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The observance of
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
around the world varies by country. The day of Christmas, and in some cases the day before and the day after, are recognized by many national
government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government i ...
s and
culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...
s worldwide, including in areas where
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...
is a minority religion. In some non-Christian areas, periods of former colonial rule introduced the celebration (e.g.
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
); in others, Christian minorities or foreign cultural influences have led populations to observe the holiday.
Christmas traditions Christmas traditions include a variety of customs, religious practices, rituals, and folklore associated with the celebration of Christmas. Many of these traditions vary by country or region, while others are practiced in a virtually identical m ...
for many nations include the installing and lighting of
Christmas tree A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas. The custom was further developed in early modern ...
s, the hanging of Advent wreaths, Christmas stockings, candy canes, setting out cookies and milk, and the creation of
Nativity scene In the Christian tradition, a nativity scene (also known as a manger scene, crib, crèche ( or ), or in Italian ''presepio'' or ''presepe'', or Bethlehem) is the special exhibition, particularly during the Christmas season, of art objects rep ...
s depicting the birth of
Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...
.
Christmas carol A Christmas carol is a carol (a song or hymn) on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French or ...
s may be sung and stories told about such figures as the Baby Jesus,
St Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-day Dem ...
,
Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...
,
Father Christmas Father Christmas is the traditional English name for the personification of Christmas. Although now known as a Christmas gift-bringer, and typically considered to be synonymous with Santa Claus, he was originally part of a much older and unrela ...
, Christkind or Grandfather Frost. The sending and exchange of
Christmas card A Christmas card is a greeting card sent as part of the traditional celebration of Christmas in order to convey between people a range of sentiments related to Christmastide and the holiday season. Christmas cards are usually exchanged during ...
greetings, observance of
fasting Fasting is the abstention from eating and sometimes drinking. From a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (see " Breakfast"), or to the metabolic state achieved after ...
and special religious observances such as a midnight
Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different ele ...
or
Vespers Vespers is a service of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic (both Latin and Eastern), Lutheran, and Anglican liturgies. The word for this fixed prayer time comes from the Latin , mea ...
on
Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...
, the burning of a Yule log, and the giving and receiving of presents are also common practice. Along with
Easter Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samue ...
, Christmas is one of the most important periods on the Christian calendar, and is often closely connected to other holidays at this time of year, such as
Advent Advent is a Christian season of preparation for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas. It is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity. The name was adopted from Latin "coming; arrival", translating Greek '' parousia''. ...
, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception,
St Nicholas Day Saint Nicholas Day, also called the Feast of Saint Nicholas, observed on 5 December or on 6 December in Western Christian countries, and on 19 December in Eastern Christian countries using the old church Calendar, is the feast day of Saint Nic ...
,
St. Stephen's Day Saint Stephen's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Stephen, is a Christian saint's day to commemorate Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr or protomartyr, celebrated on 26 December in Western Christianity and 27 December in Eastern Chr ...
,
New Year New Year is the time or day currently at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increments by one. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner. In the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar system ...
's, and the
Feast of the Epiphany Epiphany ( ), also known as Theophany in Eastern Christian traditions, is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation (theophany) of God incarnate as Jesus Christ. In Western Christianity, the feast commemorates principally (but not ...
. Many national governments recognize Christmas as an official
public holiday A public holiday, national holiday, or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year. Sovereign nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history ...
, while others recognize it in a symbolic way but not as an official legal observance. Countries in which Christmas is not a formal public holiday include Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China (excepting Hong Kong and
Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...
), the Comoros, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Libya, the Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, the
Sahrawi Republic Sahrawi or Saharawi (also transliterated into Spanish as or French as ), is an Arabic term meaning 'from the Sahara', or more specifically the Western Sahara. It can also mean 'from the desert' in general. Sahrawi may also refer to: People *the ...
, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Taiwan (Republic of China), Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen. Countries such as Japan, where Christmas is not a public holiday but is popular despite there being only a small number of Christians, have adopted many of the secular aspects of Christmas, such as gift-giving, decorations, and Christmas trees. Christmas celebrations around the world can vary markedly in form, reflecting differing cultural and national traditions. Among countries with a strong Christian tradition, a variety of Christmas celebrations have developed that incorporate regional and local cultures.


Geographical variation


Africa


Ethiopia and Eritrea

Christmas Day is a public holiday in Eritrea that is celebrated on January 7 or on 27 Tahsas of the
Ethiopian calendar The Ethiopian calendar ( am, የኢትዮጲያ ዘመን ኣቆጣጠር; Oromo: Akka Lakkofsa Itoophiyaatti; Ge'ez: ዓዉደ ወርሕ; Tigrinya: ዓዉደ ኣዋርሕ), or Ge'ez calendar ( Ge'ez: ዓዉደ ወርሕ; Tigrinya: ዓ� ...
. Christmas is called () in Eritrea or () in Ethiopia. Many Christians in the two countries fast for 40 days, in a fast called the Fast of the Prophets). They then head to church at dawn on Christmas morning. On Christmas Day, there are colorful musical celebrations which involve the priests dressed in their best robes performing rituals, including dancing and playing drums and other instruments. Early in the morning at dawn, everyone dresses in white and heads to the nearby church. Late in the afternoon is the traditional game of '' gena'', a kind of hockey. According to an Ethiopian legend, the game was played by the shepherds who were tending their flocks on the night that Jesus was born. The game is attended by the leader of the community and the winner is awarded a prize. Most Ethiopians don a traditional '' shamma'', a thin, white cotton wrap with brightly colored stripes across the ends. The holiday is followed up by the three-day festival Timkat, starting on January 19 and celebrating the baptism of Jesus Christ.


Nigeria

Christmas Day is a public holiday in Nigeria which is always marked by the emptying of towns and cities of Nigerians who have been successful returning to their ancestral villages to be with family and to bless those less fortunate. Afokansi, introduction paragraph Afokansi, "Visits from not relations and friends" As the towns and cities empty, people jam the West African markets to buy and transport live chickens, goats and cows that will be needed for the Christmas meals. Afokansi, "Abundance of food and drinks" On Christmas Eve, traditional meals are prepared according to the traditions of each region. Nigerians as a whole tend to prepare various meats in large quantities. In the south, a dish called jollof rice is served with stews of various meats along with boiled beans and fried plantains; in the north, rice and stew as well as '' tuwon shinkafa'', a rice pudding served with various meat stews, is preferred. In the north several local desserts are also made which are rarely found in other parts of Nigeria. An alternative in both regions (but more favored in the south) is a pepper soup with fish, goat, or beef which may also be served with
fufu Fufu (or fufuo, foofoo, foufou ) is a dough-like food found in West African cuisine. In addition to Ghana, it is also found in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Cote D'Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the ...
(pounded yam). Served with this food are an array of mainly alcoholic drinks such as the traditional
palm wine Palm wine, known by several local names, is an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, date palms, and coconut palms. It is known by various names in different regions and is common in va ...
or various local and imported beers and wines; children and women may be served locally-made soft-drink equivalents instead. Gift giving in Nigeria often involves money and the flow of gifts from the more fortunate to the less fortunate. Afokansi, "Financial donations" After the "successful" visitors have come from their towns, cities, and even overseas, they are given time to settle in. Afterwards, local relatives begin approaching them asking for assistance of some kind, whether financial or not. Financial donations and elaborately wrapped gifts may be given out at lavish parties, weddings, and ceremonies; sometimes the money is scattered in the air to be grabbed by the others or stuck onto the sweaty foreheads of those dancing. Religion in Nigeria is about equally divided between Christians and Muslims.


Senegal

Christmas is a popular holiday in the Muslim-majority country of
Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
.


South Africa

Christmas in South Africa is a public holiday celebrated on December 25. Many European traditions are maintained despite the distance from Europe. Christmas trees are set up in homes and children are given presents in their stockings. Traditional 'fir' Christmas trees are popular. On Christmas Eve children leave a stocking or milk and cookies out for Santa Claus, who brings them gifts. Towns and cities have Carols by Candlelight in the beginning of the festive season where groups of people come together to sing Christmas carols and donate toys and clothing to needy children. The Christmas meal can include mince pies, turkey, gammon, beef tongue, turducken, corned beef, green salad, roast beef or a barbecue outdoors. The meal is finished with christmas pudding, ice cream or trifle. Christmas crackers are used to make noise. Despite Christmas occurring at the height of the Southern Hemisphere summer, wintry motifs common to the Northern Hemisphere are popular.


Zambia

Christmas is an official holiday in the Christian-official nation of Zambia. The holiday involves churches filled with scenes of nativity plays and carols for charity.


Americas


Caribbean


= Bahamas

= Junkanoo festivals are held Boxing Day, December 26 and again on New Year's Day. It is a local cultural event dating back to its African heritage featuring goat skin drums, cowbell and brass instruments, singing, and choreographed dancers dressed in traditional handmade colorful costumes. Bahamian Christmas foods include benny cake, coconut cake, flour cake from Acklins and Cat Island, fruit cake, baked ham and turkey, traditional peas and rice, baked macaroni, coleslaw, plantains, fried fish, boiled fish ( Nassau Grouper and snappers) and
Johnny cake Johnnycake, also known as journey cake, johnny bread, hoecake, shawnee cake or spider cornbread, is a cornmeal flatbread, a type of batter bread. An early American staple food, it is prepared on the Atlantic coast from Newfoundland to Jamaic ...
. Drinks like eggnog, lemonade and local beers (Kalik and Sands) are also served on Christmas.


= Cuba

= Cuba has a long tradition of celebrating Christmas. Families used to gather at the dining table, and used to go to mass after dinner. The Communist Regime led by Fidel Castro abolished the paid Christmas holiday in 1969, citing that workers were needed to continue the sugar harvest. In 1998, the Regime declared December 25 a leisure day, as requested by Pope John Paul II as a condition to visit the country. It is a one-day public holiday and it is celebrated only in the evening.


= Jamaica

= Radio stations play Christmas carols as early as October, both reggae-style and some international. Jamaicans paint their houses and hang new curtains for Christmas. Pepper lights, the local name for Christmas lights, go up even on trees. Junkanoo or John Canoe is a traditional Christmas celebration in Jamaica, influenced by African heritage. This includes street dancing and a great parade through the streets with Jamaicans dressed in colorful masquerade costumes and masks. The traditional Jamaican Christmas meal includes ackee, saltfish, breadfruit, fried plantains, boiled bananas, freshly squeezed fruit juice and tea for breakfast; chicken,
curried goat (''hseik-tha hnat'') hi, Bakri curry id, kari kambing ms, kari kambing , country = Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia , region = Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia (Myanmar, Indonesia and Malaysia) and the Caribbean (Tri ...
, stewed oxtail, rice and gungo peas for dinner. For dessert,
sorrel Sorrel (''Rumex acetosa''), also called common sorrel or garden sorrel, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Polygonaceae. Other names for sorrel include spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock ('dock' being a common name for the genus '' ...
drink and a Jamaican rum fruitcake along with red wine are served in many homes. Many people attend church for Christmas Eve or Christmas morning worship service. Some people go to the Christmas Eve Grand Market to walk with family and friends and shop until 2 or 3 a.m. Christmas Day. Some British Christmas traditions have stayed in Jamaica, like
Father Christmas Father Christmas is the traditional English name for the personification of Christmas. Although now known as a Christmas gift-bringer, and typically considered to be synonymous with Santa Claus, he was originally part of a much older and unrela ...
, roast beef or lamb dinners, and
Boxing Day Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...
.


