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Christmas is a very big celebration in Angola. Over 50% of the population are Catholic, with at least another 25% being other kinds of Christians. So going to church on Christmas Day is important. There are Midnight Mass services on Christmas Eve and also a Mass on Christmas Day.

A Christmas Day Mass is also broadcast on national TV, so people can watch it from home if they are not able to go to church. During Advent, many people go to special church services.

The main Christmas meal is eaten after the Christmas Day church service. Family and friends visit each others houses and guests are always welcome. People often save up throughout the year so they can afford some special foods for the big Christmas meal. In rural parts of Angola, families might rear animals especially to eat at Christmas.

The meal traditionally consists of 'pirão' or 'funge' (a type of polenta made of corn meal or cassava flour) with rice, spaghetti, french fries, turkey, fried chicken and dishes like 'ozido de bacalhau' (cooked cold fish with vegetables), 'calulu' (a dish of fired fish or beef with tomatoes, garlic, okra, sweet potatoes and spinach, etc.) and 'mufete' (grilled fish served with stewed palm oil beans, sweet potato, plantain and cassava).

Dessert is often a Bolo Rei cake, due to Angola's historical connection with Portugal. Bolo Rei is especially popular in cities.

The main decoration in most houses will be a Nativity Scene (Presépio). Other decorations like Christmas Trees and stockings are becoming more widespread.

Giving gifts is more common in cities than in rural areas. Big shops in the cities will also be decorated with lights for Christmas.

In Angola the main language spoken is Portuguese, so Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Feliz Natal'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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Christmas is a very big celebration in Angola. Over 50% of the population are Catholic, with at least another 25% being other kinds of Christians. So going to church on Christmas Day is important. There are Midnight Mass services on Christmas Eve and also a Mass on Christmas Day.

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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.

House 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 8th 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!

The Nativity scene or 'pesebre' is also an important Christmas decoration in Argentina. The pesebre is put near to the Christmas tree.

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.

The main meal 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), 'vitel 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).

Dessert can be Christmas bread and puddings like 'Pan Dulce' and Panettone as well as fruit salad, ice cream and different sorts of pies. There will also be sweets like chocolate raisins, sugar-coated peanuts or almonds, 'mantecol' (a semi-soft nougat made from peanut butter) and different kinds of 'turron' (hard nougat).

At midnight there will be the sound of lots of fireworks. People also like to 'toast' the start of Christmas day. Some people like to go to midnight services, but other prefer to stay at home and let off fireworks and then open their presents under the tree. More poeple are also going to over night parties and nightclubs as well now.

Some children will hope that 'Papá Noel' (Father Christmas/Santa Claus) will bring their presents. Some will hope that 'El Niño Diós' (the Baby Jesus) will bring them. Both of those will probably bring presents on Christmas Eve. However, some children will wait until Epiphany (6th of January) and hope that the 'Reyes Magos' (The Three Wise Men) will bring their gifts!

Another Christmas Eve night tradition are 'globos', paper decorations with a light inside that float into the sky (like Chinese Lanterns). The sky is filled with them on Christmas Eve after midnight.

Some people stay awake all the night chatting and seeing friends and family and then spend lots of Christmas Day sleeping. Some people may go to mass again in the morning or late afternoon on Christmas Day and there will be lots of yummy leftovers to eat!

In Argentina the main language spoken is Spanish (still called castellano by Argentines), so Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Feliz Navidad'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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Christmas in Argentina on whychristmas?com

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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. House are beautifully decorated with lights and wreaths of green, gold, red and white flowers.

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The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates Christmas on January 6th. On this day it also celebrates the Epiphany (which means the revelation that Jesus was God's son). Epiphany is now mainly the time Churches remember the Visit of the of Wise Men to Jesus; but some Churches, like the Armenian Apostolic Church, also celebrate the Baptism of Jesus (when he started his adult ministry) on Epiphany.

Some Armenians fast (don't eat anything) in the week before Christmas. The Christmas Eve meal is called khetum 'Խթում'. It often includes dishes such as rice, fish, nevik 'նուիկ' (green chard and chick peas) and yogurt/wheat soup called tanabur 'թանապուր'. Desserts include dried fruits and nuts, rojik (whole shelled walnuts threaded on a string and encased in grape jelly), bastukh (a paper-like dessert made of grape jelly, cornstarch and flour). This lighter menu is designed to ease the stomach off the week-long fast and prepare it for the larger Christmas Day dinner. Children take presents of fruits, nuts, and other candies to older relatives.

Santa Claus Gaghant Baba / Kaghand Papa traditionally comes on New Year's Eve (December 31st) because Christmas Day itself is thought of as more of a religious holiday in Armenia.

In Armenian Happy/Merry Christmas is Shnorhavor Amanor yev Surb Tznund (Շնորհավոր Ամանոր և Սուրբ Ծնունդ) (which means 'Congratulations for the Holy Birth'). Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

At the beginning of December a big Christmas Tree (Tonatsar) is put up in Republic Square in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

Favorite and traditional Holiday foods in Armenia include Anooshaboor (Armenian Christmas Pudding), Khozee bood (glazed ham) and dried fruits. Every house is ready with lots of sweets because anyone might knock on the door and come in for a party!

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Christmas in Armenia on whychristmas?com

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The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates Christmas on January 6th. On this day it also celebrates the Epiphany (which means the revelation that Jesus was God's son). Epiphany is now mainly the time Churches remember the Visit of the of Wise Men to Jesus; but some Churches, like the Armenian Apostolic Church, also celebrate the Baptism of Jesus (when he started his adult ministry) on Epiphany.

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Christmas in Australia on whychristmas?com

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Find out how Christmas is celebrated in Australia.

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Austria shares many Christmas traditions with its neighbor Germany, but also has many special Christmas customs of its own.

During Advent, many families will have an Advent Wreath made from evergreen twigs and decorated with ribbons and four candles. On each of the four Sundays in Advent, a candle is lit and a carol or two might be sung!

Most towns will have a 'Christkindlmarkt' (Christmas market) from late November or early December, selling Christmas decorations, food (like gingerbread) and Glühwein (sweet, warm mulled wine). Cities like Vienna, Innsbruck and Salzburg have huge markets and people from all over the world visit them.

Every town will also have a large Christmas Tree in the town square. In homes, trees are decorated with gold and silver ornaments and stars made from straw.

Christmas in Austria really starts around 4.00pm on Christmas Eve ('Heilige Abend') when the tree is lit for the first time and people come to sing carols around the tree. The most famous carol is Silent Night ('Stille Nacht'), which was written in Austria in 1818.

The national pop radio station Ö3 has special Christmas 'jingles' and plays Christmas music from 4.00pm on 'Heilige Abend'. It's used by many people as the 'soundtrack' to the start of Christmas. This is the version of 'Stille Nacht' played on Ö3 in 2007: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J22A1vs4K7o

Traditionally the Christmas tree is brought in and decorated on Christmas Eve. Decorations include candles (now often electric) and sparklers. For children other important decorations are sweets, such as small liqueur-filled chocolate bottles, chocolates of various kinds, jelly rings and 'Windbäckerei' (meringue, usually in the form of rings, stars, etc.).

Some children believe that the 'Christkind' decorates the tree. The Christkind also brings presents to children on Christmas Eve and leaves them under the tree. (The Christkind is described as a golden-haired baby, with wings, who symbolizes the new born Christ.)

Some children might also get a present from St Nicholas on December 6th. In Austria, St Nicholas is often accompanied by the Krampus, He a big horned monster clothed in rags and carries chains. He's meant to punish children who have been bad!

The main Christmas meal is also eaten on Christmas Eve. It's often 'Gebackener Karpfen' (fried carp) as the main course; this is because Christmas Eve was considered a 'fasting' day by many Catholics and no meat could be eaten. However 'Weihnachtsgans' (roast goose) and roast turkey are becoming more popular. Dessert can be chocolate and apricot cake 'Sachertorte' and Austrian Christmas cookies 'Weihnachtsbaeckerei' like 'Lebkuchen' (honey gingerbread) and 'Vanillekipferl' (almond cookies made in the shape of a horse shoe).

Some 'really cool' people, or those who live in the mountains, might go skiing on Christmas Day. Skiing on New Year's Day is also popular.

The Neujahrskonzert in 2017. Photo by Helenenthal, via Wikimedia Commons

Every year, Austria's capital city, Vienna, holds a world famous classical music concert 'NeuJahrsKonzert' which takes place during the morning of New Year's day. It's held in the 'Großer Saal' (large hall) of the Musikverein, the concert hall of the Viennese Music Association. The concert is played by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and always features music from the Strauss family: Johann Strauss I, Johann Strauss II, Josef Strauss and Eduard Strauss. It is famous for its waltz music. During the last piece played, The Blue Danube, the introduction is interrupted by applause from the audience and the musicians then wish them a Happy New Year! The concert is shown around the world on TV.

For Epiphany, 6th January, many people will put a special sign in chalk over their front door. It's a reminder of the Wise Men that visited the baby Jesus. It's made from the year split in two with initials for 'Christus mansionem benedicat' which is 'May Christ bless the house' in latin. So 2019 would be: 20*C*M*B*19. The sign is meant to protect the house for the coming year. (Some people say the 'C M B' can also represent the names that are sometimes given to 'the three wise men', Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar, in the middle.) As in parts of Germany, the sign is traditionally written on the door by the Sternsinger (or star singers), carol singing children who dress up like the Wise men; and one who carries a star on a stick as a symbol for the Star of Bethlehem.

Another famous event that happens over the new year in Austria and Germany is the Ski Jumping 'Four Hills Tournament' ('Vierschanzentournee'). It starts in Germany with Oberstdorf (Germany) on the 29th or 30th December and Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany) on New Year's Day; and continues in Austria with Innsbruck (Austria) on 3rd or 4th of January and Bischofshofen (Austria) on the 6th January. I'm a big Ski Jumping fan, so I watch it (and I support the Austrians)!

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Christmas in Austria on whychristmas?com

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Austria shares many Christmas traditions with its neighbor Germany, but also has many special Christmas customs of its own. During Advent, many families will have an Advent Wreath made from evergreen twigs and decorated with ribbons and four candles. On each of the four Sundays in Advent, a candle is lit and a carol or two might be sung!

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December 25th is a public holiday for Christmas in Bangladesh even though only about 0.3% of the population, of about 170 million people, are Christians! (Over 85% of people in Bangladesh are Muslims.)

Christmas is known as 'Borodin' (or 'Bara din') which means 'the big day' in Bengali. Happy/Merry Christmas in Bengali is shubho [or shuvo] bôṛodin (শুভ বড়দিন). Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

In big towns and cities, shops and hotels will have 'western' style Christmas decorations like fake snow and artificial Christmas Trees with lots of lights. Having a Christmas tree in your home is also becoming more popular, especially among Christians. More people are also exchanging Christmas cards.

Christians who live in big towns and cities often try and go home to their villages to spend Christmas with their families.

Catholic Christians will go to a Midnight Mass service. Christmas morning church services are also popular with Christians. A way of decorating buildings for different festive occasions in Bangladesh are 'Nishan' (which means small flag). These are strings made of hundreds of small pink paper triangles.

Traditionally in Bengali churches, the men it on one side of the church and women sit on the other. Popular Christmas songs include 'Aaj Shuvo Borodin bhai, aaj Shuvo Borodin' which means 'Today is Happy Borodin, friend/brother, today is Happy Borodin'.

Another type of traditional song from Bangladesh which is also sung at Christmas, in churches and homes, are 'kirtan'. In Bengali Christian culture, the kirtan is performed with a singer who leads the song and everyone else follows them. The songs starts off slowly but gets faster and faster! The song is done with people in a circle - the leader stands in the middle. So when it starts you walk slowly around the circle but by the end you're dancing/running around! The leaders also sometimes dance in and out of the circle as it gets faster. Kirtans are also done in villages from house to house - very exciting carol singing!

Following church services, especially in rural areas, it's traditional that everyone has Christmas dinner together at the church. This is called the 'Preeti-bhoj' or 'Prem-bhoj' which means 'love feast'. The meal often includes dishes like chicken and vegetable curries served with rice and vegetables.

Other special Christmas foods are 'pitha' (sweet rice cakes made of rice flour, milk, coconut and molasses) and 'payesh' (rice pudding). Different areas have their own recipes for versions of pitha.

Pitha By omarshehab, via Wikimedia Commons

Western Christmas Cake has becoming popular over the last 30 years, especially in urban areas.

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Christmas in Bangladesh on whychristmas?com

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December 25th is a public holiday for Christmas in Bangladesh even though only about 0.3% of the population, of about 170 million people, are Christians! (Over 85% of people in Bangladesh are Muslims.) Christmas is known as 'Borodin' (or 'Bara din') which means 'the big day' in Bengali.

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In Belarus the time over Christmas and New Year is called 'Kaliady' (this means calendar in Latin and the name comes from the old pre-christian pagan winter solstice celebrations). Kaliady starts and ends with two Christmases and has the New Year celebrations in the middle! It starts on December 25th when Catholics and Protestants in Belarus celebrate Christmas; the big New Year's Eve celebrations are in the middle; and it ends on January 7th when Christmas is celebrated in the Orthodox church (most people in Belarus celebrate Christmas using the Orthodox date).

During the time that Belarus was part of the Soviet Union, Kaliady and Christmas was not celebrated very much, if at all. New Year was made into the important celebration. But now Christmas celebrations are coming back, although New Year is still the bigger holiday.

Kaliady is also the name for an old pre-soviet tradition where people would dress up and go around their neighbors singing songs - like carol singing. This is still done in some rural villages but isn't common anymore.

Many of the 'traditions' that most people associate with Christmas are now linked to the New Year celebrations. There are New Year Trees (sometimes called holiday trees), and gifts are often put under the tree and are exchanged/opened on New Year's Eve.

Father Frost and Snegurochka [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

New Year is also when 'Father Frost' (known in Belarus as Dzied Maroz/Ded Moroz or Дзед Мароз) brings presents to children. He is often accompanied by his Grandaughter (Snegurochka). Some children might also have a visit from Sviaty Mikalaj (Святы Мікалай) - St Nicholas.

New Year and Christmas lights are put in towns and cities throughout Belarus.

It's traditional to have three important meals during Kaliady, which are known as 'Kućcia' (or 'Kutia' or 'Kutsia') meals; this is what Orthodox Christmas Eve is called and is also the name of a porridge which is eaten at the Christmas Eve meal. The first meal is known as the 'fasting' or 'Lent' Kućcia and the last meal is the 'Hungry' Kućcia. They are meant to be very simple with no meat or fat in them. There are normally 12 dishes at the Orthodox Christmas Eve Kućcia to represent Jesus's 12 disciples. As well as Kućcia porridge the other dishes will items like pancakes, fish and mushrooms; as well as kisel (a dessert made of oatmeal fruit, berries and potato starch sometimes served with milk). Sometimes straw is put under the tablecloth to help people remember that Jesus was placed in a manger as a baby (this is also done in neighbouring countries like Poland and Russia).

The middle Kućcia, eaten on New Year's Eve and called the 'great' Kućcia, is a big feast. Some people will only have the main Kućcia on New Year's Eve! One vital dish is 'Olivje' or 'Olivier' salad; it made from potatoes, eggs, green peas, pickles, mayonnaise and ham. Other salads like 'Shuba' (diced pickled herring with layers of grated vegetables, chopped onions and mayonnaise) are also popular. Tinned peas are very important and feature in many of the great Kućcia dishes! Mandarin oranges are also normally eaten during New Year's Eve.

There are several 'traditional' film shown on TV on New Year's Eve. One of these films is 'S Legkim Parom' (The Irony of Fate or also sometimes called 'Enjoy your Bath' or 'With a Light Steam') was made in 1975 during the Soviet era and was always shown on Soviet TV on New Year's Eve. It's a romantic comedy about a man who drinks too much and gets very lost after having a sauna with some of his friends.

At about 11.50pm, there is a short speech by the Belarusian President shown on the TV before the New Year arrives at 12am with lots of fireworks! (Some people, who can also get Russian TV, might watch the New Year arrive in Moscow at 11pm Belarus time as Moscow is in a different time zone.)

Catholic and Protestant Christians might go to a Midnight Mass service on the 24th December and/or a Christmas Day service on the 25th December. For Orthodox Christians the main Christmas service normally starts at midnight on the 6th/7th January following the hungry Kućcia and the night time service can last for several hours! Then Christmas Day, on the 7th January, is a public holiday where people visit family and friends.

In Belarusian, Merry Christmas is 'Z Kaljadami' (З Калядамі) and Happy New Year is 'Z Novym godam' (З Новым годам).

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Christmas in Belarus on whychristmas?com

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In Belarus the time over Christmas and New Year is called 'Kaliady' (this means calendar in Latin and the name comes from the old pre-christian pagan winter solstice celebrations). Kaliady starts and ends with two Christmases and has the New Year celebrations in the middle!

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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 (Black Peter, Sinterklass's assistant). Then in the night, Sinterklaas arrives on the roof on his horse with Zwarte Piet. Zwarte 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, Zwarte Piet will put you in his sack and take you back to Spain! Traditional foods that are left for Sinterklaas include tangerines, gingerbread, chocolate and 'mokjes' (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.

The visit of Sinkerlass is a separate occasion than Christmas. Christmas is a more religious festival.

In Belgium there are three official languages, Dutch (a Belgium version of Dutch is known as Flemish, this is mainly spoken in the northern area of Belgium called Flanders), French (mainly spoken in the southern Walloon Region) and German (spoken by about 1% of Belgiums in the east of the country).

In Belgium Dutch/Flemish Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Vrolijk Kerstfeest', French it's 'Joyeux Noël', in German it's 'Frohe Weihnachten' and in the Walloon language (spoken by some people in the Walloon Region) it's 'djoyeus Noyé'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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 sea-food, 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.

Some people celebrate Advent and have Advent Wreaths/Crowns made from fir or leylandii greenery. The wreaths have four candles and a candle is lit each week counting down to Christmas. These are very popular in Elementary/Primary Schools where an Advent song is sung when the candles are lit. Lots of children also have paper Advent Calendars with chocolate behind the doors for each day!

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.

At Christmas parties at schools, it's common to buy a small gift which can be for anyone. A game is played to give out the presents. A very popular one is putting on some music and passing the parcel around everyone sitting in a circle. When the music stops, the one who holds the parcel, gets to keep the present. That's why the present should be something that anyone would like!

Most people will have a Christmas Tree (real or fake!) decorated with lights, baubles, garlands and a star on the top.

Next to the tree, many people will have a nativity scene. Some people even have a life-size one in their gardens! In most villages, there are big 'real' scenes next to the church with real animals (donkey, sheep, ox) and non-stop choir music playing. Some people also decorate the outside of their house with lights, or reindeer, or a Santa climbing up the roof (that's very popular).

On Christmas Eve, people normally celebrate with their close family and keep it small and cosy. The main meal is eaten on Christmas Eve. You might start the evening with small things like crisps, mini-pizzas, etc., or have a starter like soup. For the main course popular dishes include game or seafood, but turkey or chicken are also popular. But whatever you have, there's always some potato croquettes! Ice-cream cake is a very popular dessert.

Small family Christmas presents are also given at Christmas too, where they are put under the tree. They are opened on Christmas Eve. People also like to listen to Christmas music on the radio. Some people also go a Midnight Mass service

The traditional Christmas breakfast is the same as the normal Sunday breakfast eaten throughout the year. This is freshly baked crusty rolls (bakeries do their best trade on Sundays in the Flanders region) with butter & cold meats and/or jam, followed by pastries (like Danish pastries) called "koffiekoek(en)" (meaning coffee cake(s) as they are normal eaten with a cup of coffee!). In Walloon districts (the south of Belgium), a special sweet bread called 'cougnou' or 'cougnolle' made in a shape that is supposed to be like baby Jesus is eaten for Christmas breakfast.

On Christmas day itself people visit friends or distant relatives.

Movies like Home Alone! and Disney films are always shown on the TV as is the Phantom of the Opera.

New Year's Eve and New Year are also very big holidays in Belgium. Many families eat another large meal together and sometimes have even more presents! At midnight people countdown to the new year and give everybody 3 kisses and wish them the best for the coming year. Having fireworks is also a very popular way to mark the new year. Some people have parties that last until the next morning!

On New Year's Day, people often visit friends and family. Children (up to about the age of 12) also read their 'New Years letters' for their Mother/Godmother. The letters are written at school and are done in your best handwriting and put in beautiful envelopes.

On the 6th of January, people celebrate Epiphany and the three wise men. Children dress up as the three wise men and go from door to door to sing songs and people give them money or sweets, kind of like Trick or Treating on Halloween. One of the songs goes:

3 koningen, 3 koningen
Geef mij een nieuwe hoed
Mijnen oude is versleten
Mijn moeder mag het niet weten
Mijn vader heeft het geld
Op de rooster geteld!

(3 wise men,
give me a new hat,
my old one is worn,
my mother cannot know,
my father has counted the money
on the grid!)

There is also a tradition that people make a 'Three Wise Men Pie' or bread called the 'galette des rois' which is decorated with a gold paper crown on the top. A 'fève' (bean) would be hidden in the pie or bread (now it's often a small plastic figure, although some bakers advertise that 'gold' has been baked in the cake!). Whoever finds the fève would be the king or queen for the day and wears the crown!

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Christmas in Belgium on whychristmas?com

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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 (Black Peter, Sinterklass's assistant).

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In Bolivia, Christmas is celebrated from Christmas Eve until Epiphany (6th January).

Most of the population of Bolivia is Catholic and many people go to a Midnight Mass service on Christmas Eve called the 'Misa de Gallo' (Mass of the rooster). At Midnight people like to let off fire-crackers!

Families often eat the main Christmas meal after the Misa de Gallo. The traditional meal is 'picana', a stew/soup made from chicken, beef (or lamb) and pork which is served with potatoes and corn. There might also be salads, roast pork (lechón) or roast beef, and lots of tropical fruit.

After the meal families might exchange presents, although present giving isn't very common.

Some people exchange presents at Epiphany, remembering the Wise Men who brought presents to Jesus. Children also might get a set of new clothes at New Years.

Nativity Scenes ('pesebre' meaning 'stable' or 'nacimientos' meaning 'nativity scenes') are quite common Christmas decorations in Bolivia. Churches often have large scenes outside them. The baby Jesus is put in the manger after the Misa de Gallo.

Christmas Trees are becoming more popular although often only in large towns and cities.

For many poor people and often in rural areas, Christmas isn't widely celebrated and it's just a normal working day.

In Bolivia workers get double or three times the normal salary in December! This is called 'El Aguinaldo' and is a government law and has to be paid for by the employers. Many workplaces also give a 'Canastón de fin de Año' or 'End of the year basket' to their employees. It's a large basket or container full of things like grocery items, a bottle of cidra (non alcoholic sparkling cider) and a panetón (sweet fruit bread).

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Christmas in Bolivia on whychristmas?com

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In Bolivia, Christmas is celebrated from Christmas Eve until Epiphany (6th January). Most of the population of Bolivia is Catholic and many people go to a Midnight Mass service on Christmas Eve called the 'Misa de Gallo' (Mass of the rooster). At Midnight people like to let off fire-crackers!

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Many Brazilian Christmas traditions come from Portugal as Portugal ruled Brazil for many years. Nativity Scenes, known as Presépio are very popular. They are set-up in churches and homes all through December.

Christmas plays called 'Os Pastores' (The Shepherds), like the plays in Mexico, are also popular. In the Brazilian versions of the play, there's also traditionally a shepherdess and also a woman who tries to steal the baby Jesus!

Most people, especially Catholics, will go to a Midnight Mass service or Missa do Galo (Mass of the Roster). The mass normally finishes about 1.00am. On Christmas day, people might go to church again, but this time the services are often in the afternoon.

After the Missa do Gallo there are often big firework displays and in big towns and cities there are big Christmas Tree shaped displays of electric lights.

In Brazil, Santa Claus is called Papai Noel & Bom Velhinho (Good Old Man).

Many Christmas customs are similar to ones in the USA or UK even though it's summer and very hot at Christmas time in Brazil. Many people like to go to the beach.

Sometimes children leave a sock near a window. If Papai Noel finds your sock, he'll exchange it for a present!

Taking part in a ' Secret Santa', known as 'amigo secreto' (secret friend) is popular in Brazil at Christmas. It is traditional to give small gifts all through December using a pretend name (apelidos). On Christmas Day, people reveal who their amigo secreto was!

The most popular Christmas song in Brazil is 'Noite Feliz' (Silent Night).

It's common in Brazil to get a '13th salary' at the end of the year - i.e. in December you get twice the normal amount of pay for that month! The idea is to help boost the economy around Christmas. This has been going on for decades and most people don't even question that other countries might not do it!

Favourite Christmas foods in Brazil include pork, turkey, ham, salads and fresh and dried fruits. Everything is served with rice cooked with raisins and a good spoon of "farofa" (seasoned manioc flour.) Popular Christmas desserts include tropical and ice cream.

Brazils population is a mix of many different cultures and people that originally came from different countries, so you may have Italian Panettone in São Paulo, Portuguese salted Cod in Rio de Janeiro and some African style food in the states of North-East Brazil.

The meal is normally be served around 10pm on Christmas Eve and exactly at Midnight people greet each other, make a toast wishing everyone a Happy Christmas and after that they will exchange presents. The lunch on Christmas day is also special and after that some people go to relatives and friends houses to visit.

Epiphany, when people remember the Wise Men visiting Jesus, is widely celebrated in Brazil.

