to represent the 7 deadly sins, and are usually filled with sweets, although some are filled with small fruits, cookies, and peanuts.

Aguinaldo or Bolo

Little bags of sweets that hosts hand out at the end of the celebrations.

Ponche Navideño

A hot, flavourful drink, its ingredients vary from state to state, but it is traditionally prepared with tejocote (Mexican hawthorn), sugarcane, tamarind, apple, pear, guava, and cinnamon sticks.

Tamales

Warm treats made of steamed corn dough filled with meats, cheeses, and vegetables.

Singing

The Posada Litany is sung along with carols, and the more modern Posadas include Karaoke.

The Advent Calendar and Christmas Markets

Although Advent Calendars have become a tradition in the UK, they originated in Germany. The German Advent calendar tradition began in the 19^th Century with children drawing Christmas pictures on 24 pieces of paper and hanging them in the house. It was in the 1880s when the idea of opening something a day began with the wife of a German Lutheran pastor who crafted small Christmas boxes (Schachteln) for her impatient son. She filled each box with a delicious cookie. The boy was only allowed to open one per day and eat the cookie inside. Thomas Mann Mentioned in his 1901 novel Buddenbrooks, a homemade tear-off Advent calendar, bringing images of what we see today. Gerhard Lang, a partner in Reichhold & Lang in Munich, was manufacturing the first commercial illustrated Advent calendars which did not contain cookies by 1903-04. The first calendars with fold-out windows appeared in 1920. Stuttgart’s Sellmer Verlag has specialized in diorama calendars that display Christmas village scenes since the 1940s. It was finally in 1958 that the first chocolate-filled Advent calendars were being marketed in Germany. The Advent Calendar tradition moved on in Sweden in the 1960s where they have televised Julekalender to count down the days until Christmas.

Germany is probably most famous for their Christmas market (Weihnachtsmarkt). These festive markets, held in town squares, are filled with crafts, holiday treats like roasted chestnuts and gingerbread biscuits, along with hot mulled wine known as Glühwein. Visitors often enjoy the holiday atmosphere while shopping for handmade ornaments and gifts, all based around the centrepiece of a large Christmas tree. Famous Christmas Markets are found in:

• Augsburg,
• Dresden,
• Erfurt,
• Frankfurt,
• Nuremberg, and
• Stuttgart.

2 Most visited Christmas markets in Germany are found in Dortmund, which sees 3.5 million visitors to over 300 stalls all around a 45 metres (148ft) tall Christmas tree, and Cologne which sees 4 million people each year.

Christmas Eve Dinner and La Befana

The Italians hold Christmas Eve with special importance. The Feast of the Seven Fishes is a traditional meal served on Christmas Eve, with dishes of fish and other seafood. It is not a feast in the traditional use of the word, but more grand meal. In Italy, Christmas Eve is a vigil or fasting day, and the abundance of seafood reflects the observance of the abstinence of meat. The meal consists of at least 7 types of fish/seafood. After the family gathering for the Feast of the Seven Fishes, it is usually time to head out to midnight mass.

In Italy, the Christmas season does not end with Christmas Day. On January 6th, Italians celebrate La Befana, a good-witch figure who is said to bring gifts to children, similar to Santa Claus. La Befana is a widespread tradition among all Italians, hence having many names. La Befana rewards the good, punishes the bad, and receives offerings. She is a mysterious, contradictory figure of unclear origins however according to legend, La Befana was too busy to accompany the Wise Men to see the baby Jesus, but she now travels around bringing presents to children on the night of January 5 (Epiphany Eve).

St. Lucia Day

The Christmas season kicks off on St. Lucia Day in Sweden. St. Lucia Day is the 13^{th of} December and is a celebration of light during the darkest time of the year. As part of the celebrations, a young girl dressed in a white robe with a crown of candles on her head symbolizes St. Lucia, the patron saint of light. It is believed that St. Lucia Day points towards arrival of the Light of Christ in the calendar on Christmas Day. Traditional celebrations include singing traditional carols, a feast of saffransbullar (saffron buns) and pepparkakor (gingerbread cookies). The Swedish Christmas drink is called glögg, which is a spiced mulled wine. It is often enjoyed during gatherings and parties.

Simbang Gabi and Parol

One of the longest periods around the world is in The Philippines, and can start as early as September, it can run as far as the third Sunday in January which is the feast day of Santo Niño. Leading up to Christmas Eve a series of early morning masses called Simbang Gabi takes place, these masses take place at varying times from as early as 3AM. The last day of Simbang Gabi is Christmas Eve and the mass is called Misa de Gallo.

After hearing Mass, Catholic families buy traditional Filipino holiday fare for breakfast outside the church and eat it either within the church precincts or at home, this could include:

Bibingka – Rice flour and egg-based cake, cooked using coal burners;
Putò Bumbóng – A purple, sticky rice delicacy steamed in bamboo tubes, buttered then sprinkled with brown sugar and shredded dried coconut meat,
along with drinks including:
Coffee,
Salabát – A ginger tea, and
Tsokolate – A thick, Spanish-style hot chocolate.

Another iconic symbol of Christmas in the Philippines is the parol, which is traditionally constructed using bamboo and Japanese paper, illuminated with candles, oil lamps, or carbide lamps. Modern parols are made using other materials such as plastic, metal, and capiz shells (Shells of the Windowpane Oyster), usually illuminated with electric lighting. Parol’s are most commonly shaped as a five-pointed star but can come in various shapes and sizes.

The Christmas Sauna

In Finland, Christmas is often a time for relaxation and rejuvenation. An essential part of a Finnish Christmas is The Christmas sauna. As the name suggests it is a visit to the sauna, and takes place on Christmas Eve, this is an activity that is enjoyed by many Finns allowing time to relax and purify before the holiday feast. In Finland families gather for a Christmas meal which is known as joulupöytä, the main dish is usually a large Christmas ham, eaten with mustard. This is usually served with a beetroot-carrot-potato-salad called rosolli, a mushroom salad and a casserole called laatikko which is made with swede, carrot, or potato or all three kinds of casseroles, occasionally there is also a liver casserole. Finnish Christmas dessert consists of:
Prune jam tarts,
Gingerbread, and
Rice porridge with plum kisel.
Dessert is traditionally served with either an alcoholic or non-alcoholic mulled wine, which is called glögi in Finnish. After the feast, Finns often attend a church service before enjoying the rest of the holiday festivities.

A Summer Christmas

Over in Australia, Christmas occurs during the summer, which sees many Australian families celebrate outdoors. We have all heard of ‘Barbies on the Beach’ as a Christmas meal for our friends down under. Their Barbecues often consist of seafood, meats, and salads instead of the traditional Christmas Fare. Despite the heat, and enjoying the warm summer weather, Australians still enjoy Christmas carols and decorations, including Santa hats and Christmas trees, as you would experience in the UK winter Christmas.

In Conclusion….

We hope that you have enjoyed our view around the world, looking at some of the lesser-known traditions around this magical and colourful time of time. It has shown us that whilst traditions and customs change, there are central themes that fly through them all, even our own:

Love,
Joy,
Togetherness, and
Goodwill.

All that is left for us to say is to wish you a VERY Merry Christmas, and
we look forward to seeing you in 2025.