Central America


= El Salvador

= Christmas in El Salvador carries a strong meaning that brings families together. Despite the business on the streets and the red, green and white colors flooding the environment, Salvadoran people try to honor what they consider to be the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus. In El Salvador children celebrate Christmas by playing with firecrackers, fountains, such as the small ('little volcanos') and sparklers, ('little stars'). Teenagers and young adults display bigger
fireworks Fireworks are a class of low explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large number of devices ...
or Roman Candles. Families also have parties in which they dance and eat. Santa Claus is known for appearing in TV and print ads, but people ask children if they already wrote a letter to little baby Jesus. Traditional Salvadoran Christmas dishes are sautéed turkey sandwiches in a baguette with lettuce and radishes, Salvadoran tamales, and sweet bread for dessert. Drinks include hot chocolate,
pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...
juice, Salvadoran horchata, Salvadoran cherry horchata, and coffee. At 12:00 a.m. on December 25, everyone gathers around the
Christmas tree A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas. The custom was further developed in early modern ...
and opens their presents.


= Guatemala

= On Christmas in Guatemala, people dress up in an ornamental hat, called a , and dance in a line. As with much of the country's culture, the celebration includes Spanish and Mayan elements.


North America

Christmas is observed widely on December 25. Governments recognizing the holiday include those of the United States, where it is a federal holiday for federal employees and a
legal holiday A public holiday, national holiday, or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year. Sovereign nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history, ...
in the respective states; Canada, where it is a nationwide statutory holiday; Mexico, where it is also a nationwide statutory holiday; and several others.


= Canada

= In the Canadian provinces where English is the predominant language, Christmas traditions are largely similar to those of the United States, with some lingering influences from the United Kingdom and newer traditions brought by immigrants from other European countries.
Mince pie A mince pie (also mincemeat pie in the United States, and fruit mince pie in Australia and New Zealand) is a sweet pie of English origin filled with mincemeat, being a mixture of fruit, spices and suet. The pies are traditionally served durin ...
s,
plum pudding Christmas pudding is sweet dried-fruit pudding traditionally served as part of Christmas dinner in Britain and other countries to which the tradition has been exported. It has its origins in medieval England, with early recipes making use of ...
, and Christmas cake are traditionally served as Christmas dinner desserts, following the traditional meal of roast turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and winter vegetables. Christmas table crackers are not uncommon and, in some parts of
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
,
Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...
and
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...
, Christmas traditions include mummers. North American influences on Christmas are evident in the hanging of stockings on Christmas Eve, to be filled by Santa Claus. However, Canadian children believe that the home of Santa Claus is located at the North Pole, in Canada, and, through
Canada Post Canada Post Corporation (french: Société canadienne des postes), trading as Canada Post (french: Postes Canada), is a Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the operat ...
, address thousands of letters to Santa Claus each year, using the
postal code A postal code (also known locally in various English-speaking countries throughout the world as a postcode, post code, PIN or ZIP Code) is a series of letters or digits or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, included in a postal ...
designation ''H0H 0H0''. The tradition of decorating Christmas trees, whether fresh-cut or artificial, was introduced to Canada in 1781, originally by German soldiers stationed in Quebec during the American Revolution, and are now common in private homes and commercial spaces throughout most of Canada. As Canada is a cold, dark country in winter, lights are often put up in public places and on commercial and residential buildings in November and December. Many communities have celebrations that include light events, such as the Cavalcade of Lights Festival in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, the
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
Christmas Fireworks, or the Bright Nights in
Stanley Park Stanley Park is a public park in British Columbia, Canada that makes up the northwestern half of Vancouver's Downtown Peninsula, surrounded by waters of Burrard Inlet and English Bay. The park borders the neighbourhoods of West End and ...
,
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...
. A national program, Christmas Lights Across Canada, illuminates Ottawa, the national capital, and the 13 provincial and territorial capitals. In the province of
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...
, Christmas traditions include '' réveillon'', '' Père Noël'' ('Father Christmas'), and the ''
bûche de Noël A Yule log or bûche de Noël () is a traditional Christmas cake, often served as a dessert near Christmas, especially in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and several former French colonies such as Canada, Vietnam, and Lebanon. ...
'' ( Yule log), among many others. A traditional dish for the is '' tourtière'', a savoury meat pie, and gifts are opened during , often following Midnight Mass. The
Royal Christmas Message The King's Christmas Message (also known as The Queen's Christmas Message in the reign of a female monarch, formally as His Majesty's Most Gracious Speech, and informally as the Royal Christmas Message) is a broadcast made by the sovereign of t ...
from the Canadian monarch is televised nationwide in Canada, the occasion being an observance which unites Canadians with citizens of the other
Commonwealth countries The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of 56 sovereign states. Most of them were British colonies or dependencies of those colonies. No one government in the Commonwealth exercises power over the others, as is the case in a p ...
worldwide. The observation of
Boxing Day Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...
on the day following Christmas Day is a tradition practiced in Canada, as it is in many other Anglophone countries, although not in the United States. In Canada, Boxing Day is a day (or the beginning of a few days) of deeply discounted sale prices at retail stores which attract large numbers of shoppers in search of bargains. Christmas is known as ''
Quviasukvik Quviasukvik ( iu, ᖁᕕᐊᓲᑎᖃᕐᕕᒃ), is the first day of the year according to the Inuit. The festival of the New Year is celebrated by the Inuit, Yupik, Aleut, Chukchi and the Iñupiat. The feast originally derives from traditional I ...
'' in the territories of
Nunavut Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the '' Nunavut Act'' and the '' Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act'' ...
, the
Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
and
Yukon Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...
and the areas of
Nunavik Nunavik (; ; iu, ᓄᓇᕕᒃ) comprises the northern third of the province of Quebec, part of the Nord-du-Québec region and nearly coterminous with Kativik. Covering a land area of north of the 55th parallel, it is the homeland of the ...
,
Nunatsiavut Nunatsiavut (; iu, italics=no, ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕗᑦ) is an autonomous area claimed by the Inuit in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The settlement area includes territory in Labrador extending to the Quebec border. In 2002, the Labrador Inui ...
and
NunatuKavut NunatuKavut ( iu, italic=no, ᓄᓇᑐᑲᕗᑦ) is an unrecognized Inuit territory in Labrador. The NunatuKavut people (previously called Inuit-Metis or Labrador Metis) are the direct descendants of the Inuit that lived south of the Churchi ...
and the
Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territorie ...
celebrate it as their New Year.


= Greenland

= Christmas in Greenland is usually celebrated on the evening of December 24th and the days of the 25th and 26th. The Christmas season begins on the first day of
Advent Advent is a Christian season of preparation for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas. It is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity. The name was adopted from Latin "coming; arrival", translating Greek '' parousia''. ...
, which is the fourth Sunday before Christmas day, when Christmas trees are put up and decorated, and villages also put a large Christmas tree on a nearby hill. Christmas is known as ''
Quviasukvik Quviasukvik ( iu, ᖁᕕᐊᓲᑎᖃᕐᕕᒃ), is the first day of the year according to the Inuit. The festival of the New Year is celebrated by the Inuit, Yupik, Aleut, Chukchi and the Iñupiat. The feast originally derives from traditional I ...
'' and the
Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territorie ...
celebrate it as their New Year.


= Mexico

= Christmas is a statutory holiday in Mexico and workers can have the day off with pay. Mexico's Christmas is filled with over 30 traditions found only within Mexican Christmas. Over nine days, groups of townspeople go from door to door in a fashion of when the parents of the unborn baby Jesus Christ looked for shelter to pass the night when they arrived at Bethlehem, and are periodically called inside homes to participate in the breaking of a candy-filled piñata. Mexican Christmas festivities start on December 12, with the feast of La Guadalupana ( Virgin of Guadalupe), and end on January 6, with the Epiphany. Since the 1990s, Mexican society has embraced a new concept linking several celebrations around the Christmas season into what is known as the Guadalupe-Reyes Marathon. At midnight on Christmas, many families place the figure of baby Jesus in their (
Nativity scene In the Christian tradition, a nativity scene (also known as a manger scene, crib, crèche ( or ), or in Italian ''presepio'' or ''presepe'', or Bethlehem) is the special exhibition, particularly during the Christmas season, of art objects rep ...
s), as the symbolic representation of Christmas as a whole. In the center and south of Mexico, children receive gifts on Christmas Eve and on January 6, they celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, when, according to tradition, the Three Wise Men brought gifts to Bethlehem for Jesus Christ. Santa Claus (or Santa Clos, as he is known in Mexico) is who brings the children their gifts, but traditionally the Three Wise Men will fill the children's shoes with candies, oranges, tangerines, nuts, and sugar cane, and sometimes money or gold, symbolizing the very gifts they gave to the Baby Jesus in Bethlehem during his infancy and a reflection of his future destiny as saviour of the world.


