The holidays are upon us! There are many special ways to celebrate holiday traditions. Continue reading to see how the rest of the world celebrates.
Table of Contents
United States
The United States of America has many different traditions and ways that people celebrate Christmas, because of its multicultural nature. Many customs are similar to ones in the UK, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, and Mexico.
The traditional meal for families is turkey or ham with cranberry sauce. Families from Eastern European origins favor turkey with trimmings, kielbasa (a Polish sausage), cabbage dishes, and soups. Italian families prefer lasagna!
For many Italian-American families, a big Christmas Eve meal of different fish dishes is now a very popular tradition! It’s known as The Feast of the Seven Fishes (‘Festa dei sette pesci’ in Italian). The feast seems to have its root in southern Italy and was bought over to the USA by Italian immigrants in the 1800s. It now seems more popular in America than it is in Italy!
Some Americans use pop-corn threaded on a string to help decorate their Christmas Tree. Making gingerbread houses is also popular to make and eat at Christmas! Eggnog is a ‘traditional’ Christmas drink in the USA.
Other American Traditions
Many Americans, especially Christians will go to Church to celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas. Many churches have special Christmas Carol services and events where the story of Christmas is told.
In New England (the American States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine), there are shops called ‘Christmas Shops’ that only sell Christmas decorations and toys all year round!
Americans also send out Christmas Cards, like Carol singing and there’s the unusual custom of the Christmas Pickle!
People in America like to decorate the outsides of their houses with lights and sometimes even statues of Santa Claus, Snowmen, and Reindeer. Some cookies and a glass of milk are often left out as a snack for Santa on Christmas Eve.
Americans and Christmas Trees
The first recorded Christmas Tree lot selling trees in the USA was in New York in 1851 when Mark Carr loaded two sleds with trees from the Catskill Mountains and sold them in the city. By the 1890s the Catskills were providing over 200,000 trees a year to the New York area!
The first US president recorded with a tree at Christmas is Andrew Jackson in 1835. However, this tree was a small sugar-frosted pine tree.
The first Christmas Tree in the White House was set up in 1856 when Franklin Pierce was president. The first electric lights on a tree at the White House were in 1895 when Grover Cleveland used them. The tradition of having a tree on the lawn of the White House was started in 1923 by Calvin Coolidge.
Trees became more popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s when more people had them in their houses and cities started having communal lighted trees. There was a tree in San Diego in 1904, in Pasadena in 1909, in New York, Boston, and Cleveland in 1912, and in Philadelphia in 1914.
Frank Woolworth started selling glass ornaments in his stores in 1880. In 1910 the Sears catalog started selling ornaments by mail order.
Mexico
The southern neighbor of the U.S. does not fall short in its list of Christmas traditions. you’ve probably heard of the 12 days of Christmas between December 25 and January 6. In Mexico (and much of Latin America), it’s a little bit different. Las Posadas (which translates to “lodgings” or “shelter”) is a holiday celebration that takes place from December 16-25.
The nine-day event symbolizes the nine-month pregnancy of Mary, the mother of Jesus. This is a big time in Mexican neighborhoods. If you’re traveling in Mexico during the holidays you will discover an array of biblical re-enactments of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter. The events are often accompanied by the singing of classic carols (called villancicos) traditional Mexican Christmas decorations called Luces de Belen or “Bethlehem lights” and star-shaped piñatas filled with candy.
Posadas
The last posada takes place on Christmas Eve (known as Noche Buena) and is followed by a late-night mass known as La Misa Del Gallo (The Mass of the Rooster) – so named because a rooster is believed to have crowed on the night when Jesus was born. After the mass, everyone enjoys a traditional feast (like most Mexican holidays), including lots of food, such as romeritos, served with dried shrimp and potatoes in a tasty green mole sauce. This is also a great time to enjoy a little Ponche Navideño, a warm Christmas punch made by simmering Mexican fruits with cane sugar and spices. It’ll warm you right up! Christmas Eve usually ends at midnight with the opening of presents. Then, it’s time to rest up for Christmas day itself – December 25 in Mexico is one of the biggest celebrations of the year.
Mexican Cuisine
After such a late night on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day in Mexico is usually a day for church, relaxing with family – and food! A Mexican Christmas dinner will often begin with oxtail soup with beans and hot chili. That’s followed by roasted turkey and a salad made of fresh fruits and vegetables. Another option is pork and chorizo pozole. Pozole is a slow-cooked Mexican stew and it’s sure to become a family favorite if you try it this year! And no Christmas is complete without dessert. A favorite after-dinner Mexican Christmas food is a buñuelo – a perfectly crispy, fried tortilla covered in cinnamon and sugar. The buñuelo, although different, is as popular as beignets are in New Orleans.
Tamales
Tamales are a complete meal in a portable form. In most versions, tamales are made from a mixture of corn dough (masa) and filling, wrapped in a banana leaf or corn husk, and then steamed. The corn masa becomes firmer when steamed, and the tamale can be unwrapped and eaten on the go.
Archeological evidence points to tamales being consumed by the ancient Aztec and Mayan cultures. The earliest tamales were simple. They were made with beans and squash and roasted over a fire. When Europeans brought chicken, pork, olives, raisins, and other foods with them to the New World, then tamales became more elaborate.
