Christmas is celebrated in countless ways around the globe, with each country adding its own unique cultural flair to the holiday season. From festive feasts to quirky customs, if you’re looking to add a new take on your own holiday celebrations, we’ve got some fun suggestions.
Let’s take a look at ten different countries and discover some of the ways in which they celebrate Christmas. Plus, we’ll give you a few tips on how to incorporate them into your own festivities.
1. Giant Lantern Festival – Philippines
The Philippines is home to one of the most spectacular Christmas traditions in the world: the Giant Lantern Festival (Ligligan Parul) in the city of San Fernando, known as the “Christmas Capital of the Philippines.” Every year on the Saturday before Christmas Eve, locals create enormous, colorful lanterns, some reaching up to 20 feet in diameter, illuminated by intricate light designs.
The festival celebrates the star of Bethlehem and has become a symbol of hope and unity. The elaborate designs and competitive spirit make the event magical.
Bring the Tradition Home:
- Try your hand at making lanterns with paper, lights, or any crafting materials you have at home. Use Christmas lights to light them up. They don’t have to be huge, but creating lanterns together can become a fun, artistic tradition with family and friends.
- Host a lantern-lighting ceremony on Christmas Eve in your yard or home, sing carols as you light them or take turns sharing favorite Christmas memories.
2. Yule Lads – Iceland
In Iceland, Christmas fun comes from the mischievous Yule Lads, 13 mischievous characters that visit children on the 13 nights leading up to Christmas. Each Yule Lad has a quirky personality, with names like Spoon Licker, Door Slammer and Sausage Stealer, you can guess what each is infamous for. Instead of the usual stocking hung by the fireplace, Icelandic children leave shoes by their windows. If they’ve been good, the Yule Lads leave little gifts, but naughty children might find a potato instead!
Bring the Tradition Home:
- Assign different “Yule Lad” roles to family members or friends and have them leave small surprises in shoes in the days leading up to Christmas.
- Play up the harmless mischief by organizing fun pranks or games during the 13 days before Christmas.
3. St. Nicholas Day – Germany
While Santa Claus has become a globally recognized figure, in Germany, the tradition of St. Nicholas (Sankt Nikolaus) on December 6th holds deep roots. On this day, children leave out polished boots by the door, and overnight, St. Nicholas visits to fill them with sweets, small toys, and fruits if they’ve been good. Naughty children might get a bundle of twigs or a note.
Unlike the more commercialized Santa Claus, St. Nicholas focuses on the values of kindness and generosity.
Bring the Tradition Home:
- Celebrate December 6th by polishing shoes or boots with your family and leaving them out for a special treat from “St. Nicholas.”
- Use this opportunity to teach children the importance of good deeds, pairing the treats with a charitable activity, like donating to a local food bank.
4. KFC Christmas Dinner – Japan
One of the most surprising and commercially driven Christmas traditions comes from Japan. Due to a successful marketing campaign in the 1970s, it’s now a Christmas tradition for many Japanese families to enjoy KFC (yes, Kentucky Fried Chicken!) on Christmas Day. Lines stretch out the door, and many people even pre-order their fried chicken weeks in advance.
While Christmas isn’t a national holiday in Japan, this quirky tradition has become synonymous with the season.
Bring the Tradition Home:
- This is an easy one: enjoy a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken in the week leading up to Christmas. Learn how to say Merry Christmas in Japanese. (It’s very similar to our English version.)
5. La Befana – Italy
In Italy, the Christmas season extends into the first week of January, thanks to the folklore figure La Befana, an old woman who delivers gifts to children on the eve of Epiphany (January 5th). Legend has it that La Befana was searching for baby Jesus and decided to give gifts to children along her journey.
Italian families celebrate with a feast and, like Santa Claus, La Befana climbs down chimneys to leave treats in children’s stockings.
Bring the Tradition Home:
- Stretch your Christmas festivities a little longer by celebrating Epiphany. Save a small gift or treat to tuck in stockings on January 5th to honor La Befana.
