Christmas Traditions Around The World
What Traditions Unite Us All?
As the days march on towards the New Year, many of us will be thinking ahead to the end of December. While many of us will be celebrating Christmas at this time, plenty of religions and cultures mark the midwinter (or midsummer!) celebration. Other festivals — such as Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Bodhi Day, or the December Solstice — also occur in December, making it a festive time all around. However, Christmas has become a truly international celebration, with cultures all around the world marking it, regardless whether it’s Winter or Summer, or whether they’re Christian or not! So, if that’s the case… what traditions are most popular worldwide? What unites us all in late December?
Of course, traditions exist and vary on all levels — from every country down to every family — and not everyone celebrates Christmas! Even within traditionally Christian countries, things vary — such as whether the 24th or 25th is a more important day. But some things seem to be truly global, and for expats this can bring some well-appreciated familiarity when you are away from home in some far-flung corner of the planet.
Trimmed Trees
The time-honored tradition of bringing plants inside is perhaps no more beloved than at Christmastime, when many enjoy adopting an evergreen tree (like a pine, spruce, or fir) and decorating it within an inch of its life, as well as placing a wreath on their door. But where does it come from, and how widespread is it?
Like many Christian traditions, we think that it has its origins in pagan celebrations of life — after all, evergreen trees are the ones to keep their leaves when most others lose them! However, the modern Christmas tree originates from western Germany, where it was used as a key prop in medieval plays about Adam and Eve to represent the Garden of Eden, the paradise they were forced to leave after trusting the devil as a serpent. They’d often add wafers (later: cookies) and candles to decorate it, and by the 18th century it had become a deep-rooted tradition: so deep-rooted that Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria (and an expat himself!), is often credited with introducing the the Christmas Tree which the royals popularized throughout the British Empire in the 19th century!
While glass ornaments only came into fashion from the 1870s onwards, Christmas Trees came into the height of fashion in both the British Empire and USA, and were then spread further globally by citizens of both those countries. And, in some ways, the Anglophone world was relatively late to it, since some other European countries and cities had long already adopted the Christmas tradition: early-adopters on record include Estonia in 1441 & Latvia in 1510 — although, of course, both Baltic siblings argue about who was first! — as well as France in 1521. However, like in the UK and USA, for most European countries, the first recorded Christmas Trees appeared in the late 19th century.
Nowadays, Christmas Trees are as secular as present-giving, and can be found all over the world. So if you’re missing a piece of home, you can probably find a slice of home wherever you are in the form of pine needles, ornaments, and LED lights!
Festive Feasts
For many, the center-piece of Christmas is food — and rightly so! However, food traditions differ wherever you are. In the UK, the big Christmas meal is the so-called ‘Christmas dinner’: roasted meat (often turkey), sides, gravy, sauces, and dessert, such as Christmas Pudding. However, while Canada often goes for a similar meal, the US often tries to mix it up. Since the big festive turkey meal is at Thanksgiving (the last Thursday of November), some try to avoid turkey in favor of glazed ham, while others go for something completely different — such as sushi!
Of course, a lot depends on which day is more important - the 24th or the 25th — and in many European countries, where the 24th is more important, traditional food looks different. French Christmas dinners are many courses long with a main dish of turkey, while German Christmas dinners often involve roast goose with bread dumplings! Roasted poultry is not popular everywhere, however. The most popular Christmas dinner in Norway centers around pork ribs/belly, cod, or lamb ribs, while in Lithuania and Poland, tradition calls for twelve meat-free dishes (as well as a seat left free for unexpected relatives or travelers).
Further afield, dinner tradition differs even more. In Japan, fried chicken has become the popular Christmas dish thanks to KFC marketing campaigns in the 1970s, while in Australia — where Christmas comes just after the midsummer solstice — Christmas dinner often involves prawn cocktail and potato salad! Christmas dinners in India often involve well-loved foods, such as Palappam, Pork Vindaloo, Kulkuls, Allahabadi Cake, or Bebinca.
However people choose to eat (and there’s no wrong choice!), there’s one thing that’s universal: going all out and eating something special with their loved ones.
Magical Gift-Givers
For children, nothing stands out more at Christmas time than Santa Clause — in all his various guises! The longest-surviving version of this popular figure is probably Saint Nicholas (of Myra or Bari), who was known for his secret gift-giving between 270 and 343 CE. The myths around him grew and grew, to the point that the evening before his name day of 6 December was celebrated with giving children presents — a tradition that still survives in some countries, such as Poland, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands! In fact, it’s the Dutch image of Sinterklaas (“Saint Nicholas”) that, via 17th-century New Amsterdam (current New York City), turned into the — now international — Santa Claus.
But Santa Claus isn’t just based on Sinterklaas. Father Christmas, who was celebrated in England at least as early as the 16th century under Henry VIII, typified the spirit of cheer at Christmas, including peace, joy, and good feasting, and it was over the 18th and 19th century that Father Christmas and Sinterklaas merged into the modern idea of Santa Claus — and the two are often, nowadays, considered the same thing.