In Mexico, tamales are widely cooked during the holidays. This tradition is honored by many families in Mexico and other parts of Latin America.
Canada
Christmas is celebrated in various ways in contemporary Canada. In particular, it draws from the French, British and American traditions. Since the beginning of the 20th century, it had become the biggest annual celebration and had begun to take on the form that we recognize today.
Christmas traditions in Québec, as elsewhere in Canada, are a blend of changing traditions brought from France, unique to the region, or adapted from British and American influences. In late November and early December, Christmas markets appear throughout Québec, traditionally held in the streets but now also held indoors in halls and special places, such as the Marché de la Gare de Sherbrooke and the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau. Artisans, long-time participants of these markets, set up stalls, often packed around a gigantic Christmas tree outside, where they display their pastries or festive decorations
Nativity Scene
The Christmas Nativity scene (crèche de Noël) still occupies a place of choice in contemporary Québec, as it does across Canada. In former times, the village children played the parts of the principals in the scene, before the assembly for midnight mass, and the most recent newborn in the village took the place of the baby Jesus.
Music holds the limelight of the evening, and contemporary artists do not hesitate to launch their Christmas albums, always inspired by the songs and the folkloric dances of old.
While the family is at mass, Père Noël visits the house to leave gifts. After the opening of the gifts, as the hearth fire dies out, visitors depart in the cold, and the household falls asleep. December 25 is a day for visiting friends, perhaps playing pick-up hockey in the neighborhood rink and enjoying a hearty bowl of onion soup.
Argentina
In Argentina, the weather is warm at Christmas. Preparations for Christmas begin very early in December and even in November. Many people in Argentina are Catholic and they also celebrate Advent.
Houses are beautifully decorated with lights and wreaths of green, gold, red and white flowers. Red and white garlands are hung on the doors of houses. Christmas Trees are also very popular and they are often decorated by the 8th of December (the feast of the Immaculate Conception – when Catholics celebrate when Mary was conceived). Some people like to put cotton balls on the Christmas Tree to represent snow! Artificial trees are far more common that real ones in Argentina. They can also come in different colors other than green, like white or blue!
Christmas Cards aren’t common in Argentina and although some people give and receive presents, it’s normally only between close family and friends. The main Christmas celebrations take place on Christmas Eve. Many Catholics will go to a Mass in the late afternoon.
Argentinian Christmas Cuisine
The main meal of Christmas is eaten during the evening of Christmas Eve, often about 10pm or 11pm. It might be served in the garden or be a barbecue! Some popular dishes include roasted turkey, roasted pork (in northern Argentina, some people will have goat), ‘vital toné’ (slices of veal served with a creamy anchovy and tuna sauce), stuffed tomatoes, salads, and lots of different sandwiches like ‘pan de atun’ (special tuna sandwiches), ‘sandwiches de miga’ (sandwiches made of thin white bread without the crusts – they can be single, double or multi-layered!) and ‘Torre de panqueques’ (a sandwich ‘cake’ made from several layers of tortillas with different fillings).
Belgium
As in The Netherlands, children in Belgium believe that ‘Sinterklaas/St. Niklaas’ (Flemish) or ‘Saint Nicholas’ (Walloon) brings them presents on December 5th and 6th, St. Nicholas’ Eve, and St. Nicholas’ Day.
Children put their shoes in front of the fireplace, together something for Sinterklaas like a drawing or biscuits; they might also leave a carrot for Sinterklass’s horse and something for Zwarte Piet/Sooty Piet/Roetpiet (Black Peter/Sooty Peter/Chimney Peter, Sinterklass’s assistant). Then in the night, Sinterklaas arrives on the roof on his horse with Piet. Piet climbs down the chimney and leaves the presents in and around the shoes.
Sinterklaas has a book in which he keeps all the names of the children and it tells if they’ve been bad or good. Children are told that if they’ve been bad, Piet will put them in his sack and take them back to Spain! Traditional foods that are left for Sinterklaas include tangerines, gingerbread, chocolate, and ‘makes’ (cookies made in the shapes of letters. There are lots of songs that children sing about Sinterklaas. Different regions of Belgium have different customs and traditions about St. Nicholas.
Belgian Christmas Foods
On Christmas Eve (‘Kerstavond’ in Flemish and ‘le réveillion de Noël’ in Walloon), a special meal is eaten by most families. It starts with a drink (apéritif) and ‘nibbles’, followed by a starter course such as seafood, and then stuffed turkey. The dessert is ‘Kerststronk’ (Flemish) or ‘la bûche de Noël’ (Walloon) a chocolate Christmas Log made of sponge roll layered with cream. The outside is covered with chocolate butter cream and made to resemble a bark-covered log.
In the weeks before Christmas, people also like to go to Christmas Markets. You might spot Santa Claus at the market! People go to buy Christmas presents, decorations, and food. You can also drink jenever (gin) or Glühwein (hot wine) and eat some Smoutebollen/oliebollen (deep-fried sweet dumplings) are also very popular. Going ice skating with friends is also something which is very common.
Denmark
Different types of Advent candles and calendars are popular in Denmark. A Kalenderlys (calendar candle) is an Advent candle and most people have one of these types of candle. A Pakkekalender (gift calendar) is also a fun way to countdown to Christmas Eve. There are 24 small gifts for the children in the calendar, one for each day until Christmas Eve.
