With Christmas just creeping around the corner, people all over the world are getting ready for some holiday fun. From the tradition of hiding the Christmas pickle in the United States to families gathering on beaches for barbecue and games in Australia, people are already feeling the Christmas spirit.
Christmas in North America
Starting off with the United States, the Christmas pickle is a tradition that originated in the 1880s, where a pickle ornament is hidden in a Christmas tree. On Christmas Day, children get to scavenge the tree in friendly competition in hopes of finding the ornament first. Whoever finds the ornament typically gets to open presents before anyone else does or receives an extra gift.
Moving on to Mexico, La Noche de Rábanos (The Night of the Radishes) is a popular festival that originated in Oaxaca in the late 1800s. This first started off as a carving competition where people carved remarkable nativity scenes, saints, dancers, animals, and buildings into oversized radishes. Later on, this evolved into a popular tourist attraction that is held every year on December 23rd, for everyone to enjoy. With the displays of these unique creations only being able to last a few hours, intrigued spectators were easily drawn to them.
Christmas in South America
Venezuela is home to the tradition of roller skating to Christmas mass. This beloved tradition is known as Las Patinatas Navideñas (Christmas Roller Skating) and started in Caracas in the 1950s. Venezuelans roller skate to mass from December 16th all the way up to the 24th to celebrate community and faith. This is followed by a family gathering with delectable food, festive songs, and caroling.
Día de las Velitas (Day of the Candles) is a Columbian festival dating back to the mid-1800s to honor the Virgin Mary. It is an annual tradition celebrated on December 7th, where families light candles and lanterns throughout various public places, homes, and streets. This officially marks the beginning of the Christmas season, when people enjoy food, make wishes, and attend religious services.
Christmas in Europe
Europe is known for many interesting traditions as well. Children in Iceland place their shoes on window sills on the thirteen days leading up to Christmas. Little mischievous trolls, known as Yule Lads, leave a special surprise for children based on their behavior. If a child is well behaved throughout the year, they receive candy or gifts in their shoes; however, if a child behaves poorly they receive a rotten potato. This well established tradition allows parents to encourage their children to behave during the challenges of the holiday season.
Heading over to Ukraine, it is common to see a spider ornament (Pavuchky) on Christmas trees. This ornament is based on Ukrainian folklore where a widow and her children encountered a pinecone, planted it into the floor of their home, and cared for it as it grew into a tree. However, by Christmas Eve, it was covered in cobwebs with no ornaments to be decorated with. On Christmas Day, the cobwebs had been turned into threads of gold and silver, which is where the origin of tinsel is thought to have come from.
Christmas in Africa
Ethiopia celebrates Christmas a little differently. Christmas is celebrated on January 7th with the festival of Ganna created by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which follows the Julian calendar. During this celebration, all-night church services are held along with a 43-day fast leading up to this event known as Tsome Nebiyat, during which people abstain from meat, dairy, and alcohol. Ethiopians wear white robes called Shama or Netela during these church services to symbolize purity. After the services, families come together to feast and celebrate the end of their fast, often through a game similar to hockey that is played with sticks and a wooden ball.
Since the weather is warm during the Christmas season in South Africa, many individuals embrace the beautiful weather through picnics. South Africans take to the beaches, national parks, and coastal cities in order to enjoy braais (BBQs) with family and friends. Popular activities during the holiday season include going on hikes and enjoying traditional foods such as malva pudding and various grilled meats. This summer celebration is embraced through outdoor activities and fun games for everyone to enjoy.
Christmas in Asia
An important aspect of Christmas in Japan is the popular fast-food franchise KFC. Beginning over fifty years ago in the 1970s, a campaign known as the “Kentucky for Christmas” took hold in Japan over the scarcity of turkey. It was recorded in December of 2024 that 3.5 millions families had KFC for dinner, some placing orders as early as two months in advance. Most families order “Party Barrels,” which include fried chicken, cake, shrimp gratin, lasagna, and tiramisu.
The Philippines celebrate Christmas with Ligligan Parul (The Giant Lantern Festival). This tradition started in the 1900s with parols (lanterns) that represented the star of Bethlehem. These lanterns are made out of bamboo and Japanese paper that are later lit up with candles or oil lamps. One of the most popular shapes of parols is a five-pointed star. Different villages compete with one another based on creativity and originality through designs and choreographed light shows.
Christmas in Australia
Beaches are a popular gathering place for the people of Australia, with soft sand instead of frigid snow. Australians celebrate the holiday with delicious barbecues containing seafood and swimming in the refreshing oceans to beat the heat. They even have their own version of Santa Claus: “surfing Santas.” “Surfing Santas” are the Christmas tradition of people (typically in clubs) dressing up as Santa for charity events or simply to bring joy. On the beaches, people build sandcastles and play games like cricket as part of the summer celebration.
With the holiday season approaching, don’t forget to spend time with your loved ones and take pride in your own traditions.
Happy holidays!