= United States

= Christmas is a widely celebrated festive holiday in the United States, and Christmas Day is officially recognized as a federal holiday by the
US Government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a feder ...
. The Christmas and holiday season begins around the end of November with a major shopping kickoff on Black Friday, the day after the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving, though the period during which Christmas decorations are present and thematically appropriate music is playing in stores sometimes extends into the period between
Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observan ...
and Thanksgiving. Many schools and businesses are closed during the period between Christmas and the
New Year's Day New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Whi ...
holiday, which is a time commonly used to spend time with family and close friends. Most decorations are taken down by New Years or Epiphany. Other observances considered part of the season (and potentially included in non-denominational holiday greetings like "Happy Holidays") include
Hanukkah or English translation: 'Establishing' or 'Dedication' (of the Temple in Jerusalem) , nickname = , observedby = Jews , begins = 25 Kislev , ends = 2 Tevet or 3 Tevet , celebrations = Lighting candles each nig ...
,
Yule Yule, actually Yuletide ("Yule time") is a festival observed by the historical Germanic peoples, later undergoing Christianised reformulation resulting in the now better-known Christmastide. The earliest references to Yule are by way of indi ...
, Epiphany, celebrations. December 26, popularly referred to as Boxing Day or St. Stephen's Day elsewhere in the Western world, is only known widely as the "Day after Christmas" in the U.S., and is observed in a number of states under that name, but is not a federal holiday. Christmas is known as ''
Quviasukvik Quviasukvik ( iu, ᖁᕕᐊᓲᑎᖃᕐᕕᒃ), is the first day of the year according to the Inuit. The festival of the New Year is celebrated by the Inuit, Yupik, Aleut, Chukchi and the Iñupiat. The feast originally derives from traditional I ...
'' in the state of
Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U ...
and the
Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territorie ...
, the Yupik, the
Aleut The Aleuts ( ; russian: Алеуты, Aleuty) are the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands, which are located between the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. Both the Aleut people and the islands are politically divided between the ...
and the
Iñupiat The Iñupiat (or Inupiat, Iñupiaq or Inupiaq;) are a group of Alaska Natives, whose traditional territory roughly spans northeast from Norton Sound on the Bering Sea to the northernmost part of the Canada–United States border. Their current ...
celebrate it as their New Year. The interiors and exteriors of houses are decorated during the weeks leading up to Christmas Eve. Christmas tree farms in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
and
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
provide families with trees for their homes, many opting for artificial ones, but some for real ones. The Christmas tree usually stands centrally in the home, decorated with ornaments, tinsel, and lights, with an angel or a star symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem at the top. Christmas Eve is popularly described as "
the night before Christmas ''A Visit from St. Nicholas'', more commonly known as ''The Night Before Christmas'' and ''Twas the Night Before Christmas'' from its first line, is a poem first published anonymously under the title ''Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas'' i ...
" in the poem actually titled " A Visit from St. Nicholas". Better known as
Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...
, he is said to visit homes while children are sleeping during the night before Christmas morning. The
fireplace A fireplace or hearth is a structure made of brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance they create and for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, depending on the desig ...
s in many homes have been replaced by electric fireplaces, but the yule log has remained a tradition. Christmas stockings are hung on the
mantelpiece The fireplace mantel or mantelpiece, also known as a chimneypiece, originated in medieval times as a hood that projected over a fire grate to catch the smoke. The term has evolved to include the decorative framework around the fireplace, and c ...
for Santa Claus to fill with little gifts ("stocking stuffers"). It is tradition throughout the United States for children to leave a glass of milk and plate of
Christmas cookies Christmas cookies or Christmas biscuits are traditionally sugar cookies or biscuits (though other flavours may be used based on family traditions and individual preferences) cut into various shapes related to Christmas. History Modern Christma ...
for Santa Claus nearby. Presents the family will exchange are wrapped and placed near the tree, including presents to be given to pets. Friends exchange wrapped presents and tell each other not to open presents before Christmas. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, siblings and occasionally guests from out of town are entertained in the home or else visited. Wrapped presents are most commonly opened on the morning of Christmas Day; however, some families choose to open all or some of their presents on Christmas Eve, depending on evolving family traditions, logistics, and the age of the children involved; for example, adults might open their presents on Christmas Eve and minor children on Christmas morning, or everyone might open their gifts on Christmas morning. Others follow the tradition of opening family-exchanged gifts on Christmas Eve night, followed by opening of the presents Santa brought on Christmas morning. Children are normally allowed to play with their new toys and games afterwards. The traditional Christmas dinner usually features either roasted
turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...
with stuffing (sometimes called dressing), ham, or
roast beef Roast beef is a dish of beef that is roasted, generally served as the main dish of a meal. In the Anglosphere, roast beef is one of the meats often served at Sunday lunch or dinner. Yorkshire pudding is a standard side dish. Sliced roast beef ...
. Potatoes, squash, roasted vegetables and cranberry sauce are served along with tonics and
sherries Sherry ( es, jerez ) is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light vers ...
. A variety of sweet
pastry Pastry is baked food made with a dough of flour, water and shortening (solid fats, including butter or lard) that may be savoury or sweetened. Sweetened pastries are often described as '' bakers' confectionery''. The word "pastries" suggests ...
and
egg nog Eggnog (), historically also known as a milk punch or an egg milk punch when alcoholic beverages are added, is a rich, chilled, sweetened, dairy-based beverage. It is traditionally made with milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks, and whipped egg whit ...
sprinkled with
cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus '' Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakf ...
and
nutmeg Nutmeg is the seed or ground spice of several species of the genus ''Myristica''. ''Myristica fragrans'' (fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg) is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fruit: nutmeg, from its seed, an ...
are served in the United States. Certain dishes such as
casserole A casserole (French: diminutive of , from Provençal 'pan') is a normally large deep pan or bowl a casserole is anything in a casserole pan. Hot or cold History Baked dishes have existed for thousands of years. Early casserole recipes c ...
s and desserts are often prepared with a family recipe. Sometimes, families also partake in a religious tradition, such as the consumption of a Christmas wafer in Christian families of European ancestry. Fruits, nuts, cheeses and chocolates are enjoyed as snacks. Other traditions include a special church service on the Sunday before Christmas and Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. Candlelight services are held earlier in the evening for families with children, and special Christmas services may be held earlier in the season for people who may be traveling out of town closer to the holiday. A re-enactment of the
Nativity of Jesus The nativity of Jesus, nativity of Christ, birth of Jesus or birth of Christ is described in the biblical gospels of Luke and Matthew. The two accounts agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judaea, his mother Mary was engaged to a man ...
called a Nativity play is another tradition. Christmas-related tourist attractions, such as the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and elaborate animated
department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic appe ...
Christmas windows in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
are heavily visited by tourists from all over the world.
Christmas music Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols or songs, may employ lyrics whose subject ...
can be heard in the background. The
Mormon Tabernacle Choir The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, is an American choir, acting as part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It has performed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle for ...
is one whose annual carol singing is well-recognized. Christmas
symphony orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
and choral presentation such as Handel's ''Messiah'' and performances of ''
The Nutcracker ''The Nutcracker'' ( rus, Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik, links=no ) is an 1892 two-act ballet (""; russian: балет-феерия, link=no, ), originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaik ...
'' ballet are attended. Local radio stations may temporarily switch format to play exclusively Christmas music, some going to an all-Christmas format as early as mid-October. A few television stations broadcast a Yule Log without interruption for several hours. News broadcasts and talk shows feature Christmas-themed segments, emphasizing fellowship and goodwill among neighbors. Of particular note is the observance of Christmas for military families of soldiers and sailors serving abroad, on both sides of the Canada–U.S. border. The
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
have made it a tradition, since they relocated from
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origin ...
prior to the 1960-61 NBA season, to have a home game on Christmas. As of 2015, the NBA now schedules five games on Christmas, usually including classic rivalry games as well as a rematch of the previous season's
NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is a ...
.


South America


= Brazil

= Christmas Day on December 25 is a national holiday in Brazil. Because Brazil lies in the Southern Hemisphere, Brazilians celebrate Christmas in the summer. In the small cities in the entire country, as well as in the largest cities, like São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Salvador, Fortaleza, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Goiânia, Brasília, Manaus, Belém, Natal and Belo Horizonte, the celebrations resemble in many ways the traditions in Europe and North America, with the Christmas tree, the exchanging of gifts and Christmas cards, the decoration of houses and buildings with electric lights and the nativity scene. Despite the warm tropical summer weather, some incongruences such as decorations with themes of winter and snow are not uncommon. In some cities like Guarapuava, there are decoration contests, when judges go to houses to look at the decorations, inside or outside of the house, and decide the most beautiful house. Christmas Eve is the most important day. Unlike in the North American and Anglo-Saxon tradition, Christmas takes action mainly near midnight, usually with big family dinners, opening of gifts and the celebration of the ('Rooster's Mass') in churches throughout the nation. Many Brazilians decorate their homes with a Christmas Tree. There is no rule, and the parents can decorate it by themselves as a surprise to the kids, or they can do it together. In addition to the Christmas tree, many families set up a (nativity scene) as the main decoration. Nativity scenes are very popular in Brazil, and can be seen everywhere including churches and popular places around the town. Like many other countries, Christmas dinner in Brazil is normally served late in the evening on Christmas Eve around 10 or 11 p.m. The meal often includes
farofa ''Farofa'' () is a type of meal made from toasted cassava. It is eaten mainly in Brazil. It can be found commercially produced and packaged but can also be prepared at home based on family recipes. Most recipes will also contain varying amou ...
stuffing, assortments of fruit, fried cod, and roast turkey with a dessert called '' rabanada''. Along with their meals, Brazilians typically drink champagne, wine, and fruit punch. Typically after they eat, many Brazilians attend a Midnight Mass service or watch the Pope's television broadcast celebration of "Midnight Mass in Rome" with family and friends.


= Colombia

= Christmas is a public holiday in Colombia and is primarily a religious celebration. Presents are brought by (Baby Jesus). While Christmas decorations may be put up as early as the beginning of November, the unofficial start of Colombian Christmas festivities takes place on December 7, '' Día de las Velitas'', or 'Day of the Candles.' At night, the streets, sidewalks, balconies, porches, and driveways are decorated with candles and paper lanterns, which illuminate cities and towns in a yellow glow to honor the Immaculate Conception on the following day, December 8. In many cities, and even in small rural towns, neighborhoods get together and decorate their whole neighborhood or street, turning streets into virtual "tunnels of light." Many radio stations and local organizations hold contests for the best display of lights, making the competition for the best light show a serious event. The city of Medellín has become a popular tourist destination during the holiday season because of its
Christmas lights Christmas lights (also known as fairy lights, festive lights or string lights) are lights often used for decoration in celebration of Christmas, often on display throughout the Christmas season including Advent and Christmastide. The custom g ...
. Activities such as musical events and firework displays are planned by cities and held during this time. Individually launched fireworks were a common item during the Christmas season in Colombia, often going on at any time of the day in many cities. However, a recent ban has decreased the individual use of fireworks, and now only cities or towns are able to hold firework displays. December 16 is the first day of the Christmas
Novena A novena (from Latin: ''novem'', "nine") is an ancient tradition of devotional praying in Christianity, consisting of private or public prayers repeated for nine successive days or weeks. The nine days between the Feast of the Ascension and Pe ...
, a devotion consisting of prayer said on nine successive days, the last one held on Christmas Eve. The Novena is promoted by the Catholic Church as a staple of Christmas, and is very similar to the ''posadas'' celebrated in Mexico. It is a call for an understanding of the religious meaning of Christmas, and a way to counter the commercialism of the Christmas season. Individual traditions concerning the Novena may vary, but most families set up a (manger scene), sing religious Christmas carols called '' villancicos'' accompanied by tambourines, bells, and other simple percussion instruments, and read verses from the Bible as well as an interpretation which may change from year to year. Novenas serve as religious gatherings as well as learning environments for young children since kids have a central and active role in the celebration of the Novenas (they read prayers, sing, and play instruments guided by their family). From December 16 to 24, games called are played after having made a "pinky promise" deciding the prize for the winner and the punishment for the loser. The games include ('Talk but don't answer'), ('Give but don't receive'), ('Straw in the mouth'), ('Three feet'), ('Stolen kisses'), and ('Yes or no'). Churches offer dawn and nightly masses during the nine days of the novena, culminating with the '' Misa de Gallo'' ('Rooster's Mass') on Christmas Eve at midnight. Christmas Eve is the most important day of Christmas in Colombia. Families and friends get together to pray the last novena and wait until midnight to open the presents, parties are held until sunrise on
Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...
, kids stay up late playing with their new presents, and fireworks fill the skies. Families gather around meals, music, and singing. Because Christmas Eve is the most important day, little occurs on December 25. Families join Christmas Day mass although it is not nearly as festive as Christmas Eve. The , or the Day of the Innocents, falls in the Christmas season, on December 28. The day commemorates the innocent infants (called the innocent ones) who were said to have been killed by King Herod in fear of the power of the newborn baby, Jesus. January 6, the day of the Revelation of the Magi (Epiphany), is called (from
The Three Magi The biblical Magi from Middle Persian ''moɣ''(''mard'') from Old Persian ''magu-'' 'Zoroastrian clergyman' ( or ; singular: ), also referred to as the (Three) Wise Men or (Three) Kings, also the Three Magi were distinguished foreigners in the ...
), used to be a day of gift-giving, but is celebrated less now since gifts are given mostly around Christmas Eve today. Some families still give presents, and it is also the day when godparents give Christmas presents.


= Guyana

= Christmas Day is a public holiday in Guyana celebrated by native and overseas Guyanese. People participate in a street parade of colourful masquerades filled with colourful outfits and performances. A popular traditional Christmas food is pepperpot, a national dish and type of meat stew eaten during breakfast.