Julekalender (Christmas calendar) is a television series with 24 episodes. One episode is shown each day in December with the last one being aired on Christmas Eve. The first Julekalender was shown on TV in Denmark in 1962. The two main Danish TV channels DR and TV2 both show different versions of Julekalender each year. The theme of the stories in the Julekalender normally follows a similar storyline, with someone trying to ruin Christmas and the main characters saving Christmas!
When do the Danish start Christmas celebrations?
Christmas Parties are held from 1st November to 24th December and everyone has a good time! Making cakes and biscuits is popular in the time before Christmas. Gingerbread cookies and vanilla ones are often favorites.
In Denmark, many people go to a Church Service on Christmas Eve at about 4.00pm to hear the Christmas sermon or talk. It’s also an old, traditional custom to give animals a treat on Christmas Eve, so some people go for a walk in the park or woods and they might take some food to give the animals and birds. You might also go for a walk to give you an appetite for the Christmas meal.
France
In France, a Nativity crib is often used to help decorate the house. French cribs have clay figures in them. During December some towns and cities, such as Marseilles, have fairs that sell Nativity figures. As well as having the normal Nativity figures in them, French scenes also have figures such as a Butcher, a Baker, a Policeman, and a Priest.
Yule Logs made out of Cherry Wood are often burned in French homes. An old tradition is that the log was carried into the home on Christmas Eve and sprinkled with red wine to make the log smell nice when it was burning. There is a custom that the log and candles are left burning all night with some food and drinks left out in case Mary and the baby Jesus come past during the night.
In France, Father Christmas / Santa Claus / St. Nicholas is called Père Noël (Father Christmas). In eastern France, he is accompanied by Le Pere Fouettard, a man dressed in black.
French Christmas Cuisine
The main Christmas meal, called ‘Réveillon’, is eaten on Christmas Eve/early Christmas morning after people have returned from the midnight Church Service. Dishes might include roast turkey with chestnuts or roast goose, oysters, foie gras, lobster, venison, and cheeses. For dessert, a chocolate sponge cake log called a bûche de Noël is normally eaten.
Another celebration, in some parts of France, is that 13 different desserts are eaten! All the desserts are made from different types of Fruit, Nuts, and Pastries.
Epiphany (Épiphanie in French), called La Fêtes des Rois in French, is also celebrated in France on January 6th. A flat cake/tart made with puff pastry and almond cream are eaten called ‘Galette des Rois’. The cake traditionally has a ‘fève’ baked inside it (or put in cream on the top). The fève was originally a bean (often made from porcelain, ceramic, or metal). Now it can be a little crown, a figure, or other shapes/small ornaments. The Galette des Rois is decorated on top with a gold paper crown. If you find the fève you wear the paper crown and are meant to bring the Galette des Rois the following year!
Greece
On Christmas Eve, children, especially boys, often go out singing ‘kalanda’ (carols) in the streets. They play drums and triangles as they sing. Sometimes they will also carry model boats decorated with nuts that are painted gold. Carrying a boat is a very old custom in the Greek Islands.
If the children sing well, they might be given money, as well as things to eat like nuts, sweets, and dried figs.
An old and very traditional decoration is a shallow wooden bowl with a piece of wire suspended across the rim. A sprig of basil is wrapped around a wooden cross and hangs from the wire. Some water is kept in the bowl to keep the basil alive and fresh. Once a day someone, usually the mother of the family, dips the cross and basil into some holy water and uses it to sprinkle water in each room of the house.
Greek Cuisine
The main Christmas meal is often lamb or pork, roasted in an oven or over an open spit. It’s often served with a spinach and cheese pie and various salads and vegetables. Other Christmas and new year foods include ‘Baklava’ (a sweet pastry made of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey), Kataifi (a pastry made from a special form of shredded filo dough and flavored with nuts and cinnamon), Teeples (a kind of fried pastry).
The pastries are either eaten for breakfast or as starters. Other popular Christmas desserts are melomakarono, an egg or oblong-shaped biscuits/cake made from flour, olive oil, and honey and rolled in chopped walnuts. Another popular biscuit in Greece is kourabiedes, which are a butter and almond cookie, a bit like shortbread.
Hong Kong
Although there are Chinese Christians, one of the main holiday celebrations is the Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year’s Night Parade in Hong Kong is the liveliest and most colorful celebration of the year. The parade typically features a mix of colorful floats, acrobats, costumed lions, dragon dancers, drummers, and, of course, firecrackers. Street performers warm up the crowds from around 6pm. The parade route winds along Nathan Road, Salisbury Road, Canton Road, and Haiphong Road. Be sure to arrive early to get a good spot!
The Chinese New Year fireworks display is the biggest fireworks spectacular of the year in Hong Kong. The captivating 23-minute display takes place on the second day of the Lunar New Year. You can watch the fireworks from either side of the harbor in Tsim Sha Tsui or Central and Wan Chai. You can also watch the displays on the water by boat or from The Peak.