Santa Claus’s influence is incredibly difficult to understate, and many cultures have fashioned their own festive figures after him. In many Slavic and/or Eastern European cultures, for instance, there was (and, in some, is!) ‘Grandfather Frost’ (in Bulgarian, Dyado Mraz), who (especially in the 20th century) was used to celebrate New Year under officially atheist regime — however, he’s fallen out of favor in many since the 90s. Finland and Japan have also localized the idea of Santa Claus, giving rise to Joulupukki, originally the ‘Christmas Goat’, and Hoteiosho, the festive Buddhist monk.
But not all cultures have opted for the magical gift-giving old man, and some cultures look to other religious figures instead. In the Spanish-speaking world, it’s common to focus on the Three Kings, who receive letters from children and bring them gifts on the eve of Epiphany (the 12th day of Christmas — January 6th). In Italy, children receive presents the same day but from La Befana — a witch-like figure! On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are several places (like Austria, Switzerland, Czechia, Croatia, Portugal, and parts of Germany, Poland, and Brazil) where it’s the Christkind/Niño Jesús/Ježíšek (Christ Child), popularly imagined as an angelic child, who brings presents to children.
But while it’s easy to focus on the differences, one thing unites all these figures: the idea of a mystical figure who brings children presents once a year around the end of the year.
Unique Customs
While Christmas is a time of joy and togetherness, the ways that cultures celebrate can be wonderfully unique, offering a window into their rich heritage. Beyond the traditions that unite us all, like Christmas trees and gift-giving, which have crossed borders to become nearly universal symbols of the season, it’s equally important to celebrate the unique traditions that add color and diversity to this global holiday.
Take Ukraine, for example, where spider webs take center stage as an unusual yet cherished Christmas tree decoration. This intriguing custom stems from an old folktale about a poor family who couldn’t afford to decorate their Christmas tree. According to the story, they woke up on Christmas morning to find their tree magically adorned with shimmering spider webs, which turned into gold and silver in the morning light. This heartwarming tale of hope and blessings has evolved into a modern-day tradition where Ukrainians decorate their trees with artificial spider webs and spiders, believing it will bring good fortune, prosperity, and happiness in the coming year.
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, Christmas is a season of profound devotion and community bonding, epitomized by the beloved tradition of Simbang Gabi. This nine-day series of dawn masses, held from December 16th to Christmas Eve, is more than just a religious observance — it’s a celebration of faith, perseverance, and togetherness. Each morning, the faithful gather in churches, often illuminated by vibrant star-shaped lanterns called parol, which symbolize the Star of Bethlehem. The culmination of Simbang Gabi is the Christmas Eve Misa de Gallo — the "Rooster’s Mass" — a jubilant midnight service that welcomes the birth of Christ. Afterward, families and friends come together for a festive feast featuring traditional Filipino treats like bibingka (a soft rice cake cooked in clay pots with banana leaves) and puto bumbong (a steamed purple rice delicacy often served with butter, coconut, and sugar).
Community Celebrations
Something visibile in all the various Christmas traditions is community, and during the Christmas season, gatherings play a significant role in celebrations no matter where you are. But which specific community traditions are celebrated truly globally?
Christmas markets, a staple in many countries, bring towns and cities to life with twinkling lights, handcrafted gifts, and warm, festive treats like mulled wine and roasted chestnuts. Christmas markets originated in German-speaking Europe during the Late Middle Ages, and began as simple food markets. Over time, other goods were added to these, and now visitors enjoy seeing the various rustic goods with hot drinks in hand. These markets have also become a truly global phenomenon, drawing visitors to cities in the UK, US, Canada, Japan, Germany, and Australia.
Religious services clearly also bring many people together - although, of course, by no means everyone. Events like Midnight Mass and carol services provide comfort for many — including irregular church-visitors who only attend in the Christmas period. Held in Advent on the run up to Christmas, these services often include readings from the Bible, hymns, and sermons reflecting on the birth of Christ. In predominantly Catholic countries, such as Mexico, Poland, and the Philippines, Midnight Mass is an integral part of family traditions, sometimes followed by festive meals or gatherings. And in recent decades, as people have become more and more atheist, more and more non-religious participants have embraced the solemn beauty of these events, finding comfort in the community found there.
But perhaps nothing brings people more together at Yuletide than music. Music is a key component of Christmas communal celebrations, with carols and hymns bridging cultural divides — and sometimes even putting a stop to war-time fighting! From traditional tunes like "Silent Night," which was first performed in Austria in 1818, to modern renditions of holiday pop hits, music fosters a sense of unity and joy. In many places, groups of carolers sing door-to-door, spreading cheer and raising funds for charity. In addition, Christmas concerts and performances, such as Handel's "Messiah," are a highlight of the season in many regions.
As the 24th and 25th get closer, perhaps it’s time to think more about the nature of Christmas — not as a religious holiday, but as a holiday that is truly shared by everyone, from Austria to Zambia. So next time you see a Christmas Tree (or sit down to eat, or talk to a child about the gifts they’ll recieve, or hear a Christmas song), just think how many other people are experiencing the exact same thing at the exact same time!