Every part of the world celebrates the festive season in their own way. From the Western Christmas we know, to the Japanese KFC feasts, no two households celebrate alike. Here, we have just a few festive traditions, and the locations where they’re most common.
Carols By Candlelight’ is a uniquely Australian tradition, with the Sydney and Melbourne shows broadcast across the world!
In Greece, decorating boats for Christmas is just as popular as decorating a tree!
In Austria and Germany, the Four Hills Tournament for Ski Jumping is held after Christmas, starting in Germany and ending in Austria.
“Tovlis Papa” (Grandfather Snow), comes down from the mountains he lives in to visit the children on New Years Eve, delivering sweets and treats.
In France, they sprinkle red wine on a cherry wood yule log, to leave burning all throughout the night before Christmas.
Many cultures eat their main Christmas meal after midnight mass, often lasting long into Christmas morning!
In the Falklands, they gather under the whale bone arch by the Christ Church Cathedral to sing carols on Christmas Eve.
Eritreans spread setti (green straw) on the floor, and use injera (bread) to eat the zigni (stew).
Finding either an uncut nut, or a gold coin, or some other trinket in food is a sign of good fortune for the coming year, with many cultures practicing such a tradition.
The lights on Christmas trees in Denmark aren’t lit until after the Christmas Eve meal!
Czech families believe that if laundry is done on Christmas Eve, someone in the family might die!
There are multiple Christmas traditions involving apples, all with different outcomes. One has young men throwing an apple to gain luck for finding a partner!
Cuba didn’t have Christmas while Fidel Castro was in charge, so they often celebrated on Epiphany, the 6th of January. Whilst they are free to celebrate Christmas now, many families still celebrate Epiphany.
Bringing straw into the house on Christmas Eve is a Croatian custom as a symbol of future good crops.
Colombians have a special tradition on the 28th of December, a day called Innocents Day. It’s all about jokes and fun, with TV stations showing bloopers and funny mishaps.
Whilst most people don’t celebrate a Western Christmas in China, some will have Christmas trees, though they’ll decorate them with paper chains, lanterns, and flowers.
Chilean santa goes by the name “Viejito Pascuero”, or “Old Man Christmas.”
Rice, spaghetti, fries, fried chicken, turkey, and various regional dishes, including many fish dishes all come together at an Angolan Christmas table!
“Shnorhavor Amanor yev Surb Tznund” is the Armenian seasons greetings, translating directly to “Congratulations to the Holy Birth.”
Whilst many countries in the world don’t widely practise Christianity, the Western Christmas traditions have spread widely
Many of the traditions we believe to be Christian Christmas traditions are more closely linked to pagan yule celebrations!
Some countries celebrate Christmas with fireworks.
‘Kirtan’ is a Bengali traditional song, sung whilst walking a circle around the leader, and it gets faster and faster as it goes on, until they’re running.
Bulgarian Christmas tables are usually filled with a lush vegan meal on Christmas eve, and the food isn’t cleared away until morning, so the ancestors can join in on the feast during the night.
In Zimbabwe, Christmas is celebrated by blasting music over huge stereo speakers!
The festive season is a time for joy and peace, so lets all make the most of it, and send some love out into the world as we countdown to the end of the year.