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Many Brazilian Christmas traditions come from Portugal as Portugal ruled Brazil for many years. Nativity Scenes, known as Presépio are very popular. They are set-up in churches and homes all through December. Christmas plays called 'Os Pastores' (The Shepherds), like the plays in Mexico, are also popular.

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In Bulgaria, Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. Many countries in Eastern Europe celebrate Christmas on January 7th as most Orthodox Churches use the old Julian Calendar, but the Bulgarian Orthodox Church uses the Gregorian calendar, so Christmas in on the 25th December.

For many Bulgarians, the preparations for Christmas start with Advent which lasts 40 days in the Orthodox Church and starts on November 15th.

One legend in Bulgaria is that Mary started her labor on 'Ignazhden', December 20th (Saint Ignatius of Antioch's Day) and she gave birth on Christmas Eve but the birth of Jesus wasn't announced until Christmas Day. The 20th is also the traditional 'new year' in Bulgarian culture. It's traditional to eat a special ring shaped caked called 'kolaks' on this day.

Christmas Eve (called 'Budni Vecher') is a very important day and the main Christmas meal is eaten in the evening of Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve Meal from Bulgaria

The meal should traditionally have an odd number of dishes in it (normally 7, 9 or 11) and an odd number of people sitting around the table. (Salt, pepper and sugar can count as separate dishes!)

Straw is often put under the tablecloth and you might even bring a wooden plough into the house and put it behind the door! These are meant to help you have good crops during the next year.

There's a special round and decorated loaf of bread called 'pita' which has a coin baked in it. If you find the good you're meant to have good luck for the next year! The bread is normally cut by the oldest person at the meal and they hand it around the table.

It's normally a rich vegan meal and includes dishes made of different such as beans soup, 'sarmi' cabbage leaves stuffed with rice, peppers stuffed with rice, boiled wheat with sugar and walnuts, different kinds of pastries, some kolaks, lots of fruits and nuts like dried plums, dried apricots, oranges and tangerines and 'oshav' a dried fruit compote. But it's only after midnight that dishes with non vegan incredients are served and eaten! These will include foods like 'banitsa' (a pastry filled with yogurt and feta cheese) and 'baklava' (a dessert made of filo pastry that's filled with chopped nuts and soaked with syrup or honey).

Walnuts are especially popular. If your walnut is delicious you will have a good year, but if it's empty or has a small nut you'll have a bad year!

It's traditional that the table is left with all the food on it until the morning of Christmas Day. Some people think their ancestors might like something to eat during the night!

On Christmas Day some families will have another big meal, but this time there will be meat, normally some kind of pork.

Following the Christmas Eve meal some people will go to a Midnight Mass service. You might also hear Koledari (carol singers) which are normally young men who go carol singing dressed in traditional clothing. The singing can only start after midnight. The singers often go round singing all night, so the sun never catches them! When they reach a house they sing 'the house song' praising and wishing the house well. Having the Koledari visit your home is meant to be good luck. The songs are often in two parts with half of the singers singing the song and then the other half repeating it back. After the singing, the head of the house will give the Koledari food to thank them for singing. The special foods include 'Koledni gevreci' (round buns) and 'banitsa' (a layered pastry filled with cheese).

Christmas Trees now popular in Bulgaria and towns are decorated with Christmas lights. Some people will still have a traditional Yule Log (normally from an oak, elm or pear tree) known as a 'badnik' or 'budnik' which is brought into the house on Christmas Eve.

Santa is known as 'Dyado Koleda' (Дядо Коледа) which means Grandfather Christmas.

In Bulgarian Merry Christmas is 'Vesela Koleda'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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Christmas in Bulgaria on whychristmas?com

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In Bulgaria, Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. Many countries in Eastern Europe celebrate Christmas on January 7th as most Orthodox Churches use the old Julian Calendar, but the Bulgarian Orthodox Church uses the Gregorian calendar, so Christmas in on the 25th December.

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Canada is a very large country and people of many different cultural backgrounds live there. Because of this, there are lots of different Christmas traditions in Canada. Many of the traditions and celebrations come from French, English, Irish, Scottish, German, Norwegian, Ukrainian and native/first nation influences.

People in Canada send Christmas Cards to their friends and family.

Many Canadians open their gifts on Christmas Eve. Some only open their stocking on Christmas Eve. Others choose one gift to open, then save the rest until Christmas Day.

Canadians like to decorate their houses with Christmas Trees, lights and other decorations. There's often Christmas stockings hung by the fireplace, ready for Santa!

The main Christmas meal is often roast turkey with vegetables and 'all the trimmings' like mashed potatoes and vegetables. Traditional favorite Christmas desserts include Christmas/plum puddings and mincemeat tarts. Christmas crackers are popular with many people in Canada as well. A rich fruit Christmas Cake is also normally eaten around Christmas time!

However, people from different backgrounds and cultures have their own favorite foods at Christmas.

Going skiing, skating and tobogganing are also popular if there's snow at Christmas!

Canadian children also believe in Santa Claus. Canadians are especially proud to say that their country is the home of Santa Claus. (Although I'm sure the people in Finland would disagree!)

The Santa Claus Parade in Toronto is one of the oldest and largest Santa parades in the world! It started in 1913 when Santa was pulled through the streets of Toronto. Children along the route followed Santa and marched along with him. It's been taking place for over 100 years and now is a huge event with over 25 animated floats and 2000 people taking part! It's broadcast on TV around the world.

'Sinck Tuck' is a festival started by the Inuit that is celebrated in some provinces of Canada. This celebration consists of dancing and gift exchanging.

The Eastern Canadian province of Nova Scotia is known all over the world for its fir and pine Christmas Trees, so most families in Canada have a fir or pine Christmas Tree. One Canadian tradition is to send the biggest, best fir tree (grown in Nova Scotia) to Boston, USA because of the assistance given during the disaster, known worldwide, as the Halifax Explosion. This tradition has carried on for many years. Bostonians always love and appreciate the Nova Scotian Christmas Tree. They place this tree in the city and then light it during a ceremony to begin the Christmas season.

Mummering is a tradition which mainly takes place in the province of Newfoundland, more commonly in small towns and villages rather than large towns and cities. It's also sometimes called 'Jannying'. People dress up in costumes and knock on someone's door and say in a disguised voice, "Are there any Mummers in the night?" or "Any mummers 'loud in?'", meaning 'are mummers allowed in the house?' Then they sing and dance and have Christmas cake and a cup of something nice before moving on to the next house. In some places, if the host does not guess who the Mummers are, the host must join the Mummers in their merry-making. Going Mummering is a fun Christmas season activity for adults. Mummers usually come out between December 26th and January 6th (The 12 Days of Christmas). However, some come out only before Christmas Day. In some places Mummering is now banned because people used it as an excuse for begging. You can find out more about the history of Mummering in Newfoundland on the Live Rural Newfoundland and Labrador blog (goes to another site).

On the south shore of Nova Scotia, over Christmas, there's the tradition of Belsnickeling where people dress up in funny Santa costumes and go from house to house until the home owners guess who you were. It was especially popular in West & East Green Harbour. The Belsnicklers often brought musical instruments and sang. They were served Christmas cake or cookies. This tradition was brought to Nova Scotia by the 1751 Germans immigrants who settled Lunenburg and South shore.

In northern Canada, some people plan a Taffy Pull. This is held in honour of Saint Catherine, the patron saint of single women. This party provides an opportunity for single women to meet eligible single men!

Labrador City in Newfoundland holds a Christmas Light-up Contest each year. People dress the outside of their houses up with lights and often have big ice sculptures in their front gardens! They have no trouble finding enough snow or ice, because Labrador City has about 12-14 Feet of snow every year!

Many Canadian families have cookie-baking parties. They bring a recipe for Christmas cookies, bake them and then exchange them with the members of their family. Gingerbread people and houses are favorites, along with cheese straws. At the end of the party, each family goes home with a variety of different cookies to enjoy over the Christmas season.

Many families of French descent have a huge feast/party on Christmas Eve called a 'Réveillon' that lasts well into the early hours of Christmas morning after taking part in Christmas Eve Mass. When people are at Midnight Mass, they hope that 'Père Noel' (Santa) will visit their house and leave gifts for children under the tree. The traditional Christmas meal for people in Quebec, is a stew called 'ragoût aux pattes de cochons' which is made from pigs feet! However, many people now have a 'Tourtière', a meat pie made from venison (or pork or beef).

A popular cake, especially in Quebec and for those of French decent is the Bûche de Noël - a chocolate log.

At the end of the Christmas season on Epiphany (Épiphanie in French), January 6th, people in the province of Quebec have a celebration called 'La Fêtes des Rois'. They bake a cake and place a bean in the middle. Whoever is the lucky discoverer of the bean, gets to be the king or queen, according to tradition. This is similar to a tradition in Spain.

In Southwestern Nova Scotia, many families eat lobster, a shellfish caught off the shores of Nova Scotia in the North Atlantic Ocean, on Christmas Eve.

In the 'Maritimes' (the Eastern Canadian Provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island) at Christmas sweets called Barley Candy and Chicken Bones are very popular. They are made by local candy companies. Barley Candies are usually made on a stick (a bit like a lollipop) and are shaped like Santa, reindeer, snowmen, a Christmas tree and other symbols of Christmas. Chicken Bones are pink candy that tastes like cinnamon with a chocolate filling. You melt them in your mouth and once melted, the chocolate comes out!.

There is a large Ukrainian community in Canada (the third largest in the world following Ukraine and Russia). Canadian Ukrainian families will have the traditional 12 meal dishes for Christmas.

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Canada is a very large country and people of many different cultural backgrounds live there. Because of this, there are lots of different Christmas traditions in Canada. Many of the traditions and celebrations come from French, English, Irish, Scottish, German, Norwegian, Ukrainian and native/first nation influences.

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Christmas in Chile is very warm as it's in the middle of summer! However, it shares many of the same Christmas customs as the USA.

People like to decorate their houses with Christmas Trees and lights. Having Christmas lights is a fairly recent development with more people being able to afford them. Sometimes neighbors compete to see who can have the best and most lights!

Nativity Scenes are also an important decoration. They have little clay figures (called 'pesebre') in them.

Many Catholics in Chile celebrate Advent and also go to special church services for nine days before Christmas. These services are known as a Novena.

Christmas Eve is the most important day over Christmas. Families and friends gather together for a big meal in the evening, eaten about 9pm or 10pm. Many people like to have 'asado' (barbecue) and chicken, turkey and pork. The Chilean Christmas Cake is 'Pan de Pascua' which is quite like Panettone.

A popular Christmas drink is 'Cola de Mono' (or monkey's tail) which is made from coffee, milk, liquor, cinnamon and sugar.

After the meal, some people like to go to a church service.

At midnight everyone opens their presents! Children sometimes go round each others houses with their new toys - even in the middle of the night!

In Chile, Santa is called 'Viejito Pascuero' (Old Man Christmas) or sometimes 'Papa Noel' (Father Christmas).

Christmas Day is a more relaxed day which is spent with family and friends. If you live near the coast, many people will go to the beach.

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Christmas in Chile is very warm as it's in the middle of summer! However, it shares many of the same Christmas customs as the USA. People like to decorate their houses with Christmas Trees and lights. Having Christmas lights is a fairly recent development with more people being able to afford them.

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In China, only about one percent of people are Christians, so most people only know a few things about Christmas. Because of this, Christmas is only often celebrated in major cities. In these big cities there are Christmas Trees, lights and other decorations on the streets and in department stores. Santa Claus is called 'Shengdan Laoren' (old Christmas Man) and has grottos in shops like in Europe and America. The post men might dress up as Santa when delivering letters before Christmas!

More young people are celebrating Christmas in cities where Christmas parties are becoming popular and it's also a time where young couples will be gifts for each other, a bit like Valentine's day.

In Chinese Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Sheng Dan Kuai Le or 圣诞快乐' in Mandarin and 'Seng Dan Fai Lok or 聖誕快樂' in Cantonese. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

In China, Santa is known as 'Sheng dan lao ren' (Traditional: 聖誕老人, Simplified: 圣诞老人; means Old Christmas Man).

Only a few people have a Christmas Tree. If people do have a tree it is normally a plastic one and might be decorated with paper chains, paper flowers, and paper lanterns (they might also call it a tree of light). The Christmas Trees that most people would see would be in shopping malls.

The strange thing is that most of the world's plastic Christmas Trees and Christmas decorations are made in China, but the people making them might not have decorations like them in their own homes at Christmas!

A tradition that's becoming popular, on Christmas Eve, is giving apples. Many stores have apples wrapped up in colored paper for sale. People give apples on Christmas Eve because in Chinese Christmas Eve is called "Ping'an Ye" (平安夜), meaning peaceful or quiet evening, which has been translated from the carol ' Silent Night'. The word for apple in Mandarin is "píngguǒ" (苹果) which sounds like the word for peace.

Some people go Carol singing, although not many people understand them or know about the Christmas Story. Jingle Bells is a popular Christmas song in China!

People who are Christians in China go to special services. Going to Midnight Mass services has become very popular.

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In China, only about one percent of people are Christians, so most people only know a few things about Christmas. Because of this, Christmas is only often celebrated in major cities. In these big cities there are Christmas Trees, lights and other decorations on the streets and in department stores.

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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.

Bogota - Christmas decorations, via Wikimedia Commons

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.

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!

On the 28th December people celebrate Innocents Day, which is like April Fools Day, with lots of jokes and fun. TV stations often show bloopers and funny mistakes people have made in the previous year.

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Christmas in Colombia on whychristmas?com

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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'.

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Christmas in Costa Rica comes at the end of the school year and the start of the holidays - so people really look forward to getting to the beach!

People like to decorate their houses with beautiful tropical flowers. A model of the nativity scene, called the Pasito or Portal, is the center of the display. It's also decorated with flowers and sometimes fruit. Some of the scenes take a long time to make and all the family is involved. As well as the traditional figures, people add other models including houses and lots of different sorts of animals.

Christmas wreaths are made of cypress branches and are decorated with red coffee berries and ribbons. Most homes, shops and important buildings are decorated with Christmas lights.

In Costa Rica, the gift bringer is often 'Niño dios' (Child God, meaning Jesus) or 'Colacho' (another name for St. Nicholas).

Apples are popular in the run up to Christmas with apple stands appearing at the sides of the road.

On Christmas Eve, everyone puts on their best clothes and goes to Midnight Mass. In Costa Rica it's called the 'Misa de Gallo' (Mass of the Rooster); it's also called that in Spain.

After Midnight Mass the main Christmas meal is eaten. It normal includes chicken and pork tamales that have been wrapped for cooking in plantain leaves. To drink there's lots of egg nog and rum punch!

During December and into January, there are lots of fiestas, parades, rodeos, street parties, bull runs and choral and dance festivals. On 26th December ( Boxing Day) there is an important horseback parade called the Tope. The next on the next day (27th), many towns and cities have 'Carnaval' with a big parade featuring dancing and big floats.

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Christmas in Costa Rica on whychristmas?com

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Christmas in Costa Rica comes at the end of the school year and the start of the holidays - so people really look forward to getting to the beach! People like to decorate their houses with beautiful tropical flowers. A model of the nativity scene, called the Pasito or Portal, is the center of the display.

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In Croatia, preparations for Christmas start on 25th November which is St Catherine's day. People also celebrate Advent. Over 85% of people in Croatia are Catholics so Advent is an important time for them.

It's traditional to have an Advent wreath made of straw or evergreen twigs which has four candles. The wreath symbolizes endlessness and the four candles symbolize different parts of history and life:

First Candle (purple): creation - hope;

Second Candle (purple): embodiment - peace;

Third Candle (pink): redemption - joy;

Fourth Candle (purple): ending - love;

A fifth candle is sometimes added in the center which is lit on Christmas Day! You can buy wreaths, but many people like to make them. People also often have a paper Advent Calendar.

As well as St Catherine's day, other saints days are celebrated in Advent in Croatia. On the 4th December it's St Barbara's Day; on the 6th December it's St Nicholas's Day and on 13th December it's St Lucia's/Lucy's day.

On St Nicholas's Eve (5th), children clean their shoes/boots and leave them in the window. They hope that St Nicholas will leave them chocolates and small presents in their boot. If children have been naughty, Krampus (a big monster with horns who sometimes travels with St Nicholas!) leaves them golden twigs to remind them to behave.

On St Lucia's Day people often sow wheat onto small plates. The grassy sprouts that grow (called Christmas wheat) are put underneath the Christmas Tree on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Trees are very popular and are normally decorated on Christmas Eve but some people put them up and decorate them on St Nicholas's Day. In Croatia they're traditionally decorated with ornaments in the shapes of fruits. They used to be real fruits or persevered candied fruits that were sometimes covered in gold!

There's an old Croatian tradition that young men gave their girlfriends a decorated apple at Christmas.

In rural parts of the country, it is still customary to bring straw into the house on Christmas Eve as a symbol of future good crops. A yule log called a 'badnjak' (also the word for Christmas Eve) was traditionally brought into the house and lit on Christmas Eve. But not many people have fireplaces these days!

Presents are normally exchanged on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Many people like to go to a Midnight Mass service.

In Croatian Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Sretan Božić'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are mostly celebrated with close family. On Boxing day friends and extended family visit each other.

On Christmas Eve, most people eat dried-cod called 'bakalar' or some other kind of fish as it's considered as meat fast (so you can't eat meat).

The main Christmas Day is often turkey, goose or duck. A popular side dish is sarma (cabbage rolls filled with minced pork meat).

There's also always lots of small cookies and cakes to eat with donuts being very popular! There's 'Krafne' which are filled with jam, jelly, marmalade or chocolate and also 'fritule' which are flavored with lemon and rum.

The Christmas celebrations finish on Epiphany (6th January).

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Christmas in Croatia on whychristmas?com

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In Croatia, preparations for Christmas start on 25th November which is St Catherine's day. People also celebrate Advent. Over 85% of people in Croatia are Catholics so Advent is an important time for them. It's traditional to have an Advent wreath made of straw or evergreen twigs which has four candles.

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Christmas in the Czech Republic on whychristmas?com

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How Christmas is celebrated in the Czech Republic and lots of other countries around the world.

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Christmas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is more of a religious festival rather than being commercial. Most people won't have any presents.

Christmas Eve is very important with Churches having big musical evenings (many churches have at least 5 or 6 choirs) and a nativity play. These plays last a very long time. They start at the beginning of the evening with the creation and the Garden of Eden and end with the story of King Herod killing the baby boys.

People taking part in the play really like to show off their 'best' acting skills and tend to go over the top and 'ham it up'! King Herod and the soldiers are often figures of fun (like pantomime 'baddies') and Mary is often well advanced in labor before she arrives!

The birth of Jesus is timed to happen as close to midnight as possible and after that come the shepherds, the wise men and the slaughter of the innocents. This means the play normally finishes about 1am. However, in some places there will be further singing until dawn! The Christmas day service then starts at 9am with lots more singing.

On Christmas day, most families try to have a better meal than usual. If they can afford it, they will have some meat (normally chicken or pork). The rest of the day is spent quite quietly, maybe sleeping after a busy and late night on Christmas Eve!

People go back to work on the 26th (Boxing Day).

In the Lingala language, which is spoken in the DRC and some other African countries, Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Mbotama Malamu'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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christmas in democratic republic of the congo

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Christmas in Democratic Republic of the Congo on whychristmas?com

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Christmas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is more of a religious festival rather than being commercial. Most people won't have any presents. Christmas Eve is very important with Churches having big musical evenings (many churches have at least 5 or 6 choirs) and a nativity play.

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Some people in Denmark give and receive extra Advent presents on the four Sundays of Advent.

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 candles. 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 follow a similar storyline, with someone trying to ruin Christmas and the main characters saving Christmas!

As well as the TV series, both DR and TV2 produce paper advent calendars to go along with the stories! DR is the oldest TV channel in Denmark and it's paper calendar is called Børnenes U-landskalender (Children's U-Country Calendar) (goes to another site). It's been making the calendars for over 50 years and profits from the sale of the calendar go to help poor children in a developing country. The calendar made by TV2 is called julekalender and profits from that calendar go to help Julemærkefonden, a children's charity in Denmark.

You can also support Julemærkefonden when you send Christmas Cards in Denmark. Every year a set of Christmas stamps/stickers/seals called julemærket are sold in December to help raise money for the charity. You use a normal postage stamp as well, the julemærket stickers just make the post look more Christmassy! You can out more about julemærket on https://www.julemaerket.dk (goes to another site)

Christmas Parties are held from 1st November to 24th December where 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 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!

Like in Sweden, the 1958 Disney special "From All of Us to All of You" is shown on the TV in the afternoon on Christmas Eve.

When they get home the main Christmas meal is eaten between 6.00pm and 8.00pm. It's served on a beautifully decorated table. Popular Christmas foods include roast duck, goose or pork. Juleand is a Christmas roast goose or duck stuffed with apples, prunes and herbs. A gravy which has vermouth is often poured over the Juleand. It's served with boiled and sweet potatoes (brunede kartofler or browned/caramelized potatoes), red cabbage, beetroot and cranberry jam/sauce.

Most families have a 'ris á la mande' (a special kind of rice pudding, made of milk, rice, vanilla, almonds and whipped cream) for dessert. All but one of the almonds are chopped into pieces. The person who finds the whole almond gets a present called a Mandelgave (almond present). Traditionally the little present was a marzipan pig! Now a marzipan pig is still sometimes given, but it's also often something like sweets or a little toy.

After the meal the lights on the Christmas Tree are lit, people might dance around the tree and sing carols. Then it's time for people to open their presents. The Christmas tree normally has a gold or silver star on the top and often has silver 'fairy hair' on it to make it glitter.

On Christmas day people meet with their family and have a big lunch together with danish open-faced sandwiches on rye-bread.

In Denmark, children believe that their presents are brought by the 'Julemanden' (which means 'Christmas Man' or 'Yule Man'). He looks very similar to Santa Claus and also travels with a sleigh and reindeer. He lives in Greenland, likes rice pudding and is helped by 'nisser' which are like elves.

St. Lucia's Day (or St. Lucy's Day) is also celebrated on December 13th, although it's more famous for being celebrated in Denmark's neighbor, Sweden.

In Danish Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Glædelig Jul'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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Christmas in Denmark on whychristmas?com

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Some people in Denmark give and receive extra Advent presents on the four Sundays of Advent. 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 candles.

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In Egypt about 15% of people are Christians. They are the only part of the population who really celebrate Christmas as a religious festival. Most Egyptian Christians belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church and they have some very unique traditions for Christmas.

Christmas Day isn't celebrated on the 25th December but on 7th January (like in Ethiopia and by some Orthodox Christians in Russia and Serbia).

The Coptic month leading to Christmas is called Kiahk. People sing special praise songs on Saturday nights before the Sunday Service.

For the 43 days before Christmas ( Advent), from 25th November to 6th January, Coptic Orthodox Christians have a special fast where they basically eat a vegan diet. They don't eat anything containing products that come from animals (including chicken, beef, milk and eggs). This is called 'The Holy Nativity Fast'. But if people are too weak or ill to fast properly they can be excused.

On Coptic Christmas Eve (6th January), Coptic Christians go to church for a special liturgy or Service. The services normally start about 10.30pm but some chapels will be open for people to pray from 10.00pm. Many people meet up with their friends and families in the churches from 9.00pm onwards. The services are normally finished shortly after midnight, but some go onto 4.00am!

When the Christmas service ends people go home to eat the big Christmas meal. All the foods contain meat, eggs and butter - all the yummy things they didn't during the Advent fast! One popular course if 'Fata' a lamb soup which contains bread, rice, garlic and boiled lamb meat.

On the Orthodox Christmas Day (7th) people come together in homes for parties and festivities. People often take 'kahk' (special sweet biscuits) with them to give as gifts.

Even though not many in Egypt are Christians, a lot of people in the country like to celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday. Christmas is becoming very commercial and most major supermarkets sell Christmas trees, Christmas food and decorations. Hotels, parks and streets are decorated for Christmas.

In Egypt, Santa is called Baba Noël (meaning Father Christmas). Children hope that he will climb through a window and will leave some presents! They might leave some kahk out for Baba Noël.

Most Egyptians speak Egyptian Arabic. In Arabic Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Eid Milad Majid' (عيد ميلاد مجيد) which means 'Glorious Birth Feast'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages. 'Christmas' in Arabic is 'eid almilad' (عيد الميلاد).

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In Egypt about 15% of people are Christians. They are the only part of the population who really celebrate Christmas as a religious festival. Most Egyptian Christians belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church and they have some very unique traditions for Christmas.

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In Estonia, Christmas time starts with Advent. Children put their socks on their window ledge and every day until Christmas Eve, December 24th, an elf comes and puts some sweets in it! On Christmas Eve families come together and in the evening Santa visits and asks people to tell him poems in exchange for gifts.

Tradition and typical Christmas decorations are Christmas lights and almost every family also has a Christmas Tree too, which is normally decorated a few days before Christmas. Both Estonians and Latvians claim that the first public Christmas tree was displayed in their country! Estonians believe that the first Christmas Tree was in Tallinn not in Riga, the capital of Latvia.

Estonians like to eat a lot at Christmas! The most traditional food is blood sausage, which is made from blood, oats and pork. Other traditional Estonian foods include sauerkraut, tangerines and gingerbread. They also like to drink mulled wine, which is made in both ways: with and without alcohol.

