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Nat. Geog. Winter Holidays Around the World

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Nat. Geog. Winter Holidays Around the World

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HANUKKAH
Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah, a holiday honoring the Maccabees's victory over King Antiochus, who forbade Jews to practice their religion. For eight nights, Hanukkah is celebrated with prayer, the lighting of the menorah, and food. A Hanukkah menorah has nine candles, a candle for every night, plus a helper candle. Children play games, sing songs, and exchange gifts. Potato pancakes, known as latkes in Yiddish, are traditionally associated with Hanukkah and are served with applesauce and sour cream. The dates of Hanukkah change because this holiday follows the lunar cycle.

In 2018, Hanukkah starts the evening of December 2 and ends on December 10.

WINTER SOLSTICE
The Winter Solstice occurs on either December 20, 21, 22, or 23 in the Northern Hemisphere, where it is the shortest day of the year. People all over the world participate with festivals and celebrations. Long ago, people celebrated by lighting bonfires and candles to coax back the sun.

CHRISTMAS
Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas in the United States brings together many customs from other countries and cultures. Around the world, family members help to decorate the tree and home with bright lights, wreaths, candles, holly, mistletoe, and ornaments. On Christmas Eve, many people go to church. Also on Christmas Eve, Santa comes from the North Pole in a sleigh to deliver gifts. In Hawaii, it is said he arrives by boat; in Australia, the jolly man arrives on water skis; and in Ghana, he comes out of the jungle.

KWANZAA
Kwanzaa is celebrated December 26 through January 1. It is a holiday to commemorate African heritage, during which participants gather with family and friends to exchange gifts and to light a series of black, red, and green candles. These candles symbolize the seven basic values of African American family life: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

NEW YEAR'S DAY
New Year's Day is January 1, the first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. Fireworks are often set off at midnight to celebrate the new year. Commonly served in the southern part of the United States, black-eyed peas are thought to bring luck and prosperity for the new year, greens (usually collards) to bring wealth, and pork to symbolize moving forward.

THREE KINGS DAY
At the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas comes a day called the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day. This holiday is celebrated as the day the three wise men first saw baby Jesus and brought him gifts. On this day in Spain, many children get their Christmas presents. In Puerto Rico, before children go to sleep on January 5, they leave a box with hay under their beds so the kings will leave good presents. In France, a delicious "kings' cake" known as la galette des rois is baked. Bakers hide a coin, jewel, or little toy inside it.

CHINESE NEW YEAR
The Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It falls on different dates each year, between January 21 and February 20. Visits to friends and family take place during this celebration. The color gold is said to bring wealth, and the color red is considered especially lucky. The New Year's Eve dinner is very large and includes fish, noodles, and dumplings.

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Click the full-screen arrows in the upper right to read the captions! HANUKKAH Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah, a holiday honoring the Maccabees's victory over King Antiochus, who forbade Jews to practice their religion. For eight nights, Hanukkah is celebrated with prayer, the lighting of the menorah, and food.

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Christmas Traditions Around the World at Santa's Net.

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Christmas Traditions Around the World at Santas.Net Home of everything to do with christmas and Santa Claus and How Christmas is celebrated around the world.

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How Children celebrate Christmas

On this page you can read some fun facts about Christmas around the world. Read how kids celebrate Christmas in different parts of the world and get some interesting insights about Christmas traditions and celebrations.

At Christmas, Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Traditional Christmas decoration often can be admired and festive celebrations can be joined in most countries, even in many of the countries where Christianity is not the religion of the majority of people. Christmas trees are a popular decoration as are tiny sparkling lights in windows and on walls.

Christmas all over the world: Christmas is generally celebrated on Christmas Day, the 25th of December. Some countries however have slightly different Christmas traditions and as such festive season celebrations take place over a longer period of time, from the beginning of December to the beginning of January. Below you will find some interesting Christmas facts for various countries. If you want to learn more about other interesting Christmas traditions in those countries simply click on the links to go to our country-specific Christmas pages.

Christmas Around the World:
France

In many regions in France, Christmas celebrations start with St Nicholas day on the 6th of December. Then children get sweets and little gifts.

Many cities in France are decorated during the weeks leading up to Christmas and children love to open the 24 little windows of their Advent calendar. In the Alsace region, the tradition of putting up decorated Christmas trees dates back as far as the 14th century. Towns and cities are also illuminated with Christmas lights.

On Christmas eve, Children put their polished shoes out in front of the chimney and hope that ' Père Noël' (Father Christmas) fills the shoes with sweets. Christmas Day, 25th of December is a public holiday and families get together for a big feast. On this day also presents are exchanged.

A special outing for many families during the festive season is this year an evening visit to the magical illuminated world of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris.

Read more about French Christmas traditions on our Christmas markets and Christmas food pages.

