Christmas Traditions from all Around the World

Considering the gigantic popularity of Christmas that has spread world-wide, it does not come as a surprise that the way it is celebrated in individual countries varies depending on their history. Some customs may seem bizarre to outlanders, who are unaware of local traditions that precede this Christian holiday. Sometimes, the manner of celebration may be influenced simply by a different climate than that of Europe, the birthplace of the majority of Christmas traditions.

Christmas traditions from all around the world

Considering the gigantic popularity of Christmas that has spread world-wide, it does not come as a surprise that the way it is celebrated in individual countries varies depending on their history. Some customs may seem bizarre to outlanders, who are unaware of local traditions that precede this Christian holiday. Sometimes, the manner of celebration may be influenced simply by a different climate than that of Europe, the birthplace of the majority of Christmas traditions.

In Australia, Christmas falls in summertime, during the summer holidays, so the atmosphere is far from the archetypical winter scenery. Christmas dinner is often served in the form of a barbecue and is eaten outside. Santa prefers to travel on a surfing board rather than sleigh and wears some lighter clothing. Of course, it does not mean that Australians do not observe some more common customs. They still love decorating their houses with Christmas lights and some Australian-themed Christmas ornaments. Aussie Christmas decorations may include some custom Christmas stockings or hand-painted Christmas baubles with typically Australian animals, such as kangaroos and koalas.

Decorating your house with evergreens during various winter holidays was common even before Christmas was popularised, which may explain why this custom is practised to this day. Hemlock tree is a universal symbol of eternal life that dates back to ancient Egypt and China as well as pre-Christian Scandinavia and Poland. But let us take a look at some unique traditions that are still followed during Christmas.

Seven Fishes, 12 dishes, and KFC

Many Christmas traditions revolve around food that is served during that time. Regardless of the country, Christmas celebration includes meeting your family or friends for a special meal that may either take place on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. In Italy some people have the Feast of the Seven Fishes. It is a meal that consists of seven different seafood dishes (although there may be more sometimes) and follows the tradition of abstinence of meat until December 25th. Although it originated in the south of Italy, nowadays the custom is followed mainly among the Italian-American families. In Poland, the main feast also falls on December 24th and also does not include meat. It is traditional to serve 12 (coming from Jesus’ 12 disciples) different courses among which borscht, pierogi, and various types of fish can be found. Traditionally, the meal starts as soon as the first star can be spotted in the sky.

There are still many countries in which Christianity is not the dominant religion, but it does not mean they have not developed some Christmas traditions. One of the most peculiar ones can be found in Japan, a country where only 1% of the population claims to be Christian, so Christmas is not treated as a religious holiday. Every year, Christmas Eve is celebrated by millions of Japanese by eating some KFC chicken. The demand is so high that the restaurants start taking orders days before Christmas and you can see long lines of people waiting to pick up their meals on the day before.

Naughty or nice?

It is often mentioned that in different countries there are different characters responsible for bringing children their presents. The most common are of course Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, or Father Christmas. They are frequently depicted on Christmas decorations, such as custom Christmas balls and stockings, as well as wrapping paper, tablecloths, and napkins. There also are, however, some lesser known characters, like Saint Basil in Greece, Amu Nowruz in Iran, or Belsnickel in Germany. We all know that nice children are gifted with all kinds of wonderful toys and candy, but it is also interesting to explore what naughty children are given in different cultures. In many countries, such as the Netherlands, the US, or Finland, it is a piece of coal. In Iceland bad children are given potatoes (possibly rotten) and in Germany and Poland they are given rods.