In Estonian Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Rõõmsaid Jõulupühi'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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Christmas in Estonia on whychristmas?com

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In Estonia, Christmas time starts with Advent. Children put their socks on their window ledge and every day until Christmas Eve, December 24th, an elf comes and puts some sweets in it! On Christmas Eve families come together and in the evening Santa visits and asks people to tell him poems in exchange for gifts.

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Ethiopia (and especially the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church) celebrates Christmas on January 7th, not December 25th. The Ethiopian Calendar has different months - and Christmas in on the 29th of Tahsas. Many other orthodox churches around the world also celebrate Christmas on the 7th January. The calendar the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church uses originally came from calendar used by the Coptic Orthodox Church (which is based in Egypt) but now has it's own special days.

The Christmas celebration in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is called Ganna or Genna. Most people go to Church on Christmas day.

Many people take part in a special Advent fast during the 43 days before Christmas. It starts on 25th November and is known as the 'Fast of the Prophets' (Tsome Nebiyat). During this time, traditionally only one vegan meal is eaten each day. It's a vegan meal because during the fast, foods including meat, dairy, eggs and wine aren't eaten.

For Ganna, people get dressed in white. Most people wear a traditional garment called a Netela. It's a thin white cotton piece of cloth with brightly colored stripes across the ends. It's worn like a shawl or toga. If you live in a big town or city you might wear 'western' clothes. People go to church mass on Christmas Eve (called the gahad of Christmas) at 6.00pm and the service finishes about 3.00am on Christmas Day.

The Ethiopian capital city is Addis Ababa. It's a modern city. Most people who live outside big cities live in round house made of mud-plastered walls which have thatched cone-shaped roofs. Sometimes houses in the country are rectangular and made of stone.

The design of Ethiopian Church is similar to the houses. In the country, they are often very old and have been carved out of rock. In cities, modern churches are built in three circles, each within the others.

The choir sings from the outer circle. Everyone who goes to church for the Ganna celebrations is given a candle. The people walk around the church three times in a solemn procession, holding the candles. They then go to the second circle to stand during the service. The men and boys are separated from the women and girls. The center circle is the most important and holy place in the church and is where the priest serves the Holy Communion or Mass.

It's also a tradition that one of the Wise Men who visited Jesus came from Ethiopia.

Around the time of Ganna, the men and boys play a game that is also called ganna. It's played with a curved stick and a round wooden ball, a bit like hockey.

Traditional Christmas foods in Ethiopia include 'wat' which is a thick and spicy stew that contains meat, vegetables and sometimes eggs (sounds yummy!). Wat is eaten on a plate of 'injera' - a flat bread. Pieces of the injera are used as an edible spoon to scoop up the wat.

Twelve days after Ganna, on 19th January, Ethiopians start the three day celebration of Timkat. It celebrates the baptism of Jesus. Children walk to church services in a procession. They wear the crowns and robes of the church youth groups that they belong to. Adults wear the Netela. The priests wear red and white robes and carry embroidered fringed umbrellas.

Musical instruments are played during the Timkat procession. The sistrum is a percussion instrument with tinkling metal disks a bit like a vertical tambourine. A makamiya, a long T-shaped prayer stick is used to keep the rhythm and is also used by the priests and a stick to lean on during the long Timkat church service!

Ethiopian men also play a sport called yeferas guks. It's played on horseback and the men throw ceremonial lances at each other (sounds rather dangerous!).

People don't give and receive present during Ganna and Timkat. Sometimes children might be given a small gift of some clothes from their family members. It's more a time for going to church, eating lots and playing games!

Santa Claus is a fairly recent visitor to Ethiopia, only being known about through 'western' Christmas traditions. In the Amharic language, Father Christmas or Santa Claus is called 'Yágena Abãt' which means 'Christmas Father'.

Happy/Merry Christmas in Amharic is 'Melikam Gena!' (መልካም ገና!). Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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Christmas in Ethiopia on whychristmas?com

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Ethiopia (and especially the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church) celebrates Christmas on January 7th, not December 25th. The Ethiopian Calendar has different months - and Christmas in on the 29th of Tahsas. Many other orthodox churches around the world also celebrate Christmas on the 7th January.

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The Falkland Islands are in the South Atlantic Ocean about 300 miles from the east coast at the bottom of South America. They are a British Overseas Territory even though they're about 8,000 miles away from the rest of the UK!

The Islands cover an areas of about 12,200 sq km (4,700 sq miles) but only have a population of around 3,000 people. But there are about 150,000 sheep! About two thirds of the population live in Stanley, the capital of the Islands. The rest are mainly farmers and live out on the Islands in what's called 'the camp'.

Because they're in the southern hemisphere, it's summertime at Christmas with long sunny days. The Islands share many Christmas traditions with the UK. There are very few trees on the islands (it's very windy!) but people still have Christmas Trees, although they're normally artificial ones. Lamb is the main Christmas dish as there's lots of sheep on the Islands! It's very expensive to fly in turkey from South America or the UK!

A pantomime is put on every year by the local dramatic society. Traditionally the Governor of the Islands (the Queen's official representative on the Islands) goes on the last night and is gently made fun of!

Children living in the camp get a small parcel of presents flown to them from Stanley. Santa's helper elves have to fly to the remote farms around the camp to deliver the presents!

On Christmas Eve people gather to sing Christmas carols under the 'whale bone arch' (made the from the jaw bones of two blue whales) which is next to the Christ Church Cathedral in Stanley. There's also a Christmas morning service. The Cathedral is the southernmost Anglican cathedral in the world.

There's a British Military base on the Falkland Islands which is home to about 2000 military and civilian personnel. The chaplain at the base takes services at the base and around the Islands at Christmas time.

The Boxing Day horse races are very important and are held just outside Stanley on the race course. It's a very popular event for people who live on the Islands, especially in Stanley. The meeting has been held more than 100 times. It used to be a time when many people would only see each other during the whole year! Horses used to be the main way of getting around the Islands. Although there are more roads and cars now, taking part in the races is still very competitive. Some people have been riding in the races for decades! The most important race is 'The Governor's Cup'.

As well as horse races, there's the mile running race where people of all ages take part! Some of the soldiers based on the Islands also like to take part.

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Christmas in the Falkland Islands on whychristmas?com

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The Falkland Islands are in the South Atlantic Ocean about 300 miles from the east coast at the bottom of South America. They are a British Overseas Territory even though they're about 8,000 miles away from the rest of the UK!

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In Finland, Santa is called Joulupukki. This literally means 'Christmas Goat' (Joulu means Christmas and Pukki means goat (or buck) as it was traditional in Finland that there was a Yule Goat who was scary and asked people for presents - and certainly didn't give any out! Joulupukki might also be called just 'Pukki'!

Over time the goat became a gift giver and a human figure rather than a goat, but the name of the 'Christmas Goat' was kept. Joulupukki rides with reindeer and leaves gifts under the Christmas tree but if you have been naughty you could end up with a bag of coal!

Finnish people believe that Joulupukki ( Santa Claus or Father Christmas) lives in the north part of Finland called Korvatunturi (or Lapland), north of the Arctic Circle. People from all over the world send letters to Santa Claus in Finland. There is a big tourist theme park called 'Christmas Land' in the north of Finland, near to where they say that Father Christmas lives.

It means that Joulupukki/Santa doesn't have far to travel on Christmas Eve to deliver presents to people in Finland! If he doesn't get a chance to deliver the presents personally, he will often leave them under the Christmas Tree.

In Finnish Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Hyvää joulua'. In North-Sami, spoken in northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia, it's 'Buorit Juovllat'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

Everyone tries to be at home for Christmas, including fishermen who try to get their boats into the harbour by December 21st, St. Thomas' Day

Animals are given their own Christmas in Finland, with farmers sometimes hanging a sheaf of wheat on a tree to be eaten and pecked at by the birds. Nuts and pieces of suet are also hung on trees in bags from the branches.

Everyone cleans their houses ready for the three holy days of Christmas - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day.

On Christmas Eve, or the day before, Christmas trees are bought from the local market or square. The seller expects you to bargain with them on the price.

Christmas Eve is very special and the most important day over Christmas. It's traditional to eat rice porridge and plum fruit juice for breakfast. Then the tree is bought (if it hasn't been already) and is decorated. At midday, the 'peace of Christmas' is broadcast on radio and TV by the City Mayor of Turku (which is south Finland). Also, like in Sweden, the 1958 Disney special "From All of Us to All of You" is shown on the TV in the afternoon on Christmas Eve.

Because it gets dark very in most parts of Finland around Christmas (about 3.00pm) it's now traditional to go cemeteries and visit the graves of family members. Some cemeteries are enormous and police are on duty to manage the traffic, but everyone must walk the last few yards to the grave. Candles in hanging lanterns are left around the grave, often lots of family members go. The whole cemetery is alight with glowing lanterns shining in the snow - a winter wonderland.

Other people like a sauna on Christmas Eve.

The main Christmas meal is eaten in the early evening. Lutefish (salt fish) is the traditional starter, but is not so common nowadays. The main meal is a leg of pork served with mashed potato traditionally baked slowly in birch-bark boxes in the oven with similarly cooked mashed swede. Casseroles containing different vegetables including, rutabaga, carrot and potato are also common. Cured salmon is very popular and some people also have turkey. Dessert is baked rice pudding/porridge eaten with spiced plum jam. One almond is hidden in the pudding. Whoever find the almond will be lucky for the next year.

After the meal, Joulupukki (Santa) might visit the house! When he comes in with his sack he asks if any children are living there. They reply very loudly! Next then asks if they have been good all through the year. When they are given their presents the whole family gathers to watch the fun of opening. After opening some presents, it's time to go to bed - but some people like to stay up all night to see Christmas Day arrive!

Christmas Day is much quieter with families usually spending it quietly at home. On Boxing Day people like to go out. Skiing is popular along the flat terrain or skating if the lake or river has frozen.

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Christmas in Finland on whychristmas?com

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How Christmas is celebrated in Finland and lots of other countries around the world. Christmas food in Finland.

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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.

In French Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Joyeux Noël'. In Breton (spoken by some people in Brittany, Northern France) it's 'Nedeleg Laouen', in Corsican it's 'Bon Natale' and in Alsatian (spoken by some people in Alsace, in Eastern France) it's 'E güeti Wïnâchte'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

One of the biggest Christmas markets in Europe is held in Strasbourg, in North Eastern France. In the Alsatian language it's called the "Christkindelsmarik".

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. He might be the same person as Zwarte Piet/Sooty Piet/Roetpiet in The Netherlands.

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 and puff pastry and almond cream is eaten called 'Galette des Rois'. The cake traditionally has a 'fève' baked inside it (or put in the 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!

There's more information about Christmas in France on the French Moments website (goes to another site)

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How Christmas is celebrated in France and lots of other countries around the world. Christmas food in France.

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In Georgia, Christmas is celebrated on the 7th January. This is because the Georgian Orthodox Church (like the Orthodox Churches in Russia, Serbia and other countries) use the old 'Julian' calendar for their festivals.

On Christmas Day, many people will go on a 'Alilo', a parade in the streets. They are dressed in special clothes and costumes to celebrate Christmas. Some people carry Georgian flags and others might be dressed as people from the Christmas story. Children like taking part in the Alilo as they're often given sweets!

Carols are sung and they vary across the country. Many of the songs and carols sung during the Alilo include these words: "ოცდახუთსა დეკემბერსა, ქრისტე იშვა ბეთლემსაო'" (otsdakhutsa dekembersa qriste ishva betlemsao) which means "on 25th December Christ was born in Bethlehem".

The Alilo in 2008, via Wikimedia Commons

In Georgian Happy/Merry Christmas is 'გილოცავ შობა-ახალ წელს' (gilocav shoba-akhal c'els). Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

The traditional Georgian Christmas Tree is called a 'Chichilaki' (ჩიჩილაკი). It's made of dried wood, such as hazelnut or walnut branches, which are shaved into long curly strips to form a small tree. Some people say they look like the long white curly beard of St Basil the Great! They are decorated with small fruits and sweets. They are traditionally burnt on the day before the Georgian Orthodox Epiphany (19th January). This is meant to mark the end of the year's troubles. 'Western' Christmas Tree (nadzvis khe) are also popular.

People get their presents on New Year's Eve (December 31st). Presents are traditionally brought to children by "Tovlis Papa" (or tovlis babua in western Georgian dialects) which means "Grandfather snow". He normally wears all white clothing including a hat and a cape/cloak called a "nabadi". The cloak is heavy and very warm as it's made of white sheep's wool. Shepherds were them in darker colors, but Tovlis Papa has to wear a white one!

On New Year's eve he comes down from the mountains of the Caucasus and walks around Georgia to deliver treats and sweets to all the children in Georgia. Children leave out "Churchkhela" a delicious treat made of walnuts and grape juice, which is shaped like a sausage, for Tovlis Papa. Santa is also often called "Tovlis Papa", but the real "Tovlis Papa" does not mind, he's chill like the mountains he lives in!

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Christmas in Georgia on whychristmas?com

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In Georgia, Christmas is celebrated on the 7th January. This is because the Georgian Orthodox Church (like the Orthodox Churches in Russia, Serbia and other countries) use the old 'Julian' calendar for their festivals. On Christmas Day, many people will go on a 'Alilo', a parade in the streets.

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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 one made of card 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 a '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 (Slient Night).

Sometimes wooden frames, covered with colored plastic sheets and with electric candles inside, are put in windows to make the house look pretty from the outside. There is also the tradition of Scherenschnitte (paper cutting) where Christmas shapes like bells and nativity scenes were cut out of paper and then different colored transparent paper was put behind the openings to make them look like stained glass.

Christmas Eve is the main day when Germans exchange presents with their families.

In German Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Frohe Weihnachten'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

Christmas Day is called "Erster Feiertag" ('first celebration') and the 26th 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 in the USA in 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.

In some parts of Germany, mainly the south east of the country, children write to the 'das Christkind/Christkindl' asking for presents. The letters to the Christkind are decorated with sugar glued to the envelope to make them sparkly and attractive to look at. Children leave the letters on the windowsill at the beginning of or during Advent.

'das Christkind' translates as 'The Christ Child' in English but Germans don't think of the Christkind as the baby Jesus! The Christkind is often described as a young girl with 'Christ like' qualities. In Nürnberg a young girl is chosen every year to participate in a parade as the Christkind. She wears a long white and gold dress, has long blond curly hair and wears a gold crown and sometimes wings like an angel. This is similar to St Lucia is Sweden. (And it can seem a bit confusing calling the 'Christ Child', Jesus, a girl!)

The Nürnberg Christkind officially opens the Christmas market on the Friday before Advent starts. And before Christmas she has over 150 'official duties' including visiting hospitals, old people's homes and children's nurseries! She also has to give TV interviews and visit other cities.

Santa Claus or Father Christmas (der Weihnachtsmann) brings the main Christmas presents on December 24th. You might also write a letter to Weihnachtsmann in other parts of Germany. Some people say that Santa/Father Christmas (Weihnachtsmann) brings the presents and some say it is Christkind!

As well as hoping for presents from Christkind or der Weihnachtsmann, some children also hope that 'der Nikolaus' will bring you some small gifts, such as sweets and chocolate on the 6th December (St Nicholas's Day). He comes in the night between the 5th and the 6th and puts the presents into the shoes of children, who usually place them by their doors. He might also knock on the door and the children will have to sing a song, play a song on an instrument or tell a story to St Nicholas before he gives them their presents.

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 big horned monster clothed in rags and carries chains. He is meant to punish the children who have been bad! He 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 north west 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 work places 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.

Secret Santa might also be known as 'Wichtel' (a small Christmas gnome/elf) where you give sometime a small gift or do something nice for them.

Another tradition is the Sternsinger (or star singers) who go from house to house, sing a song and collect money for charity (this is a predominantly Catholic tradition). The singers are normally four children, three who dress up like the Wise men and one carries a star on a stick as a symbol for the Star of Bethlehem. When they're finished singing, they write a signature with chalk over the door of the house. The sign is written in a special way, so 2022 would be: 20*C*M*B*22. It is considered to be bad luck to wash the sign away - it has to fade by itself. It has usually faded by the 6th of January ( Epiphany). The Sternsingers visit houses between December 27th and January 6th.

Sternsingers, via Wikimedia Commons

Carp or Goose are often served for the main Christmas meal. Stollen is a popular fruited yeast bread that is eaten at Christmas. Here is a recipe for Stollen.

Over Christmas and the New Year in Germany and Austria, the famous Ski Jumping 'Four Hills Tournament' ('Vierschanzentournee') is held. It starts in Germany with Oberstdorf (Germany) on the 29th or 30th December and Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany) on New Year's Day and continues in Austria with Innsbruck (Austria) on 3rd or 4th of January and Bischofshofen (Austria) on the 6th January. I'm a big Ski Jumping fan, so I watch it!

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Christmas in Germany on whychristmas?com

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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 one made of card 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.

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People in Ghana celebrate Christmas from the 20th of December to the first week in January with lots of different activities. Many people travel to visit their relatives and friends in other parts of the country. Over 66 languages are spoken in Ghana and all these language groups have their own traditions and customs!

December is also the start of the cocoa harvest (the bean that makes chocolate) in Ghana. Ghana is the worlds second biggest cocoa producer. (I really like some fair-trade chocolate that's made with cocoa from Ghana!)

Christmas Eve night is the time when the celebrations really start with Church services that have drumming and dancing. Children often put on a Nativity Play or other drama. Then choirs come out to sing and people come out in front of the priests to dance. Songs are mostly sung in the languages that the people understand best. This makes them feel that God speaks their language. Sometimes these services and dancing go on all night long!

Other people celebrate Christmas Eve with fireworks and parties.

On Christmas Day the Churches are very full. People come out dressed in their colorful traditional clothes. After the Church service on Christmas morning, people quickly go back to their houses to start giving and receiving gifts.

Traditional food includes stew or okra soup, porridge and meats, rice and a yam paste called 'fufu'.

During the Christmas period, children's parties, employees' end of year parties, etc. are mostly celebrated in the hotels, at the beaches, school parks and community centers with good wishes for all people on earth.

Some Ghanaians also go to Church on the 31st December to thank God for sending Jesus and to pray for a good and safe New Year. People may also use that time to remember those who died during the previous year and pray that the difficulties that they may have encountered over the year don't carry on into the New Year.

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People in Ghana celebrate Christmas from the 20th of December to the first week in January with lots of different activities. Many people travel to visit their relatives and friends in other parts of the country.

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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 which 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 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 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.

This is believed to keep the 'kallikantzaroi' Καλλικάντζαρος (bad spirits) away. The kallikantzaroi are meant to appear only during the 12-day period from Christmas to Epiphany (January 6th). They are supposed to come from the middle of the earth and get into people's house through the chimney! The kallikantzaroi do things like putting out fires and making milk go off. Having a fire burning through the twelve days of Christmas is also meant to keep the kallikantzaroi away (burning old shoes is meant to be a very good way of scaring off the kallikantzaroi).

Every December, in Aristotelous Square in the city of Thessaloniki (which is the second biggest city Greece) a huge Christmas Tree and three masted sailing ship are put up. It's a popular tourist attraction. There are also large boat displays in other large Greek cities like Athens. Decorated ships are an old tradition in Greece where small ships were put up in homes when sailors had returned from sea voyages.

Christmas Trees are popular in Greece. The first known Christmas tree in Greece was in 1833 and was set-up by King Otto next to a large decorated boat. Over time, especially in the late 20th century, decorated Christmas trees became more popular than decorating a boat. But now having a boat as well as a tree is becoming more popular!

Going to a Midnight Mass Service is very important for most Greeks. After the service people can go home and end their Advent fast.

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), Theeples (a kind of fried pastry). The pastries are either eaten for breakfast or as starters. Another popular Christmas dessert are melomakarono, egg or oblong shaped biscuit/cakes made from flour, olive oil, and honey and rolled in chopped walnuts. Another popular biscuit in Greece are kourabiedes, which are a butter and almond cookie, a bit like shortbread.

A traditional table decoration are loaves of 'Christopsomo' (Christ's Bread or Christmas bread). It's a round sweet bread which is flavored with cinnamon, orange and cloves. The top is decorated with a cross. The bread is made on Christmas Eve ready to be eaten on Christmas Day.

In Greek Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Kala Christougenna'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

In Greece, presents are often brought to children by Aghios Vassilis / Άγιος Βασίλης (Saint Basil/Saint Vasilis) on the 1st January as that is St Basil's Day.

On New Year's Eve many families will have a big meal and play games. At midnight there are lots of hugs, kisses and best wishes for the new year. New Year kalanda songs/carols might also be sung. On New Year's Day, in many places in Greece, there is the tradition of Bounamathes (bouna-MA-thes). Adults in the family give money and gifts to the children wishing them a happy new year.

Another big event in many houses on New Year's Day is the Pothariko (pothari-KO). This is a tradition that says a child that is thought to be 'lucky' or the first-born of a family or sometimes the man of the house must be the first person to enter a house that year - and they must do it with their right foot. The Greeks believe that this will bring luck to the household the whole year. In some areas of Greece the person holds a pomegranate, and they break it at the front door before entering the house. The seeds are scattered which symbolizes the happiness and the good fortune for the house - and the more pomegranate seeds the better!

There is also a special St Basil's Day cake called 'Vasilopita' (vasi-LO-pita). The cake has a coin cooked inside it. In some parts of Greece the cake is light and sweet sponge cake, but in others it's more like a bread. Whoever finds the coin in their slice is thought to be lucky for the year.

In some families, the father of the house cuts the Vasilopita and gives out the pieces. Traditionally, the first slice is for Jesus, the second it is for Mary, the third is for the poor people and the fourth is for the household. Then the rest of the slices go to the members of the family/household depending on their age, with the oldest person first.

People in Greece also celebrate Epiphany on the 6th January. In the Greek Orthodox Church, Epiphany celebrates Jesus's baptism when he was a man. It's also known as 'The Blessing of the Waters'. There are many events throughout the country where young men dive into really cold lakes, rivers and the sea to try to be first to get a cross which has been blessed by a priest and thrown into the water. Whoever gets the cross first is meant to have good luck during the coming year. Epiphany festivals also include blessings of boats & ships, music, dancing and lots of food.

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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 which are painted gold. Carrying a boat is a very old custom in the Greek Islands.

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In the villages of Polar Inuits, families like to visit each other and have parties. They drink coffee and eat cakes and exchange brightly wrapped parcels. Traditional presents are model sledges, a pairs of polished walrus tusks, or sealskin mitts. Everyone in the village gets a gift and children go from house to house, singing songs.

On Christmas Eve, Church Services are held and most people go to them, many in national costume. Some men wear the white anoraks which are worn on special occasions.

Christmas Trees have to be imported, because no trees grow as far north as Greenland. The trees are often imported from Denmark - Greenland has had a long historical connection with Denmark. The trees are decorated with candles, bright ornaments and sometimes small versions of sealskin breeches known as kamiks. Trees are traditionally decorated on the evening of 23rd December. People who don't use an imported tree, might have a traditional driftwood tree decorated with heather.

Another traditional and popular decoration is to put an illuminated star in windows. There are stars in most homes and in all public buildings. Because Greenland is so far north, and within the Arctic Circle, during the winter the sun never rises! (You might get a brief glimpse over the southern mountains, but that's it!) So the stars help to bring some light. The tradition of hanging stars came with Christian missionaries from the Moravian church. The stars are sometimes called 'poinsettia stars' as they look a bit like poinsettia flowers.

Villages also put a large Christmas Tree on a nearby hill, so everyone can see it. These trees are put up and decorated ready for the start of Advent.

St Lucia's day (December 13th) is also celebrated in Greenland.

There are some rather unusual foods eaten at Christmas time in Greenland. 'Mattak' is whale skin with a strip of blubber inside. It is supposed to taste like fresh coconut, but is often too tough to chew and is usually swallowed. Another Christmas food is 'kiviak'. This is the raw flesh of little auks (a type of arctic bird) which have been buried whole in sealskin for several months until they have reached an advanced stage of decomposition! Although it sounds strange, it is a delicacy in Greenland.

Other popular foods in Greenland include 'suaasat' which is a soup/stew, barbecued caribou/reindeer, lamb, razorbill, ptarmigan and fish either as raw sushi or cooked. Popular deserts are berries and apples with a crisp Topping and special Christmas porridge that's served with butter and topped with sugar and cinniamon. Lots of Danish pastries and Christmas cookies are also eaten!

It is traditional on Christmas night that the men look after the women, serving their food and coffee and stirring the meal for them. Games follow the Christmas meal, including one in which an object is passed from hand to hand round a long table under the cloth. It is supposed to be repulsive: round, clammy and rough in texture; such as a frozen egg, wrapped in strips of wet fox fur!

Like in Finland and other nordic countries, lighting candles in cemeteries is sometimes done on Christmas Eve to remember family and friends.

In Greenland there are two main languages spoken, Inuit/Greenlandic and Danish. In Greenlandic, Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Juullimi Pilluarit'; in Danish it is 'Glædelig Jul'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

Greenland also claims to be the place where Santa Claus lives or at least goes for his summer holidays! He is said to have a home in the north of the country in Spraglebugten, near the town of Uummannaq!

A large post box in the town on Nuuk, via Wikimedia Commons

New Year's Eve is celebrated twice in Greenland! At 8.00pm, they celebrate that the new year has reached Denmark and at midnight it's the new year in Greenland! At both celebrations, people like to let off lots of fireworks and rockets!

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Christmas in Greenland on whychristmas?com

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In the villages of Polar Inuits, families like to visit each other and have parties. They drink coffee and eat cakes and exchange brightly wrapped parcels. Traditional presents are model sledges, a pairs of polished walrus tusks, or sealskin mitts. Everyone in the village gets a gift and children go from house to house, singing songs.