= Uruguay

= Christmas Day, December 25, is a
public holiday in Uruguay The following are public holidays in Uruguay. Only 5 of these holidays (January 1, May 1, July 18, August 25 and December 25) imply a mandatory paid leave for workers. Most of the other days are only observed by schools and some public sector of ...
, although it is officially called "Family Day" since the separation of church and state at the beginning of the 20th century. However, the celebration is known as (Christmas), celebrated mainly in a secular manner. The Christmas and holiday season begins on December 8 (Feast of the Immaculate Conception), the day on which the Christmas tree is traditionally set up and Christmas decorations are put up in homes, shops and streets, including, in many homes, the or (nativity scene). In many cities, Christmas markets are set up where toys, clothes, decorations and food are sold. The celebrations begin at nightfall on Christmas Eve (December 24), with family gatherings where traditionally they eat ''
asado ' () is the technique and the social event of having or attending a barbecue in various South American countries, especially Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay where it is also a traditional event. An ''asado'' usually consists of beef, por ...
'', ''vitél toné'', and desserts such as '' turrón'' and ''panetone'', which were incorporated into Uruguayan culture due to European Immigration to the country. At the stroke of midnight, people flock to the streets to enjoy fireworks and light firecrackers; meanwhile, (Santa Claus) leaves, next to the Christmas trees, gifts that the children asked for in letters that they left throughout the month in shopping centers and other places where he is seen. There is also an exchange of gifts between family and friends. Because Uruguay lies in the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas is celebrated in summer, which is why open-air music festivals are held from noon on the 24th, and early morning until the 25th, mainly in coastal cities such as
Montevideo Montevideo () is the capital and largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . Montevideo is situated on the southern co ...
and Punta del Este, which receives a large number of tourists from neighboring countries. On Christmas Day the whole population has the day off to be with their family and friends, so public transport, malls and offices are closed down.


= Venezuela

= In Venezuela, Christmas is celebrated as a religious occasion. As in Colombia, the presents are brought by (Baby Jesus) instead of (Santa Claus), who still has an important role during this season. The unofficial start of the Christmas festivities is after the celebrations of ''Feria de la Chinita'', the second half of November. The origin of this festival is the honor to Virgin Mary of
Chiquinquirá Chiquinquirá is a town and municipality in the Colombian Department of Boyacá, part of the subregion of the Western Boyacá Province. Located some 115 km north of Bogotá, Chiquinquirá is above sea level and has a yearly average temp ...
, with various religious activities, processions, and music in the typical Gaita style to honor La Chinita (nickname of this Virgin). This event takes place in the Zulia Region, specifically in Maracaibo (the regional capital). After this, other cities join in the festivities and many activities take place including musical events and firework displays. In many cities, small rural towns and neighborhoods get together for the , night festivals where children go and play with skateboards, roller blades and bicycles. These events are usually sponsored by the local church, where neighbors organize themselves and sell typical Christmas food, hot chocolate, hallaca, cookies, etc. Also, still in some neighborhoods is the '' parranda'', where people go caroling from house to house, singing and receiving food and drinks. The same tradition, though called '' Paradura del Niño'' exists in the Venezuelan Andes; however, the carolers carry an image of Baby Jesus. Children write request letters to Baby Jesus. The presents are sent by Baby Jesus at midnight, and most people have a party, which goes on until sunrise.


Asia


Central Asia


= Uzbekistan

= Christmas is not an official holiday in
Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked co ...
. Out of a population of 35 million, approximately 2.2 percent is Russian Orthodox. Since the fall of the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
, this number has continued to decline as ethnic Russians and other Orthodox Christians emigrate to other countries. The Christians of Uzbekistan celebrate Christmas on 25 December in the
Julian calendar The Julian calendar, proposed by Roman consul Julius Caesar in 46 BC, was a reform of the Roman calendar. It took effect on , by edict. It was designed with the aid of Greek mathematicians and astronomers such as Sosigenes of Alexandri ...
used by the church, which falls on 7 January in the common
Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years d ...
. Much like in the rest of the Soviet Union, Christmas was largely erased from the calendar during much of the 20th century under the Soviets' anti-religious policies, but many traditions survived having been transplanted to New Year's. Christmas is still eclipsed by New Year's Day in Uzbekistan, which remains a major holiday even among Christians. Christmas symbols and decorations similar to those found in Europe or the US can be seen on the streets of larger cities, but for a majority of the population Christmas is simply a part of New Year celebrations. Many people, including Muslims, decorate a Christmas tree, even though they do not celebrate Christmas and call the tree New Year's tree ( uz, Yangi yil archasi).


East Asia


= China

= In China, December 25 is not a legal holiday. However, it is still designated as a public holiday in China's special administrative regions of
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
and
Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...
, former colonies of the United Kingdom and Portugal respectively. In the mainland, the small percentage of Chinese citizens who consider themselves Christians unofficially, and usually privately, observe Christmas. Many other individuals celebrate Christmas-like festivities even though they do not consider themselves Christians. Many customs, including sending cards, exchanging gifts, and hanging stockings are very similar to Western celebrations. Commercial Christmas decorations, signs, and other symbolic items have become increasingly prevalent during the month of December in large urban centres of mainland China, reflecting a cultural interest in this Western phenomenon, and, sometimes, retail marketing campaigns as well.


Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, where Christmas is a
public holiday A public holiday, national holiday, or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year. Sovereign nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history ...
, many buildings facing
Victoria Harbour Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbor, harbour in Hong Kong separating Hong Kong Island in the south from the Kowloon Peninsula to the north. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on South China Sea were instrume ...
will be decorated with Christmas lights. Christmas trees are found in major malls and other public buildings, and in some homes as well, despite the small living area. Catholics in Hong Kong can attend Christmas Mass.
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
was deeply influenced by British and Western culture during the colonial era. Christmas is one of the most valued festivals in Hong Kong after
Lunar New Year Lunar New Year is the beginning of a calendar year whose months are Lunar phase, moon cycles, based on the lunar calendar or lunisolar calendar. The Lunar New Year as a celebration is observed by numerous cultures. It is also named "Chinese New ...
. The Christmas atmosphere is also stronger than most countries in Asia. Both Christmas Day on December 25 and
Boxing Day Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...
on 26th are public holidays. On Boxing Day on the 26th, there is no holiday and no supplementary holiday. The custom of celebrating Christmas in the early years was not extensive. It was not common until the 1970s, when the society of Hong Kong stabilized, that the number of people celebrating Christmas began to increase. Although Christians account for only one-eighth of the population of Hong Kong, the Christmas Day atmosphere is still strong. The public generally sees this annual holiday as a big day for vacation, travel,
carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival t ...
, pastime, dating or making friends.
Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observan ...
decorations on interior and exterior walls of many shopping malls are quickly removed after October 31, and Christmas decorations and lighting are put up in mid-November. The facades of buildings on both sides of
Victoria Harbour Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbor, harbour in Hong Kong separating Hong Kong Island in the south from the Kowloon Peninsula to the north. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on South China Sea were instrume ...
,
Tsim Sha Tsui Tsim Sha Tsui, often abbreviated as TST, is an urban area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsi ...
and
Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...
are all decorated with Christmas lights. Christmas trees can be seen everywhere, and a giant 15-meter-high Christmas tree is erected in the Statue Square, Central. Many citizens start related activities in early December, such as attending Christmas parties, having Christmas dinners and exchanging Christmas gifts. Protestant and Catholic religious leaders in Hong Kong publish Christmas announcements on
Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...
. Although December 24, the day before Christmas, is not a holiday, some businesses let employees and bosses off work early, and the
stock In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especially AmE'' one of the shares into which ownership of a compan ...
market only opens in the morning on that day. Christmas Eve at night is the climax of the festive atmosphere. Tsim Sha Tsui,
Causeway Bay Causeway Bay is an area and a bay on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, straddling the border of the Eastern and the Wan Chai districts. It is a major shopping, leisure and cultural centre in Hong Kong, with a number of major shopping centres. Th ...
and
Lan Kwai Fong Lan Kwai Fong (often abbreviated as LKF) is a small square of streets in Central, Hong Kong. The area was dedicated to hawkers before the Second World War, but underwent a renaissance in the mid-1980s. It is now a popular expatriate haunt ...
in Central are crowded with people enjoying Christmas lights and carnivals. Churches and chapels hold Midnight Mass that evening, and some Protestants and Catholics attend religious gatherings. Most shops, restaurants and entertainment venues are still open during Christmas, while public transportation, such as the
MTR The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) is a major public transport network serving :Hong Kong. Operated by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL), it consists of heavy rail, light rail, and feeder bus service centred on a 10-line rapid transit network ...
and buses, is available overnight on Christmas Eve. All primary and secondary schools, kindergartens and tertiary institutions in Hong Kong will have Christmas holidays. Most primary and secondary schools usually hold the Christmas Party on December 20 or 21, and then Christmas holidays until
New Year's Day New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Whi ...
, so Christmas and Lunar New Year is the longest consecutive holiday throughout the year except summer vacation. The student organizations of colleges and universities will also hold Christmas parties from mid-December. Students at colleges and universities usually do not need to attend classes from Christmas Day to New Year's Day. Hong Kong citizens use the Christmas holidays to meet friends, family or friends for gatherings, shopping and pastimes, while young people like to spend holidays as a couple or find partners during the holiday, like another
Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thr ...
. In addition, people in Hong Kong generally think that Christmas gifts must be opened until Boxing Day on December 26; this day is also referred to as "gift opening day", but in fact, most people open their Christmas gifts as early on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, and there is no habit of opening Christmas gifts until Boxing Day on the 26th. Some children write to
Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...
; the letters are sent to the "Undeliverable mail" department of the
Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional se ...
, and the staff of the department responds as
Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...
to each letter. In addition, some people celebrate Christmas with the
Winter Solstice The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the winter ...
until New Year's Day.


Macau

Christmas is a public holiday in Macau. Its traditions are mostly influenced by the Portuguese since the territory was a colony of
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...
until December 20, 1999. Casinos in Macau remain open on Christmas Day. Christmas masses in Macau's Catholic churches are held in either Chinese or Portuguese.


= Japan

= Encouraged by commerce, the secular celebration of Christmas is popular in Japan, though Christmas is not a national holiday. Gifts are sometimes exchanged. Christmas parties are held around Christmas Day; Japanese Christmas cake, a white sponge cake covered with cream and decorated with strawberries, is often consumed and Stollen cake, either imported or made locally, is widely available. Christmas lights decorate cities, and Christmas trees adorn living areas and malls.Shizuko Mishima, About.com guide
Christmas in Japan
Japan travel section of About.com. Retrieved January 27, 2010
Christmas Eve has become a holiday for couples to spend time together and exchange gifts. A successful advertising campaign in the 1970s made eating at KFC around Christmas a national custom. Its chicken meals are so popular during the season that stores take reservations months in advance.


History

The first recorded Christmas in Japan was a mass held by Jesuit missionaries in
Yamaguchi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1,377,631 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 6,112 km2 (2,359 sq mi). Yamaguchi Prefecture borders Shimane Prefecture t ...
in 1552. Some believe that unrecorded celebrations were held before this date, starting in 1549 when Saint Francis Xavier arrived in Japan. Christianity was banned throughout Japan in 1612. However, a small enclave of
Kakure Kirishitan ''Kakure kirishitan'' () is a modern term for a member of the Catholic Church in Japan that went underground at the start of the Edo period in the early 17th century due to Christianity's repression by the Tokugawa shogunate. History Origin ...
('hidden Christians') continued to practise underground over the next 250 years. Christianity in Japan along with Christmas reemerged in the
Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...
. Influenced by America, Christmas parties were held and presents were exchanged. The practice slowly spread, but its proximity to the
New Year New Year is the time or day currently at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increments by one. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner. In the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar system ...
's celebrations makes it a smaller focus of attention. It became a popular celebration for non-Christians during 1900s after the
Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...
. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, all celebrations, especially American, were suppressed. From the 1960s, with an expanding economy, and influenced by American TV, Christmas became popular. Many songs and TV series present Christmas as romantic, for example " Last Christmas" by
Exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
. The birthday of the previous emperor,
Akihito is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 7 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. He presided over the Heisei era, ''Heisei'' being an expression of achieving peace worldwide. B ...
, on December 23 is or was a national holiday. Businesses soon close for the New Year's holidays, reopening after January 3.