Christmas around the World:
Italy

In Italy, a nativity scene, a ' presepe ', is usually put up in churches, town squares and often in homes. This is for many the most important part of the Christmas decorations.

The nativity scene display with a crib filled with straw, originally stems from Italy and is now common occurrence in many countries around the world. In Italy, ' Babbo Natale', that's how Father Christmas is called in Italian, hands out presents to children on Christmas Day. Still in many families, gifts are exchanged only on 6 th of January which is the Day of Epiphany. In Italy, t he people wish each other ' Buon Natale', which means 'Merry Christmas'.
Read more about traditions and celebrations for Christmas in Italy
Christmas in Germany

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, festive Christmas markets are set up on main squares in many cities.

Houses are often decorated with fairy lights and festive ornaments in December, however, in Germany the Christmas tree is usually only put up and decorated at the homes in the morning of the 24th of December.

Festive Christmas celebrations in Germany begin on the 24th of December, on Christmas Eve. Shops close early on Christmas eve, so remember that you have to get your Christmas shopping done until lunchtime. The 26th of December is a public holiday in Germany too and many families celebrate on this day together, go to Church or enjoy a little excursion to a nearby park.
Read here how Christmas is celebrated in German families.
Christmas in England

In England, most people start with Christmas decorations early, that is as early as mid of November. Many families decorate their houses with lots of fairy lights and sparkling displays.

Often the house owners collect donations from visitors to their displays in aid of local charities. So remember if you like a display place some spare coins into the honesty boxes and help the good causes.

Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Day, the 25th of December. 26 December is a bank holiday as well. On Boxing Day, the 26th of December, friends and family are usually visited to exchange gifts.

Christmas in Norway

In Norway, children wait for ' Julenisse', the Norwegian Santa Claus. On Christmas Eve, the ' Julenisse ', brings presents to the children.

During the month of December, children wait eagerly for ' Jul', that is how they call Christmas.

The Norwegians wish each other God Jul! which means Happy Christmas!

Christmas in Iceland

In Iceland, children put their shoes on the windowsill so the ' Juletide Lads', the Santa Claus, fills the shoes with little goodies.

Christmas celebrations in Iceland start on 24th of December, Christmas eve. Families get together and enjoy good food and many visit midnight mass.

Christmas in Portugal

The Portuguese celebrate Christmas on 24th of December. Houses are decorated for Christmas and many families put up a nativity scene (presépio), where Baby Jesus is added to the crib after the family attends Midnight mass. Children put out their shoes for Baby Jesus, not Santa, and gifts are exchanged after the family has attended a Christmas service on Christmas eve. In some towns and villages, the community gathers then also around a fire in the church car park that has been lit and wish each other ' Feliz Natal'. Read more here.

Christmas markets are not this common in Portugal, however, the capital city Lisbon is known for its huge artificial tree has been which is sparkling with with thousands of green lights.

Christmas in the Philippines

In the Philippines there is a special tradition of having a Christmas lantern, which is called ' paról '; the lantern is star-shaped, remembering the star of Bethlehem, and mainly made out of bamboo and paper. In the image below you can see how the lanterns look.

The Christmas lanterns are on sale during Christmas time in the many markets in the Philippines.

Christmas around the World:
Singapore

In Singapore, about two in ten people are Christians. Christmas, however, is very commercialised in Singapore and Christmas decorations are abundant in the city with masses of tiny fairy light decorations.

Stunning decorations can be seen everywhere in the main shopping district, Orchard Road as you can see in the image below. Or visit the Gardens on the Bay for a truly stunning Christmas Wonderland with light installations and concert. The display there is open until 26 December.

Christmas around the World:
Australia

In Australia , it is tradition in the weeks up to Christmas to join in Christmas picnics organized by various churches and sing Christmas carols on the beach. As Australia is in the southern hemisphere, the festive season is during summer time and thus it is easy to understand that during Christmas time friends and family often gather at the beach.

Young people, families and friends gathering in Bondi Beach near Sydney on Christmas Day.

Christmas in Brazil

, you will often find a ' presepio', a crib or nativity scene, in front of a church. ' Papai Noel ', or Father Christmas, travels from Greenland to Brazil to give presents to Brazilian kids. Many cities display Christmas trees during the month leading up to the '' and often the year end is celebrated with fireworks. The floating Christmas tree in Rio de Janeiro is said to be the largest Christmas tree in the world. It will be lighted on 14 December 2019.

In Brazil, you say ' Bom Natal' or ' Boas Festes ' if you wish somebody Merry Christmas.

Christmas in South Africa

In South Africa, the weeks before Christmas, people celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December. On Christmas Day the family gathers at a 'braai', which is the South African version of a barbecue (BBQ). In South Africa it is summer season in December. Many people visit Christmas mass on Christmas day as well. There are few natural Christmas trees, but some people put up decorated artificial trees in their homes.

