Christmas traditions from around the world
It’s October, which means we can officially start talking about Christmas. It’s my favourite time of year! October is autumn, and my birthday, and the start of the cooler weather. You can finally dig out all your jumpers and thick bed socks and have movie nights with hot chocolate. Then it’s Halloween, Bonfire Night and the final countdown to Christmas.
What I love most about Christmas is the number of traditions there are, and each country has their own traditions that are slightly different to our own. Whether yours is to religiously rewatch Love Actually to wear the most gaudy Christmas jumpers you can find, there are tons of ways to get in the Christmas spirit.
And we aren’t the only country that loves Christmas. There are some special traditions that people use throughout the world to help them get into the festive spirit.
1. Christmas trees
Thousands of years before the birth of Jesus, ancient people used evergreen trees for special purposes during wintertime, including but not limited to the Egyptians, Romans, Celts and Vikings.
The Christmas tree tradition as we now know it is thought to have begun in 16th century Germany, before spreading to the rest of the Christian world. Legend has it that the famous Protestant reformer Martin Luther was the first to add lighting to a tree, starting a trend that would lead to countless people throughout the world decorating conifers with outdoor Christmas lights in public places and adding Christmas decor in their homes come December.
2. Gift giving
Gifts are a huge part of Christmas. Whether you’re on a budget or want to spoil someone, there are tons of Christmas gift ideas to choose from. In the west, we often receive new gadgets, clothes or jewellery. In China, people exchange decorated apples. Zambians have a tradition of taking gifts for the less fortunate in church. In Scandinavia, even the pets get a special treat! No matter where you go in the world, it seems that giving gifts at Christmas time is the proper thing to do.
3. Christmas music
Christmas carols have had a long and fascinating journey to arrive where they are today. Thousands of years ago, people sang to celebrate the winter solstice – the shortest day of the year. Early Christians began to sing songs at Christmas in 2nd century Rome, shortly after which many composers across Europe started to compose carols to mark the birth of Jesus.
Christmas carols didn’t truly take off until Victorian times when people started singing them in pubs, public places and finally in churches. Pop music began jumping on the Christmas bandwagon around the 1950s, leading to the catchy Christmas jingles from Bublé, Carey and others we know and love. These same songs are usually played globally come December.
4. Christmas dinner
Similar to gift-giving, food is an integral part of Christmas across the world. But what goes into a Christmas meal can differ considerably from country to country, with a roast chicken or turkey making few appearances outside of the UK or US.
Puerto Ricans traditionally serve their eggnog in coconut shells and have a main meal consisting chiefly of spit-roasted suckling pig. Strangely, a Japanese Christmas dinner revolves around fried chicken, followed by strawberry shortcake.
5. Christmas Eve midnight mass
Midnight Mass, also known as Christmas Eve Mass, is a widespread practice and popular tradition among Catholics and some Protestants around the world. It’s a special church service that is part of the celebration of Jesus’ birth and allows the congregation to see the early hours of Christmas Day.
Countries with a significant Christian population observe this tradition, including many in Europe, the Americas, Africa, and parts of Asia. It’s a deeply rooted tradition in Catholic-majority countries like Italy, Spain, France, and the Philippines, among others.
6. Father Christmas
Christmas wouldn’t be the same without a certain loveable man who flies across the world delivering presents. Of course I’m talking about Santa/Father Christmas. And he’s not just popular in the UK – he’s known by various names in countries all over the world. He’s:
- Santa Claus (US, Canada, UK, Australia, etc.)
- Father Christmas (UK, France, Australia)
- Père Noël (France)
- Sinterklaas (Netherlands, Belgium)
- Saint Nicholas (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)
- Ded Moroz (Russia)
- Babbo Natale (Italy)
- Papá Noel (Spain, Latin America)
- Joulupukki (Finland)
- Tomte/Nisse (Sweden, Denmark, Norway)
Children often write letters to Santa explaining what they’d like to receive from him at Christmas and eagerly await his arrival by Christmas morning.
From sparkly green trees to stomach-busting family dinners, traditions are a crucial part of what makes Christmas so special. And if the traditions above are anything to judge by, this isn’t just the case in the UK but around the world.