A Low Key Way to Celebrate
Alternatively, skip the crowds by reserving a spot at a restaurant or bar with a harbor view. A number of restaurants with ‘front row seats’ are even offering special Chinese New Year fireworks menus to help you celebrate in style. Options include Felix, located on the 28th floor of the Peninsula Hotel; Aqua, perched on the 29th floor of One Peking; and the two Michelin-star Yan Toh Heen at the InterContinental.
Israel
For most people in Israel, Christmas is a ‘normal working day’ (unless the 25th of December is at the weekend) and in major cities, such as Jerusalem, you’re fairly unlikely to see many (or any) signs of Christmas, unless you specifically go to ‘tourist’ areas or areas with churches in them.
The Jewish festival of Hanukkah is often celebrated around the same time as Christmas. In 2022, Hanukkah will be from the evening of Sunday, 18th December until the evening of Monday, 26th December. The Festival of Light is an eight-day festival and is a true celebration of hope and freedom. Despite the cold weather, in Israel, you can feel the holiday spirit permeating throughout the country.
The traditional lighting of the Hanukkah candles is performed at night. This makes it the perfect time to get cozy and enjoy some traditional oily foods. Try some sufganiyot and latkes. Cafes around the country will start to sell Sufganiyot, which is filled with donuts. While the basic Sufganiyah is a simple powdered donut filled with jelly or caramel, you can now get very elaborate versions of the delicious treat! Other popular foods are Latkes, which are fried Potato pancakes, and Sfinge, which is a Moroccan take on the Sufganiyah.
Italy
The city of Naples in Italy is world famous for its Nativity scenes. These are known as ‘Presepe Napoletano’ (meaning Neapolitan Nativity/cribs scenes). The first Nativity scene in Naples is thought to go back to 1025 and was in the Church of S. Maria del presepe (Saint Mary of the Nativity), this was even before St. Francis of Assisi had made Nativity scenes very popular!
Having Nativity scenes in your own home became popular in the 16th century and it’s still popular today (before that only churches and monasteries had scenes). Nativity scenes are traditionally put out on the 8th of December. But the figure of the baby Jesus isn’t put into the crib/manger until the evening/night of December 24th!
Other Christmas Traditions
It’s now traditional that Italians decorate their Christmas trees on 8th December (the feast of the Immaculate Conception). The tree then stays up until the Epiphany on the 6th of January.
One old Italian custom is that children go out Carol singing and playing songs on shepherds’ pipes, wearing shepherds’ sandals and hats.
On Christmas Eve, it’s common that no meat (and also sometimes no dairy) is eaten. Often a light seafood meal is eaten and then people go to the Midnight Mass service. The types of fish and how they are served vary between different regions in Italy.
For many Italian-American families, a big Christmas Eve meal of different fish dishes is now a very popular tradition! It’s known as The Feast of the Seven Fishes (‘Festa dei sette pesci’ in Italian). The feast seems to have its root in southern Italy and was bought over to the USA by Italian immigrants in the 1800s. It now seems more popular in America than it is in Italy!
Common types of fish eaten at the feast include Baccala (salted Cod), Clams, Calamari, Sardines, and Eel.
Jamaica
In Jamaica, on Christmas Eve the ‘Grand Market’ happens. It is a really exciting time, especially for children. In every town and city, there is a cross between a festival and a market. During the day, people go shopping for Christmas foods, sweets, and toys, etc. You might also buy some new clothes ready for the celebrations in the evening.
Around 6.00pm the evening part of Grand Market starts and it lasts until the morning! Everyone comes out in their new or best clothes, including children, to celebrate and party all night. All the streets, shops, and many houses are decorated with lights. There are normally street vendors selling food like jerk chicken, boiled corn, and sweets like candy canes and sugarcane.
Jamaican Food on Christmas
The Christmas day meal is usually prepared on Christmas Eve. The Christmas Day breakfast includes ackee and saltfish, breadfruit, fried plantains, boiled bananas, freshly squeezed fruit juice, and tea. Dinner is usually served in the late afternoon and this may include turkey, chicken, curry goat, stewed oxtail, and very importantly rice and peas.
Jamaican red wine and rum fruitcake are traditional and are eaten in most homes. The fruits in the cake are soaked in red wine and white rum for months before Christmas.
Japan
In Japan, Christmas is known as more of a time to spread happiness rather than a religious celebration. Christmas Eve is often celebrated more than Christmas Day. Christmas Eve is thought of as a romantic day, in which couples spend together and exchange presents. In many ways, it resembles Valentine’s Day celebrations in the UK and the USA. Young couples like to go for walks to look at the Christmas lights and have a romantic meal in a restaurant – booking a table on Christmas Eve can be very difficult as it’s so popular!
Fried chicken is often eaten on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day. It is the busiest time of year for restaurants such as KFC and people can place orders at their local fast food restaurant in advance! There was an advertising campaign by KFC in 1974 called ‘Kentucky for Christmas!’ (Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!) which was very successful and made KFC popular for Christmas!
The traditional Japanese Christmas food is Christmas cake, but it’s not a rich fruit cake but is usually a sponge cake decorated with strawberries and whipped cream.
Kenya
In Kenya, Christmas is a time when families try and are with one another. Many people travel from cities, back to the villages where the main part of their family might live. (Although there are more whole big families now living in cities so they don’t have to travel!) This is often the only time large families will see each other all year, so it is very important.