Many shopping centres are transformed with Christmas decorations. Above you can see the modern Christmas tree which was standing in front of the V&A Waterfront Shopping Centre in Cape Town. In 2019, however, the shopping centre is decorated with African crafts such as woven baskets made by the Zulu people and other installations by local designers who use recycled material.

There are many festive concerts as well as gifts and arts & crafts markets held during the weeks leading up to Christmas Day.
Read more about Christmas in Cape Town here.
Christmas around the World: Christmas in the USA

In December many families decorate their houses with Christmas ornaments and Christmas lights. Read more about Christmas traditions here.

Christmas is celebrated on 25th December. On Christmas Day, families get together for a festive meal after exchanging gifts.

It is customary to send and give Christmas cards. People write on cards: 'Merry Christmas!' or 'Merry Xmas!'

Xmas stands for Christmas, the X originates from the Greek letter ' Chi' which represents the word ' Christós' or which means Christ in English.
Read here how people wish Merry Christmas in other languages.
Fun Christmas time in the ice-rink at Rockefeller Centre in New York City.

Image credits for Christmas Around the World: own images and shutterstock.com
Back from Christmas Around the World to KidsWorldTravelGuide Homepage

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Christmas Around the World | Christmas Traditions | Merry Christmas

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Our Christmas Around the World page will show you how people celebrate Christmas in many countries around the world.

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History Channel Christmas Traditions Around the World

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History Channel Christmas Traditions Around the World

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Christmas as we know it today is aVictorian invention of the 1860s. Probably the most celebrated holiday in the world, our modern Christmas is a product of hundreds of years of both secular and religious traditions from around the globe. Discover the origins of Christmas traditions from around the world, like the Yule log, caroling and how Christmas is celebrated "Down Under."

Sweden: 'God Jul!'

Most people in Scandinavian countries honor St. Lucia (also known as St. Lucy) each year on December 13. The celebration of St. Lucia Day began in Sweden, but had spread to Denmark and Finland by the mid-19th century.

Did you know? Poinsettia plants are named after Joel R. Poinsett, an American minister to Mexico, who brought the red-and-green plant from Mexico to America in 1828.

In these countries, the holiday is considered the beginning of the Christmas season and, as such, is sometimes referred to as "little Yule." Traditionally, the oldest daughter in each family rises early and wakes each of her family members, dressed in a long, white gown with a red sash, and wearing a crown made of twigs with nine lighted candles. For the day, she is called "Lussi" or "Lussibruden (Lucy bride)." The family then eats breakfast in a room lighted with candles.

Any shooting or fishing done on St. Lucia Day was done by torchlight, and people brightly illuminated their homes. At night, men, women, and children would carry torches in a parade. The night would end when everyone threw their torches onto a large pile of straw, creating a huge bonfire. In Finland today, one girl is chosen to serve as the national Lucia and she is honored in a parade in which she is surrounded by torchbearers.

Light is a main theme of St. Lucia Day, as her name, which is derived from the Latin word lux, means light. Her feast day is celebrated near the shortest day of the year, when the sun's light again begins to strengthen. Lucia lived in Syracuse during the fourth century when persecution of Christians was common. Unfortunately, most of her story has been lost over the years. According to one common legend, Lucia lost her eyes while being tortured by a Diocletian for her Christian beliefs. Others say she may have plucked her own eyes out to protest the poor treatment of Christians. Lucia is the patron saint of the blind.

Finland: 'Hyvää Joulua!'

Many Finns visit the sauna on Christmas Eve. Families gather and listen to the national "Peace of Christmas" radio broadcast. It is customary to visit the gravesites of departed family members.

Norway: 'Gledelig Jul!'

Norway is the birthplace of the Yule log. The ancient Norse used the Yule log in their celebration of the return of the sun at winter solstice. "Yule" came from the Norse word hweol, meaning wheel. The Norse believed that the sun was a great wheel of fire that rolled towards and then away from the earth. Ever wonder why the family fireplace is such a central part of the typical Christmas scene? This tradition dates back to the Norse Yule log. It is probably also responsible for the popularity of log-shaped cheese, cakes, and desserts during the holidays.

Germany: 'Froehliche Weihnachten!'

Decorating evergreen trees had always been a part of the German winter solstice tradition. The first "Christmas trees" explicitly decorated and named after the Christian holiday, appeared in Strasbourg, in Alsace in the beginning of the 17th century. After 1750, Christmas trees began showing up in other parts of Germany, and even more so after 1771, when Johann Wolfgang von Goethe visited Strasbourg and promptly included a Christmas tree is his novel, The Suffering of Young Werther. In the 1820s, the first German immigrants decorated Christmas trees in Pennsylvania. After Germany's Prince Albert married Queen Victoria, he introduced the Christmas tree tradition to England. In 1848, the first American newspaper carried a picture of a Christmas tree and the custom spread to nearly every home in just a few years.
The "Real" Deal With Fake Christmas Trees - From *asterisk

Mexico: 'Feliz Navidad!'