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Guatemala is a very diverse country with more than 20 ethnic groups. Each of them has their own special traditions for celebrating Christmas.

On December 7th at 6pm an unusual customs called 'La Quema del Diablo' (The Burning of the Devil) takes place, where an effigy (model) of the devil/Satan burnt. The 8th 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 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 overtime 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.

On Christmas Eve families celebrate together and eat the main Christmas meal. It is made of several traditional dishes, but it always includes some Guatemalan tamales. In some regions they are made of corn and other of rice or potatoes. They can be sweet or not, and have several different ingredients inside like olives, prunes, peppers, chicken or pork.

Everyone waits until midnight to light hundreds of fireworks or firecrackers to celebrate the birth of Jesus. A family prayer is said around the tree and it is the custom to open the presents shortly after midnight.

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Christmas in Guatemala on whychristmas?com

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Guatemala is a very diverse country with more than 20 ethnic groups. Each of them has their own special traditions for celebrating Christmas. On December 7th at 6pm an unusual customs called 'La Quema del Diablo' (The Burning of the Devil) takes place, where an effigy (model) of the devil/Satan burnt.

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Find out how Christmas is celebrated in Haiti.

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In Hong Kong, Chinese Christians celebrate Christmas with Church services in Chinese. At the Anglican Cathedral, some services are held in English, because Europeans who live and work in Hong Kong attend them as well as people from Hong Kong. The services in Chinese and English are held at different times of the day. Christians in Hong Kong love to sing carols and also visit the Christmas markets.

In Hong Kong, people also send Christmas cards. They're normally bought in shops, although a few people still like to make them using Chinese craft techniques.

Poinsettias flowers, tinsel, Christmas lights and Nativity scenes decorate homes, churches and public places.

There is a street in Hong Kong that, in the run up to Christmas, sells only Christmas Trees and other plants. Christmas Trees are especially popular with Christians in Hong Kong.

In Hong Kong, /Santa is most commonly called Santa Claus or Father Christmas. In Cantonese he is known as "Sing Daan Lou Yan" (Christmas Old Man) although most people use English to refer to him.

Every year in Hong Kong there is a 'Winterfest'. It's a huge winter party that involves the shops, theme parks and other attractions in Hong Kong.

Winterfest is also famous for its New Year's countdown and displays of lights and fireworks all over the city. These are really spectacular and light up all the skyscrapers and buildings. Here's a clip of a laser and light show from 2007 (link will take you to youtube.com). Find out more about Winterfest (goes to another site).

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Christmas in Hong Kong on whychristmas?com

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In Hong Kong, Chinese Christians celebrate Christmas with Church services in Chinese. At the Anglican Cathedral, some services are held in English, because Europeans who live and work in Hong Kong attend them as well as people from Hong Kong. The services in Chinese and English are held at different times of the day.

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In Hungary, Christmas Eve is very important and is called 'Szent-este' which means Holy Evening. People spend the evening with their family and decorate the Christmas Tree. Sometimes only the adults decorate the tree (without the children there), so when children come in and see the tree, it's a great surprise and they are told that angels brought the tree for them!

The main Christmas meal, which is also eaten on Christmas Eve, consists of fish (often fish soup called 'Halászlé' which is made with carp or other freshwater fish), stuffed cabbage (the leaves are stuffed with rice, mince pork, onion, garlic and other herbs) and a special kind of poppy bread/cake called 'Beigli' is a popular dessert. Gingerbread is also a traditionally eaten at Christmas in Hungary. The gingerbread is often wrapped in very bright colors and decorated with Christmas figures.

The Midnight Mass service is very popular in Hungary. Most people go to Church after their Christmas meal.

On Christmas Eve children also hope that they will be left some presents under the Christmas Tree. They're told that the presents are brought by Jesus, he's often called "Jézuska", a nickname or cuter version for "Jézus". Children wait outside the room where the tree is and when they hear bells ringing, they can enter and the presents await them under the Christmas tree.

On Christmas Day people visit their families.

St. Nicholas also visits Hungary on the 6th December. In Hungary he is known as 'Mikulás'. Children leave out shoes or boots on a windowsill to be filled with goodies! Presents might also be brought by Télapó (Old Man Winter).

In Hungarian Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Boldog karácsonyt' (Happy Christmas) or 'Kellemes karácsonyi ünnepeket' (pleasant Christmas holidays). Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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Christmas in Hungary on whychristmas?com

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In Hungary, Christmas Eve is very important and is called 'Szent-este' which means Holy Evening. People spend the evening with their family and decorate the Christmas Tree. Sometimes only the adults decorate the tree (without the children there), so when children come in and see the tree, it's a great surprise and they are told that angels brought the tree for them!

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Christmas is often known as 'Jól' (Yule) in Iceland. This comes from the ancient winter solstice celebrations, that were taken over by the early Christians. Jól also include the New Year celebrations.

There are lots of customs and traditions about Jól in Iceland. The Jól season consists of the following days:

Þorláksmessa - St. Thorlakur's Day - December 23rd
Iceland's major Saint is 'heilagur Þorlákur Þórhallsson', or 'St. Thorlakur Thorhallsson', the Bishop of Skálholt. December 23rd, is the day on which he died. On St. Thorlakur's Day, the main custom is eating of a simple meal of skata or skate. The Jól (or Christmas) tree is usually decorated on this day. This is also a big shopping day for last minute gifts, with stores remaining open until midnight.

Aðfangadagur - Christmas Eve / Jól Eve
Celebrations start at Iceland at 6.00pm on Jól Eve. This may have come from old Icelandic tradition, when a new day started at 6.00pm not midnight. Icelandic children open their presents after the evening meal on Aðfangadagur. This is when the Jól celebrations really start! (TV used to stop at about 5.00pm and restarted at 10.00pm! But now TV is on all through the Christmas period.)

Jóladagur - Christmas Day / Jól Day
Jóladagur is usually celebrated with the extended family. The main Jól meal is 'Hangikjöt', a leg of roast lamb. Sometimes 'Rjúpa' (Rock Ptarmigan a gamebird) is also eaten. Another Jól meal speciality is 'Laufabrauð' or leaf bread. This is made of thin sheets of dough cut into delicate patterns and fried. Each family often has their own patterns for the Laufabrauð.

Annar Jóladagur - Boxing Day
This is another day for visiting friends and family and eating lots more! Public entertainment is considered inappropriate on Jól Eve and Jól Day, and it is on Boxing Day that dancing is again allowed in public!

Gamlárskvöld / Nýársdagur - New Year's Eve / New Year's Day
This is one of the most important nights of the year in Iceland and there are several magical traditions that are supposed to happen on it! Cows are meant to be able to talk, seals take on human form, the dead rise from their graves, and the Elves move house.

Bonfires have been lit on Gamlárskvöld since the late 1700s. People also have big fireworks displays to bring in the New Year. This is called 'sprengja út árið' or 'blowing out the year'.

Þrettándinn - Epiphany - January 6th
This is the last day of Jól, celebrated with bonfires and Elfin dances. Many of the magical traditions associated with New Year's Eve are also supposed to happen at Þrettándinn.

Happy/Merry Christmas/Jól in Icelandic is 'Gleðileg jól'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

One other big Jól custom is the coming of the 'Jólasveinarnir' or Jóltide Lads. These are magical people who come from the mountains in Iceland and each day from December 12th to Jól Eve a different Jólasveinn (Jóltide lad) comes.

Jólasveinar first came to Iceland in the 17th century as the sons of Grýla and Leppalúði, a couple of child-eating, bloodthirsty ogres!!!

Here are thirteen of the most common names of the Jólasveinar:

Stekkjarstaur - Gimpy
Giljagaur - Gully Imp
Stúfur - Itty Bitty
Þvörusleikir - Pot Scraper Licker
Pottasleikir - Pot Licker
Askasleikir - Bowl Licker
Hurðaskellir - Door Slammer
Skyrgámur - Skyr Gobbler (Skyr, an Icelandic yoghurt)
Bjúgnakrækir - Sausage Snatcher
Gluggagægir - Window Peeper
GáttaÞefur - Doorway Sniffer
Ketkrókur - Meat Hooker
Kertasníkir - Candle Beggar

The Jólasveinar are thought of as playful imps or elves who like lots to eat and playing little tricks on people.

They leave little presents for children in shoes placed on the windowsill. If children have been naughty, they might leave a potato or little message telling them to be good. They start going home on Christmas Day, with the last one leaving on Þrettándinn.

Presents might also be brought by Jólasveinn (Jól Man).

It is traditional in Iceland that everybody has a new piece of clothing for Jól and also often a book. The custom of giving books at Christmas in Iceland is called 'Jolabokaflod' or 'Jólabókaflóð' which translates as 'Christmas flood of books'! It started during WWII when books weren't rationed and many other things were, so books made really good gifts. On Christmas Eve many people in Iceland will open a new book as a gift, and read it with a cup of hot chocolate or Jolabland (an Icelandic drink made of fizzy orange soda and brown ale/beer).

One traditional story is that the Christmas cat will eat you unless you wear one piece of new clothing on Christmas day! Children also traditionally receive a candle and sometimes a pack of cards.

There are no native evergreen trees in Iceland, so the first Jól or Christmas Trees were Rowan (mountain ash). The first recorded Jól tree was in 1862. People then started to make Jól Trees from a central pole with branches attached to it and it was all painted green.

Nowadays, there are evergreen trees grown on Iceland and people have evergreen Jól trees. It is traditional to have a star or crown on top of the tree. The Icelandic Flag is also commonly used as a decoration. The tree is normally decorated on Þorláksmessa or early Christmas Eve. A very large tree stands outside Reykjavík (the capital of Iceland) Cathedral and is a yearly present from the people of Oslo, Norway.

In Iceland the traditional Christmas meal is roast lamb. Some people like to have it smoked to add flavour and traditionally it was smoked over sheep's dung! This is still done in a few places today!

Like in Finland, cemeteries are often lit up and decorated with Christmas lights over Christmas.

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Christmas in Iceland on whychristmas?com

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Christmas is often known as 'Jól' (Yule) in Iceland. This comes from the ancient winter solstice celebrations, that were taken over by the early Christians. Jól also include the New Year celebrations. There are lots of customs and traditions about Jól in Iceland. The Jól season consists of the following days: Þorláksmessa - St.

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Compared to other religious festivals, Christmas is quite a small festival in India, due to the number of people who are Christians (about 2.3%) compared to people who belong to other religions. Having said this, the population of India is over 1 Billion, so there are over 25 million Christians in India!

One of the largest Indian Christian Communities in a city is in Mumbai. A lot of the Christians in Mumbai (previously known as Bombay) are Roman Catholics. In India's smallest state, Goa which is on the west of India, about 26% of people are Christians. Many of the Christians in Mumbai came from or have roots in Goa. The states of Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram (all on the very east of India) have high populations of Christians as well.

Midnight mass is a very important service for Christians in India, especially Catholics. The whole family will walk to the mass and this will be followed by a massive feast of different delicacies, (mostly curries) and the giving and receiving of presents. Churches in India are decorated with Poinsettia flowers and candles for the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass service.

Many different languages are spoken in India. In Hindi Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Śubh krisamas' (शुभ क्रिसमस); Urdu it's 'krismas mubarak' (کرسمس); in Sanskrit it's 'Krismasasya shubhkaamnaa'; in Gujarati it's 'Anandi Natal' or 'Khushi Natal' (આનંદી નાતાલ); in Bengali 'shubho bôṛodin' (শুভ বড়দিন); in Tamil it's 'kiṟistumas vāḻttukkaḷ' (கிறிஸ்துமஸ் வாழ்த்துக்கள்); in Konkani it's 'Khushal Borit Natala'; in Kannada it's 'kris mas habbada shubhaashayagalu' (ಕ್ರಿಸ್ ಮಸ್ ಹಬ್ಬದ ಶುಭಾಷಯಗಳು); in Mizo it's 'Krismas Chibai'; in Marathi it's 'Śubh Nātāḷ' (शुभ नाताळ); in Punjabi it's 'karisama te nawāṃ sāla khušayāṃwālā hewe' (ਕਰਿਸਮ ਤੇ ਨਵਾੰ ਸਾਲ ਖੁਸ਼ਿਯਾੰਵਾਲਾ ਹੋਵੇ); in Malayalam it's 'Christmas inte mangalaashamsakal'; in Telugu it's 'Christmas Subhakankshalu' and in Shindi it's 'Christmas jun wadhayun'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

Instead of having traditional Christmas Trees, a banana or mango tree is decorated (or whatever tree people can find to decorate!). Sometimes people use mango leaves to decorate their homes.

In Southern India, Christians often put small oil burning clay lamps on the flat roofs of their homes to show their neighbors that Jesus is the light of the world.

Christians in Goa love to celebrate Christmas! Goa has lots of 'western' customs as part of their Christmas as Goa has historical connections with Portugal. Most Christians in Goa are Catholics. People like to go carol singing around their neighbors for about a week before Christmas. Christmas Trees are also very popular as is a 'traditional' rich fruit Christmas Cake! Lots of local sweets are also eaten at Christmas in Goa. Favourite sweets include neureos (small pastries which are stuffed with dry fruit and coconut and fried) and dodol (like toffee that has coconut and cashew in it). These are other sweets are often part of 'consuada' when people make sweets before Christmas and give them to their friends and neighbors. Most Christian families also have a nativity scene with clay figures in it.

On Christmas Eve, Christians in Goa hang out giant paper lanterns, in the shape of stars, between the houses so that the stars float above you as you walk down the road. The main Christmas meal is also eaten on Christmas Eve and is also 'western' with roast turkey or chicken being popular. After the meal, Christians head to Church for a Midnight mass service. After the service the church bells ring to announce that Christmas Day has arrived. Many Christians in Goa also celebrate Epiphany and remember the Wise Men visiting Jesus.

Star Lanterns hung in trees, via Wikimedia Commons

Christians in Mumbai use many Christmas traditions from Goa including the star lanterns and manger scenes (people like to make sure they have the best the nativity scene!).

In north-west India, the tribal Christians of the Bhil folk, go out night after night for a week at Christmas to sing their own carols the whole night through. They go to surrounding villages singing to people and telling the Christmas story.

In South West India, in the state of Kerala Were, 22% of the state's 33 Million population are Christians and Christmas is an important festival. Traditional Catholics fast don't eat from 1st to 24th of December - until the midnight service. Every house will be decorated with a Christmas star. During the start of the Christmas season, almost all the stationary shops will be filled with new and variety Christmas stars. People make cribs in their homes and Churches.

In India, Father Christmas or Santa Claus delivers presents to children from a horse and cart. He's known as 'Christmas Baba' in Hindi, 'Baba Christmas' in Urdu (both of those mean Father Christmas); 'Christmas Thaathaa' in Tamil and 'Christmas Thatha' in Telugu (both of those mean Christmas old man); and 'Natal Bua' (Christmas Elder Man) in Marathi. In Kerala state, he's known as 'Christmas Papa'.

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Compared to other religious festivals, Christmas is quite a small festival in India, due to the number of people who are Christians (about 2.3%) compared to people who belong to other religions. Having said this, the population of India is over 1 Billion, so there are over 25 million Christians in India!

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Although most people in Indonesia (about 85%) are Muslims, about 10% of the population are Christians - that's still about 20 million people! Indonesian Christians love to celebrate Christmas!

Indonesian Christians usually go to church services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. In most churches and cathedrals, people create nativity scenes and use them as part of the Nativity drama performance.

Christmas trees in Indonesia are normally artificial ones made of plastic. Although less common, some people have real Pine trees to be decorated as Christmas trees. The biggest producer of 'real' trees is located in Puncak, West Java. Another special type of Christmas tree are ones made from chicken feathers - made by people in their homes on Bali island. These feather trees have been exported to different countries around the world.

In early December, huge Christmas trees with beautiful and colorful decorations can be found in most shopping malls in big cities all over the country. In 2011 there was also a huge Christmas tree made of edible chocolate, created by professional Indonesian chocolatiers!

Popular Christmas carols in Indonesia include 'Malam Kudus' (an Indonesian version of 'O Holy Night') and 'Malam Kudus' (an Indonesian version of 'Silent Night'). These songs are usually sung on Christmas Eve in churches by a choir during the candle-light service, when people think about the Christmas story.

Most Indonesian television channels broadcast Christmas themed musical concerts. An annual Christmas celebration event, held by the Indonesian Government, is always broadcast by the state-owned television channel 'TVRI'. The most popular Hollywood movies broadcasted in Indonesian during Christmas are the Home Alone series!

In Indonesia, Santa Claus is also very popular and is called 'Sinterklass' (that's because Indonesia used to be ruled by The Netherlands). Sinterklass brings presents to children on Christmas Day - and you also might see him in shopping malls, etc.! Exchanging presents is common among Christians in Indonesia.

Cookies are a must-have food during Christmas in Indonesia. Some popular types of cookies include 'Nastar' a butter cookie with pineapple jam filling, cheese cookies called 'Kastengel' and 'Putri Salju' or 'Snow White' cookies, a butter cookie covered with powdered sugar and cheese!

In Indonesia, Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Selamat Natal'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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Christmas in Indonesia on whychristmas?com

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Although most people in Indonesia (about 85%) are Muslims, about 10% of the population are Christians - that's still about 20 million people! Indonesian Christians love to celebrate Christmas! Indonesian Christians usually go to church services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

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In Ireland, people celebrate Christmas in much the same way as people in the UK and the USA, but they also have many of their own Christmas traditions and customs.

Christmas for Irish people, who are Catholics, lasts from Christmas Eve to the feast of Epiphany on January 6th, which some Irish people call 'Little Christmas'. Epiphany isn't now widely celebrated in Ireland.

In Ireland, many people will put up their decorations, including the Christmas tree, on December 8th, which is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

There is an old tradition that in some Irish houses (although now not many), people put a tall, thick candle on the sill of the largest window after sunset on Christmas Eve. The candle is left to burn all night and represents a welcoming light for Mary and Joseph.

In Irish (or Gaelic) Christmas is 'Nollaig', Santa Claus is known as 'San Nioclás' (Saint Nicholas) or 'Daidí na Nollag' (Father Christmas) and Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Nollaig Shona Dhuit'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

Children hope that Santa will visit on Christmas Eve and leave presents for them.

The day after Christmas Day, St. Stephen's Day (known as Boxing Day in the UK and some other countries), is also very important in Ireland. Like in the UK, football matches and horse racing meetings are traditionally held on St. Stephen's Day.

One very old tradition is the Wren Boys Procession that takes place on St. Stephen's Day.

This goes back to ancient times when a real wren was killed and carried around in a holly bush. Some processions still take place, but no wren is hunted or used.

Young men and women dress up in home made costumes and go from house to house carrying a long pole with a holly bush tied to its top and singing a rhyme about a wren bird. Sometimes they are accompanied of violins, accordions, harmonicas and horns.
The rhyme that is often used is:
'The wren, the wren, the king of all birds
On St. Stephen's day was caught in the furze.'

People also ask for money 'for the starving wren'!

The wren is one of the smallest birds in the UK and Ireland, but has a very loud song and is sometimes called the 'king of all birds'. This is because of the legend of a little wren who rode on the top of an eagle's head and boasted he had 'flown higher than an eagle'. Wren's were hunted for many years throughout Europe in medieval times.

The Wren Boys Procession mostly died out in the early 20th century, although it still takes place in some towns including Dingle, in Country Kerry in the South West of Ireland.

The Feast of the Epiphany (January 6th) was also celebrated in some towns in Ireland as 'Nollaig na mBean' or Women's Christmas. Traditionally the women got the day off and the men do the housework and cooking! The women met in each other's homes to sew and chat. Although it's mostly died out, some women still like to get together on the Sunday nearest Epiphany, to have tea and cakes, to gossip and to enjoy each other's company!

Traditional, historic, Christmas food in Ireland include a round cake, full of caraway seeds. One is traditionally made for each person in the house. Now it's more common to have a Christmas Cake like those in the UK, a rich fruit cake covered with marzipan and decorated with icing.

And an addition to turkey for Christmas dinner, sometimes spiced beef (spiced over several days, cooked, and then pressed) is eaten. This can be served hot or cold. Dessert is commonly a Christmas Pudding.

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Christmas in Ireland on whychristmas?com

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In Ireland, people celebrate Christmas in much the same way as people in the UK and the USA, but they also have many of their own Christmas traditions and customs. Christmas for Irish people, who are Catholics, lasts from Christmas Eve to the feast of Epiphany on January 6th, which some Irish people call 'Little Christmas'.

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Christmas in the Israel on whychristmas?com

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How Christmas is celebrated in Israel and lots of other countries around the world.

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One of the most important ways of celebrating Christmas in Italy is the Nativity crib scene. Using a Nativity scene to help tell the Christmas story was made very popular by St. Francis of Assisi in 1223 (Assisi is in mid-Italy). The previous year he had visited Bethlehem and saw where it was thought that Jesus was born. A lot of Italian families have a Nativity scene in their homes.

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 December. But the figure of the baby Jesus isn't put into the crib/manger until the evening/night of December 24th!

Sometimes the Nativity scene is displayed in the shape of pyramid which can be meters tall! It's made of several tiers of shelves and is decorated with colored paper, gold covered pinecones and small candles. A small star is often hung inside the top of the pyramid/triangle. The shelves above the manger scene might also contain fruit, candy and presents.

One special thing about Neapolitan Nativity scenes, is that they always have extra 'every day' people and objects (such as houses, waterfalls, food, animals and even figures of famous people and politicians!). Naples is also the home to the largest Nativity scene in the world, which has over 600 objects on it!

In Naples there is a still a street of nativity scene makers called the 'Via San Gregorio Armeno'. In the street you can buy wonderful hand made Nativity scene decorations and figures - and of course whole scenes!

Christmas Tress are also now popular in Italy, but only really since after World War II. In 1982, Pope John Paul II, who was Polish, started the tradition of having a Christmas Tree displayed next to the Nativity Crib on St Peter's Square in the Vatican. The crib scene at the Vatican has seventeen life size statues, nine of them date back to 1842. The tree at the Vatican is donated from a different Italian region or country in Europe every year.

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 6th 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.

When people return from Mass, if it's cold, you might have a slice of Italian Christmas Cake called 'Panettone' which is like a dry fruity sponge cake and a cup of hot chocolate! Here's a recipe for panettone. You can find out more about Christmas in Italy and Italian Christmas Recipes on this site.

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 American than it is in Italy!

Common types of fish eaten in the feast include Baccala (salted Cod), Clams, Calamari, Sardines and Eel.

There are different theories as to why there are seven fish dishes eaten. Some think that seven represents the seven days of creation in the Bible, other say it represents the seven holy sacraments of the Catholic Church. But some families have more than seven dishes! You might have nine (to represent the Christian trinity times three), 13 (to represent Jesus and his 12 disciples) or 11 (for the 11 disciples without Jesus or Judas!)!

The Christmas celebrations start eight days before Christmas with special 'Novenas' or a series of prayers and church services.

Some families have a 'Ceppo' or Yule Log which is burnt through the Christmas season.

Epiphany is also important in Italy. On Epiphany night, children believe that an old lady called 'Befana' brings presents for them. The story about Befana bringing presents is very similar to the story of Babushka. Children put stockings up by the fireplace for Befana to fill. In parts of northern Italy, the Three Kings might bring you presents at Epiphany, rather than Befana. On Christmas day 'Babbo Natale' (Santa Claus, but it translates as Father Christmas) also brings presents!

In Italian Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Buon Natale', in Sicilian it's 'Bon Natali', in Piedmontese it's 'Bon Natal' and in Ladin (spoken in some parts of the northern Italian region of South Tyrol) it's 'Bon/Bun Nadèl'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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One of the most important ways of celebrating Christmas in Italy is the Nativity crib scene. Using a Nativity scene to help tell the Christmas story was made very popular by St. Francis of Assisi in 1223 (Assisi is in mid-Italy). The previous year he had visited Bethlehem and saw where it was thought that Jesus was born.

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Christmas is a very special time in Jamaica and like a lot of other countries, radio stations play carols all through the Christmas period.

Lots of people paint their houses and hang new curtains and decorations for Christmas. Most families spend Christmas Day at home with friends and family members.

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. (But you don't want to spend all your money during the day as there were lots of great things to buy in the evening as well!)

Around 6.00pm the evening part of Grand Market starts and it lasts until the morning! Everyone comes out on 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.

Following the Grand Market, some people will go to a Midnight Mass Church Service and others will party all night. Many people will also go to a Church Service on Christmas Day morning before the end of Grand Market.

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 is traditional and is eaten in most homes. The fruits in the cake are soaked in red wine and white rum for months before Christmas. (I have some friends who come from Jamaica and Jamaican Christmas Cake is really nice!)

In Jamaican Creole/Patois Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Merri Crissmuss'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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Christmas in Jamaica on whychristmas?com

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How Christmas is celebrated in Jamaica and lots of other countries around the world. Christmas food in Jamaica.

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Christmas has only been widely celebrated in Japan for the last few decades. It's still not seen as a religious holiday or celebration as there aren't many Christians in Japan. Now several customs that came to Japan from the USA such as sending and receiving Christmas Cards and Presents are popular.

In Japan, Christmas in 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 the 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. The 'shortcake' emoji [🍰] is Japanese Christmas cake!

Christmas is not a national holiday in Japan. However, often schools are closed on Christmas Day because it's near the start of the New Year school break. But most businesses will treat the 25th as a 'normal' working day.