- Use the occasion to bake Italian Christmas cookies, sharing these delicious treats with family and friends.
6. Krampus – Austria
Austria’s Christmas tradition has a dark side with Krampus, a terrifying half-goat, half-demon figure who is the counterpart to St. Nicholas. While St. Nicholas rewards good children, Krampus punishes the naughty ones. On Krampusnacht (Krampus Night), celebrated on December 5th, people dress up as Krampus and parade through the streets, playfully scaring children and adults alike.
The Krampus tradition dates back centuries and is meant to encourage good behavior. These days, Krampus is becoming a more popular figure here in the States, although less traumatizing.
Bring the Tradition Home:
- If you enjoy a bit of spooky fun, host a Krampus-themed Christmas party with costumes and games.
- Tell the legend of Krampus as a fun (and slightly scary) bedtime story during the Christmas season.
7. Posadas – Mexico
In Mexico, Las Posadas is a nine-day celebration that reenacts the journey of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter before the birth of Jesus. From December 16th to December 24th, families and communities come together for nightly processions, singing carols, and visiting homes. The hosts play the role of innkeepers, initially refusing shelter but eventually offering food, drink, and hospitality.
Piñatas filled with candy are a common feature of Posadas, especially for children.
Bring the Tradition Home:
- Organize a mini-Posada in your neighborhood or with family, visiting different homes and ending with a potluck meal.
- Add a piñata to your Christmas party, filled with treats for the kids.
8. Christmas Sauna – Finland
In Finland, Christmas Eve isn’t just for exchanging gifts—it’s also the time to visit the sauna! For Finns, the sauna holds a sacred place in their culture, and during Christmas, it’s believed to be a time of relaxation and purification. Some even believe that spirits visit the sauna after dark, so families go early to leave the space for their spiritual guests.
The Finnish Christmas sauna offers a moment of reflection and peace before the holiday hustle.
Bring the Tradition Home:
- If you have access to a sauna, make it part of your Christmas tradition. Use it as a time to relax and rejuvenate with loved ones.
- Even without a sauna, you can create a calm, spa-like atmosphere in your home by lighting candles, playing soothing music, and offering homemade spa treatments after a hot, steamy shower as part of your Christmas Eve routine.
9. Cavalcade of Lights – Canada
In Toronto, Canada, the Christmas season kicks off with the Cavalcade of Lights, a dazzling display of holiday lights around Nathan Phillips Square and the city’s giant Christmas tree. There’s live music, fireworks, and ice skating under the twinkling lights, creating a magical start to the festive season.
The tradition celebrates the city’s multicultural spirit and brings people together to enjoy the beauty of the holiday lights.
Bring the Tradition Home:
- Host your own mini Cavalcade of Lights by stringing up extra lights around your home or yard. Gather friends and family for a lighting ceremony and add music or even a small fireworks display (where safe and legal).
- Organize an ice-skating outing with family or friends at a local rink, ending the day with hot cocoa and cookies.
10. Sinterklaas – Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the holiday season kicks off early with the arrival of Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas) on December 5th. Sinterklaas arrives on a steamboat, and children place their shoes by the fireplace or window, hoping to find them filled with candy, small toys, or pepernoten (spiced cookies).
The tradition involves lots of singing, poems, and exchanging gifts, typically accompanied by rhymes and riddles.
Bring the Tradition Home:
- Celebrate Sinterklaas on December 5th with small, thoughtful gifts left in shoes. If you’re tired of toys in shoes, take turns reading Christmas poems or make up a story together as a family.
- Bake pepernoten or other traditional Dutch treats to enjoy with your family.
Make some new memories with loved ones this Christmas. Whether it’s the mischief of the Yule Lads or the warmth of a Finnish Christmas sauna, these customs remind us of the rich diversity and shared joy that Christmas brings to people everywhere. Who knows, you may find your family’s new favorite tradition.
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