In 1828, the American minister to Mexico, Joel R. Poinsett, brought a red-and-green plant from Mexico to America. As its coloring seemed perfect for the new holiday, the plants, which were called poinsettias after Poinsett, began appearing in greenhouses as early as 1830. In 1870, New York stores began to sell them at Christmas. By 1900, they were a universal symbol of the holiday.

In Mexico, paper mache sculptures called pinatas are filled with candy and coins and hung from the ceiling. Children then take turns hitting the pinata until it breaks, sending a shower of treats to the floor. Children race to gather as much of of the loot as they can.

England: 'Merry Christmas!'

An Englishman named John Calcott Horsley helped to popularize the tradition of sending Christmas greeting cards when he began producing small cards featuring festive scenes and a pre-written holiday greeting in the late 1830s. Newly efficient post offices in England and the United States made the cards nearly overnight sensations. At about the same time, similar cards were being made by R.H. Pease, the first American card maker, in Albany, New York, and Louis Prang, a German who immigrated to America in 1850.

Celtic and Teutonic peoples had long considered mistletoe to have magic powers. It was said to have the ability to heal wounds and increase fertility. Celts hung mistletoe in their homes in order to bring themselves good luck and ward off evil spirits. During holidays in the Victorian era, the English would hang sprigs of mistletoe from ceilings and in doorways. If someone was found standing under the mistletoe, they would be kissed by someone else in the room, behavior not usually demonstrated in Victorian society.

Plum pudding is an English dish dating back to the Middle Ages. Suet, flour, sugar, raisins, nuts, and spices are tied loosely in cloth and boiled until the ingredients are "plum," meaning they have enlarged enough to fill the cloth. It is then unwrapped, sliced like cake, and topped with cream.

Caroling also began in England. Wandering musicians would travel from town to town visiting castles and homes of the rich. In return for their performance, the musicians hoped to receive a hot meal or money.

In the United States and England, children hang stockings on their bedpost or near a fireplace on Christmas Eve, hoping that it will be filled with treats while they sleep. In Scandinavia, similar-minded children leave their shoes on the hearth. This tradition can be traced to legends about Saint Nicholas. One legend tells of three poor sisters who could not marry because they had no money for a dowry. To save them from being sold by their father, St. Nick left each of the three sisters gifts of gold coins. One went down the chimney and landed in a pair of shoes that had been left on the hearth. Another went into a window and into a pair of stockings left hanging by the fire to dry.

France: 'Joyeux Noël!'

In France, Christmas is called Noel. This comes from the French phrase les bonnes nouvelles, which means "the good news" and refers to the gospel.

In southern France, some people burn a log in their homes from Christmas Eve until New Year's Day. This stems from an ancient tradition in which farmers would use part of the log to ensure good luck for the next year's harvest.

Italy: 'Buon Natale!'

Italians call Chrismas Il Natale, meaning "the birthday."

Australia

In Australia, the holiday comes in the middle of summer and it's not unusual for some parts of Australia to hit 100 degrees Farenheit on Christmas day.

During the warm and sunny Australian Christmas season, beach time and outdoor barbecues are common. Traditional Christmas day celebrations include family gatherings, exchanging gifts and either a hot meal with ham, turkey, pork or seafood or barbeques.

Ukraine: 'Srozhdestvom Kristovym!'

Ukrainians prepare a traditional twelve-course meal. A family's youngest child watches through the window for the evening star to appear, a signal that the feast can begin.

Canada

Most Canadian Christmas traditions are very similar to those practiced in the United States. In the far north of the country, the Eskimos celebrate a winter festival called sinck tuck, which features parties with dancing and the exchanging of gifts.

Greece: 'Kala Christouyenna!'

In Greece, many people believe in kallikantzeri, goblins that appear to cause mischief during the 12 days of Christmas. Gifts are usually exchanged on January 1, St. Basil's Day.

Central America

A manger scene is the primary decoration in most southern European, Central American, and South American nations. St. Francis of Assisi created the first living nativity in 1224 to help explain the birth of Jesus to his followers.

Jamestown, Virginia

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According to reports by Captain John Smith, the first eggnog made in the United States was consumed in his 1607 Jamestown settlement. Nog comes from the word grog, which refers to any drink made with rum.

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Christmas as we know it today is aVictorian invention of the 1860s. Probably the most celebrated holiday in the world, our modern Christmas is a product of hundreds of years of both secular and religious traditions from around the globe.

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Christmas traditions around the world.

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Christmas around the World on whychristmas?com

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Find out how Christmas is celebrated Around the World in lots of different Countries, Traditions and Cultures.

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