People try to be home for Christmas Eve, so they can help with the Christmas preparations. Houses and churches are often decorated with colorful balloons, ribbons, paper decorations, flowers, and green leaves. For a Christmas Tree, some people will have a Cyprus tree.
In cities and large towns, stores can have fake snow outside them! And there might be a Santa in the stores as well.
In Kenya, Christmas is a time when families try and are with one another. Many people travel from cities, back to the villages where the main part of their family might live. (Although there are more whole big families now living in cities so they don’t have to travel!) This is often the only time large families will see each other all year, so it is very important.
Kenyan Decorations
People try to be home for Christmas Eve, so they can help with the Christmas preparations. Houses and churches are often decorated with colorful balloons, ribbons, paper decorations, flowers, and green leaves. For a Christmas Tree, some people will have a Cyprus tree.
In cities and large towns, stores can have fake snow outside them! And there might be a Santa in the stores as well.
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a secular seven-day holiday beginning on December 26th. This holiday was developed by Dr. Maulana Karenga and is observed by African-Americans. Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966.
Many elements of Kwanzaa come from African harvest celebrations. The word Kwanzaa is taken from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza meaning first fruits. Each day of the Kwanzaa celebration is dedicated to one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamma (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), Imani (Faith). These words along with mkeka, muhindi, kinara, mishumaa saba, kikombe cha umoja, zawadi, and karamu and many others used in the Kwanzaa celebrations are Swahili words. Interestingly, the word Kwanzaa is not a Swahili word, kwanza is.
Latvia
Children in Latvia believe that Santa Claus (also known as Ziemassvētku vecītis – Christmas old man) brings their presents. The presents are usually put under the Christmas tree. The presents are opened during the Evening of Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day. If you’re lucky, you might even see Santa!
Often the presents are secretly put under the tree when people are not around (such as when people are at Church). Sometimes to get a present you have to recite a short poem while standing next to the Christmas Tree! Before Christmas children learn to say poems by heart. You might also get a present by singing, playing a musical instrument or doing a dance.
The special Latvian Christmas Day meal is cooked brown/grey peas with bacon (pork) sauce, small pies, cabbage & sausage, bacon rolls, and gingerbread.
Lithuania
At Christmas time in Lithuania, it is very cold, normally with snow and ice on the ground.
Christmas Eve (Kūčios) is a more important day than Christmas Day. Kūčios is also the name of the big Christmas Eve meal that families have together during the evening of Christmas Eve. Kūčios is also the last day of Advent, so it is important and special.
But before the meal can be eaten, lots of preparations have to take place. The whole house is cleaned, the bedding is changed and everyone washes and puts on clean clothes ready for the meal. Many Lithuanians used to go to the bathhouse to be cleaned before a meal. Some people thought being clean helped to protect them from evil or diseases during the coming year. During Christmas Eve, working men would put away their tools and clean the cattle pens and farmyard, etc.
Other Lithuanian Traditions
Straw is a traditional decoration. Is it normally spread on the tabletop and then covered with a clean, white tablecloth. The table is then decorated with candles and small branches or twigs from a fir tree. The straw reminds people of the baby Jesus lying in a manger. A superstition says that if you pull a piece of straw from under the tablecloth and it’s long, you will have a long life; but if it’s short you will have a short life, and a thick straw means a rich and happy life!
Often an extra place is set – for a family member who can’t come to the meal or if a family member has died during the past year. Sometimes a candle is lit to remember family members who died. Some people believe that dead family members come and join the family around the table. People who are going to be alone on Christmas Eve are also invited to a meal.
Lithuanian Cuisine
The Kūčios meal normally has 12 dishes – one for each of Jesus’s followers. None of the dishes contain meat (and some people also don’t have milk or eggs in them).
Traditional and popular dishes include fish (often herring), kūčiukai (small sweet pastries) normally soaked in poppy milk, Sibelius (a drink made from cranberries), dried fruit soup, beet soup (often with mushroom-filled dumplings in it), vegetable salad, mushrooms, boiled or baked potatoes, sauerkraut, a kind of wheat porridge with honey and bread. Normally water or homemade cider is drunk with the meal.
Sweet dishes are also often eaten including kissel (a fruit soup/jelly thickened with potato flour) and stewed fruit compote.
After the meal (or possibly between the main and sweet courses) there might be a visit from ‘The Old Man of Christmas’ (Santa Claus) with presents! People will also exchange presents among themselves.
When the presents have been exchanged, children often go to bed and the adults might go out to Midnight Mass (Bernelių mišios – which means Shepherds’ Mass).
The Netherlands
For most children in The Netherlands, the most important day during December is 5th December, when Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas) brings them their presents!
St. Nicholas’ Day is on the 6th of December, but in The Netherlands, the major celebrations are held on the 5th of December, St. Nicholas’ Eve. The name Santa Claus comes from the name Sinterklaas.
It all starts on the second Saturday of November (the first Saturday after 11th November) when Sinterklaas travels to a city or town in The Netherlands. Dutch tradition says that St. Nicholas lives in Madrid, Spain, and every year he chooses a different harbor to arrive in The Netherlands, so as many children as possible get a chance to see him.
