Winter holidays are an important part of many cultures around the world, particularly in places where Christmas is celebrated. In America, people of all ages look forward to spending time with family, eating delicious foods, exchanging gifts, singing songs, decorating Christmas trees, and playing games. If you've ever wondered where Christmas traditions came from, you might find answers by learning about Christmas celebrations in countries around the world. Many things that you like to do around the holidays probably started many years ago in other countries.
America
Americans celebrate Christmas with a wide variety of traditions, thanks to the many cultures that blend together to make the American people.
- Turkey with cranberry sauce, one popular Christmas meal, originated in Western Europe.
- Christians in America will usually attend church services to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
- Americans like to decorate their homes, sing carols, send Christmas cards, and bake cookies.
Australia
Australians celebrate Christmas in the middle of summer, so cold and snow are not part of their celebration. Some parts of Australia have temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit around Christmas!
- Australians like to go to the beach or have barbecues for Christmas.
- Gatherings typically include grilled foods, seafood, pork, turkey, or ham.
Canada
Canadians share many Christmas traditions with Americans, including family gatherings and gift exchanges. Canadians have very cold weather over the Christmas holidays.
- Canadians like to eat roast turkey, plum pudding, and mincemeat tarts for Christmas.
- In northern parts of Canada, Inuits celebrate Sinck Tuck, which is a winter festival with dancing and gifts.
Central America
Central Americans often decorate their homes with manger scenes to celebrate Christmas. St. Francis of Assisi developed the first living nativity scene in 1224 to help explain the story of the birth of Jesus.
- Many Central Americans celebrate Las Posadas between Dec. 16 and 24, a festival including plays about Mary and Joseph searching for an inn.
- Parties are held for children that include pinatas.
England
The English started the tradition of Christmas cards in the 1830s. Quickly, people began buying and sending these pre-written greeting cards, and England's postal service made it possible to delivery them anywhere.
- Christmas pudding, a type of fruitcake, is another English tradition and is often served with cream.
- Christmas caroling is an English activity in which wandering musicians perform in exchange for money or food.
Finland
St. Lucia Day is a popular celebration in Finland. A girl is chosen to be the national Lucia, and a parade is held in her honor.
- Torchbearers surround Finland's Lucia.
- Visiting a sauna on Christmas Eve is another Finnish tradition.
France
The French call Christmas "Noel," which comes from a French phrase that means "the good news." Burning a log in a fireplace from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day is a popular French tradition. The log is sometimes sprinkled with wine to give a nice scent to the house while it burns.
- French children like to open Advent calendars during December.
- The French call nativity scenes crèches, and these scenes tend to be elaborate in France.
Germany
The Germans were the first to decorate Christmas trees as a part of their winter solstice traditions. Strasbourg was the first place to have Christmas trees that were decorated for the holiday. After 1771, author Johann Wolfgang von Goethe noticed Christmas trees in Strasbourg and wrote about them in his book The Suffering of Young Werther.
- Germans celebrate St. Nicholas Day on Dec. 5, leaving polished boots outside for St. Nick to fill with candy and nuts.
- Germany may be the place where Christmas markets originated.
Greece
Decorating boats is popular in Greece because of its close proximity to the sea. Central squares in towns tend to feature prominent displays of decorated boats.
- Greeks believe in goblins called kallikantzeri. These goblins cause mischief during the 12 days of Christmas.
- In Greece, gifts are exchanged on St. Basil's Day, Jan. 1.
Italy
Italians don't just celebrate one day: They celebrate Christmas for weeks! Decorating homes and trees are popular traditions in Italy. There's also a special meal on Christmas Eve, called the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
- Children in Italy write letters to Father Christmas as well as to their parents, telling their mothers and fathers that they love them.
- The pope celebrates a special midnight Mass at the Vatican, which Italians buy tickets to attend.
Mexico
Warm weather during the Christmas season lends itself to many outdoor activities in Mexico. People like to shop at puestos, which are market stalls. Mexicans decorate their homes for Christmas with evergreens and lilies.
- Poinsettias are native to Mexico, and in 1828, Joel R. Poinsett brought these flowers to America from Mexico. By 1830, poinsettias began to be grown and marketed as Christmas plants.
- Children celebrate Christmas in Mexico with pinatas that are filled with gifts like candy and coins.
Norway
The Yule log originated in Norway as part of celebrations of the return of the sun after the winter solstice. The word "Yule" comes from the Norse word that means "wheel," which connects to the Norse belief that the sun was a wheel of fire.
- Fires in the fireplace around Christmas may have started with the Norse Yule log.
- The Yule log may also have inspired log-shaped Christmas foods such as cheese logs and Yule log cakes.
Sweden
The Christmas season officially begins in Sweden on Dec. 13 with the celebration of St. Lucia Day. The oldest daughter of the family gets up early, dresses in a long white gown with a red sash, and wakes up everyone else.
- Light is the main focus of St. Lucia Day, and families light up their homes with candles and torches.
- The day starts with a family breakfast by candlelight.
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