One piece of music is especially famous around Christmas and the end of the year in Japan - Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and its final act the "Ode to Joy". The music is so famous it's simply known as 'daiku' (which means 'number nine'). Choirs all over the country sing it in German. One choir in Osaka, has 10,000 people in it and is known as the 'Number Nine Chorus'! It's thought it was first sung in Japan at Christmas by German prisoners of War in World War One and over the years it became more and more popular.

Another popular activity at Christmas in Japan, especially in Tokyo, is visiting Tokyo Disneyland (which opened in 1983) and seeing all the decorations and the parades. The Christmas 'season' at Tokyo Disneyland is from the 2nd week in November until Christmas Day. On December 26th, all the Christmas decorations are gone, ready for the New Year celebrations to start! New Year is a very big celebration in Japan. A 'Disney' style Christmas might have also influenced how Japanese culture celebrates Christmas as a fun and romantic time, rather than a religious one. You can find out more about Christmas 2018 at Tokyo Disneyland on the Disney Tourist Blog (goes to a different site).

In Japanese Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Meri Kurisumasu'. And it's written in the two Japanese scripts like this; Hiragana: めりーくりすます; Katakana: メリークリスマス. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

Parties are often held for children, with games and dancing. Japanese Christmas Cake is a sponge cake decorated with trees, flowers and a figure of Santa Claus.

In Japan Santa is known as サンタさん、サンタクロース / Santa-san (Mr Santa) or サンタクロース / Santa-Kurosu (Santa Claus).

(Another Japanese gift bringer is Hoteiosho, a Japanese god of good fortune from Buddhism. But he is NOT related to Christmas.)

If people have Christmas decorations, they are taken down on December 25th and then different decorations are put up for the New Year holidays.

The Japanese New Year (called 'o shogatsu') is more like a traditional Western Christmas. New year is the period where families get together, have a special meal, pray and send greetings cards. New year is celebrated over five days from December 31st to January 4th and is a very busy time.

Japanese children usually get only one gift at Christmas (which young children believe is from Santa). During the New Year holiday, children receive gifts of money, in special envelopes, from their parents, grandparents and other relatives. Japanese children very seldom give Christmas gifts to their parents, siblings or relatives. Only some special friends exchange Christmas gifts.

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How Christmas is celebrated in Japan and lots of other countries around the world. Christmas food in Japan.

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Christmas in Kazakhstan is almost always snowy, as it snows for around four months of the year during the winter. About 70% of people in Kazakhstan are Muslims, so Christmas isn't a big holiday. Most of the Christians in Kazakhstan belong to Orthodox churches, so they celebrate Christmas on January 7th, rather than on December 25th.

For Orthodox christians Advent lasts for 40 days, and some people won't eat any meat during this time. Advent ends when you can see the first star in the night sky on January 6th; this symbolises the birth of Jesus and then the main Christmas meal can start. After the meal, many Orthodox christians will go to a midnight church service.

Some non Orthodox christians might celebrate Christmas on December 25th or sometimes the Sunday before. They have also translated some English songs into Kazakh and Russian and there are a few traditional songs that were composed in Kazakhstan, but they normally sing their usual worship songs in Church on the day they celebrate Christmas.

In Kazakhstan, the main winter festival is New Year. So while there aren't Christmas trees, Father Christmas/Santa or Christmas presents for the good children... there IS a New Year tree, there IS a Snow Father/Father Frost/Grandfather Frost, called 'Ayaz Ata' (Аяз Ата) in Kazakh. He often travels with 'Kar Kız' (which means 'Snow Girl' or 'Snow Maiden') who is his granddaughter. Ayaz Ata and Kar Kız bring presents to children at New Year.

There are lots of fireworks and other celebrations to welcome in the New Year.

The 1st and 2nd of January are public holidays in Kazakhstan and the 7th January was made a public holiday on in 2007.

When Kazakhstan was part of the USSR, all religions were banned and the government made the New Year celebrations important - that's why they are still more important than Christmas today - even after 25 years after the collapse of the USSR. (In fact Kazakhstan finalized independence from the USSR on December 25th 1991! Kazakhstan Independence Day is celebrated on 16th December, the date is the first officially Independence declared from the Soviet Union.)

Snow Father and the Snow Maiden in Astana. Photo by Alkhimov Maxim, via Wikimedia Commons

Just as countries have celebrations in the run-up to Christmas, Kazakhstan's New Year celebrations start in early December.

At New Year celebrations, children recite a poem or sing a song for the jolly Snow Father in his blue (or red) suit and he gives them a New Year present around the New Year tree! There are baubles and twinkly lights in the shop windows and everyone is excited. So other than a change of date and despite being a Muslim country, Christmas ends up being pretty similar to Christmas elsewhere in the world! (But not many people know about The Christmas Story and the birth of Jesus.)

In Kazahk Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Rojdestvo quttı bolsın' (Рождество құтты болсын) and Happy New Year is 'Jaña jul kutty bolsyn' (Жана Жыл кутты болсын). Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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Christmas in Kazakhstan on whychristmas?com

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Christmas in Kazakhstan is almost always snowy, as it snows for around four months of the year during the winter. About 70% of people in Kazakhstan are Muslims, so Christmas isn't a big holiday. Most of the Christians in Kazakhstan belong to Orthodox churches, so they celebrate Christmas on January 7th, rather than on December 25th.

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Find out how Christmas is celebrated in Kenya.

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Children in Latvia believe that Santa Claus (also known as Ziemassvētku vecītis - Christmas old man) brings their presents. The present are usually put under the Christmas tree. The presents are opened on during the Evening of Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day.

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.

Latvia also claims to be the home of the first Christmas Tree! The first documented use of a evergreen tree at Christmas and New Year celebrations is in town square of Riga, the capital of Latvia, in the year 1510. Lots of people think the Christmas Tree first came from Germany, but the first recorded one is in Latvia. You can find out more about the Riga Tree from this great website: www.firstchristmastree.com

In Latvian Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Priecīgus Ziemassvētkus'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

The special Latvian Christmas Day meal is cooked brown/grey peas with bacon (pork) sauce, small pies, cabbage & sausage, bacon rolls and gingerbread.

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Children in Latvia believe that Santa Claus (also known as Ziemassvētku vecītis - Christmas old man) brings their presents. The present are usually put under the Christmas tree. The presents are opened on during the Evening of Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day.

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In Lebanon, 35% of the population follow a form of Christianity called Maronite Catholic. These Christians build manger scenes in their homes called a Nativity Crib. The crib is more popular than a Christmas Tree. It's traditional for the scene to be based around a cave rather than a stable. It's often decorated with sprouted seeds such as chickpeas, broad-beans, lentils, oats and wheat that have been grown on damp cotton wool in the weeks leading up to Christmas. The crib scene then becomes a focus for the prayer of people in the house.

Other common Catholic traditions such as going to a midnight mass service are also celebrated in Lebanon.

In the capital city, Beirut, big and glamorous Christmas parties are held in major hotels and lots of people like going to them, even if they're not Christian. Western-style commercial displays of poinsettias, Christmas lights, holly and community Christmas trees are also becoming more popular, although some people don't like them as they think they are too commercial.

When people visit each other houses over the Christmas period, sugared almonds are often eaten with strong cups of coffee.

In Lebanon most people speak Arabic, so Happy/Merry Christmas is Eid Milad Majid (عيد ميلاد مجيد) which means 'Glorious Birth Feast' or you could say Kul 'am wa enta bi-khair which means 'may every year find you in good health'. French is also spoken so you could wish people Joyeux Noël! Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

In Lebanon, Santa Claus/Father Christmas is known as Baba Noël.

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Christmas in Lebanon on whychristmas?com

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In Lebanon, 35% of the population follow a form of Christianity called Maronite Catholic. These Christians build manger scenes in their homes called a Nativity Crib. The crib is more popular than a Christmas Tree. It's traditional for the scene to be based around a cave rather than a stable.

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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 which 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 the 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.

Many people fast (don't eat anything) during the day. The Kūčios meal also shouldn't contain any meat.

Straw is a traditional decoration. Is it normally spread on the table top 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 round the table. People who are going to be alone on Christmas Eve are also invited to meal.

At the center of the table is a plate of Christmas wafers - one wafer for each person at the meal. In some parts of Lithuania the wafers have the scene of the birth of Jesus on them.

The meal starts when the first stars can be seen in the night sky. If it's cloudy, the 'head of the house' decides when the meal will start! The wafers are offered to each person at the table and Christmas greetings are exchanged. Sometimes an apple is also cut into as many people at the meal and is shared. This remembers the apple eaten in the Garden of Eden.

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, kisielius (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 between 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's Mass).

Popular Christmas Tree decorations in Lithuania are ones made from white paper straws. They are often in the shapes of stars, snowflakes and other geometric shapes.

Nativity Cribs are also popular in Lithuania with very large scenes often being put outside churches.

The Christmas season lasts until the 6th of January - Epiphany.

In Lithuanian Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Linksmų Kalėdų'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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Christmas in Lithuania on whychristmas?com

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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 which families have together during the evening of Christmas Eve.

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Christmas in Madagascar on whychristmas?com

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How Christmas is celebrated in Madagascar and lots of other countries around the world.

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Find out how Christmas is celebrated in Mali.

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Christmas is very important to the people of Malta and its sister Island of Gozo. Most people on Malta are Catholics and go to a Midnight Mass Service. Usually the churches are full with people.

In Maltese Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Il-Milied it-Tajjeb'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

The Churches are decorated with lights and nativity cribs, 'Presepju', built by the church go-ers. The cribs are decorated with figurines, called 'pasturi' (representing figures like the shepherds and angels). Today some of the cribs are mechanical and the figures in them move! The figure of the baby Jesus is put on the main altar at midnight on Christmas night. At Epiphany it is traditional to put the three figures of the Magi (Wise Men) in the crib. There is a group on Malta called 'Friends of the Crib' who help to keep the Maltese crib tradition alive.

Cribs were first introduced into Malta from Italy by rich noblemen. They were not popular at first and most were burnt. The first true Maltese crib is believed to have been made in Malta in 1617 and was displayed in the Domenican Friars Church in Rabat. In St Peter's Monastery in Mdina, there is a crib dating back to 1670. This is treasured and looked after by the Benedictine Nuns who live in the monastery. At about the same time, another Maltese man made a crib with moving parts powered by water! As cribs became more popular they also became more 'Maltese' with people replacing the Italian looking buildings and trades people with local ones. (Flour windmills were and are still popular buildings to feature in a crib scene.) The first imported Italian 'pasturi' were very expensive and most people couldn't afford them. So people started making their own 'pasturi' from rough clay and plaster. Some of these figures still exist today. (Modern pasturi are now often made of plastic.)

By the early to mid 20th century, cribs were thought of as old fashioned and not very popular anymore. To stop the decline of Christmas, in 1907, a priest called George Preca founded a children's charity and society called 'MUSEUM'. In 1921 he started a tradition of having a Christmas Eve procession with a life size figure of the Baby Jesus being carried at the head of the procession.

At sunset on Christmas Eve in 1921, Fra Diegu Street in the town of Hamrun was crowded with children and adults ready to take part in the first procession. In those days, street lighting was very poor in Malta and so many people brought lanterns with them to help them see their way during the procession and to shed light on the statue of Baby Jesus carried shoulder-high by four boys. The different types of lamps included, gas powered bicycle headlamps, oil lamps used on farmers carts, colored paper lanterns, Venetian lights, palm fronds and olive branches. The idea became very popular with people of all ages and so the very special Maltese traditional started. These processions are still popular today and form part of the Christmas Eve celebrations.

In 1986 the 'Friends of the Crib' society was formed and now they have over 500 members. Every year, in the weeks running up to Christmas, the Friends put on a exhibition of about 100 cribs of all shapes and sizes.

Maltese houses are often also decorated with cribs with 'pasturi' (which are small plastic or clay figures representing figures like the shepherds and angels). Large figures of the baby Jesus are sometimes put behind windows or in balconies and lit at night. Houses are also decorated with Christmas wreaths, candles and all sorts of other decorations. Every household also has a Christmas Tree decorated with light bulbs, tinsel and Christmas decorations.

It is traditional to sow wheat, grain and canary seed, 'gulbiena', on cotton buds in flat pans five weeks before Christmas. These are left in dark corners in the house until the seeds produce white grass-like shoots. The pans with the fully-grown shoots are then used to decorate the crib or the statue of Baby Jesus.

One Maltese Christmas tradition is the 'Priedka tat-Tifel' which means 'the preaching of the child'. A boy or a girl, normally aged 7 to 10, does the preaching of the sermon at the midnight mass instead of the priest! The children learn the sermon by heart and start learning it four or five weeks before they preach on Christmas Eve. The parents are also very excited and nervous about the performance, as they would have helped the children to learn the sermon. The boy or girl tells the story of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and is encouraged to give their sermon a personal delivery which will touch the hearts of the church-goers.

George Sapiano delivered the first known Christmas Eve sermon by an altar boy in 1883, in the parish church of Luqa. It has also become common for local churches to organise a mini-pageant with children dressed up as shepherds, Joseph and Mary carrying a baby doll (representing Jesus) acting out the story of the Nativity. This re-enactment starts at 11pm and is followed by High Mass at midnight.

A popular Maltese carol is 'ninni la tibkix izjed'. It means 'sleep and cry no more' and was written by the Jesuit Priest, Fr. Andrew Schembri (1774-1862) from Luqa for Maltese migrants in Tunis.

There is a village on Malta called 'Siggiewi' dedicated to St. Nicholas, who is also known as San Niklaw, of Bari in Italy and its feast is celebrated on the last Sunday of June.

Children on Malta get their presents from Santa Claus on Christmas night. Sometimes, Father Christmas comes knocking at doors early on Christmas night delivering presents!

Schools in Malta often hold a Christmas concert. Most of the children take part. It consists of Christmas Carols, plays with a Christmas theme, mimes and poetry recitals, etc. It is enjoyed by the children and teachers alike. Christmas parties are also often held in each class. Sometimes the children bring food which their parents prepare at home and it is shared with every one in their class. Gifts are exchanged and sometimes money is collected which is given to charity.

A concert and Christmas party is held every year at the Residential Home for the Disabled in Siggiewi. The residents take part in Christmas plays and carol singing helped by the people who work who work in the Home including Nuns. The Home is decorated and the atmosphere is great. The chapel is decorated with a beautiful crib with Baby Jesus. On Christmas Eve, a procession with the Baby Jesus is held and then Midnight Mass. Relatives of the residents also participate in the Christmas celebrations. Special food is prepared and the atmosphere is very happy!

Voluntary organisations also organise Carol Singing evenings in old people's homes and hospitals, helping to cheer up the elderly and sick with the spirit of Christmas.

Under the patronage of the President of Malta, the Community Chest Fund sets up a tent in Freedom Square in the town of Valletta, where volunteers help to raise donations of cash. The donations are then distributed to charity organisations such as orphanages and other charities, which often rely on donations to continue their work in the community.

Maltese people have a wide range of food at Christmas. Traditionally, the Maltese house-wife kept the fattest capon/rooster, 'hasi', especially for Christmas Lunch, which was roasted at the local bakery in a casserole full of potatoes and vegetables. The traditional desert served at Christmas was the Treacle Ring, 'Qaghqa tal-Ghasel', and to finish it off, a hot Chestnut and Cocoa Soup, 'Imbuljuta tal-Qastan', which was and is served as a cosy night cap during the cold December days in Malta.

Today the traditional Maltese menu has made way for Christmas Turkey, Christmas Cakes, Christmas Puddings and Mince Pies, all inherited during 164 years of British rule (1800 - 1964) in Malta. Italian Panetone has also become a Christmas favorite.

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Christmas is very important to the people of Malta and its sister Island of Gozo. Most people on Malta are Catholics and go to a Midnight Mass Service. Usually the churches are full with people. In Maltese Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Il-Milied it-Tajjeb'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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In Mexico, Christmas is celebrated from December 12th to January 6th.

From December 16th to Christmas Eve, children often perform the 'Posada' processions or Posadas. Posada is Spanish for Inn or Lodging. There are nine Posadas. These celebrate the part of the Christmas story where Joseph and Mary looked for somewhere to stay. For the Posadas, the outside of houses are decorated with evergreens, moss and paper lanterns. Lighting the way for posadas might be 'luminarias' or 'farolitos'. These are paper sacks, with shapes cut into them, which are partly filled with sand and then have a candle put in them. They represent 'lighting the way' for somewhere for Mary and Joseph to stay.

A Posada, via Wikimedia Commons

In each Posada, children are given candles and a board, with painted clay figures of Mary riding on a donkey and Joseph, to process round the streets with. They call at the houses of friends and neighbors and sing a song at each home. The song they sing is about Joseph and Mary asking for a room in the house. But the children are told that there is no room in the house and that they must go away. Eventually they are told there is room and are welcomed in! When the children go into the house they say prayers of thanks and then they have a party with food, games and fireworks.

Each night a different house holds the Posada party. At the final Posada, on Christmas Eve, a manger and figures of shepherds are put on to the board. When the Posada house has been found, a baby Jesus is put into the manger and then families go to a midnight Church service. After the Church service there are more fireworks to celebrate the start of Christmas.

One game that is often played at Posada parties is piñata. A piñata is a decorated clay or papier-mâché jar filled with sweets and hung from the ceiling or tree branch. The piñata is often decorated something like a ball with seven peaks around it. The peaks or spikes represent the 'seven deadly sins'. Piñata's can also be in the form of an animal or bird (such as a donkey). To play the game, children are blind-folded and take it in turns to hit the piñata with a stick until it splits open and the sweets pour out. Then the children rush to pick up as many sweets as they can!

Children in Oaxaca, Mexico celebrate Las Posadas by breaking a Piñata, via Wikimedia Commons

As well as the posada's, there is another type of Christmas play known as Pastorelas (The Shepherds). These tell the story of the shepherds going to find the baby Jesus and are often very funny. The devil tries to stop the shepherds by tempting them along the way. But the shepherds always get there in the end, often with the help of the Archangel Michael, who comes and beats the devil!

Nativity scenes, known as the 'nacimiento', are very popular in Mexico. They are often very large, with the figures being life size! Sometimes a whole room in a house is used for the nacimiento, although this is less common now. The figures are often made of clay and are traditionally passed down through families. As well as the normal figures of the Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the Shepherds and Three Kings, there are often lots of other figures of different people, including women making tortillas, people selling food and different animals and birds, like flamingos! The figures can be bought from markets in cities all over Mexico. The baby Jesus is normally added to the scene during the evening of Christmas Eve. The Three Kings are added at Epiphany.

Christmas Trees are becoming more popular in Mexico, but the main/most important decoration is still the nacimiento.

Christmas Eve is known as 'Noche Buena' and is a family day. People often take part in the final Posada and then in the evening have the main Christmas meal. Popular dishes for the main Christmas meal include Pozole (a thick soup made with hominy, chicken or pork and chilies with is topped with greens), roast turkey, roast pork, tamales, bacalao (salt cod), romeritos (a green vegetable that's cooked in a mole sauce with potatoes and shrimps) and there are normally salads served as side dishes such as Ensalada Nochebuena (Christmas Eve salad). For dessert bunuelos are very popular, they are fried pastries sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon or a hot sugar syrup. Bunuelos come in two shapes flat and round/ball! To drink there might be Ponche (a warm Christmas punch made with fruit) and Rompope (a drink like egg nog which often has rum added to it!).

At midnight, many people go to a Midnight Mass service, known as the 'Misa de Gallo' (which means Mass of the Rooster as people are up early like Roosters!). There are lots of fireworks to celebrate Christmas Day.

Poinsettia flowers are known as 'nochebuena' (Christmas Eve) flowers in Mexico.

On the 23rd December, in the town plaza of Oaxaca City in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, there's 'Noche de Rábanos' (the Night of the Radishes). There are competitions, in different categories, for scenes made up of several carved radishes. The traditional category is for scenes of things like the nativity story, Oaxacan traditions and local wildlife like alligators. The free category has more modern themes like caricatures of politicians. There are different prizes for adults and children.

The radishes used for carving are grown especially for the Noche de Rábanos and they're extra large - often more than 50cm (nearly 20 inches) long and can weigh up to 3kg (6.5lbs). Over 10 tons of radishes are normally used during the festival! The radishes used often have red skin and white flesh, so that when carved, there's a bright difference between the two. They are harvested around the 18th December and carved ready for the 23rd.

The competition of Noche de Rábanos started in 1897. Oaxaca has a tradition of wood carving and farmers began to carve radishes into Christmas figures and table centrepieces to sell at the Christmas market held on the 23rd December.

One legend says the selling and carving of radishes at the Christmas market started in the mid 1700s when two monks brought some extra large radishes to the market. The major of Oaxaca City started the competition in 1897 as a way of attracting more people to the Christmas market.

Thousands of visitors now visit the market every year to see the carved radishes on Noche de Rábanos. The radishes start going brown after a few hours.

On Christmas Eve churches parade floats through the plaza (these don't have radishes on them!) and on Christmas Day there are fireworks and Christmas meals.

People in Mexico also celebrate 'los santos inocentes' or 'Day of the Innocent Saints' on December 28th and it's very like April Fools Day in the UK and USA. 28th December is when people remember the babies that were killed on the orders of King Herod when he was trying to kill the baby Jesus.

In some states in Mexico children expect Santa Claus to come on December 24th. In the south of Mexico children expect presents on January 6th at Epiphany, which is known as 'el Dia de los Reyes'.

On el Dia de los Reyes the presents are left by the Three Kings (or Magi). If you've had a visit from Santa on Christmas Eve, you might also get some candy on el Dia de los Reyes!

It's traditional to eat a special cake called 'Rosca de Reyes' (Three Kings Cake) on Epiphany. A figure of Baby Jesus is hidden inside the cake. Whoever has the baby Jesus in their piece of cake is the 'Godparent' of Jesus for that year.

Another important day, is La Candelaria 'the Candles' or Virgen de la Candelaria 'Virgin of Lights or Candles' (this is also known as Candlemas in other countries around the world) on the 2nd February and it marks the end of the Mexican Christmas celebrations. Lots of Mexicans have a party for Candelaria.

In Mexico, presents might also be brought by 'El Niñito Dios' (baby Jesus) & Santo Clós (Santa Claus)

In Mexico most people speak Spanish (Español), so Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Feliz Navidad'. In the Nahuatl (spoken in some parts of central Mexico) it's 'Cualli netlācatilizpan' and in the Yucatec Maya language (spoken in some parts of the Yucatán Peninsula) it's 'Ki'imak "navidad"'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

The largest ever Angel Ornament was made in Mexico. It was made in January 2001 by Sergio Rodriguez in the town of Zozaya in the state of Nuevo León. The angel was 18' 3"" high and had wing span of 11' 9"! Perhaps the most amazing thing about the angel was that it was completely made out of old beer bottles, 2946 of them!

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How Christmas is celebrated in Mexico and lots of other countries around the world. Christmas food in Mexico.

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In Montenegro, Christmas Eve is on 6th January and Christmas Day is on the 7th January because the main Orthodox Churches still use the old 'Julian' Calendar. In the Orthodox Church, Advent starts on 28th November and last for six weeks. During Advent, some people fast and they don't eat food that comes from animals (meat, milk, eggs, etc.).

The countries of Serbia and Montenegro share many of the same Christmas traditions.

Christmas Eve is called 'Badnji dan' during the day and 'Badnje veče' after sunset. It's a time where families prepare for Christmas. Many don't eat food that comes from animals on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas Eve morning, it was traditional for men to go out into the woods and cut a type of Yule Log called a 'Badnjak' (Christmas Eve tree), normally from an oak tree. Now more people live in towns and cities, they can just buy a Badnjak from the market!

The Badnjak is brought into the house on Christmas Eve evening and is meant to burn through the evening and night.

Outside churches, there are often large bonfires where people gather in the early evening on Christmas Eve. There are sometimes nativity and Christmas plays put on either outside or inside the churches. People can bring special Badnjak to put on the bonfires.

There are two Orthodox Churches in Montenegro. The Serbian Orthodox Church and the Montenegrin Orthodox Church. They have different main Cathedrals and have two large bonfires outside them on Christmas Eve.

Here's a video of the bonfire outside the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro

'Cesnica' is a special kind of bread made at Christmas and it's made in a round shape. The bread is passed around and each member of the family gets a piece. There is a coin hidden in it and whoever gets the coin will be particularly fortunate in the next year! At the main Christmas meal you might also eat 'pecenica' (roast pork), 'sarma' (cabbage stuffed with rice and ground meat) and different kinds of cakes!

Under the dinner table there should be some straw as a symbol of the stable/cave where Jesus was born. When the straw is spread out, some people make the noise of a chicken! Clucking like a chicken symbolises that Jesus wanted people to follow him like one big family (like chickens gather together!). It's also common for a handful of walnuts to be spread on the straw.

In Montenegrin and Serbian Happy/Merry Christmas is Hristos se rodi (Христос се роди) - Christ is born Vaistinu se rodi (Ваистину се роди) - truly born (reply). Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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Christmas in Montenegro on whychristmas?com

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In Montenegro, Christmas Eve is on 6th January and Christmas Day is on the 7th January because the main Orthodox Churches still use the old 'Julian' Calendar. In the Orthodox Church, Advent starts on 28th November and last for six weeks. During Advent, some people fast and they don't eat food that comes from animals (meat, milk, eggs, etc.).

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Namibia is in the Southern Hemisphere, so Christmas takes place during one of the hottest parts of the year. However, many Christmas traditions in Namibia come from Germany as it was a German colony between 1884 and 1915.