Sinterklass travels with his servants called ‘Zwarte Pieten’ (‘Black Peters’) or ‘Sooty Pieten’/’Roetpieten’ (Sooty or Chimney Peters). When Sinterklaas and the Piets come ashore from the steamboat, all of the local church bells ring in celebration. Sinterklaas, dressed in his red robes, leads a procession through the town, riding a white horse. Every town in The Netherlands has a few Sinterklaas helpers, dressed the same as Sinterklaas and the Piets who help give the presents out.
Other Traditions in The Netherlands
On the evening that Sinterklaas arrives in The Netherlands, children leave a shoe out by the fireplace or sometimes a windowsill and sing Sinterklaas songs. They hope that Sinterklaas will come during the night with some presents. They also believe that if they leave some hay and carrots in their shoes for Sinterklaas’s horse, they will be left some sweets or small presents. They’re told that, during the night, Sinterklaas rides on the roofs on his horse and that a Piet will then climb down the chimney (or through a window) and put the presents and/or candy in their shoes.
In many families, the children are told that Sinterklaas and a Piet make a weekly visit, so the children leave their shoes by the fireplace or window i.e. every Saturday until the main Sinterklaas party on 5th December.
Sinterklass Parties
The evening of December 5th is called St. Nicholas’ Eve ‘Sinterklaasavond’ or ‘Pakjesavond’ (present evening). The children will receive their presents during the evening. There might be a knock at the door and you might find a sack full of presents!
Sinterklaas parties are often held on St. Nicholas’ Eve (5th), where treasure hunt games are played with poems and riddles giving clues. Children follow the clues to find little presents left by Sinterklaas. Special biscuits and sweets are also eaten at the party. One type of biscuit is called ‘letter blanket’ or ‘banketletter’ (meaning letter cake), which is made from marzipan or pastry. The biscuits are made in the shapes of the first letter of the people names who are at the party. Another sweet biscuit that is eaten at parties is ‘pepernoot’ which is made with cinnamon and spices in the pastry biscuit mix.
Christmas Day itself is a much quieter day in The Netherlands, with a Church Service and family meal. Sometimes there is a special Christmas Day ‘Sunday School’ in the afternoon at the church, where the Christmas Story and other traditional stories are told. These are often the only presents children will get on Christmas Day because they have already received most of their presents on St. Nicholas’s Day.
Christmas Day
Christmas Day itself is a much quieter day in The Netherlands, with a Church Service and family meal. Sometimes there is a special Christmas Day ‘Sunday School’ in the afternoon at the church, where the Christmas Story and other traditional stories are told. These are often the only presents children will get on Christmas Day because they have already received most of their presents on St. Nicholas’s Day.
On Christmas Eve night, Dutch Children believe that Santa Claus, (who is also called ‘Christmas man’ / ‘Kerstman’ to avoid confusion with Sinterklaas!) comes from Lapland in Finland to deliver more presents!
Christmas Day is known as ‘Eerste Kerstdag’ (first Christmas day) and the day after Christmas is called ‘Tweede Kerstdag’ (second Christmas day). On the second day, people tend to visit their families and big shops are also often open on Tweede kerstdag. The traditional way to eat with the family is called ‘gourmet’, which is a little stove that is put on the table and where everyone prepares their own meal while seated.
New Zealand
In New Zealand, like its neighbor Australia, Christmas comes in the middle of the summer holidays.
Lots of people like to spend time on the beach, camping, or at their Baches (holiday homes) for Christmas.
Many towns have a Santa parade with decorated floats (made by local businesses and churches, etc.), bands, and marching teams. This can be any time from mid-November onwards and is really a commercial event but everyone enjoys them. As it’s warm, Santa is sometimes seen wearing ‘jandals’ (New Zealand sandals) and he might even swap his red top for a New Zealand ‘All Blacks’ rugby shirt!
Children in New Zealand leave out carrots for Santa’s reindeer and Santa might be left a beer and some pineapple chunks!
In the main cities like Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Hamilton, there are big Christmas light shows and displays. There are big carol services throughout the country, even in small towns, villages, and rural areas.
Kiwi Trees
Many people have a Christmas Tree in their homes and decorate it like people in the USA or UK. Kiwis also have their own special Christmas Tree, the Pōhutukawa. It can grow to be a very large tree and has bright red flowers which are popular decorations and also feature on Christmas cards. It’s been associated with Christmas since the mid-1800s. The Pōhutukawa is also important in Maori culture. Most Pōhutukawa grows on the North Island where they flower from mid-December until around the 2nd week of January (some do grow on the south island and flower later). The earlier it flowers, the hotter the summer is meant to be; and the longer it flowers, the longer summer will be!
Food in New Zealand
Many New Zealanders have a barbecue for Christmas lunch and this is becoming more popular. The food cooked on the barbecue is often ham slices or even venison or some other kind of exotic meat. Shrimps and other fish are also barbecued. Whitebait fritters are also popular. It’s common to have Christmas Crackers on the Christmas dinner table.
Desserts are also very popular! Many still have a hot fruit pudding with custard and ice cream but cold desserts are popular. These include pavlova and whipped cream, meringues, cold fruit salad, jelly, and ice cream. Drinks will include a range of soft drinks. Those who like it often overdo the alcoholic drinks too. Here’s a recipe for pavlova.
