Of course, the first things that come to mind when it comes to Christmas celebrations are decorating pine trees, putting gifts under these pine trees, making Christmas cookies and giving long Christmas feasts. However, every country that celebrates Christmas has many different traditions.
From Japan celebrating Christmas with a bucket of fried chicken from KFC, to Finland spending Christmas in the sauna, Christmas celebrations around the world!
1- Japan: Christmas Dinner KFC
Christmas in Japan is not a national holiday. However, they still create a festive atmosphere everywhere, decorate their homes, streets, workplaces, and host Christmas parties. Their traditional Christmas food is the “party menu” they get from KFC. As a result of a really successful marketing strategy, the Japanese started eating fried chicken at Christmas. Thanks to the successful slogan in 1974 was “Kentucky for Christmas!”, Christmas in Japan has become synonymous with a big bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Since that day, Christmas means KFC for the Japanese!
2- Switzerland: Advent Calendar
There is an Advent calendar enthusiasm in Switzerland! These Advent calendars made especially for children are usually bought by families, or sometimes they make the calendars themselves. There are 24 small compartments in the Advent calendar, and every day until Christmas comes when you open one of these compartments, a gift comes out. The biggest gift, of course, comes on Christmas Eve.
3- Australia: Christmas on the Beach
Well, of course, because Christmas coincides with the scorching heat in Australia, Australians have to spend Christmas barbecuing on the beach and playing games in their backyards!
4- Philippines: The Longest Christmas
The Christmas season in the Philippines lasts almost half the year for some people. The people of the Philippines, who start preparations in September, continue to celebrate until the first Sunday of January.
5- Poland: Live Fish in the Tub
In Poland, people go to church on Christmas Eve, give gifts and fast before the big feast. There are 12 kinds of food at Christmas feasts, one of which is carp, which they believe brings luck. Of course, you may think that the carp is bought from the market. But according to an old belief, the lady of the house would buy the carp that she was going to prepare for Christmas, days in advance and keep it alive in the bathtub at home. Of course, while the majority choose to buy their fish from the market, there are many people who continue this old tradition.
6- Finland: Christmas in the Sauna
One of the main events of the holiday season in Finland is St. Lucia Day. On this date, the eldest daughter of each family wears a white dress and a crown surrounded by candles before serving muffins, cookies, coffee or mulled wine to her family. On Christmas Eve, many Finnish families head to the sauna to remember their deceased loved ones before attending midnight services. The Finns, who sweat profusely in their traditional sauna, then cool off by diving into the icy lake.
7- Croatia: Santa Claus or Krampus
In Croatia, on the night of December 5, children thoroughly clean their boots and put them by the window so that when Santa comes, he can fill them with treats. Good children’s boots are filled with beautiful gifts by Santa Claus. The bad kids find the branches put into their boots by Krampus, the Christmas monster. As in many parts of the world, some families in Croatia celebrate Christmas with an evergreen Christmas wreath. This wreath has four colored candles that symbolize hope, peace, joy and love.
8- United Kingdom: Queen’s Christmas Speech
The Queen of England gives an annual speech on Christmas Day where she discusses what the holiday means to her. The Queen’s Christmas Day speech is held at 3 p.m. each year.
9- Greece: The Night of Wishes
As Christmas approaches, people in many Greek cities gather and make wishes by putting paper lanterns in the sky. They attend church services at midnight on Christmas day. And they light fires and sprinkle holy water from a basil-wrapped cross to drive out the evil Kallikantzaroi, who have entered the houses, and to prevent them from entering the houses.
10- Ukraine: January 7, Christmas Day
Like many Orthodox countries, Ukraine uses the Julian calendar for church festivals. According to this calendar, Christmas corresponds to January 7th. When the festivities begin, it is customary to postpone the Christmas dinner until the first star in the sky appears. Street singing and the Ukrainian puppet theater Vertep are also common festive traditions.
Another tradition in Ukraine is that spider webs make up the majority of Christmas decorations. According to the legend, a poor woman living with her children cannot decorate the Christmas tree due to poverty, and the spiders in the house, pitying the children, decorate the tree with their webs. When they wake up in the morning, these spider webs turn silver and gold.
11- Germany: Mulled Wine and Christmas Markets
During Christmas in Germany, people visit the Christmas markets while sipping their mulled wine. Families also decorate their trees with angels and put lit candles on their windowsills.
12- Romania: Christmas Hymns
In some parts of Romania, children visit houses during Christmas and sing Christmas carols to their neighbors. A person disguised as a goat and disturbs the children who are singing Christmas carols. In some parts of Romania, they are dressed as a goat, while in some parts as a bear.
13- Latvia: Poetry for Gift
According to a Latvian Christmas tradition, in order to receive your Christmas gifts, you must read poetry, play an instrument or sing. It’s also considered that the first decorated Christmas tree was in Latvia.
14- Spain: Gifts Open on January 6
In Spain, Christmas gifts are not opened on December 25, but on January 6, when three wise men are considered to have brought gifts to Jesus. In Spain, houses and streets are decorated with “nativity scenes”. The tradition of nativity scenes also exists in Italy.
15- United States: Cookies and Milk for Santa
Families in the US hang stockings under the Christmas tree and near fireplace, and wake up in the hope that those stockings will be filled with gifts. They usually leave cookies and milk for Santa on Christmas Eve.
16- Iceland: 13 Yule Lads
It’s believed that there are 13 Santa Clauses, a mix of trolls and animals, called Yule Lads in Iceland. And these Santas visit Icelandic children every night. The Christmas season begins when the first Santa arrives in town (13 days before Christmas Eve) and ends when the last one leaves town (Twelfth Night).
Children leave their boots in front of their windows before going to sleep in the evening and are visited by a Santa at night. If you’ve been a good kid all year, the next morning you’ll find chocolates, candies, and small gifts in your shoes, and if you’ve been misbehaving, you’ll find a rotten potato.
17- Italy: Befana the Witch
In Italy, January 6 is celebrated as the Epiphany, and it is believed that a witch named Befana visits all houses on the night of January 5. The witch Befana enters the chimneys of the houses and puts presents in the stockings that the children hang for Christmas. On January 6, a large model of Befana the Witch is built in some cities of Italy and the model is set on fire.
18- Sweden: Yule Goat
In Sweden, instead of Santa Claus, there is a Yule Goat. This goat represents Saint Nicholas, who has the power to control the devil and keep evil away. A family man disguised as a goat and gives gifts to the children. You can see huge goats in the squares of big cities. The most popular, a straw goat called Julbock, is decorated with red ribbons and set on fire every year at Christmas time.
19- Norway: Hide the brooms!
In Norway, people believe that witches appear on Christmas Eve looking for broomsticks to ride. Even today, many people keep their brooms in the safest place of the house to prevent them from being stolen.
20- Brazil: Christmas with Fireworks
At Christmas time in Brazil, many cities start displaying their Christmas trees a month in advance. The floating Christmas tree in Rio de Janeiro is said to be the largest in the world. On Christmas day, families get together and go out to watch the fireworks.
Do you know of any other interesting Christmas celebrations? Let’s meet in the comments!
You can find articles about traditions here.