= South Korea

= Christmas is a
public holiday A public holiday, national holiday, or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year. Sovereign nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history ...
in South Korea. Christmas traditions are generally mixed with Korean culture and cuisine, and Christmas is especially celebrated by the Christian community (Protestants and Catholics alike).


= Taiwan

= As only around 5% of the population are actually Christian, Christmas is not usually celebrated as a religious event in Taiwan. Before 2001, December 25 used to be a national holiday, as that was the Constitution Day, the day on which the
Constitution of the Republic of China The Constitution of the Republic of China is the fifth and current constitution of the Republic of China (ROC), ratified by the Kuomintang during the session on 25 December 1946, in Nanjing, and adopted on 25 December 1947. The constitution, ...
was signed in 1947. In recent years, the secular celebration of Christmas has gained popularity in Taiwan. Christmas parties are held and gifts are sometimes exchanged. Major cities and shopping malls are now decorated with Christmas lights and trees in December to celebrate the festival. One of the most popular Christmas events in Taiwan is Christmasland in New Taipei City organised by the New Taipei City Government, consisting of major Christmas celebration activities and art installations. A series of activities such as the family garden party, Christmas parade carnival and Christmas Eve concert are often held; the programme varies slightly from year to year.


South Asia


= Bangladesh

= Christmas is known as ('Big Day') in Bangladeshi.
Pitha Pithas are a variety of food similar to pancakes, dumplings or fritters, originating from the Indian subcontinent, common in Bangladesh and India. Pitha can be sweet or savoury, and usually made from a dough or batter, which is then steamed, fri ...
,
cookies A cookie is a baked or cooked snack or dessert that is typically small, flat and sweet. It usually contains flour, sugar, egg, and some type of oil, fat, or butter. It may include other ingredients such as raisins, oats, chocolate chi ...
and
cake Cake is a flour confection made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients, and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate ...
are prepared by Bangladeshi Christians during Christmas. Christmas is a one-day public holiday. On Christmas Eve, churches hold a large dinner called that includes pulau, egg korma, fish fry and vegetable curries. On Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, prayers are generally held in church. After prayers, carol performances happen.
Bengali Christian Bengali Christians ( bn, বাঙালি খ্রিস্টান) are adherents of Christianity among the Bengali people. Christianity took root in Bengal after the arrival of Portuguese voyagers in the 16th century. It witnessed further ...
churches are also decorated with lights and Christmas trees. Some Christians also decorate their homes for celebrations or visits, and give money or toys as gifts to children. Christmas is also increasingly celebrated by other religions in Bangladesh, especially in urban areas. People celebrate by going to theme parks, zoos and museums, hosting small Christmas parties in restaurants and homes, or with gift-giving.


= Bhutan

= Christmas is not an official holiday in Bhutan, in spite of its unusual observance. Despite the country being officially Buddhist, many urban areas in the country are adorned with decorations and shops filled with miniature Santa Clauses.


= India

= Being a British colony until 1947, many British traditions stayed on in India. Christmas is a state holiday in India, although
Christianity in India Christianity is India's third-largest religion with about 27.8 million adherents, making up 2.3 percent of the population as of the 2011 census. The written records of the Saint Thomas Christians state that Christianity was introduced to th ...
is a minority with only 2.3% (of 1.237 billion) of the population. Christians, especially Catholics, attend Midnight Mass. Many Christian houses in India decorate with Christmas cribs and Christmas trees and hang brightly lit stars (symbolising the Bethlehem star) outside their houses. They distribute sweets and cakes to their neighbors. In many schools run by Christian missionaries, the children actively participate in Christmas programs. Many government schools also have a tradition of Christmas celebrations. Christmas is also increasingly celebrated by other religions in India. Christmas is known as ('Big Day') in North and North-West India and people plant trees on this day.


= Pakistan

=
Christianity in Pakistan Christianity (Masihiyt) is the third largest religion in Pakistan, making up about 1.27% of the population according to the 2017 Census. Of these, approximately half are Catholic and half Protestant (primarily Anglican and Presbyterian). A smal ...
constitutes the second largest religious minority community in Pakistan after Hindus. The total number of Christians is approximately 2,800,000 in 2008, or 1.6% of the population. Of these, approximately half are Roman Catholic and half Protestant. Christians celebrate Christmas by going from house to house singing carols, and in return the family offers something to the choir. The money collected from such carols is usually used for charity works or is given to the church. Homes are decorated with local Christmas handicrafts while artificial stars signifying the Star of Bethlehem are hung on rooftops. Special foods, such as the Allahabadi fruitcake, are eaten in Pakistan during the Christmas season. Christmas celebrations are also popular with the urban middle class in the country with hotels, cafes, restaurants and theme parks hosting festivities and special events.


Southeast Asia


= Brunei

= As of December 22, 2015, Christmas is completely banned in Brunei, but its expatriate and local Christian communities still celebrate it privately amongst themselves. The ban includes putting up Christmas trees, singing Christmas carols, Nativity plays, festive greetings, and even dressing as Santa Claus. Anyone caught will face up to five years in jail. Before the law was passed in 2014, non-Muslim expats were free to celebrate Christmas in Brunei.


= Indonesia

=
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
in Indonesia (locally known as , from the Portuguese word for 'Christmas'), is one of many public holidays in Indonesia, which approximately 16.5 million
Protestants Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
and 6.9 million
Roman Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
Sensus Penduduk 2010:Penduduk Indonesia Menurut Wilayah dan Agama yang Dianut
Badan Pusat Statistik. Accessed December 15, 2014.
celebrate with various traditions throughout the country. In provinces with a majority or significant Christian population (Protestant and Catholic) such as
North Sumatra North Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Utara) is a province of Indonesia located on the northern part of the island of Sumatra. Its capital and largest city is Medan. North Sumatra is Indonesia's fourth most populous province after West Java, East Java and ...
,
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital city, capital and list of Indonesian cities by population, largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coa ...
, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan,
North Kalimantan North Kalimantan ( id, Kalimantan Utara) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. North Kalimantan borders the Malaysian states of Sabah to the north and Sarawak ...
,
North Sulawesi North Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Utara) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the Minahasa Peninsula of Sulawesi, south of the Philippines and southeast of Sabah, Malaysia. It borders the Philippine province of Davao Occidental and Socc ...
, West Sulawesi,
Central Sulawesi Central Sulawesi (Indonesian: ''Sulawesi Tengah'') is a province of Indonesia located at the centre of the island of Sulawesi. The administrative capital and largest city is located in Palu. The 2010 census recorded a population of 2,635,009 for ...
, East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, the whole
Papua Island Papua Island () is a small circular island lying 4 nautical miles (7 km) west of Boreal Point, off the north coast of Joinville Island Joinville Island is the largest island of the Joinville Island group, about long in an east-west dire ...
, and cities like
Surabaya Surabaya ( jv, ꦱꦸꦫꦧꦪ or jv, ꦯꦹꦫꦨꦪ; ; ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of East Java and the second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern border of Java island, on the M ...
,
Tangerang Tangerang ( Sundanese: , ) is a city in the province of Banten, Indonesia. Located on the western border of Jakarta, it is the third largest urban centre in the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area after Jakarta and Bekasi; the sixth largest cit ...
, Batam,
Bandung Bandung ( su, ᮘᮔ᮪ᮓᮥᮀ, Bandung, ; ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of West Java. It has a population of 2,452,943 within its city limits according to the official estimates as at mid 2021, making it the fourth most ...
, Rantepao, etc., the Christmas season is filled with ceremonies, festivals, and local foods.Christmas celebration, the Indonesian way
ID Nugroho & Anissa S. Febrina, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta. December 30, 2009. Diakses pada December 15, 2014.
In big cities, many shopping centres, offices, some roads, and other commercial places feature decorations such as plastic
Christmas tree A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas. The custom was further developed in early modern ...
s and '' Sinterklas'' (derived from the Dutch word '' Sinterklaas'') and his
reindeer Reindeer (in North American English, known as caribou if wild and ''reindeer'' if domesticated) are deer in the genus ''Rangifer''. For the last few decades, reindeer were assigned to one species, ''Rangifer tarandus'', with about 10 subs ...
. Most local television channels broadcast Christmas musical concerts as well as annual national Christmas celebrations like concerts and Christmas shows which are held by the government. Like other countries, on Christmas Eve people go to church for ''misa'' and attend again the next morning. Exchanging gifts is a usual tradition for Christians in Indonesia. In addition to traditional foods, Christmas Day generally features cookies, like ( pineapple tart), (from Dutch ), or ''putri salju''.Christmas in Indonesia
whychristmas.com. Diakses pada December 15, 2014.


= Malaysia

= Although Christmas is a public holiday in Malaysia, much of the public celebration is commercial in nature and has no overt religious overtones. Occasionally, Christian activist groups do buy newspaper advertisements on Christmas but this is largely only allowed in English newspapers and permission is not given every year. The advertisements themselves are usually indirect statements. There has been controversy over whether or not the national government has exerted pressure on Malaysian Christians not to use Christian religious symbols and hymns that specifically mention Jesus Christ.


