No matter where you are located in the world, the magic of Christmas is a global phenomenon, weaving together a kaleidoscope of traditions for a celebration of light, love, and unity. From the snowy villages of Iceland to the sun-soaked shores of Australia, the season is marked by rituals as diverse as the cultures that cherish them.
Beyond the twinkling lights and gift-giving, Christmas reveals something deeper – a shared human desire to connect, to rejoice, and to honour what matters most. Dive in as we unwrap the unique myths and ways that different nations around the world celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.
Iceland: The Yule Lads and 13 Nights of Mischief
In Iceland, Christmas is a whimsical season of folklore and festivity. The Yule Lads, 13 mischievous troll-like figures, descend from the mountains one by one starting on December 12th and each night, children leave shoes by their windows, waking to find either treats or tricks depending on their behaviour.
Accompanying the Yule Lads is Grýla, their fearsome mother, and Jólakötturinn, the Yule Cat, who is said to devour those who haven’t received new clothes to wear before Christmas Eve. The Yule Lads used to be a lot creepier than present day, but in 1746, parents were banned from tormenting their children with frightening stories.
The Philippines: The World’s Longest Christmas Season
The Philippines holds the title for having the longest Christmas celebration ever, starting as early as September with the “Ber” months and continuing until January 6. Parols, star-shaped lanterns symbolising the Star of Bethlehem, light up homes and the streets.
The Simbang Gabi, a series of nine dawn Catholic masses leading up to Christmas Eve, is a cherished practice. On Noche Buena (the Christmas Eve meal), families gather for a lavish midnight feast featuring lechón (suckling pig), queso de bola (100% cow’s milk curd cheese ball), and bibingka (Filipino rice cake).
Mexico: Las Posadas and Piñatas
In Mexico, Christmas is steeped in religious significance and community spirit, with streets coming alive with parades, music, and dance. Las Posadas, celebrated from December 16th to 24th, reenacts Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter on their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, culminating in festive processions, caroling, and piñatas, which are smashed open by children, releasing candies and treats.
The grand finale is Noche Buena, a night of midnight mass and grand feasts shared with loved ones, featuring dishes like bacalao a la vizcaína (codfish in a spicy tomato sauce), romeritos (Mexican herb stew), and ponche (spiced fruit punch).
Germany: Advent and Christmas Markets
Germany’s Christmas traditions are synonymous with magical enchantment. The Advent season begins four Sundays before Christmas, with families lighting candles on an Advent wreath. Children, on the other hand, eagerly open Advent calendars, unveiling small treats like chocolates and candies each day leading up to Christmas.
Meanwhile, the country’s famed Weihnachtsmärkte (Christmas markets) are not to be missed, offering mulled wine that warms the soul, handcrafted ornaments, roasted chestnuts, and more, turning town squares into winter wonderlands with loads to do, eat, and drink.
Ethiopia: A Spiritual Genna
Christmas is known as Genna in Ethiopia, and the holidays are celebrated on January 7th in accordance with the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar. Devotees will be dressed in white and attend church services filled with ancient chants and prayers.
Afterward, families will gather for a traditional meal of injera (a slightly sour Ethiopian flatbread) and doro wat (spicy Ethiopian chicken stew). Unlike the commercial aspects of Christmas elsewhere, Genna is a solemn and spiritual occasion for the people who celebrate it.
Japan: A Quirky Feast and Romantic Vibes
Though it isn’t a Christian-majority country, Japan has embraced Christmas with its own twist. The holiday is less about religion and more about spreading happiness. Oddly enough, families flock to KFC for a “Christmas Chicken” dinner, thanks to a wildly successful 1970s marketing campaign started by Takeshi Okawara, the enterprising manager of the first KFC in Japan, opened in Nagoya.
It all began when Okawara overheard an expat saying that he had missed eating turkey for Christmas, and that chicken was the next best thing for the festive season. For couples, Christmas Eve is akin to Valentine’s Day, marked by romantic dinners and light displays.
Italy: La Befana and the Feast of the Seven Fishes
The Christmas season stretches to Epiphany on January 6th in Italy. It is believed that La Befana, a kind-hearted witch, delivers gifts to children on this day, riding her broomstick. On Christmas Eve or La Viglia, families partake in the Feast of the Seven Fishes, a multi-course seafood dinner honouring the vigil before Christmas.
Besides having Biblical significance (the seven sacraments and seven deadly sins in Catholicism), it is believed that the seafood-forward feast came about as many Roman Catholics do not consume meat on Fridays or on the eve of of several holidays. Midnight Mass and nativity scenes, or presepi, also remain central to Italian celebrations.
Australia: A Sun-soaked Christmas
Christmas in Australia falls in the height of summer, making beach barbecues and outdoor festivities the norm. Many families gather for picnics, seafood spreads, and pavlovas during the festive season.
Additionally, Carols by Candlelight events, an annual Australian Christmas tradition involving choirs and a Christmas market, are held across cities, combining traditional Christmas tunes with the magic of warm, starlit nights. Santa is often depicted wearing boardshorts and riding a surfboard, trading sleigh rides for beachside fun in an ode to the summertime.
Sweden: St. Lucia and Candlelit Processions
In Sweden, Christmas begins with St. Lucia Day on December 13th, celebrating the patron saint of light and winter solstice. Girls dressing up as Lucia wear white gowns and crowns of candles, leading processions and singing carols, and many families feast on lussekatter (saffron buns) and glögg (mulled wine).
The season is marked by a harmonious fusion of ancient Norse traditions and Christian customs, like Tjugondag Knut (St. Knut’s Day) on January 13 celebrated by taking down the Christmas tree and eating cookies and candies; and Smörgåsbord, a traditional Christmas lunch that includes Christmas ham, gravadlax, and meatballs.
United States: A Melting Pot of Traditions
The United States’ diverse population brings an assortment of Christmas traditions. From German-inspired gingerbread houses to African-American Kwanzaa festivities, from Latin Las Posadas to the bright lights of Rockefeller Center, Christmas in the U.S. is a celebration of multiculturalism.
Homes are adorned with twinkling lights, stockings are hung by the chimney, and Santa Claus remains the star of the season, so those commemorating the occasion can really expect anything and everything.
Featured image: Unsplash via CMPhoto.net