Germany
A big part of the Christmas celebrations in Germany is Advent. Several different types of Advent calendars are used in German homes. As well as the traditional ones made of cards that are used in many countries, there are ones made out of a wreath of Fir tree branches with 24 decorated boxes or bags hanging from it. Each box or bag has a little present in it. Another type is called an ‘Advent Kranz’ and is a ring of fir branches that has four candles on it. This is like the Advent candles that are sometimes used in Churches. One candle is lit at the beginning of each week in Advent.
Christmas Trees are very important in Germany. They were first used in Germany during the late Middle Ages. If there are young children in the house, the trees are usually secretly decorated by the mother of the family. The Christmas tree was traditionally brought into the house on Christmas Eve. In some parts of Germany, during the evening, the family would read the Bible and sing Christmas songs such as O Tannenbaum, Ihr Kinderlein Kommet, and Stille Nacht (Silent Night).
Christmas Day
Christmas Day is called “Erster Feiertag” (‘first celebration’) and the 26th of December is known as ‘Zweiter Feiertag’ (‘second celebration’) and also ‘Zweiter Weihnachtsfeiertag’. This is another day off work and is like Boxing Day in the UK and some other countries.
Germany is well known for its Christmas Markets where all sorts of Christmas foods and decorations are sold. Perhaps the most famous German decorations are glass ornaments. The glass ornaments were originally hand-blown glass and were imported into the USA in the 1880s by the Woolworth stores. The legend of the glass ‘Christmas Pickle’ is famous in the USA, but it’s that, a legend. Most people in Germany have never heard of the Christmas Pickle! Traditional wooden decorations, such as Nutcrackers, are also popular.
Other German Traditions
In some regions of Germany, there is a character called “Knecht Ruprecht” or “Krampus” who accompanies Nikolaus (St. Nicholas) on the 6th of December. He is a big horned monster clothed in rags and carries chains. He is meant to punish the children who have been bad! Krampus is usually the one who scares the little children. In other parts of Germany, St. Nicholas is followed by a small person called “Schwarzer Peter” (Black Peter) who carries a small whip. Black Peter also accompanies St. Nicholas or Sinterklaas in The Netherlands. In northwest Germany, Santa is joined by Belsnickel a man dressed all in fur. Although ‘der Nikolaus’ visits in December, he’s not officially part of Christmas!
At small workplaces and school parties, secret presents are often exchanged. Sometimes a door is opened just wide enough for small presents to be thrown into the room. The presents are then passed around among the people until each person has the correct present! It is thought to be bad luck to find out who sent each present.
Guatemela
On December 7th at 6pm, an unusual custom called ‘La Quema del Diablo’ (The Burning of the Devil) takes place, where an effigy (model) of the devil/Satan is burnt. The 8th of December is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a holy day for Catholics, and burning the devil before that is meant to be a way of getting ‘bad things out of the way and ready for the new year! The tradition started back when Guatemala was a Spanish colony and people would put lanterns on the front of their houses. But some people had bonfires instead and the custom changed over time to burning the devil!
Most Guatemalans, like other Latin-American counties, plan and build, with the entire family, a Nativity Scene called a “Nacimiento” or “Belen”. Although it is originally a Spanish tradition, many indigenous (Guatemalan) elements are now used in the design and construction of the Nativity scenes. The “Nacimiento” is normally put under the Christmas Tree. One unique characteristic of Guatemalan Nativity scenes is the use of sawdust dyed in many bright colors.
Uruguay
There is no such thing as white Christmas in Uruguay, for two reasons. The first one is that in this hemisphere is summertime, and the second is that it never snows in Uruguay (a great deal of Uruguayans don’t know snow), so even if it were winter, it wouldn’t be white anyway. The summer is hot in Uruguay making it more of a sweaty Christmas.
Santa Claus here is called Papa Noel, and his associates here deliver all the Christmas presents at 12’ o clock sharp. So children expect presents to appear right away under their noses and they are a tough clientele. There are no Christmas vacations, the school period goes from March to December.
Spain
Most people in Spain go to Midnight Mass or ‘La Misa Del Gallo’ (The Mass of the Rooster). It is called this because a rooster is supposed to have crowed the night that Jesus was born. Christmas Eve is known as Nochebuena. In the days before Nochebuena, children might take part in ‘piden el aguinaldo’ where they go and sing carols around their neighbors hoping to get some money!
Most families eat their main Christmas meal on Christmas Eve before the service. The traditional Spanish Christmas dinner was ‘Pavo Trufado de Navidad’ which is Turkey stuffed with truffles (the mushrooms, not the chocolate ones!) or ‘Pularda asada’ (a roasted young hen), although they are not commonly eaten now. In Galicia (a region in north-west Spain, surrounded by water) the most popular meal for Christmas Eve and for Christmas Day is seafood. This can be all kinds of different seafood, from shellfish and mollusks to lobster and small edible crabs.
Other Traditions
December 28th is ‘Día de los santos inocentes’ or ‘Day of the Innocent Saints’ and is very like April Fools Day in the UK and USA. People try to trick each other into believing silly stories and jokes. Newspapers and TV stations also run silly stories. If you trick someone, you can call them ‘Inocente, innocent which means ‘innocent, innocent’. 28th December is when people all over the world remember the babies that were killed on the orders of King Herod when he was trying to kill the baby Jesus.