= Philippines

= Christmas in the Philippines, one of two predominantly Catholic countries in Asia (the other being East Timor), is one of the biggest holidays on the calendar and is widely celebrated. The country has earned the distinction of celebrating the world's longest Christmas season, with Christmas carols heard as early as September 1 when the Ber Months season traditionally begins. The season is officially ushered in by the nine-day dawn
mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different ele ...
es that start on December 16. Known as the '' Misas de Aguinaldo'' ('Gift Masses') or '' Misa de Gallo'' ('Rooster's Mass') in the traditional Spanish, these masses are more popularly known in Tagalog as the , and are held in Catholic parishes and chapels nationwide. Usually, aside from the already legal holidays which are
Rizal Day Rizal Day (, ; ) is a Philippine national holiday commemorating life and works of José Rizal, a national hero of the Philippines. It is celebrated every December 30, the anniversary of Rizal's 1896 execution at Bagumbayan (present-day Riza ...
(December 30) and
New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...
(December 31), other days in close proximity such as Christmas Eve (December 24), (December 28), and Epiphany (traditionally, January 6 but now on the first Sunday of January) are also declared non-working days. As in many East Asian countries, secular Christmas displays are common both in business establishments and in public, including lights, Christmas trees, depictions of Santa Claus despite the tropical climate, and Christmas greetings in various foreign languages and various
Philippine languages The Philippine languages or Philippinic are a proposed group by R. David Paul Zorc (1986) and Robert Blust (1991; 2005; 2019) that include all the languages of the Philippines and northern Sulawesi, Indonesia—except Sama–Bajaw (language ...
. Occasionally such displays are left in place even in summer, for example the ''
parol A parol (, , also written as paról or parul, from Spanish ''farol'', meaning ''lantern'') is a Filipino ornamental lantern displayed during the Christmas season. Parols are traditionally constructed using bamboo and Japanese paper, and are ...
'', representing the Star of Bethlehem which led the Three Kings to the newborn Baby Jesus. For Filipinos, Christmas Eve (; ) on December 24 is celebrated with the Midnight Mass, and immediately after, the much-anticipated – the traditional Christmas Eve feast. Family members dine together around 12 midnight on traditional fare, which may include: ''
queso de bola Edam ( nl, Edammer, ) is a semi-hard cheese that originated in the Netherlands, and is named after the town of Edam in the province of North Holland. Edam is traditionally sold in flat-ended spheres with a pale yellow interior and a coat, or rin ...
'' (English: 'ball of cheese'; this is actually edam cheese), (a hot chocolate drink), and '' jamón'' (Christmas ham), '' lechón'', roast chicken or turkey, pasta, (stuffed ''
bangus The milkfish (''Chanos chanos'') is the sole living species in the family Chanidae. However, there are at least five extinct genera from the Cretaceous. The repeating scientific name (tautonym) is from Greek ( ‘mouth’). The species has many ...
'' or chicken), ''
pan de sal Pandesal ( es, pan de sal, salt bread, lit. "salt bread") is a staple bread roll in the Philippines commonly eaten for breakfast. It is made of flour, yeast, sugar, oil, and salt. Description ''Pandesal'' is a popular yeast-raised bread in the ...
'', and various desserts including cakes and the ubiquitous fruit salad. Some also open presents at this time. On December 31, New Year's Eve (; ), Filipino families gather for the or midnight meal – a feast that is also supposed to symbolize their hopes for a prosperous New Year. In spite of the campaign against firecrackers, many Filipinos still see these as the traditional means to greet the
New Year New Year is the time or day currently at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increments by one. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner. In the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar system ...
. The loud noises and sounds of merrymaking are also supposed to drive away bad spirits. Safer methods of merrymaking include banging on pots and pans and blowing on car horns. Folk beliefs also include encouraging children to jump at the stroke of midnight in the belief that they will grow up tall, displaying circular fruit and wearing clothes with dots and other circular designs to symbolize money, eating twelve grapes at 12 midnight for good luck in the twelve months of the year, and opening windows and doors during the first day of the New Year to let in good luck. Christmas officially ends on the Feast of the Three Kings ( in Spanish or in Tagalog), also known as the
Feast of the Epiphany Epiphany ( ), also known as Theophany in Eastern Christian traditions, is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation (theophany) of God incarnate as Jesus Christ. In Western Christianity, the feast commemorates principally (but not ...
(Spanish: ). The Feast of the Three Kings was traditionally commemorated on January 6 but is now celebrated on the first Sunday after the New Year. Some children leave their shoes out in the belief that the Three Kings will leave gifts like candy or money inside. But the celebrations do not end there, since 2011, as mandated by the Catholic Church, they are on either the second Sunday of January or Monday after Epiphany in honor of the Lord Jesus's baptism in the Jordan (the Solemnity of the Lord's Baptism, or in Spanish ). The final salvo of these celebrations is marked by the feast of the Black Nazarene every January 9 in Manila and Cagayan de Oro, but can also, due to the celebrations in honor of the ''Santo Niño'' on the third and fourth Sundays of January in some places, even extend till the final weeks of that month.


= Singapore

= Christmas is a public holiday in Singapore that is widely celebrated. The Christmas season is also a popular period for shopping centres and businesses to conduct year-end sales and offer discounts and promotions that tie in with the festivities. The famous Singaporean shopping belt,
Orchard Road Orchard Road, often known colloquially as simply Orchard, is a major –long road in the Central Area of Singapore. Known as a famous tourist attraction, it is an upscale shopping area of Singapore, with numerous internationally renowned depa ...
, as well as the Marina Bay area, feature lights and other decorations from early November till early January. The Christmas light-up and decorated shopping malls along Orchard Road often attract numerous visitors, locals and tourists alike. Other than the light-up, other activities such as caroling, concerts and parades can also be experienced in Orchard Road. In addition, companies in Singapore usually arrange gift exchange programs on the last working day before Christmas.


= Thailand

= Christmas is not an official public holiday in Thailand and the majority of the population adheres to Buddhism.


= Vietnam

= Christmas is not a national holiday but is becoming increasingly popular in Vietnam due to increasing exposure to Western culture and its non-religious glamour and commercial appeal.Religion Aside, Christmas Gains Popularity in Communist Vietnam
. December 21, 2014. Voice of America. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
Vietnamese may be more accepting of corporate influence because for many, Christmas was never based on personal values to begin with. It is not a time to have dinner at home with family and show thanks for one another. Instead, it is a time to go out on the town, shop, and take pictures with friends in front of colorful displays, especially on December 24. This is the second most popular holiday after
Vietnamese New Year Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia ** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam. * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Ove ...
, which occurs around one month after Christmas. Christmas is reported to be banned in Vietnam's Central Highlands, and in some cases observers have reported harassment by authorities including accusations of "attempting to overthrow" the regime.


West Asia


= Armenia

= Armenians usually celebrate Christmas on January 6. The reason for this unusual date emerges from ancient history. "In the fourth century Roman Catholic Church, officials established the date of Christmas as December 25th." Before that time, Armenians celebrated Christmas (, , meaning 'Holy Birth') on January 6 as a public holiday in Armenia. It also coincides with the Epiphany. The Armenians denied the new Roman mandate regarding Christmas, and continued to celebrate both the Nativity and Jesus' baptism on January 6. When the Gregorian calendar was implemented in 1582, the Armenians rejected the reformed calendar and continued to follow the Julian Calendar. Today, only the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem still uses the Julian Calendar. Since the Julian calendar is thirteen days behind the Gregorian calendar, when the Armenians of Jerusalem celebrate Christmas on January 6 according to the Julian calendar, the Gregorian calendar counts the day as January 19. Traditionally, Armenians fast during the week leading up to Christmas, avoiding all meat, eggs, and dairy products. Devout Armenians may even refrain from food for the three days leading up to Christmas Eve in order to receive the Eucharist on a "pure" stomach. Christmas Eve is particularly rich in traditions. Families gather for the Christmas Eve dinner (, ), which generally consists of rice, fish, (, a vegetable dish of green chard and chick peas), and yogurt/wheat soup (, ). Dessert includes dried fruits and nuts, including , which consists of whole shelled walnuts threaded on a string and encased in grape jelly, (a paper-like confection of grape jelly, cornstarch, and flour), etc. This lighter menu is designed to ease the stomach off the week-long fast and prepare it for the rather more substantial Christmas Day dinner. Children take presents of fruits, nuts, and other candies to older relatives. "On the eve of the Feast of the Nativity and Theophany of The Lord Jesus Christ, the Jrakalouyts Divine Liturgy (the lighting of the lamps service) is celebrated in honor of the manifestation of Jesus as the Son of God (theophany)". In addition to the Christmas tree (, ), Armenians (particularly in the Middle East) also erect the Nativity scene. Christmas in the Armenian tradition is a purely religious affair. Santa Claus does not visit the nice Armenian children on Christmas, but rather on New Year's Eve. The idea of Santa Claus existed before the Soviet Union and he was named (), but the Soviet Union had a great impact even on Santa Claus. Now he goes by the more secular name of Grandfather Winter (, ).


= Assyrians

= The Assyrians, the indigenous people of northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, northeastern Syria, and southeastern Turkey that belong to the
Assyrian Church of the East The Assyrian Church of the East,, ar, كنيسة المشرق الآشورية sometimes called Church of the East, officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East,; ar, كنيسة المشرق الآشورية الرسول� ...
, Ancient Church of the East,
Syriac Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = syc , image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg , imagewidth = 250 , alt = Cathedral of Saint George , caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascus ...
, and
Chaldean Catholic Church , native_name_lang = syc , image = Assyrian Church.png , imagewidth = 200px , alt = , caption = Cathedral of Our Lady of Sorrows Baghdad, Iraq , abbreviation = , type ...
today celebrate Christmas on December 25. Assyrians colloquially call Christmas ''Eda Zora'', meaning 'little holiday.' It is officially called ''Eda d'Yalde'' which means 'birthday holiday.' Traditionally, Assyrians fast (''sawma'') from December 1 until Christmas Day. In Iraq, for instance, on Christmas Eve, Assyrian families congregate outside of their house and hold lighted candles while a child reads aloud the nativity story. Then they all sing psalms over a bonfire made of thorn bushes. Folklore says that if the thorns burn to ashes, the family will have good luck. After the fire has been reduced to ashes, the family members will jump three times over the ashes and make a wish. The next day, on Christmas, "as another bonfire burns in the churchyard, the bishops lead the service while carrying a figure of the baby Jesus. He blesses one person with a touch. That person touches the next person and the touch passes around until all have felt the touch of peace." Many Assyrians will attend the ''Shaharta,'' or midnight vigil before Christmas. On Christmas Day, when families gather together after the ''Shaharta'' or morning mass, ''raza d'mowlada d'maran,'' the fast is broken by eating traditional Assyrian foods such as ''pacha/reesh-aqle'' (meaning 'from the head to the tail'), which is a boiled soup made of sheep or cow intestines, tongue, stomach, legs, and spices or ''harissa'', a porridge made of ground wheat and chicken (both dishes are prepared usually overnight). These two dishes are only made twice a year: on Christmas and Easter. Traditional desserts eaten after the main course include ''killeche'', a date and walnut-stuffed cookie, and ''kadeh'', another stuffed pastry. After the feast is finished, Assyrians will visit the houses of family and friends to exchange Christmas greetings, saying, "''Eedokhon breekha,''" meaning "May your feast be blessed." There, the host will serve tea, Turkish coffee, and ''killeche'' and ''kadeh'' to guests. Although Christmas is celebrated in a much more religious fashion, in recent years, families put up a small Christmas tree in the house.


= Lebanon

= Christmas is an official holiday in Lebanon. The Lebanese celebrate Christmas on December 25, except for Armenian Lebanese Christians who celebrate Christmas on January 6 (also an official holiday in Lebanon). Lebanese families come together and butcher a sheep for a Christmas Eve feast in honor of the birth of "the shepherd" Jesus Christ. On that night the head of the house passes around a piece of coal representing the sins before Christ. After the piece of coal has been passed around it is then set on fire. After Dinner, Lebanese Christians attend midnight mass. Santa Claus is known by the French name . Gifts are either dropped off at church or ' makes a personal appearance at the home.


= Jordan

= Jordanian Christians observe Christmas on December 25. The Muslim majority of Jordan also take part in Christmas as a holiday, and during this time shops and streets in Jordan are colorfully decorated.


= Iraq

= Christmas is celebrated by Christians in Iraq, and in 2018 it was declared an official state holiday for the first time. In recent years, an increasing amount of Muslims have also started celebrating Christmas as a secular holiday.


Europe


Central Europe

In countries of Central Europe (for this purpose, roughly defined as the German-speaking countries of
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
,
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
and
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
as well as the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
,
Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...
,
Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and ...
,
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
and possibly other places) the main celebration date for the general public is
Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...
(December 24). The day is usually a fasting day; in some places children are told they will see a golden pig if they hold fast until after dinner. When the evening comes, preparation of Christmas dinner starts. Traditions concerning dinner vary from region to region; for example, in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, the prevailing meal is fried
carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...
with potato salad and fish (or cabbage) soup. However, in some places the tradition is porridge with mushrooms (a modest dish), and elsewhere the dinner is exceptionally rich, with up to 12 dishes. When Christmas comes around, children may receive presents from neighbours and house guests. House pets may also receive gifts. After the dinner comes the time for gifts. Children usually find their gifts under the Christmas tree, with name stickers. An interesting example of the complicated history of the region is the "fight" between Christmas beings. During communism, when countries of Central Europe were under Soviet influence, communist authorities strongly pushed the Russian '' Ded Moroz'' ('Grandfather Frost') in the place of Little Jesus. Now
Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...
is gaining popularity, by means of advertising and Hollywood film production. Many people, Christians as well as people with just a Christian background, go to
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
Midnight Mass. Other common attributes of Christmas in Central Europe include Christmas trees, mistletoe, Christmas garlands, and Bethlehem cribs. In many areas of
Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the a ...
, St. Nicholas (, , , , ), or Santa Claus, does not come for Christmas. He visits families earlier, on the dawn of St. Nicholas Day on December 6, and for the well-behaved children he has presents and candy-bags to put into their well polished shoes that were set in the windows the previous evening. Although he neither parks his sleigh on rooftops nor climbs chimneys, his visits are usually accompanied by a diabolic-looking servant named Krampusz (in Austria, Slovenia, and
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...
, Krampus; in Czech and Slovak regions he is simply , i.e. 'devil', without any name) who gives golden coloured birches for so called badly behaved children. Actually all children get both gifts and golden birches (Hungarian: ) in their shoes, no matter how they behaved themselves.