Christmas celebration start with Advent an advent crown is used in many churches and some homes (although as it's so hot often electric candles are used as wax ones can melt in the heat).

On St Nicholas' Day, 6th December, some children will hope for a visit from St Nicholas and there might be a St Nicholas party at schools. This is often the time that Christmas lights are switched on in the big towns and cities. As well as 'traditional' Christmas light decorations like snowmen and candles, you might also see Namibian animals like elephants!

Having a Christmas Tree is also popular. Some German speaking Namibians like to import pine trees from South Africa. But often a branch of a thorn tree is used instead. The tree is normally put up and decorated on Christmas Eve.

The main Christmas meal is also eaten on Christmas Eve. German style Christmas cookies, often made from gingerbread or marzipan, are popular to have with the meal.

Following the Christmas Eve meal, it's common for people to go to a Midnight Mass service.

People from the parts of northern Namibia where the Oshiwambo language believe that Christmas is all about sharing. Their Christmas meals are often braais (barbecues) which are shared among family, friends and the local community.

People often travel back to their home villages from the cities to spend Christmas with their families. Having weddings at this time is also now becoming popular. Other people head to the coast of Namibia where it's a bit cooler - and you might even build a 'sandman' rather than a 'snowman'!.

In Namibia, three of the main languages spoken are English, German and Afrikaans. So you can say 'Merry Christmas', 'Frohe Weihnachten' and 'Geseënde Kersfees'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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Christmas in Namibia on whychristmas?com

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Namibia is in the Southern Hemisphere, so Christmas takes place during one of the hottest parts of the year. However, many Christmas traditions in Namibia come from Germany as it was a German colony between 1884 and 1915.

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Christmas in The Netherlands / Holland on whychristmas?com

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Find out how Christmas is celebrated in The Netherlands / Holland.

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In New Zealand, like its neighbor Australia, Christmas comes in the middle of the summer holidays.

Lots of people like to spend time of 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 swaps 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 town, villages and rural areas.

New Zealand has some special carols of its own. These include 'Te Harinui', Christmas in New Zealand and A Kiwiana Christmas! These are sung at most carol services around the country.

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 grow 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 a later). The earlier it flowers, the hotter the summer is meant to be; and the longer it flowers, the longer summer will be!

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. White bait 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 over do the alcoholic drinks too. Here's a recipe for pavlova.

My relations from New Zealand have an English type Christmas meal in the middle of June (New Zealand's mid winter)! This meal will often be hot food such as roast chicken, roast lamb, cold ham, hot roast vegetables such as potatoes, pumpkin, sweet potato (New Zealand has its own sweet potato called a Kumara), and other root vegetables and also greens such as peas. 'Mid winter Christmas' meals in June or July are becoming more popular in businesses and clubs as a way of spending some time together. (My cousins also like coleslaw with their mid winter Christmas meal but it seems they are very unusual in doing this!)

People open their presents on Christmas Day once the whole family is all together. This is usually before the Christmas lunch.

In the Māori language, Santa Claus is called Hana Kōkō!

One popular present for Christmas in New Zealand are 'jandals'. These are flip-flops/thing sandals - the name 'jandals' comes from combining the two words 'Japanese Sandals'. They've been popular in New Zealand since the late 1950s.

In the Māori language Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Meri Kirihimete'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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Christmas in New Zealand on whychristmas?com

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In New Zealand, like its neighbor Australia, Christmas comes in the middle of the summer holidays. Lots of people like to spend time of the beach, camping or at their Baches (holiday homes) for Christmas.

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Christmas in Nigeria on whychristmas?com

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Find out how Christmas is celebrated in Nigeria.

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Most Christians in North Macedonia belong to the Orthodox Church and so Christmas is celebrated on January 7th (The Orthodox Church use the 'Julian' Calendar for their festivals).

Christmas celebrations really start on 5th January which is called 'Kolede'. On this day people, especially children, like to go carols singing around their neighbors. They are given fruits, nuts and coins.

When the singing has finished people gather around big bonfires. They are sometimes held in parks where hundreds of people can go to see them. Others like smaller events where the local community comes together. Lots of traditional food is eaten.

Bonfire in North Macedonia, via Wikimedia Commons

At the end of the night a special Christmas bread which has a coin baked in it is passed around. Everyone takes a piece and if you find the coin you'll get luck for the next year (and you might also have to host the bonfire the next year!).

North Macedonian Christmas Eve (Badnik) Dinner Table, via Wikimedia Commons

On Christmas Eve (6th January) people look forward to the special Christmas meal that will be eaten in the evening. The meal is called 'posna' and traditionally contains no dairy, meat or animal products. Dishes might include nuts, fresh and dried fruits, baked cod or trout, bread, kidney bean soup, potato salad, Ajvar (red-pepper dip), Sarma (cabbage leaves stuffed with rice and spices) and pickled vegetables. Coin bread or Christmas Cake with a coin in it is eaten at the end of the meal.

Christmas Eve is also when the traditional oak yule log, called a 'badnik', is brought into the house and is lit (the Christmas Eve meal is also sometimes called 'badnik dinner'). Houses are also often decorated with oak branches and Christmas Trees are popular. There's sometimes straw either on the floor or under the tablecloth.

On Christmas Day (7th January) most Christians go to a Church service and then come home to eat a large Christmas feast! The traditional Christmas Day greeting is "Hristos se rodi" or "Христос се роди!" (Christ is born) to which you reply "Navistina se rodi" (He truly is born!).

In Macedonian Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Sreken Božik' (Среќен Божик). Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

The big Christmas Day meal might include different roasted meats, cheese pies, salads and lots of bread, cakes and sweets. Christmas celebrations often last for another three days after Christmas Day.

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Christmas in North Macedonia on whychristmas?com

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Most Christians in North Macedonia belong to the Orthodox Church and so Christmas is celebrated on January 7th (The Orthodox Church use the 'Julian' Calendar for their festivals). Christmas celebrations really start on 5th January which is called 'Kolede'. On this day people, especially children, like to go carols singing around their neighbors.

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Christmas Eve is the time when presents are exchanged. The gifts are sometimes brought by Santa Claus (called 'Julenissen' in Norway). Presents are also brought by the small gnomes called 'Nisse'. There are also hobgoblins (Nisse) decorations. Children pick up the presents from under the Christmas Tree and read the cards on the presents out loud.

During Advent/December in Norway, sometimes small gifts are given on each day of December leading up to Christmas. These are known as Adventsgave or Kalendergave. There is a similar tradition in Denmark. The gifts are sometimes used together with a chocolate Advent calendar!

As in Finland, a sheaf of wheat is often left out for the birds to eat over Christmas. Also a type of rice porridge is sometimes left for the 'Nisse' who is believed to guard the farm animals.

In some parts of Norway, children like to go carol singing. Often children will dress up as characters from the Christmas Story, such as the Shepherds and Wise Men, and go singing from house to house in their local neighborhood. Sometimes they carry with paper stars on them.

Another tradition in parts of Norway is that families light a candle every night from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day.

Christmas wasn't celebrated in Norway until about 1000 or 1100, when Christianity first came to the area. Before this people celebrated jul or jòl in the middle of winter. It was a celebration of the harvest gone and a way of looking forward to the spring. Lots of beer (juleol) was brewed and drunk in honour of the old pre-Christian/pagan Scandinavian gods.

Maybe the most famous custom about Christmas in Norway is the big Christmas Tree that Norway gives to the UK every year. The tree is given as a present to say 'thank you' for the help that the people of the UK gave to Norway during World War II. The tree stands in Trafalgar Square in the middle of London and often thousands of people come to watch when the lights are turned on.

A traditional Norwegian Christmas Tree decoration are small paper baskets called 'Julekurver' which made in the shape of a heart. It's said that the writer Hans Christian Andersen might have invented them in the 1860s! Instructions on how to make Julekurver are on this site: http://www.stavanger-web.com/baskets.php (goes to another site)

In Norwegian Happy/Merry Christmas is 'God Jul' or 'Gledelig Jul'. In North-Sami, spoken in northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia, it's 'Buorit Juovllat'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

Many different types of cakes and biscuits are eaten over the Christmas period in Norway. One of the most popular is a special bread called 'Julekake' that has raisins, candied peel and cardamom in it. Here's a recipe for Norwegian Hole Cake. Rice Porridge 'Risengrynsgrøt' is eaten on Christmas Eve either as a meal at lunchtime (served with butter, sugar and cinnamon) or as a dessert to the main evening email (with whipped cream mixed in!). If you find an almond in your portion you're traditionally given a pink or white marzipan pig.

The main meal is normally pork or mutton ribs served with 'surkal' (white or red cabbage, finely chopped and cooked with caraway seeds and vinegar) and potatoes.

Like in Sweden, the 1958 Disney special "From All of Us to All of You" is shown on the TV in the afternoon on 'Julaften' (Christmas Eve).

In Norway, the 23rd December is known as 'Lille Julaften' (Little Christmas Eve). Many families have their own traditions of what to do during the evening of 'Lille Julaften'. Some might put up the Christmas Tree or make a gingerbread house. Eating Risengrynsgrøt is also popular. For over 40 years on 'Little Christmas Eve', the 1963 comedy sketch 'Dinner for One' has been shown on TV. It's shown on the TV on New Year's Eve in other European countries including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Estonia.

Musevisa - The Mouse Song

A very popular song at Christmas time in Norway is the Musevisa (The Mouse Song). The words were written in 1946 by Alf Prøysen. The tune is a traditional Norwegian folk tune. It tells the story of some mice getting ready for Christmas and the Mother and Father mice warning their children to stay away from mouse traps! It became popular very quickly and is now as popular as ever in Norway.

In 2008 an extra verse was thought to have been discovered (that involved a cat!). However this was a hoax by a Norwegian photographer called Ivar Kalleberg. Most people thought this was quite fun and that Alf Prøysen would have liked the joke!

Here are the words of the Musevisa in an English translation, by Ivar Kalleberg and Kenneth Tillson and used with the kind permission of Elin Prøysen, the daughter of Alf Prøysen. There's also a video of some people singing it (in Norwegian) at a Christmas event, so you can try singing along!

Musevisa (The Mouse Song) English Translation

Here are two 'extra verses' written by Ivar Kalleberg. The top one is his 'hoax verse' and the second on is one more in the spirit of Christmas!

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Christmas Eve is the time when presents are exchanged. The gifts are sometimes brought by Santa Claus (called 'Julenissen' in Norway). Presents are also brought by the small gnomes called 'Nisse'. There are also hobgoblins (Nisse) decorations. Children pick up the presents from under the Christmas Tree and read the cards on the presents out loud.

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Christmas in Pakistan on whychristmas?com

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Find out how Christmas is celebrated in Pakistan.

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Christmas is very important in the Palestinian territory of the West Bank as it contains Bethlehem, the town in which Jesus was born. Bethlehem is about six miles (10 kilometres) south of Jerusalem. Bethlehem means 'house of bread' in Hebrew/Aramaic (בֵּית לֶחֶם) and 'house of meat' in Arabic (بيت لحم). The Hebrew/Aramaic name predates the Arabic one by several hundred years and was the meaning used in the Bible and Christmas story. The name comes from the fact the area is famous for being very fertile and good for farming, particularly for growing wheat which was made into bread.

Only about 20% of Palestinians are Christian, but many Muslim Palestinians are also proud that Jesus was born in a Palestinian Territory!

On Christmas Eve there is a parade through the town. This is very important to the Christian part of the population. There are bagpipe bands in the parade, which you might not expect! Playing the bagpipes is a tradition left over from when the British army occupied the area between 1920 and 1948. People also dress up as Santa Claus and give out sweets. The streets and main square are decorated with lights.

Perhaps the most famous part of Christmas in Bethlehem is the church service of the Mass of the Nativity. It is held on Christmas Eve afternoon/evening/midnight in the Church of the Nativity. The Church is built over the place where it's traditionally thought that Jesus was born. There's a small door into the Church called the door of humility. The church was built, by the romans, about 500 years after Jesus was born. The most holy part of the church is the Grotto of the Nativity, which is under the main altar. A silver star marks the place where Jesus was meant to have been born.

It had been prophesied in the Bible that the Jewish Messiah or Savior (who Christians believe Jesus is) would be born in Bethlehem.

The Church is administered by three churches, the Roman Catholic Church, the Greek Orthodox Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church. The Mass service is led by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Jerusalem. Many local political people go to the service, Christians, Muslims and Jews. The church is crowded and lots of frankincense, one of the gifts bought to the baby Jesus, is burnt. People also sing Christmas Carols on Christmas Eve evening in Manger Square, a large paved courtyard in front of the Church.

The Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic Churches don't celebrate Christmas on December 25th, but rather January 6th & 7th. They hold services on those days.

Christmas is more widely celebrated in the Palestinian Territories than it is in Israel.

In Arabic Happy/Merry Christmas is Eid Milad Majid (عيد ميلاد مجيد) which means 'Glorious Birth Feast'. In Aramaic, the language Jesus would have spoken, it's 'Eedookh Breekha' which means 'Blessed be your Christmas'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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christmas in the palestinian territories

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Christmas in the Palestinian Territories on whychristmas?com

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Christmas is very important in the Palestinian territory of the West Bank as it contains Bethlehem, the town in which Jesus was born. Bethlehem is about six miles (10 kilometres) south of Jerusalem. Bethlehem means 'house of bread' in Hebrew/Aramaic (בֵּית לֶחֶם) and 'house of meat' in Arabic (بيت لحم).

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People in the Philippines like to celebrate Christmas for as long as possible! The playing of Christmas carols in shops can start in September! The formal Christmas celebrations start on 16th December when many people go to the first of nine pre-dawn or early morning masses. The last mass is on Christmas day. The Christmas celebrations continue to the First Sunday in January when Epiphany or the Feast of the Three Kings is celebrated.

In the Philippines the early masses held before Christmas are called the 'Misa de Gallo' or 'Simbang Gabi' in Filipino.

Most Filipinos are Christians with about 80% of people being Catholics. It's the only Asian country with so many Christians. Because of this, Christmas is the most important holiday in the Philippines. December is actually one of the 'cooler' months of the year in the Philippines. The Philippines only has two real seasons, wet (June to October) and dry (April and May). December is one of the months in between the wet and dry seasons.

Christmas customs in the Philippines are a mixture of western and native Filipino traditions. (Christianity became widely known in The Philippines in the 1500s when missionaries from countries like Portugal and Spain traveled to the area.) So people in the Philippines have Santa Claus (or 'Santa Klaus'), Christmas trees, Christmas cards and Christmas carols from western countries!

They also have their own Christmas traditions such as the 'parol' which is a bamboo pole or frame with a lighted star lantern on it. It's traditionally made from bamboo strips and colored Japanese paper or cellophane paper and represents the star that guided the Wise Men. It is the most popular Christmas decoration in the Philippines.

Christmas Eve is very important in the Philippines. Many people stay awake all night into Christmas day! During Christmas Eve evening, Christians go to church to hear the last 'simbang gabi' or the Christmas Eve mass. This is followed by a midnight feast, called Noche Buena.

The Noche Buena is a big, open house, celebration with family, friends and neighbors dropping in to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Most households would have several dishes laid out and would normally include: lechon (roasted pig), ham, fruit salad, rice cakes (bibingka and puto bumbong are traditional Christmas foods) and other sweets, steamed rice, and many different types of drinks.

One very special person who helps people in the Philippines celebrate Christmas is Santa R-Kayma Klaws. He is a Filipino citizen, in his 70s and is of Irish descent. He has been spreading Christmas cheer among poor Filipino children by dressing up as Santa Claus during charity missions and corporate events in poor areas of the Philippines for over 50 years. He has a 'giant motor sleigh' (an air-conditioned bus!) that is used in many missions all over the Philippines. Santa R-Kayma Klaws owns the Philippines' only reindeer farm at Mt. Isarog in Barangay Sta. Cruz, Ocampo, Camarines Sur. The farm is open to the public for free. You can find out more about him and his work on his website: http://pacificsantas.com (goes to another site).

The Philippines has eight major languages, here's how to say Merry Christmas in some of them! In Tagalog, Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Maligayang Pasko'; in Ilocano it's 'Naragsak nga Paskua'; in Ilonggo it's 'Malipayon nga Pascua'; in Sugbuhanon or Cebuano it's 'Maayong Pasko'; in Bicolano they say 'Maugmang Pasko' in Pangalatok or Pangasinense they say 'Maabig ya pasko' or 'Magayagan inkianac'; and in Waray you say 'Maupay Nga Pasko'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

In 2013 the Philippines was hit by Typhoon Haiyan and thousands of people were made homeless, so lots of people can't celebrate Christmas like they used to. Many charities like Compassion are working in the Philippines to help people. Find out more about the Philippines on the Compassion website (goes to another site).

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Christmas in the Philippines on whychristmas?com

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People in the Philippines like to celebrate Christmas for as long as possible! The playing of Christmas carols in shops can start in September! The formal Christmas celebrations start on 16th December when many people go to the first of nine pre-dawn or early morning masses. The last mass is on Christmas day.

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In Poland, Advent is the beginning of Christmas Time. It's a time when people try to be peaceful and remember the real reason for Christmas. People try not to have excess of anything. Some people give up their favorite foods or drinks and parties and discos are not widely held. Some people also go to Church quite frequently. There is the tradition of the 'roraty', special masses (or communion services) held at dawn and dedicated to Mary for receiving the good news from the angel Gabriel.

During Advent, people also prepare their houses for Christmas. There's lots of cleaning and people wash their windows and clean their carpets very thoroughly. Everything must be clean for Christmas day!

Advent Calendars are also popular. some people like to make calendars for their families, so they are more personal.

St Nicholas' Day is celebrated on the 6th December. Children hope that they will get a little present from 'Small Nicholas' (Mały Mikołaj) often left in a shoe or near a fireplace. They might also get presents on Christmas Eve.

Before Christmas, children in schools and preschools take part in "Jasełka" (Nativity Plays). They are very popular and often more secular than religious. The Christmas story is also sometime put into modern times.

The smell of tangerines in schools or workplaces is widely thought to mean that Christmas time is about to start!

Poland is a largely catholic country and Christmas Eve is a very important and busy day. It's now often the most important day over Christmas - even though it's not a holiday but Christmas and the 26th December are holidays! Traditionally it was day of fasting and abstinence (not eating anything) and meat is not normally allowed to be eaten in any form.

Christmas Eve is known as Wigilia (pronounced vee-GHEE-lee-uh). Traditionally, the house is also cleaned and everyone wore their best festive clothes. The main Christmas meal is eaten in the evening and is called "Kolacja wigilijna" (Christmas Eve supper). It's traditional that no food is eaten (or sometimes the first present opened) until the first star is seen in the sky! So children look at the night sky to spot the first star! Looking for the first star is also a reminder of the Wisemen who followed a star to visit Jesus.

On the table there are 12 dishes - they are meant to give you good luck for the next 12 months. The meal is traditionally meat free, this is to remember the animals who took take of the baby Jesus in the manger. Everyone has to eat or at least try some of each dish. For catholics the 12 dishes symbolize Jesus's 12 disciples. Like in many Catholic countries, Christmas Eve is often a 'fasting day' meaning that some people don't eat anything until after sunset (when the Church day officially ends). Some people in central Poland say that at midnight the animals can talk (but I don't think that's very likely)!

One of the most important dishes is "barszcz" (beetroot soup) and it's obligatory to have it. If you really hate it, you can eat mushroom soup instead! The barszcz may be eaten with "uszka" (little dumplings with mushrooms) or "krokiety" (pancakes with mushrooms or/and cabbage, in breadcrumbs, fried on oil or butter).

Carp is often the main dish of the meal. The fish itself is traditionally bought a few days earlier alive and it swims in the bath until it's killed by the lady of the house! Now most people just buy a fillet of carp instead (especially if you only have a shower and not a bath in your house!). The carp's scales are said to bring luck and fortune and some are kept for the whole year (e.g. in wallets). Traditionally, some older ladies put them in their bras for the time of the supper and give them next day to the guest for good luck!!!

"Bigos" is a dish which can be eaten either hot or cold. It's made of cabbage, bacon, sometimes dried plums - so it is saved for Christmas day or the 26th as it has meat in it. It is made about a week or so before Christmas Eve, because with each day it gets better. Pierogi are also popular.

Herrings are very popular and usually are served is several ways: in oil, in cream, in jelly. Each household has their own recipe that say is 'the best in the whole wide world'!

In most houses there is also "kompot z suszu" that is drink made by boiling dried fruits and fresh apples.

The most popular desserts at Kolacja wigilijna are "makowiec", a poppy seed roll made of sweet yeast bread, "kutia" mixed dried fruits and nuts with wheat seeds, "piernik" a moist cake made with honey (that's like gingerbread) and gingerbreads (which are usually dry and very hard).

At the beginning of the meal, a large wafer biscuit called an 'opłatek', which has a picture of Mary, Joseph and Jesus on it, is passed around the table and everyone breaks a piece off and eats it and says a Christmas greeting. Sometimes a small piece may be given to any farm animals or pets that the family may have. An empty place is often left at the meal table, for an unexpected guest 'Niespodziewany Gość'. Polish people say that no one should be alone or hungry, therefore if someone unexpectedly knocks on the door they are welcomed. In some houses, the empty place is to commemorate a dead relative or for a family member who couldn't come to the meal.

Sometimes straw is put on the floor of the room, or under the table cloth, to remind people that Jesus was born in a stable or cow shed.

The worst part about the Christmas Eve supper is that you can't open the presents before it has finished! Older members of the family (who traditionally begin and end this meal) always make it last a long time. In most houses, before the presents are opened, the family sings carols together. Children really want to open the present and sometimes more carols are sung just to tease the children!

There are very many carols sung in Poland and each region has own carols. The most popular ones are "Wśród nocnej ciszy" (Within nights silence), "Bóg się rodzi" (God is born), "Lulajże Jezuniu" (Sleep baby Jesus) and "Dzisiaj w Betlejem" (Today in Bethlehem). The oldest carols are from medieval times, but the most popular ones are from the baroque period.

Presents are brought by "Święty Mikołaj" (St Nicholas/Santa Claus), but in some parts of Poland there are different present bringers (because during the 19th century the borders of Poland were different, so people had different traditions).

In the east (Podlaskie) there is "Dziadek Mróz" (Ded Moroz/Grandfather Frost), in parts of western and northern Poland there's "Gwiazdor", the Starman. The starman is not always all-good - if someone was bad, he might give him "rózga", a birch-stick! In the Śląskie and Małopolskie regions in the south of Poland it might be "Dzieciątko" (the Baby Jesus), and in southern areas of Poland it might be "Aniołek" (Little Angel) or "Gwiazdka" (Little Star)!

Polish Straw Christmas tree decorations, via Wikimedia Commons

The Christmas tree is also often bought in and decorated on Christmas Eve. It is decorated with a star on the top (to represent the Star of Bethlehem), gingerbreads, lights (previously candles) and "bombki" which are baubles and glass ornaments in different shapes (though most often they are spheres). They are usually hand-made, painted or decorated in other way. In the east of Poland the decorations are traditionally made of straw and are very beautiful. In some parts of Poland tress will also have an artificial spider's web as a decoration because of the story of The Christmas Spider. In some houses there is also a custom of breaking one of the Christmas Tree decorations (e.g. breaking a glass bauble) to scare the evil out of the house for the whole next year!

Christmas Eve is finished by going to Church for a Midnight Mass service.

A very popular film to watch in Poland over Christmas is 'Home Alone!' In Poland it's called 'Kevin Sam w Domu' which means 'Kevin Alone in the House'. In 2010 it wasn't going to be shown, but so many people complained that it was put back on TV!

The days after Christmas are often spent with family and friends.

People in Poland also like kissing under the mistletoe!

In Polish Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Wesołych Świąt'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

Polish Children also often get dressed up and go carol singing on Epiphany, January 6th.

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In Poland, Advent is the beginning of Christmas Time. It's a time when people try to be peaceful and remember the real reason for Christmas. People try not to have excess of anything. Some people give up their favorite foods or drinks and parties and discos are not widely held.

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Father Christmas ('Pai Natal') is believed to bring presents to children on Christmas Eve, rather than Christmas Day. The presents are left under the Christmas Tree or in shoes by the fireplace. However, some people say that the presents are brought by the Baby Jesus rather than Father Christmas.

Like in Spain, the traditional Christmas meal in Portugal, called 'Consoada', is eaten during the evening of Christmas Eve and consists of salted cod served with green vegetables, boiled potatoes and boiled eggs. This is normally followed by shellfish, wild meats or other expensive foods. Other popular Christmas foods include roast Turkey as well as cakes, fried cookies, nuts and other goodies!

Also, each region traditionally has its own selection of desserts. In the northern province of Minho, rich people would have rich desserts made with lots of eggs such as 'Lampreia de ovos' (sugary egg yolks made into the shape of a fish!). Normal people would be more likely to have something like rice pudding. French Toast (called 'Rabanadas') is popular throughout the country as are fried dough desserts sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon like 'filhós'. Filhós are also made differently in different regions. Alentejo province makes them with crated carrot and shapes them balls. Beira Province makes them flat and round with just the flour and water and sometimes some orange or lemon zest to flavor the dough.

The traditional Christmas cake is 'Bolo Rei' (which means 'King Cake') and is placed in the center of the table. There is also a version without candied fruit called the 'Bolo Rainha'. Traditionally a broad bean and a gift (a little token) are hidden in the cake. If you get the token you are allowed to keep it. But if you find the broad bean, you have to pay for next year's Bolo Rei!