New Year’s Eve is called ‘Nochevieja’ or ‘The Old Night’ in Spain and one special tradition is that you eat 12 grapes with the 12 strokes of the clock at Midnight! Each grape represents a month of the coming year, so if you eat the twelve grapes, you are said to be lucky in the new year.
Apart from Christmas, there is another festival that is celebrated in Spain that is about the Christmas Story. It is called Epiphany and is celebrated on the 6th of January. In Spanish, Epiphany is called ‘Fiesta de Los tres Reyes Magos’: in English, this means ‘The festival of the three Magic Kings’. Epiphany celebrates when the Kings or Wise men brought gifts to the baby Jesus.
Catalonia Celebrations
In the Catalonia region of Spain, there’s a Christmas character called ‘Tió de Nadal’ (the Christmas log) or he’s sometimes known as ‘Caga tió’ (the pooping log!). It’s a small hollow log propped up on two legs with a smiling face painted on one end. From the 8th December (the Feast of the Immaculate Conception) Catalan families give the log a few morsels of food to ‘eat’ and a blanket to keep it warm. On Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, the log then ‘gives out’ small gifts! People sing a special song and hit the log with sticks to help its ‘digestion’ and the log drops sweets, nuts, and dried fruits. When garlic or an onion falls out of the log, all of the treats are finished for the year. The Caga tió is also found in many home is the Aragon region where it’s known as ‘Tizón de Nadal’
Colombia
In Colombia, Christmas celebrations and preparations start on the evening of the 7th December which is known as ‘Día de las Velitas’ or ‘Day of the little Candles’. Houses and streets are decorated with candles, lanterns and lots of lights. There are also big firework displays and music to dance to and foods like ‘buñuelos’ and ’empanadas’. This day is celebrated by Catholics around the world as The Feast of the Immaculate Conception but is especially popular in Colombia.
From December 16th until Christmas Eve, many Colombians take part in ‘novenas’. These are special times when family, friends and neighbors come together to pray in the days leading up to Christmas. They are known as the ‘Novena de Aguinaldos’ (Christmas Novena) and often a different house hosts the meeting every night. As well as the prayers, people sing carols and eat lots of yummy foods!
People like to decorate their homes with Christmas Trees and other decorations. It’s very common for there to be candles (normally red and white) and other lights displayed in windows or on balconies. Another very important Christmas decoration in Colombia is a nativity scene or ‘el pesebre’. In early December, children write a ‘Carta al Niño Dios’ (letter to the baby Jesus) asking for what presents they would like. The letter is placed in the pesebre. They hope that Jesus will bring them presents on Christmas Eve.
Colombian Cuisine
The main Christmas meal is eaten on Christmas Eve night and it’s called ‘Cena de Navidad’. The dishes often include ‘lechona’ (pork stuffed with rice and peas), ham, turkey or a chicken soup called ‘Ajiaco Bogotano’. Other popular foods around Christmas are ‘Buñuelos’ (cheesy fritters), arepas (a thick dish made from corn) and ‘hojuelas’ (a fried pastry with sugar and jam). A very popular Christmas dessert is ‘Natilla’ which is a set custard.
After the Christmas Meal, many people will go to a Midnight mass Church Service. Some people stay up all night, so Christmas Day is a day for relaxing and eating up leftovers!
Ukraine
Christmas in Ukraine can be celebrated on the 25th of December or 7th of January. This is because different Orthodox and Greek Catholic churches within Ukraine use the old ‘Julian’ or the ‘new’ Gregorian calendars for their church festivals. More Ukrainians and Ukrainian churches are celebrating Christmas on 25th December. Some have ‘Christmas’ and ‘Orthodox Christmas’.
The main Christmas meal, called ‘Sviata Vecheria’ (or Holy Supper) is eaten on Christmas Eve (24th December or 6th January). Traditionally people fast (don’t eat anything) all day but you might start the day drinking some holy water that has been blessed at church.
You can’t start eating the meal until the first star is seen in the sky. So people (especially the hungry ones!) go outside as soon as it start getting dark in the afternoon to try and spot the first star. The star represents the journey of the Wise Men to find Jesus and that Jesus has been born, so Christmas can start.
Ukrainian Christmas Dinner
The meal normally has 12 dishes which represent Jesus’s 12 disciples. Traditionally the dishes don’t have any meat, eggs or milk in them. The main dish is often ‘kutia’ a type of a kind of sweet porridge made of wheat. Other dishes can include mushrooms, sauerkraut, red ‘borsch’ (beet soup), dumplings known as ‘varenyky’ (Pierogi), ‘holopchi’ (cabbage rolls, make without meat in them at Christmas!), ‘pyrizhky’ (cabbage buns), whitefish and ‘kolach’ (special Christmas bread). Another meal of 12 dishes is eaten on Christmas Day (25th December or 7th January). In this meal, some of the dishes will contain meat.
The room where Sviata Vecheria is eaten normally has a Didukh decoration placed in it. The Didukh is a made from a sheaf of wheat and symbolises the large wheat fields in Ukraine. It literally means ‘grandfather spirit’ and can represent people’s ancestors being with them in their memories. Sometimes people use some heads of wheat in a vase rather than a whole sheaf of wheat.