= Austria and Germany

= In some German-speaking communities, particularly in Catholic regions of western and southern Germany, Switzerland, Austria,
South Tyrol it, Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano – Alto Adige lld, Provinzia Autonoma de Balsan/Bulsan – Südtirol , settlement_type = Autonomous province , image_skyline = , image_alt ...
and
Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German language, German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constit ...
, as well as in other Catholic regions of Central Europe, the '' Christkind'' (literally 'Christ child') brings the presents on the evening of December 24 ('Holy Evening' or ).Forbes, Bruce David, Christmas: a candid history, University of California Press, 2007, The Christkind is invisible; thus he is never seen by anyone. However, he rings a bell just before he leaves in order to let children know that the Christmas tree and the presents are ready. It is a tradition to lavishly decorate a Christmas tree in the days directly before Christmas or on the morning of Christmas Eve. Late on Christmas Eve, after the bell rings, the tree is shown to the children and presents are exchanged. In Protestant churches, there is a service in the late afternoon intended to immediately precede the
Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...
meal and the exchanging of gifts. This service, called , consists most often of scriptural readings, the Christmas Gospel from Luke 2, a ( nativity play), favourite Christmas carols and festive music for organ and choirs. In some regions the tradition of ''
Quempas "Quempas" is the shortened title of the Latin Christmas carol "Quem pastores laudavere" ("He whom the shepherds praised"), popular in Germany in the sixteenth century, and used as a generic term for Christmas songs in a German caroling tradition ...
'' singing is still popular. Some Lutheran churches also celebrate a candlelight service at midnight besides the Christmas
Vespers Vespers is a service of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic (both Latin and Eastern), Lutheran, and Anglican liturgies. The word for this fixed prayer time comes from the Latin , mea ...
in the afternoon or early evening. Many Catholic churches also have a first Mass of Christmas, called , on about 4 p.m. for the children and parents to attend before the families return home for their meal. The crib is a very important part of the celebrations in Catholic areas, especially
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...
.


Austria

In the largely Catholic Austria, Christmas markets are a long-standing tradition. In
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
, for instance, one of the 20 so-called (sing. ) is held in the large square in front of City Hall.
Innsbruck Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol and the fifth-largest city in Austria. On the River Inn, at its junction with the Wipp Valley, which provides access to the Brenner Pass to the south, it had a p ...
opens its romantic Christmas market in the narrow medieval square at the foot of the Golden Roof. In
Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...
, the Christmas market takes over the square in front of the cathedral with its picturesque stalls, while the tree vendors occupy Residenzplatz on the side of the huge Cathedral. However, almost every small town has its own Christmas market. In Austria, Christmas trees play a very important part in Christmas celebrations. Every town sets up its own huge tree on the main square all decorated with electric candles, ornaments and various decorations resembling candies or other sweets and frequently there will be an extra one, adorned with bread crumbs, for the birds. In families the tree is decorated with gold and silver ornaments or stars made out of straw, sweets and candy wrapped in tinfoil, gilded nuts, etc. The feast of
St Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-day Dem ...
marks the beginning of Christmas in Austria. On Christmas Eve (December 24) the tree is lit for the first time and the whole family gathers to sing
Christmas carols Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...
like "" (" Silent Night"). Gifts that are placed under the tree are opened after dinner on Christmas Eve. Austrian Christmas tradition has it that it is the Christ Child himself who decorates the Christmas tree on
Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...
and brings the children their Christmas presents, and it is to him that their letters and wish lists are addressed in the weeks before Christmas. The Christmas Eve dinner is the main event of the night often served with fried carp. '' Vanillekipferl'' are a common
confectionary Confectionery is the art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confectionery is divided into two broad and somewhat overlapping categorie ...
served during Christmas time, along with ''Zimtsterne'', macaroons, and various kinds of
gingerbread Gingerbread refers to a broad category of baked goods, typically flavored with ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon and sweetened with honey, sugar, or molasses. Gingerbread foods vary, ranging from a moist loaf cake to forms nearly as cr ...
.


Germany

In Germany, Christmas traditions vary by region. Until the Reformation, Saint Nicholas Day was celebrated on December 6, and Saint Nicholas was the main provider of Christmas presents. Nicholas still puts goodies in children's shoes on that day. Sometimes St. Nicholas visits children in kindergarten, schools or at public events. They have to recite a short poem or sing a song in order to get sweets or a small gift. "
Knecht Ruprecht Knecht Ruprecht (; English: ''Farmhand Rupert'', ''Servant Rupert'' or ''Farmhand Robert'', ''Servant Robert'') is a companion of Saint Nicholas as described in the folklore of Germany. He is the most popular gift-bringing character in German ...
" ('the servant Ruprecht') – dressed in dark clothes with devil-like traits (usually noted as a long, bright red tongue and with a stick or a small whip in the hand) – sometimes accompanies St. Nicholas. His duty is to punish those children who have not behaved during the year. Usually he merely stands near St. Nicholas as a warning to be good and polite. Nikolaus as well for some Glühwein for adults; there are also traditions connected with local firefighters, riders' associations and church congregations. The
Sorbs Sorbs ( hsb, Serbja, dsb, Serby, german: Sorben; also known as Lusatians, Lusatian Serbs and Wends) are a indigenous West Slavic ethnic group predominantly inhabiting the parts of Lusatia located in the German states of Saxony and Branden ...
, a minority in Saxony and parts of Brandenburg with a language similar to Polish, have some specific traditions; e.g. in Jänschwalde, the or '' Janšojski bog'' ('gift child'), a girl dressed in local costume and veil, visits the neighbors and goes around with two companions the Wednesday before Christmas. Similar to Saint Nicholas, smaller presents like sweets are given and blessings provided; however, she remains silent. Another tradition in Saxony is related to the
wooden toymaking in the Ore Mountains The history of wooden toymaking in the Ore Mountains is closely bound to regional circumstances. The Ore Mountains are located in Central Europe on the border between Germany and the Czech Republic. For many centuries it was a countryside in ...
, especially
Seiffen The town of Seiffen is located in the district of Erzgebirgskreis, which is in the central south of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. The earliest record of the town dates to 1324 when it was referred to as "Cynsifen". Seiffen nestles in the ...
, which produces Christmas decorations such as the
Christmas pyramid Christmas pyramids (german: Weihnachtspyramide) are Christmas decorations that have their roots in the folklore and customs of the Ore Mountain region of Germany, but which have become popular internationally. They comprise a decorated pyramidal ...
as well as toys year-round. Christmas letters may be addressed e.g. to
Engelskirchen Engelskirchen (literally "angel’s churches") is a municipality in Oberbergischer Kreis, Germany in North Rhine-Westphalia, about east of Cologne. The neighbouring municipalities are (clockwise from the west) Overath, Lindlar, Gummersbach, Wie ...
('Angel's church') or Himmelpforten ('Heaven's gate') or other municipalities with similar names. After privatization,
Deutsche Post The Deutsche Post AG, operating under the trade name Deutsche Post DHL Group, is a German multinational package delivery and supply chain management company headquartered in Bonn, Germany. It is one of the world's largest courier companies ...
kept the tradition of dedicated Christmas offices, one in each state, answering letters and requests from children. Currently the actual Christmas gift-giving () usually takes place on
Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...
. This tradition was introduced by Reformer
Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...
, as he was of the opinion that one should put the emphasis on Christ's birth and not on a saint's day and do away with the connotation that gifts have to be earned by good behavior. The gifts should be seen as a symbol for the gift of God's grace in Christ. This tradition quickly became common in predominantly Catholic regions as well. Gifts may be brought by the ('Christmas man'), who resembles either St. Nicholas or the American Santa Claus, or by '' Christkindl'', a sprite-like child who may or may not represent the baby Jesus. Until 1930, there was sort a north–south divide between the realms of the southern and Silesian and the Nordic . After the gifts are opened the children often stay up as late as they like, often till the early hours of the morning. The Christmas tree is first put up and decorated on the morning of the 24th. The gifts are then placed under the tree. Christmas services in the church serve as well to exchange greetings with neighbors and friends. After an evening meal one of the parents usually goes into the room where the tree is standing, lights the candles and rings a little bell. Then the children are allowed to go into the candlelit room. In many families it is still customary to sing Christmas songs around the tree before opening the presents. Some families attend a midnight church service, , after the evening meal and gift-giving. The culinary feast either takes place at supper on Christmas Eve or on the first day of Christmas. Traditions vary from region to region; carp is eaten in many parts of the country. Potato salad with frankfurter or wiener sausages is popular in some families. Another simple meal which some families favor, especially in regions where Christmas Eve still has the character of a fast day, is vegetable or pea soup. In some regions, especially in
Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sc ...
where Danish influence is noticeable, a roasted duck or goose filled with plums, apples and raisins is family tradition. In other regions, especially in
Mecklenburg Mecklenburg (; nds, label= Low German, Mękel(n)borg ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schweri ...
and
Pomerania Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...
, many families prefer
kale Kale (), or leaf cabbage, belongs to a group of cabbage (''Brassica oleracea'') cultivars grown for their edible leaves, although some are used as ornamentals. Kale plants have green or purple leaves, and the central leaves do not form a hea ...
with boiled potatoes, special sausages and ham. Many families have developed new traditions for themselves and eat such meals as meat fondue or
raclette Raclette (, ) is a Swiss dish, also popular in the other Alpine countries, based on heating cheese and scraping off the melted part, then typically served with boiled potatoes. Raclette cheese is historically a dish originating from the canton of ...
. Many families in all parts of Germany bake a wide variety of Christmas cookies according to recipes typical for the family and the region. describes the hunting and forestry custom of providing a Christmas tree with food decorated for animals.


= Czech Republic and Slovakia

= Christmas Eve (December 24) is celebrated as ''/'', which means 'Generous Day', and gifts are given in the evening. December 25 and 26 are public holidays in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia, but ''/'' (Christmas) is most commonly associated with the 24th. According to tradition, gifts are brought by ''/'', or 'Baby Jesus'. Fish soup and breaded roasted carp with special homemade potato salad are a traditional dish for the dinner. In Slovakia, before eating, everyone exchanges Christmas greetings with each other by sharing a piece of Christmas wafer () with honey and walnuts. The components of a traditional dinner depend on the region, but one common Christmas dinner is cabbage soup () or lentil soup and breaded roasted carp with homemade potato salad or handmade gnocchi with poppy (). The gifts are surreptitiously placed under the Christmas tree (usually a
spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' (), a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal (taiga) regions of the Earth. ''Picea'' is the sole genus in the subfam ...
or
pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...
and lately fir), usually just before or during dinner. Children have to wait for the ringing of a Christmas bell, one of the decorations on the Christmas tree – the sign that ''/'' (little Jesus) has just passed by – to run for the presents. That happens at the end of their Christmas dinner. There is a rich tradition of hard baked Christmas sweets (''/''). Other Czech and Slovak Christmas traditions involve predictions for the future. Apples are always cut crosswise: if a perfect star appears in the core, the next year will be successful, while a distorted star means a bad year or illness, and a cross may suggest death. Girls throw shoes over their shoulders – if the toe points to the door, the girl will get married soon. Another tradition requires pouring some molten lead into water and guessing a message from its shapes. In Catholic Slovakia, the tradition of '' Jasličkári'' involves young men dressed as shepherds or angels visiting their neighbors and presenting recitations and songs about the story of the birth of Jesus.