People drink porto wine, traditional liquors and eat 'azevias' and 'felhozes' (Portuguese biscuits and sweets). The party lasts until the early hours of the morning!

After the meal, people go to church for the 'Missa do Galo' or 'Mass of the Rooster' service. During the service an image of baby Jesus is brought out, and everyone queues up to kiss it. It is then put in the nativity scene (the presépio) that every church will have. After the service people return home and open their presents.

Before leaving for the service, parents secretly put the baby Jesus in the nativity scene in their houses and put the gifts under the Christmas Tree, so that Jesus will 'miraculously' be in his manger by the time the family returns home! Children run to check the nativity scene as soon as they enter the house as no baby Jesus means no presents!

Some families have two present opening times with children being allowed to open a few gifts after midnight mass and most of them in the morning. People that don't go to a midnight service will put the gifts under the tree and the family will open the gifts when they wake up.

On Christmas Day the living room table remains untouched and people still enjoy their goodies together! Families come together and have Christmas Day lunch together.

Christmas Trees are common now, but not everyone had a tree until around the 1970s. However, the Nativity Scene (or Presépio) is the traditional Christmas decoration in Portugal, and most families will have a small one with just the holy family and the animals; but often the scenes have dozens of characters including the holy family, animals, the wise men, shepherds, farmers, folk characters, etc. Children like to make the nativity scene, fetching moss to make the grass and arranging the figures.

Some shops and clubs still make huge nativity scenes with over one hundred figures, waterfalls, windmills that rotate, and lights! People like to go and see the big scenes.

In the region of Penamacor, a special Christmas tradition called the 'Christmas Madeiro' takes place on Christmas Eve. Traditionally, young men who were about to go into the military (for compulsory military service) were meant to steal whole trees to make the tallest fire in the church yard. However, compulsory military service was stopped in 2004 in Portugal, but the tradition of lighting the Madeiro stump/fire still takes place in some areas. The fire is lit just before the Midnight mass or during it "to warm baby Jesus's feet"! It also gives people a warm place to meet friends, chat and sing songs when they come out of midnight mass. The Madeiro is sometimes so big that it will keep on burning for Christmas day as well!

The wood for the Madeiro was traditionally stollen - it should not be bought! If the boys were caught by the owners of the trees, then they have to pay for it. However, nowadays the wood is normally paid for after Christmas or it is discretely donated by the boy's parents; or relatives who tell them where some trees that are sick, or which ones need felling, so they can get them from there!

After Christmas (and never before!) and going into the first weeks of January, groups of people will go from house to house with an image of the baby Jesus in his manger singing the 'Janeiras' songs (January songs). They are often accompanied with small instruments. They usually start with an opening song asking the owner of the house for food and drink! The owner of the house should invite them in to warm up and to help themselves of a spread of snacks sweet like dry figs with walnuts inside them or savory like cheese and chorizo and some wine or brandy.

If you do not open your door, or your food and drink doesn't meet what is expected (especially if you're rich), the singers will sing songs mocking you (like saying you've got a big nose)! Normally after enjoying the food, the January singers will sing a song of thanks praising the generosity of the hosts, saying how nice you are and saying any single girls are very beautiful!

Epiphany is also celebrated in Portugal, on the 6th January. On the Island of Madeira, the Janeiras are very popular and are also known as the "Cantar os Reis" (or 'singing the Kings'). As well as the Janeiras in the streets, there's also a popular concert which is held each year on the evening of the 5th January in the to be held in the Auditorium of the Municipal Gardens, in Funchal.

In Portuguese Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Feliz Natal' or you can use 'Feliz Natal e um feliz ano novo' for 'Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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Christmas in Portugal on whychristmas?com

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Father Christmas ('Pai Natal') is believed to bring presents to children on Christmas Eve, rather than Christmas Day. The presents are left under the Christmas Tree or in shoes by the fireplace. However, some people say that the presents are brought by the Baby Jesus rather than Father Christmas.

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Songs and singing are very popular at Christmas time in Puerto Rico. People like to go carol singing, known as Parrandas (also sometimes called Asalto or Trulla). Friends gather late in the evening (about 10pm) and visit different houses. People are meant to be surprised and woken up by the music and singing of the 'parranderos' (those taking part in the 'parranda'), although most people have 'arranged' that they will be visited; because the custom is that when you've been 'woken up' you have to join in the parranda so it grows during the evening as more party go-ers join in! The fun can last all night, finishing at dawn!

Another popular type of music at Christmas in Puerto Rico are 'Aguinaldos' (Christmas songs). Some are religious and called 'villancicos'. Some have a creole/criollo rhythm called 'décimas navideñas'. Popular and traditional Christmas songs are also sung and played.

Puerto Rican homes are decorated with greenery, often with branches from palm trees as well as Christmas decorations similar to those in the USA like Christmas Trees (normally artificial). Nativity Scenes 'nacimientos' or 'pesebres' are also popular. The figures of the Three Kings are very important. People also like to wear a traditional straw hat called a 'pava' at Christmas celebrations.

Christmas Eve is known as 'Nochebuena'. The main celebrations and Christmas meal happen on Nochebuena. Christmas Day ('Navidad') is the day that you recover from the Nochebuena!

'Misa de Aguinaldos' are special Catholic Masses which are held from the 15th to the 24th December. The services are nearly all sung and use traditional Puerto Rican musical instruments such as the cuatro (a Puerto Rican guitar), guitars, güiros (a percussion instrument you rub a stick up and down), and maracas. The masses are held at dawn (about 6am).

On Christmas Eve there's a special Misa de Aguinaldo at midnight called the Misa de Gallo (mass of the rooster). It is a very important and festive mass which includes carols, a nativity play with children dressed people from the Christmas Story and there's lots of candles. It's traditional for families to go to the mass to celebrate Christmas.

The main Christmas meal is normally 'lechón asado' (roast pork often cooked on a spit) served with 'arroz con gandules' (rice, pigeon peas and pork which is cooked in sofrito sauce), 'plátano' (plantains) and 'pasteles' (a dough made from mashed green bananas filled with meat and wrapped/cooked in banana leaves). Cooking the roast pig can take all day and starts early in the morning. Lots of Christmas music is played during the day to keep people entertained.

Popular Christmas desserts are 'arroz con dulce' (a kind of rice pudding) and 'tembleque' (a set custard made with coconut milk). The desserts are eaten cold. People like to drink 'coquito' (a drink like eggnog made with rum!). Guests often bring the desserts.

On December 28th Holy Innocents Day 'Día de los Inocentes' is celebrated. It's a bit like April Fools day where people try to trick each other. But in the town of Hatillo there's an old custom of a carnival on that day. Men dressed as King Herod's soldiers 'kidnap' children and people have to give the soldiers sweets and candy to get the children back!

New Year's Eve is called 'Despedida de Año' or 'Año Viejo'. When the clock strikes midnight, it's traditional to eat a grape on each chime for good luck! Then everyone hugs each other and people celebrate the new year letting off fireworks and firecrackers and honk their car horns! People then like to listen to a traditional poem called 'El Brindis del Bohemio' (A Bohemian Toast) which is played on the radio.

Epiphany is also a popular celebration in Puerto Rico. Epiphany Eve on the 5th of January is called 'Víspera de Reyes'. Traditional Catholics go to church to pray the rosary to honor the Three Wisemen/Kings. Children also hope that they be left gifts by the Wisemen and leave fresh grass in shoeboxes under their beds for the King's camels to eat.

Epiphany on the 6th January is called 'Día de Reyes' (Day of the Kings). Children wake up early to check out what the Kings have left them! On the 6th, 7th and 8th people also remember the three Wisemen/Kings: 6th = Gaspar; 7th = Melchor; 8th = Baltazar. Traditionally after Epiphany there are special services honouring Jesus and the Kings/Wisemen called 'Octava de la Epifanía'. They last eight days (octava is eighth in Spanish), starting on the 6th January and ending on the 13th January. Not many people take part in them now and Christmas and New Year celebrations often finish after 'Día de Reyes'.

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Christmas in Puerto Rico on whychristmas?com

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How Christmas is celebrated in Puerto Rico and lots of other countries around the world. Christmas food in Puerto Rico.

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In Romania, Christmas and mid-winter celebrations last from 20th December to 7th January. The 20th is called 'Ziua de Ignat' or simply 'Ignat Day'. It is traditional that if the family keep pigs, one is killed on this day by the head of the household. The meat from the pig is used in the Christmas meals. After the pig is killed, the family members share a dish called 'Pomana Porcului' (Pork's Charity) which is traditionally cooked in a cauldron and consists of a variety of pork bits (pork belly, shoulder, liver, kidneys, etc.) in a garlic sauce and served with polenta. The name 'Ignat Day' comes from the 20th is also the saint day of 'Saint Ignatius of Antioch' and also 'Saint Ignatius, Archimandrite of the Kiev Caves' in some churches.

Sfantul Nicolae's Day (St Nicholas) is celebrated on the 6th December. On the evening of the 5th December children clean their shoes or boots and leave them by the door and hope that Sfantul Nicolae will leave them some small presents! Sfantul Nicolae might also be called 'Moş Nicolae' (Old Man Nicholas) and although he is celebrated in December, it's not part of the Christmas celebrations! A tradition says that if it snows on December 6th, Sfantul Nicolae has shaken his beard so that winter can begin.

The Christmas celebrations really begin on Christmas Eve, 24th, when it's time to decorate the Christmas Tree. This is done in the evening of Christmas Eve. In Romanian, Christmas Eve is called 'Ajunul Craciunului'.

Carol singing (known as 'Colindatul') is also a very popular part of Christmas in Romania. On Christmas Eve, children go out carol singing from house to house performing to the adults in the houses. They normally dance as well. The children get sweets, fruit, traditional cakes called 'cozonaci' and sometimes money for singing well. Adults go carol singing on Christmas Day evening and night.

A traditional Romanian Carol is the 'Star Carol'. The star, made of colored paper and often decorated with tinsel, silver foil and sometimes bells, is put on a pole. In the middle of the star is a picture of baby Jesus or a nativity scene. Carol singers take the star with them when they go carol singing. The words of the Star Carol are:

"The star has appeared on high,
Like a big secret in the sky,
The star is bright,
May all your wishes turn out right."

Other popular carols to sing include 'Oh, What Wondrous Tidings' ('O, ce veste minunata') and 'Three Wise Men coming from the East' ('Trei Crai de la rasarit').

Traditional Carol Singing in Romania, via Wikimedia Commons

In many parts of Romania, it's also traditional that someone dresses up as a goat, with a multicolored mask, and goes round with the carol singers. The goat is known as the 'Capra' and it jumps and dances around getting up to lots of mischief!

Another Christmas Eve tradition is a drumming band or 'dubasi'. This is normally made up of un-married men. A band can have up to 50 or 60 men in it! As well as the drums there's often a saxophone and violin. The band will practice for about a month before Christmas so they are really good. The go round the streets and are given presents.

In Romanian, Merry Christmas is 'Crăciun Fericit'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

In Romania Santa Claus is known as 'Moş Crăciun' (Old Man Christmas). During the time the country was under communist control, the gift bringer was 'Moş Gerilă' (Old Man Frost) but Moş Crăciun is the main gift bringer now!

Traditional Romanian Christmas foods include Roast Gammon and Pork Chops (made from the killed pig!), 'Ciorba de perisoare' which is a slightly sour vegetable soup made with fermented bran and pork meatballs; 'Sarmale' cabbage leaves stuffed with ground pork and served with polenta; 'Cozonac' a rich fruit bread; Romanian doughnuts called 'gogosi' and cheesecakes.

New Year's Eve is also an important celebration in Romania. It's sometimes called Little Christmas. Traditionally a small, decorated plough called a 'Plugusorul' is paraded through the streets on New Year's Eve. It is meant to help people have good crops during the following year.

On New Year's Day, children wish people a Happy New Year while carrying around a special bouquet called a 'Sorcova'. Traditionally, the Sorcova was made of twigs from one or more fruit trees like apple, pear, cherry or plum. They're put into water in a warm place on 30th November, so they hopefully come into leaf and blossom on New Year's Eve! Nowadays often a single twig of an apple or pear tree is used and it's decorated with flowers made from colored paper.

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Christmas in Romania on whychristmas?com

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In Romania, Christmas and mid-winter celebrations last from 20th December to 7th January. The 20th is called 'Ziua de Ignat' or simply 'Ignat Day'. It is traditional that if the family keep pigs, one is killed on this day by the head of the household.

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In the days of the Soviet Union, Christmas was not celebrated very much. New Year was made into the important time. Following the revolution in 1917, Christmas was banned as a religious holiday in 1929 and Christmas Trees were banned until 1935 when they turned into 'New Year' Trees! If people did want to celebrate Christmas, they had to do it in secret just in their families.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, people were free to celebrate Christmas again. But it's still a quieter and smaller holiday in Russia after the big New Year celebrations.

The New Year is the big time for spending lots of money and eating and drinking lots. Christmas is much more religious and private.

New Year is also when 'Grandfather Frost' (known in Russian as 'Ded Moroz' or Дед Мороз) brings presents to children. He is always accompanied by his Granddaughter (Snegurochka). On New Year's eve children hold hands, make a circle around the Christmas tree and call for Snegurochka or Ded Moroz. When they appear the star and other lights on the Christmas tree light up! Ded Moroz carries a big magic staff. The traditional greeting for Happy New Year is 'S Novym Godom'.

On New Year's Eve, a popular and now 'traditional' film to watch on TV is called 'The Irony of Fate' (Ирония судьбы or Ironiya sudby). It's also known as 'Enjoy your Bath' or 'With a Light Steam' and was made in 1975 during the Soviet era and was always shown on Soviet TV on New Year's Eve. It's a romantic comedy about a man who drinks too much and gets very lost after having a sauna with some of his friends. The Irony of Fate is also shown on Russian TV on New Year's Eve. It's also shown on New Year's Eve in Belarus.

Christmas in Russia is normally celebrated on January 7th (only a few Catholics might celebrate it on the 25th December). The date is different because the Russian Orthodox Church uses the old 'Julian' calendar for religious celebration days. The Orthodox Church also celebrates Advent. But it has fixed dates, starting on 28th November and going to the 6th January, so it's 40 days long.

The official Christmas and New holidays in Russia last from December 31st to January 10th.

In Russian Happy/Merry Christmas is 's rah-zh-dee-st-VOHM' (C рождеством!) or 's-schah-st-lee-vah-vah rah-zh dee-st-vah' (Счастливого рождества!). Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

Some people fast (don't eat certain foods) on Christmas Eve, until the first star has appeared in the sky. People then eat 'sochivo' or 'kutia' a porridge made from wheat or rice served with honey, poppy seeds, fruit (especially berries and dried fruit like raisins), chopped walnuts or sometimes even fruit jellies!

Kutia is sometimes eaten from one common bowl, this symbolizes unity. In the past, some families like to throw a spoonful of sochivo up on the ceiling. If it stuck to the ceiling, some people thought it meant they would have good luck and would have a good harvest!

The Russian word for Christmas Eve 'sochelnik', comes from the word 'sochivo'.

Some Orthodox Christian Russians also don't eat any meat or fish during the Christmas Eve meal/feast.

Other popular Christmas Eve foods include, beetroot soup (borsch) or vegan potluck (solyanka) served with individual vegetable pies (often made with cabbage, potato, or mushroom); sauerkraut, porridge dishes such as buckwheat with fried onions and fried mushrooms, salads often made from vegetables like gherkins, mushrooms or tomatoes, and also potato or other root vegetable salads. The meal often consists of 12 dishes, representing the 12 disciples of Jesus.

'Vzvar' (meaning 'boil-up') is often served at the end of the meal. It's a sweet drink made from dried fruit and honey boiled in water. Vzvar is traditionally at the birth of a child, so at Christmas it symbolizes the birth of the baby Jesus.

Following the meal, prayers might be said and people then go to the midnight Church services. They often don't wash the dishes until they get home from Church - sometimes not until 4.00am or 5.00am!

The main meal on Christmas day is often more of a feast with dishes like roast pork & goose, Pirog and Pelmeni (meat dumplings). Dessert is often things like fruit pies, gingerbread and honeybread cookies (called Pryaniki) and fresh and dried fruit and more nuts.

There are Russian Christmas cookies called Kozulya which are made in the shape of a sheep, goat or deer.

In some areas, children will go carol singing round the homes of friends and family and to wish people a happy new year. They are normally rewarded with cookies, sweets and money.

To people in western Europe and the USA, one of the most famous things about Christmas in Russia is the story of Babushka. Babushka means Grand Mother in Russian. It tells the story of an old women who met the Wise men on their way to see Jesus.

However, most people in Russia have NEVER heard of the story as it was probably created by an American poet and writer called Edith Matilda Thomas in 1907! I've had many emails from Russian visitors to the site who have never heard the story before!

The Story of Babushka

Once in a small Russian town, there lived a women called Babushka. Babushka always had work to do sweeping, polishing, dusting and cleaning. Her house was the best kept, most tidy house in the whole village. Her garden was beautiful and her cooking was wonderful. One evening she was busy dusting and cleaning, so busy that she didn't hear all the villagers outside in the village square talking about and looking at the new star in sky.

She had heard about the new star but thought, "All this fuss about a star! I don't even have the time to look because I'm so behind with my work. I must work all night!" So, she missed the star as it shone brightly, high overhead. She also missed the little line of twinkling lights coming down towards the village at dawn. She didn't hear the sounds of the pipes and drums. She missed the voices and whispers of the villagers wondering whether the lights were an army or a procession of some sort. She missed the sudden quiet of the villagers and even the footsteps coming up the path to her door. But the one thing that she couldn't miss was the loud knocking on her front door!

"Now what is that?" she wondered, opening the door. Babushka gaped in amazement. There were three kings at her door with one of their servants! "My masters need a place to rest," the servant said, "and yours is the best house in the village." "You want to stay here?" asked Babushka. "Yes, it would only be until night falls and the star appears again." the servant replied. Babushka gulped. "Come in, then." she said.

The kings were very pleased when they saw all of the of the home-baked bread, pies and cakes. She dashed about, serving them, asking lots of questions. "Have you come a long way?" "A very long way." sighed Caspar. "Where are you going?" "We're following the new star." said Melchior. "But where?" The kings didn't know, but they believed that it would lead the to a new-born king, a King of Earth and Heaven. "Why don't you come with us?" asked Balthasar. "You could bring him a gift like we do. I bring gold, and my colleagues bring spices and perfumes." "Oh, I'm not sure that he would welcome me," said Babushka, "and what could I bring for a gift? Toys! I know I could bring a toy. I've got a cupboard full of toys." she said sadly. "My baby son, died when he was small." Balthasar stopped her as she went to tidy the kitchen up. "This new king could be your king too. Come with us when the star appears tonight." he said. "I'll think about it." sighed Babushka.

As the kings slept, Babushka tidied up as quietly as she could. "What a lot of extra work there was!" she thought, "and this new king, what a funny idea, to go off with the kings to find him."

Babushka shook herself. There was no time for dreaming, all this washing-up and putting away had to be done. "Anyway," she thought, "how long would she be away? What would she wear? What about the gift?" She sighed. "There is so much to do. The house will have to be cleaned when they've gone. I couldn't just leave it." Suddenly it was night-time again and the star was in the sky. "Are you ready, Babushka?" asked Balthasar. "I'll come tomorrow," Babushka called, "I must just tidy here first and find a gift."

The kings went away sadly. Babushka ran back into her house, keen to get on with her work.

Finally, she went to the small cupboard, opened the door and gazed at all the toys. But they were very dusty. They weren't fit for a baby king. They would all need to be cleaned. She cleaned all of the toys until each one shined. Babushka looked through the window. It was morning! The star had came and gone. The kings would have found somewhere else to rest by now. She could easily catch them up, but she felt so tired. She had to sleep. The next thing she knew, she was awake and it was dark outside. She had slept all day! She quickly pulled on her cloak, packed the toys in a basket and ran down the path the kings had taken.

Everywhere she asked "Have you seen the kings?" "Oh yes," everyone told her, "we saw them. They went that way." For a day Babushka followed the trail of the kings and the villages got bigger and became towns. But Babushka never stopped. Then she came to a city. "The palace," she thought. "That's where the royal baby would be born." "No, there is no royal baby here," said the palace guard when she asked him. "What about three kings?" asked Babushka. "Oh yes, they came here, but they didn't stay long. They were soon on their journey." "But where to?" asked Babushka. "Bethlehem, that was the place. I can't imagine why. It's a very poor place. But that's where they went." replied the guard. She set off towards Bethlehem. It was evening when Babushka arrived at Bethlehem and she had been traveling for a long time. She went into the local inn and asked about the kings. "Oh yes," said the landlord, "the kings were here two days ago. They were very excited, but they didn't even stay the night." "And what about a baby?" Babushka cried. "Yes there was." Said the landlord. "The kings asked about a baby, too." When he saw the disappointment in Babushka's eyes, he stopped. "If you'd like to see where the baby was," he said quickly, "it was across the yard there. I couldn't offer the couple anything better at the time. My inn was really full, so they had to go in the stable."

Babushka followed him across the yard. "Here's the stable." he said. He left her in the stable. "Babushka?" Someone was calling her from the doorway. He looked kindly at her. She wondered if he knew where the family had gone. She knew now that the baby king was the most important thing in the world to her. "They have gone to Egypt, and safety," he told Babushka. "And the kings have returned to their countries. But one of them told me about you. I am sorry but you are too late. It was Jesus that they found, the world's Savior."

Babushka was very sad that she had missed Jesus and it is said that Babushka is still looking for him.

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How Christmas is celebrated in Russia and lots of other countries around the world. Christmas food in Russia.

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How Christmas is celebrated in Serbia and lots of other countries around the world.

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Christmas in Slovakia on whychristmas?com

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How Christmas is celebrated in Slovakia and lots of other countries around the world.

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Because South Africa is in the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas comes in the summer. So there's lots of sun and beautiful flowers in full bloom.

The schools are closed for the Christmas holidays and some people like to go camping. Going carol singing, on Christmas Eve, is very popular in towns and cities. Carols by Candlelight services are also popular on Christmas Eve. And many people go to a Christmas morning Church Service.

Traditional 'fir' Christmas Trees are popular and children leave a stocking out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.

The Christmas meal is either turkey, duck, roast beef or suckling pig with yellow rice & raisins and vegetables, followed by Christmas Pudding or a traditional South African dessert called Malva Pudding (sometimes also called Lekker Pudding) - get the recipe. People also like to pull Christmas Crackers! The meal is often eaten outside in the summer sun! If it's really hot they might even have a barbecue or 'braai'. Mince pies are also popular.

South Africa also has several other UK Christmas traditions, because of its history with the UK.

On Christmas day afternoon, people visit family and friends or might go for a trip into the country side to play games or have a swim.

Boxing Day is also a public holiday in South Africa and again people like to be 'out and about' having a good time!

In Afrikaans (one the languages spoken in South Africa) Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Geseënde Kersfees'; in Zulu it's 'UKhisimusi omuhle', in Sesotho it's 'Le be le keresemese e monate' and in Xhosa it's 'Krismesi emnandi'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

Santa Claus is also known as Sinterklaas (St Nicholas) & Kersvader (Father Christmas) for people who speak Afrikaans (which has a base in Dutch).

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Christmas in South Africa on whychristmas?com

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Because South Africa is in the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas comes in the summer. So there's lots of sun and beautiful flowers in full bloom. The schools are closed for the Christmas holidays and some people like to go camping. Going carol singing, on Christmas Eve, is very popular in towns and cities.

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Christmas in South Korea on whychristmas?com

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Find out how Christmas is celebrated in South Korea.

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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.

Popular desserts and sweets include 'mazapán' (made of almonds, sugar and eggs), 'turrón' (made of honey and toasted almonds) and 'polvorones' (made of flour, butter and sugar).

After the midnight service, one old tradition was for people to walk through the streets carrying torches, playing guitars and beating on tambourines and drums. One Spanish saying is 'Esta noche es Noche-Buena, Y no Es noche de dormir' which means 'Tonight is the good night and it is not meant for sleeping!'

A few different languages are spoken in different regions in Spain. In Spanish (also sometimes called Castilian) Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Feliz Navidad'; in Catalan, Asturian and Occitan it's 'Bon Nadal'; in Galician 'Bo Nadal'; in Aragonese it's 'Feliz Nadal' and in Basque (or Euskara in basque) 'Eguberri on'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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, inocente' 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 6th 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.

Children have some presents on Christmas Day, but most are opened at Epiphany. Children believe that the Kings bring presents to them at Epiphany. They write letters to the Kings asking for toys and presents. And on Epiphany Eve (January 5th) they leave shoes on windowsills or balconies or under the Christmas Tree to be filled with presents. Gifts are often left by children for the Kings, a glass of Cognac for each King, a satsuma and some walnuts. Sometimes a bucket of water is left for the camels that bring the Kings! If the children have been bad, the Kings might leave pieces of coal made out of sugar in the presents!

The Three Kings Parade in Seville, via Wikimedia Commons

Some big towns and cities have Epiphany Parades with each King having a big float that is shaped like a camel. Sometimes there are also real camels in the parade. Often the Kings (Wise Men) throw out candy to the children watching the parade. The Three Kings in the Spanish Epiphany are:

Gaspar, who has brown hair and a brown beard (or no beard!) and wears a green cloak and a gold crown with green jewels on it. He is the King of Sheba. Gaspar represents the Frankincense brought to Jesus. Frankincense is sometimes used in worship in Churches and showed that people worship Jesus.

Melchior, who has long white hair and a white beard and wears a gold cloak. He is the King of Arabia. Melchior represents the Gold brought to Jesus. Gold is associated with Kings and Christians believe that Jesus is the King of Kings.

Balthazar, who has black skin and a black beard (or no beard!) and wears a purple cloak. He is the King of Tarsus/Macedonia and Egypt. Balthazar represents the gift of Myrrh that was brought to Jesus. Myrrh is a perfume that is put on dead bodies to make them smell nice; Christians believe that it showed that Jesus would suffer and die.

Christmas in the Basque Country

In the Basque country (which is a part of northern Spain and southern France), on Christmas Eve, children's presents are delivered by a magical man called Olentzero. He's a big, overweight man wearing a beret and smoking a pipe. He dresses like a Basque farmer.

Christmas in Catalonia

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'.

Nativity Scenes 'Pesebres' are also popular in Catalonia (and all throughout Spain!). Many towns also hold 'Pastorets' which are big plays/presentations about the Christmas story, the birth of Jesus. They have lots of music and readings from the Bible. You can find out more about Pastorets on the Pastoret Society of Catalunya's website (goes to another site).

An unusual figure which is popular and traditional in Pesebres in Catalonia is 'El Caganer' which means 'the poo-er'! And yes, it's a figure of a person going to the toilet! It's normally a figure of a Catalan peasant, wearing the traditional red Catalan cap (called a barretina) squatting with their trousers/pants down and well, you know... New versions of El Caganer are now produced each year, often with the faces of celebrities and politicians! This figure has been part of nativity scenes in Catalonia since the early 18th century. It's often hidden in a back corner of the Pesebre, well away from the stable! Similar figures can also sometimes be found in scenes in other areas in Spain such as Andorra, Valencia and Murcia; in Northern Catalonia (in southern France), Naples (in Italy) and some parts of Portugal.

A special cake called 'Roscón' is eaten at Epiphany. Roscón means 'ring shape roll'. It is very doughy and is bought from a bakery on Epiphany morning. Roscón can be filled with cream or chocolate and contain a little gift.

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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.

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Although Sri Lanka is a mostly Buddhist country (only 7% of people are Christians) Christmas is celebrated as a public holiday by everyone. Most Christians in Sri Lanka are Catholics. There has been influences from several different European countries. Sri Lanka (it was also called Ceylon) was ruled by the Portuguese from 1505 to 1650, the Dutch from 1658 to 1796 and the British from 1815 to 1948.

For Christians in Sri Lanka, the Christmas season starts on 1st December when people let off fire crackers at dawn!

The streets are decorated and the shopping centers have large Christmas Trees in them. Big companies have Christmas parties and large hotels have Christmas dinner dances.

The Christians go to Midnight Mass services all over the country. They also invite friends, both Christian and non Christian to their homes for parties.

New Year is also widely celebrated with more fire crackers! There are also Midnight Mass services for New Year.

In Sri Lanka Santa is called Naththal Seeya.

In Sinhala, spoken in Sri Lanka, Merry Christmas is 'Suba Naththalak Wewa' (සුබ නත්තලක් වේවා). Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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Christmas in Sri Lanka on whychristmas?com

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Although Sri Lanka is a mostly Buddhist country (only 7% of people are Christians) Christmas is celebrated as a public holiday by everyone. Most Christians in Sri Lanka are Catholics. There has been influences from several different European countries.

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Around Christmas time in Sweden, one of the biggest celebrations is St. Lucia's Day (or St. Lucy's Day) on December 13th. The celebration comes from stories that were told by Monks who first brought Christianity to Sweden.

St Lucia was a young Christian girl who was martyred, killed for her faith, in 304. The most common story told about St Lucia is that she would secretly bring food to the persecuted Christians in Rome, who lived in hiding in the catacombs under the city. She would wear candles on her head so she had both her hands free to carry things. Lucy means 'light' so this is a very appropriate name.

December 13th was also the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, in the old 'Julian' Calendar and a pagan festival of lights in Sweden was turned into St. Lucia's Day.

St. Lucia's Day is now celebrated by a girl dressing in a white dress with a red sash round her waist and a crown of candles on her head. Small children use electric candles but from about 12 years old, real candles are often used!

The crown is made of Lingonberry branches which are evergreen and symbolise new life in winter. Schools normally have their own St. Lucia's and some town and villages also choose a girl to play St. Lucia in a procession where carols are sung.

A national Lucia is also chosen. Lucias also visit hospitals and old people's homes singing a song about St Lucia and handing out 'Pepparkakor', ginger snap biscuits.

Small children sometimes like dressing up as Lucia (with the help of their parents!). Also boys might dress up as 'Stjärngossar' (star boys) and girls might be 'tärnor' (like Lucia but without the candles).

A popular food eaten at St. Lucia's day are 'Lussekatts', St Lucia's day buns flavored with saffron and dotted with raisins which are eaten for breakfast.

St Lucia's Day first became widely celebrated in Sweden in the late 1700s. St Lucia's Day is also celebrated in Denmark, Norway, Finland, Bosnia, and Croatia. In Denmark it is more a of a children's day and in some part of Italy, children are told that St Lucy brings them presents. They leave out a sandwich for her and the donkey that helps carry the gifts!

On the first Sunday of Advent, called "Första Advent" in Swedish, many Swedes will put their Advent candles and/or an Advent Star in windows of their homes. Traditionally the Advent candles are four candles set in a 'box' which is decorated with greenery. One candle is lit on each Sunday during Advent. This custom came from the German Advent wreath. Often now an electric 'stepped' candle display is used instead of real candles.

Advent Stars were first made in the 1930s from red paper. The stars normally have seven (or sometimes nine) points and are about 30-45cms (12 to 18 inches) across. They have holes in them and a light is put in them (now a safe electric one) so the light shines out. The stars are hung in a window to remind people that the wise men followed a star to find Jesus in the Christmas story. The stars are often now white and might be made of straw, wood or metal as well as paper.

Christmas Eve is also very important in Sweden. This is when the main meal (well really a feast!) is eaten.

This is often a 'julbord' which is a buffet, eaten at lunchtime. Cold fish is important on the julbord. There is often herring (served in many different ways), gravlax (salmon which has been cured in sugar, salt and dill) and smoked salmon.

Other dishes on the julbord might include cold meats including turkey, roast beef and 'julskinka' (a Christmas ham); cheeses, liver pate, salads, pickles and different types of bread and butter (or mayonnaise). There will also be warm savoury foods including meatballs, 'prinskorv' (sausages), 'kåldolmar' (meat stuffed cabbage rolls), jellied pigs' feet, lutfisk (a dried cod served with a thick white sauce) and 'revbenspjäll' (oven-roasted pork ribs). Vegetables such as potatoes and red cabbage will also be served. Another potato dish is 'Janssons Frestelse' (matchstick potatoes layered with cream, onion and european sprats [a small fish] that is baked to a golden brown). There's also 'dopp i grytan' which is bread that is dipped in the broth and juices that are left over after boiling the ham.

The dessert of the julbord might be a selection of sweet pastries, some more pepparkakor biscuits and some home made sweets!

Wow, I think I like the sound of a Jolbord! To wash all that food down you can have some 'glogg' which is sweet mulled wine and some coffee to finish off the meal!

Another popular food at Christmas in Sweden is 'risgrynsgröt' (rice porridge that's eaten with 'hallonsylt' [raspberry jam] or sprinkled with some cinnamon). It's often eaten during the evening after people have exchanged their presents.

If there is any risgrynsgröt left over, when it's cold it can be mixed with whipped cream and eaten with a warm fruit sauce. This is called 'Ris a la malta' and sounds rather yummy!

Presents are normally exchanged on Christmas Eve. People often go to Church early on Christmas morning.

Another popular and important thing that many Swedes do on Christmas Eve afternoon is to watch old Disney cartoons! Every year, since 1959, at 3.00pm on Christmas Eve, the TV station TV1 shows the 1958 Disney special "From All of Us to All of You". In Sweden it's known as "Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul" meaning "Donald Duck and his friends wish you a Merry Christmas." About 40 to 50% of the Swedish population stop to watch it! It's also shown on Christmas Eve afternoon in Denmark, Norway and Finland, but is most popular in Sweden.

Like their neighbors in Finland, there was a traditional belief in Sweden that a 'Yule Goat' was connected with the mid winter festival. In Sweden it was thought to be an invisible spirit that looked on and made sure all the preparations were going well. Between Christmas and New Year, men would sometimes dress up as goats and go from house to house singing songs and playing tricks! This is known as 'Julebukking'.

Now, the goat is mainly seen as a straw ornament which guards the house and Christmas Tree! Straw is used as a decoration in homes, to remind them that Jesus was born in a manger. Christmas Tree decorations that are made of straw are also very popular.

In the city of Gävle, a huge straw goat is built every year for the start of Advent. It's 13m/43ft tall and takes two days to put up! It has a large metal structure on the inside and is covered with straw. The tradition started in 1966. The first Gävle Yule Goat was burnt down on New Year's Eve 1966 and ever since it's been the target for vandals. In its 50 year history it's only survived throughout the Christmas and New Year period about 15 times! In 2016, its 50th year, it was burnt down in less than two days!

In Sweden, presents are brought by Santa who's known as 'Jultomten' or by the 'Tomte' (Christmas Gnomes). Tomte are also sometimes called 'Nissar' (male elves/gnomes) or 'Nissor' (female gnomes/elves).

The 'Secret Santa' way of giving gifts might have also started in Sweden with a custom called 'Julklapp' (which means 'Christmas knock'). Several hundred years ago there was a tradition where you would knock on the door of a friend or neighbour and then leave a small gift (often made from straw or wood) behind on the door step. The gift would have a little motto/riddle with it, to help people work out who had left the gift.

The end of Christmas in Sweden is on January 13th (twenty days after Christmas) which is called 'Tjugondag Knut' (Twentieth Day Knut) or 'Tjugondag jul' (Twentieth Day Yule) and is named after a Danish prince called Canute Lavard. On Tjugondag Knut it's traditional that the Christmas Tree is taken down and left over cookies and sweets are eaten!

In Swedish Happy/Merry Christmas is 'God Jul'. In North-Sami, spoken in northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia, it's 'Buorit Juovllat'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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Around Christmas time in Sweden, one of the biggest celebrations is St. Lucia's Day (or St. Lucy's Day) on December 13th. The celebration comes from stories that were told by Monks who first brought Christianity to Sweden. St Lucia was a young Christian girl who was martyred, killed for her faith, in 304.

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Christmas in Switzerland on whychristmas?com

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Find out how Christmas is celebrated in Switzerland.

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Christmas is celebrated more widely in Taiwan than in mainland China. Although not many people in Taiwan are Christians (about 5%), many stores will sell Christmas related items at Christmas time. It's also not a national holiday in Taiwan.

Even so, most children know about Santa Claus and might even know a Christmas song or two! Parents of children at popular English schools expect a full Christmas festival, complete with gift exchanges, singing, and of course, a visit to the school from Santa! Many schools will perform a kind of Christmas a pageant or play with sugar plum fairies, reindeer, snowflakes, elves and other Christmas characters singing on stage for parents.

People also like to wear santa hats around Christmas time! Many store owners will wear the hats as well.

Christmas cakes, a tradition more from Japan, is something that is slightly popular in Taiwan.

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Christmas is celebrated more widely in Taiwan than in mainland China. Although not many people in Taiwan are Christians (about 5%), many stores will sell Christmas related items at Christmas time. It's also not a national holiday in Taiwan. Even so, most children know about Santa Claus and might even know a Christmas song or two!

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Christmas in Trinidad and Tobago on whychristmas?com

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Find out how Christmas is celebrated in Trinidad and Tobago.

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In the UK (or Great Britain), families often celebrate Christmas together, so they can watch each other open their presents!

Most families have a Christmas Tree (or maybe even two!) in their house for Christmas. The decorating of the tree is usually a family occasion, with everyone helping. Christmas Trees were first popularised the UK by Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria. Prince Albert was German, and thought that it would be good to use one of his ways of celebrating Christmas in England.

Holly, Ivy and Mistletoe are also sometimes used to decorate homes or other buildings.

Most villages, towns and cities are decorated with Christmas lights over Christmas. Often a famous person switches them on. The most famous Christmas lights in the UK are in Oxford Street in London. Every year they get bigger and better. Thousands of people go to watch the big 'switch on' around the beginning of November.

Like a lot of countries, Nativity Plays and Carol Services are also very popular at Christmas time. The Church that I go to always has a Carols by Candlelight Service where the church is only lit up by candles. It is a very special service and always makes me feel very Christmassy! Lots of other British churches also have Carols by Candlelight and Christingle services. The most famous UK Carol service is the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols which is broadcast on Christmas Eve at 3.00pm from the chapel of King's College, Cambridge.

Children believe that Father Christmas or Santa Claus leaves presents in stockings or pillow-cases. These are normally hung up by the fire or by the children's beds on Christmas Eve. Children sometimes leave out mince pies and brandy for Father Christmas to eat and drink when he visits them. Now, it's often a non-alcoholic drink that's left because Santa has to drive his sleigh.

Children write letters to Father Christmas/Santa listing their requests, but sometimes instead of putting them in the post, the letters are tossed into the fireplace. The draught carries the letters up the chimney and Father Christmas/Santa reads the smoke.

There are some customs that only take place, or were started, in the UK. Wassailing is an old anglo-saxon custom that doesn't take place much today. Boxing Day is a very old custom that started in the UK and is now taken as a holiday in many countries around the world.

In the UK, the main Christmas Meal is usually eaten at lunchtime or early afternoon on Christmas Day. It's normally roast turkey, roast vegetables and 'all the trimmings' which means vegetables like carrots & peas, stuffing and sometimes bacon and sausages. It's often served with cranberry sauce and bread sauce. Traditionally, and before turkey was available, roast beef or goose was the main Christmas meal. One vegetable that is often at Christmas in the UK are brussel sprouts. I love them but lots of people don't!

Dessert is often Christmas Pudding. Mince pies and lots of chocolates are often eaten as well!

Trifle is also a popular dessert at Christmas. It's made in a large bowl and consists of a layer of sponge cake (or sponge fingers) at the bottom of the bowl (which is often soaked in sherry or brandy) then there's a layer of fruit (normally suspended in a fruit flavored jelly) and it's topped with a layer of custard and then whipped cream. In Scotland there's a variation called 'Tipsy Laird' which uses whiskey to soak the sponge and the fruit are raspberries.

The dinner table is decorated with a Christmas Cracker for each person and sometimes flowers and candles.

The UK is also famous for Christmas Cake - some people love it and some people really don't like it! It's traditionally a rich fruit cake covered with marzipan and icing - and often top with Christmas themed cake decorations like a spring of holly.

At 3.00pm on Christmas Day, the Ryoal Christmas Message is broadcast on TV, radio and online in the UK. The tradition of a Royal Christmas Message started in 1932 by King George V. Queen Elizabeth II gave her first Christmas Message in 1952. It was first broadcast on TV in 1957. The speech is now pre-recorded a few days before Christmas. It's actually broadcast first in New Zealand and Australia (at about 5am UK time) as they start Christmas Day earlier!

In North Derbyshire and South Yorkshire (in the north of England), some very special carol singing, called 'The Sheffield Carols', happens in some pubs during the weeks leading up to Christmas (the traditional day for sorting the carol singing is Armistice Sunday near the middle of November). The pubs are often rural and out on the hills in that part of England. The carols are often very local ones and the same carol often varies from pub to pub. Not all the carols are ones about the Christmas story. The pubs are often packed, especially the nearer it is to Christmas. The singing can be lead/accompanied by local folk musicians, an organ in the pub or sometimes the singing is un-accompanied. You can find more about these carol singing sessions on these sites: www.villagecarols.org.uk/ (there are some wonderful recordings of the carols being sung on there as well) and www.localcarols.org.uk/ (goes to another site).

In the UK, it doesn't snow very often, but people always want to know if it will be a 'White Christmas'. The British definition, used by the UK Meteorological Office (who say if it has been a White Christmas in the UK or not!), is that a single snow flake has been seen falling in the 24 hours of Christmas Day! This doesn't happen a lot in the UK!!! You can find out more on the UK's 'Met Office' site... (goes to another site)

Statistics show that in the UK, they get an official White Christmas about every 4 or 5 years and have real snow at Christmas about 1 in 10 years (but often this is only normally in Scotland!).

One sure way of getting some snow into Christmas in the UK is by watching the popular cartoon 'The Snowman' which is about a boy's adventure when his snowman comes to life. The animation was first shown on UK TV on Boxing Day in 1982. It's based on story book of the same name by the children's author and illustrator Raymond Briggs. For many families, it's now a 'must watch' over Christmas. (When I was at Primary/Elementary School in the 1980s, it was always shown to the school on the last morning before the Christmas holidays!) The Snowman also featured the song "Walking in the Air". In the animation, it was sung by Peter Auty, a choirboy at St Paul's Cathedral in London. However, the song became very famous in 1985 when it was used in a Christmas TV advert for the 'Toys "R" Us' chain in the UK. This time, it was sung by a choirboy called Aled Jones. Aled Jones is now an adult and is a TV and Radio presenter! The song has been recorded by lots of different people and groups (including an adult Aled singing a duet with his younger self) and is now a real UK 'Christmas classic'! In 2012 a sequel to The Snowman called "The Snowman and the Snowdog" was shown on Christmas Eve.

In Scots (a Scottish dialect) Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Blithe Yule'; in Gaelic it's 'Nollaig Chridheil'; in Welsh (which is spoken in some parts of Wales it's 'Nadolig Llawen', in Cornish (spoken by some poeple in Cornwall in south west England) it's 'Nadelik Lowen' and Manx (spoken by some people on the Isle of Man) it's 'Nollick Ghennal'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

Find out more about the History of Christmas in the UK...

Scotland

The 'ban' on Christmas also took place in Scotland as well as England but it lasted longer. Its ban started in 1640 when the Scottish Parliament made the celebration of "Yule vacations" illegal - this was before the laws were made in England! This law was repealed in 1686 but the Church in Scotland was still very opposed to any Christmas celebrations. Christmas was only made a public holiday in 1958 and Boxing Day only became a holiday in 1974! Because of this, for 400 years, Christmas was celebrated much more quietly in Scotland.

In Scotland, New Year's Eve (which is called Hogmanay) became much more important than Christmas and is still a very important celebration! The word Hogmanay comes from a kind of oat cake that was traditionally given to children on New Year's Eve.

All across the UK, in cities and towns, there are fireworks to celebrate the New Year. Two of the most famous fireworks displays are in London, along the River Thames, and in Edinburgh at the Hogmanay celebrations.

Also in Scotland, the first person to set foot in a house in a New Year is thought to have a big effect on the fortunes of the people that live there! This is known as 'first-footing'. Generally strangers are thought to bring good luck. Traditionally dark haired men are the most lucky - but this can depend on the area of the country you live in. In parts of northern England it is sometimes said that a stranger coming through the door carrying a lump of coal will bring good luck. Cleaning the house for to welcome the new year is an old Hogmanay tradition.

Wales

In parts of South Wales, there is the tradition of the 'Mari Lwyd' wassailing horse. The horse isn't a real one, but is a horse's skull that's decorated with ribbons and put on the top of a pole; the 'body' is a large cloth or blanket that someone hides under. The horse and its followers (the 'leader' who is dressed smartly and other men dressed up, sometimes as 'Punch and Judy') go from house to house, playing music and singing songs. No one is really sure how it started or got its name! You can find out more about the Mari Lwyd on Wales.com (goes to another site)

In some a few villages in North Wales there's a very old a special type of carol singing called Plygain singing which happens in Welsh chapels. Plygain services now normally take place during evening services leading up to Christmas. But Plygain started as an early morning service on Christmas day from about 3am to 6am. The word Plygain comes from a term meaning the cock crowing.

All the carols are based on Bible stories, not just the Christmas story, and all the carols sung in Welsh and are unaccompanied. Some are very old carols which have been passed down within one family for generations and they are only sung by people in that family.

People and groups take it in turn to go to the front of the chapel and sing their carol. There's normally no introductions or set order, it all happens spontaneously. When all the people/groups have taken a turn, the order starts again with different carols. Traditionally there was a short gap or silence between the songs so people could think about the Bible stories and words of the carols.

The last carol of the service is the 'supper carol' (Carol y Swper) and it's normally sung by all the men who have sung carols during the Plygain (traditionally only men sung carols but now anyone can). You can find out more about Plygain singing on the site for the Museum of Wales and on the Wikipedia page about Plygain singing (goes to other sites).

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Christmas in the United Kingdom on whychristmas?com

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In the UK (or Great Britain), families often celebrate Christmas together, so they can watch each other open their presents! Most families have a Christmas Tree (or maybe even two!) in their house for Christmas. The decorating of the tree is usually a family occasion, with everyone helping.

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Christmas in Georgia on whychristmas?com

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How Christmas is celebrated in Ukraine and lots of other countries around the world.

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Christmas in the United States of America on whychristmas?com

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Find out how Christmas is celebrated in the United States of America.

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Christmas in Venezuela is one of the most colorful in Latin America and the whole world! Firework shows are very popular.

Some traditional Christmas music in Venezuela is 'Gaita' music. This is a type of folk music from the Zulia state. It's played on several instruments including the 'Cuatro' (a guitar with four strings) a 'Tambora' (a Venezuelan drum), the 'Furro' (a type of drum but it has a stick coming up through the middle of the skin of the drum - this can make it have some different sounds) and the 'Charrasca' (a ribbed tube that you rub a stick up and down). The singers are known as 'Gaiteros'. Another type of music in Venezuela is called 'Aguinaldos y Parrandas'. This style is also popular at Christmas as the songs are like carols.

Some homes will have a Christmas Tree, but they're normally artificial ones as pine and fir trees aren't common in Venezuela. Nativity Scenes (Nacimiento) are very popular and in some regions they are more common than Christmas Trees.

Going to Midnight Mass (Misas de Aguinaldo) is very popular and there many other masses and church services in the days before Christmas. In Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, there's a tradition of people rollerskating to the early morning church services from 16th to 24th December. The roads are often closed to traffic by 8.00am to make it safe for people to skate!

Traditional Venezuelan Christmas foods include 'Hallacas' - a mixture of beef, pork, chicken, capers, raisins, and olives that is wrapped in maize and plantain leaves and tied up with string into a parcel and then boiled or steamed afterwards; the Pan de Jamón - a type of bread that's made with puff pastry, filled up with ham, raisins, olives and bacon and shaped like a 'swiss roll'! Chicken Salad and Pernil (a leg of pork).

Some people also celebrate Santa Barbara's day on December 4th. The real Christmas celebrations start on December 21st. Another important day, is Epiphany or 'El Dia de los Reyes Magos' (the day of The Three Kings) on January 6th.

Main presents are given at midnight on Christmas Eve. In Venezuela presents are brought by 'San Nicolás' (St. Nicholas) & 'Niño Jesús' (Baby Jesus).

It was also a tradition for people to paint their houses two to four weeks before Christmas, so it was all nice and smart and ready to be decorated for Christmas. Many people have new clothes for Christmas and New Year's Eve. Many people believe that if you wear yellow on New Year's Eve you will have good luck next year.

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Christmas in Venezuela on whychristmas?com

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Christmas in Venezuela is one of the most colorful in Latin America and the whole world! Firework shows are very popular. Some traditional Christmas music in Venezuela is 'Gaita' music. This is a type of folk music from the Zulia state.

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Christmas in Vietnam on whychristmas?com

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Find out how Christmas is celebrated in Vietnam.

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Find out how Christmas is celebrated in Zambia.

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For most people in Zimbabwe, Christmas day starts with a Church service. After the Church service, everyone has a party in their homes and people go from house to house, visiting all of their family and friends on the way home! Sometimes, this can take all of the rest of the day! At every house you have something to eat, exchange presents and enjoy the party.

A lot of people get their biggest stereo speakers out and put them outside the front of the house and play their favorite music very loudly! It is not only Christmas music that is played, but also the latest pop tunes and old African favorites.

Everyone wears their best clothes for Christmas, as for some families the only new clothes they get every year are for Christmas. The parties are a good place to show off their new clothes.

Children in Zimbabwe believe that Santa Claus brings them there presents early on Christmas Day, ready to show their friends at Church and at the parties.

Only the main room in the house is often decorated in Zimbabwe. Some Zimbabweans have a traditional 'European' Christmas Tree, but they decorate the room with plants. This is draped around the whole of the top of room.

Christmas Carols are sung during the Christmas Day morning service and in services leading up to Christmas.

The Christmas Cards that are used in Zimbabwe sometimes have pictures on them including wild animals, but most are imported so they have the traditional 'snow scenes' and pictures of the Christmas story on them.

The special food eaten at Christmas in Zimbabwe is Chicken with rice. Chicken used to be an expensive food in Zimbabwe. Chicken and rice is often eaten at the Christmas Day parties.

The streets in the big cities also can have colorful Christmas lights.

There are many languages spoken in Zimbabwe. Merry Christmas in Nyanja/Chewa/Chichewa is 'Moni Wa Chikondwelero Cha Kristmasi' or 'Christmas yabwino', in Ndebele it's 'Izilokotho Ezihle Zamaholdeni', in Shona it's 'Muve neKisimusi', in Xhosa/isiXhosa it's 'Krismesi emnandi' and in Zulu it's 'uKhisimusi oMuhle'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

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Christmas in Zimbabwe on whychristmas?com

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How Christmas is celebrated in Zimbabwe and lots of other countries around the world. Christmas food in Zimbabwe.