= Hungary

= The Christmas and gift-giving season starts relatively early compared to other cultures, with the Santa-like figure, or Hungarian version of Saint Nicholas, Mikulás (or Szent Miklós) traditionally visiting the homes of Hungarian children on the night of December 5, on the eve of Saint Nicholas Feast Day, December 6. Although the role of gift-giver on Christmas Day itself is assigned to the Christ Child, on the night before St. Nicholas Day Hungarian children traditionally place a boot on their windowsill waiting for Mikulás to come by and fill it with treats. In Hungary, celebrations begin with Christmas tree decoration and gift wrapping during the day on December 24; then comes a family dinner with traditional Christmas meals. In some parts of Hungary, a traditional
fish soup Fish soup is a food made by combining fish or seafood with vegetables and stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, form ...
, , is served at the Christmas Eve meal, although it is also consumed at other times of the year. The day is otherwise a fast day. In the evening of Christmas Eve, or , the Angel or the Little (Baby) Jesus (Hungarian: or ) delivers the presents. This is the most intimate moment of Christmas, featuring a warmly lit Christmas tree and candles, soft Christmas music, family singing of Christmas or religious songs and gift opening. Nativity plays, called 'playing Bethlehem' or ) are commonly put on by children and adults. A Christmas crib and a church are used as the scene. The actors go from house to house, and they receive gifts for their performance.


= Poland

= In the largely Roman Catholic Poland, Christmas Eve begins with a day of fasting and then a night of feasting. The traditional Christmas meal is known as ''
Wigilia Wigilia () is the traditional Christmas Eve vigil supper in Poland, held on December 24. The term is often applied to the whole of Christmas Eve, extending further to Pasterka— midnight Mass, held in Roman Catholic churches all over Poland and ...
'' ('The Vigil'), and being invited to attend a dinner with a family is considered a high honour. On the night of Christmas Eve, the appearance of the first star in the sky is watched for, in remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem; it has been given the affectionate name of "the little star" or (the female counterpart of St. Nicholas). On that evening, children watch the sky anxiously hoping to be the first to cry out, "The star has come!" After the appearance of the first star is declared, the family sits down at the dinner table. According to tradition, bits of hay are spread beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that Christ was born in a manger. Others partake in the practice of placing money under the table cloth for each guest, in order to wish for prosperity in the coming year. The dinner contains twelve dishes, one for each Apostle. In many homes, an extra place setting is set. The empty setting is symbolically left at the table for a lonely wanderer who may be in need of food, an angel, the Baby Jesus or the Holy Spirit should appear to share the feast. Before eating, everyone exchanges Christmas greetings with each other. The supper begins with the breaking of the ''
opłatek Christmas wafer ( pl, opłatek, plural ; lt, kalėdaitis, plural ; , plural ) is a Catholic Christmas tradition celebrated in Poland, Lithuania, and Slovakia. The custom is traditionally observed during ''Kūčios'' in Lithuania and ''Wigilia'' ...
'' ( Christmas wafer), in which everyone at the table breaks off a piece and eats it as a symbol of their unity with Christ. The is usually blessed by the presiding bishop, and stamped with a religious image such as the Nativity scene. A tradition exists among some families to serve twelve different dishes at symbolizing the
Twelve Apostles In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...
, or perhaps, an odd number of dishes for good luck (usually five, seven, or nine). Some practice the superstition that an even number of people must be seated around the table. A traditional supper in Poland includes fried
carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...
and ''
barszcz Borscht () is a sour soup common in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. In English, the word "borscht" is most often associated with the soup's variant of Ukrainian origin, made with red beetroots as one of the main ingredients, which give ...
'' (beetroot soup) with ''
uszka Uszka or vushka (Polish: Uszka, Ukrainian: Вушка, Belarusian: Вушкі) (meaning "little ears") are small dumplings (a very small and twisted version of pierogi) usually filled with flavoursome wild forest mushrooms and/or minced meat. ...
'' (translated as 'little ears', also known as meatless ravioli). The most common dishes are fish soup, with potato salad,
pierogi Pierogi are filled dumplings made by wrapping unleavened dough around a savory or sweet filling and cooking in boiling water. They are often pan-fried before serving. Pierogi or their varieties are associated with the cuisines of Central, Ea ...
, '' gołąbki'' filled with '' kasza'', pickled
herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Ocean ...
and fruit kompot. Carp provides a main component of the Christmas Eve meal across Poland:
carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...
fillet, carp in aspic etc. Universal Polish Christmas foods are pierogi as well as some
herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Ocean ...
dishes, herring fillets, herring in aspic and for dessert, ''makowiec'' or noodles with poppy seeds. Often, there is a
compote Compote or compôte (French for ''mixture'') is a dessert originating from medieval Europe, made of whole or pieces of fruit in sugar syrup. Whole fruits are cooked in water with sugar and spices. The syrup may be seasoned with vanilla, lemo ...
of dry fruits for a drink. Dishes beside fish are usually
cabbage Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.&n ...
-, forest mushroom- (like '' Boletus'') and
poppy seed Poppy seed is an oilseed obtained from the opium poppy ('' Papaver somniferum''). The tiny, kidney-shaped seeds have been harvested from dried seed pods by various civilizations for thousands of years. It is still widely used in many countri ...
-based, with herring being very important. After supper the Star Man arrives attended by the Star Boys. They are dressed as Wise Men or animals or other figures. The Star Man examines the children in their catechism and rewards them with small presents if they do well, even if they need a bit of coaching. The Star Boys sing carols and are given a treat for their help. The feast begins with the appearance of the first star. The meal is followed by the exchange of gifts. The remainder of the evening is given to stories and songs around the Christmas tree. In some areas of the country, children are taught that the "Little Star" brings the gifts. As presents are unwrapped, carollers may walk from house to house receiving treats along the way. Christmas Eve ends with '' Pasterka'', the Midnight Mass at the local church. The tradition commemorates the arrival of the
Three Wise Men 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * '' Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 190 ...
to Bethlehem and their paying of respect and bearing witness to the newborn Messiah. The custom of Christmas night liturgy was introduced in the Christian churches after the second half of the 5th century. In Poland that custom arrived together with the coming of Christianity. The next day (December 25) begins with the early morning mass followed by daytime masses. According to scripture, the Christmas Day masses are interchangeable allowing for greater flexibility in choosing the religious services by individual parishioners. The following day is often spent visiting friends. The giftbearer varies. In some regions it is (Saint Nicholas), in others gives his gifts on December 6 and the giftbringer of the Christmas Eve is Gwiazdor ('star man'), Aniołek ('little angel') or Dzieciątko ('baby Jesus').


= Romania and Moldova

= Christmas () in Romania is on December 25 and is generally considered the second most important religious Romanian holiday after Easter. In Moldova, although Christmas is celebrated on December 25 like in Romania, January 7 is also recognized as an official holiday. Celebrations begin with the decoration of the Christmas tree during daytime on December 24, and in the evening (Christmas Eve, Romanian: ) (Father Christmas) delivers the presents. The singing of carols is a very important part of Romanian Christmas festivities. On the first day of Christmas, many carolers walk through the streets of the towns and villages, holding a star made of cardboard and paper on which are depicted various scenes from the Bible. Romanian tradition has the smallest children going from house to house, singing carols and reciting poems and legends during the whole Christmas season. The leader of the group carries with him a star made of wood, covered with metal foil and decorated with bells and coloured ribbons. An image of the Nativity is painted on the star's centre, and this piece of handiwork is attached to the end of a broom or other long stick. Romanian food served during the holidays is a hearty multi-coursed meal, most of which consists of pork (organs, muscle, and fat). This is mainly a symbolic gesture for St. Ignatius of Antioch.


Eastern Europe

Since the 1880s, the Christmas customs of the Eastern Slavic countries have included a similar character known as '' Ded Moroz'' ('Grandfather Frost'). According to legend, he travels in a magical ''sanki'' — a decorated sleigh drawn by reindeer (or three white horses). With his young, blonde assistant '' Snegurochka'' (the 'Snow Maiden', said to be his granddaughter) at his side, he visits homes and gives gifts to good children (not true for former Yugoslavian countries). He only delivers presents to children while they are asleep, and unlike Santa, he does not travel down chimneys, coming instead to the front door of children's homes. However, in Russia, children receive presents on
New Year's Day New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Whi ...
; Christmas is solely celebrated by Christians and on January 7. This Ded Moroz is not identified nor in any way associated with Saint Nicholas of Myra (
feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context do ...
, December 6), who is very widely revered in Eastern Europe for his clerical and charitable works as a bishop. In all likelihood, Ded Moroz is actually in Slavic tradition like Santa Claus, any connection to the original saint having long since disappeared.


= Georgia

= On calendars in Georgia, Christmas ( ka, შობა, ) is celebrated on January 7 (December 25 on the Julian calendar). It is traditional in Georgia to go on Alilo (a modified pronunciation of ''
alleluia Alleluia (derived from the Hebrew '' Hallelujah'', meaning "Praise Yahweh") is a Latin phrase in Christianity used to give praise to God. In Christian worship, Alleluia is used as a liturgical chant in which that word is combined with verses ...
''), a mass walk in the streets, dressed in special clothing to celebrate and congratulate each other. Most members of the Alilo march are children and they are given sweets by the adults. The Alilo carols vary across the
provinces A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of Georgia. In most songs these words are used: "" () – 'on December 25 Christ was born in Bethlehem'. A local variant of the Christmas tree, called ''
chichilaki The chichilaki ( ka, ჩიჩილაკი) is a Georgian traditional Christmas tree made from dried hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to form a small coniferous tree. These pale-colored ornaments differ in height from 20 cm (8 in) t ...
'', is made of soft wooden material with curled branches. Sometimes it is made of hazelnut branches carved into a
Tree of Life The tree of life is a fundamental archetype in many of the world's mythological, religious, and philosophical traditions. It is closely related to the concept of the sacred tree.Giovino, Mariana (2007). ''The Assyrian Sacred Tree: A Hist ...
-like shape and decorated with fruits and sweets. The Western custom of a Christmas tree () is also popular and has been imported through Russia. The Georgian equivalent of Santa Claus is known as (or in western Georgian dialects), literally meaning 'Grandfather Snow', and is traditionally portrayed with long white beard, dressed in chokha, the national costume, and wearing a fur cloak, .


= Russia

= As in some other Eastern Orthodox countries, and due to the 13-day difference between the newer Gregorian calendar and the older Julian calendars, Christmas is celebrated on January 7. Unlike its Western counterparts, Christmas is mainly a religious event in Russia. On Christmas Eve (January 6), there are several long services, including the
Royal Hours The Royal Hours, also called the Great Hours or the Imperial Hours, are a particularly solemn celebration of the Little Hours in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. The Royal Hours are celebrated only three times a year: on the ...
and Vespers combined with the
Divine Liturgy Divine Liturgy ( grc-gre, Θεία Λειτουργία, Theia Leitourgia) or Holy Liturgy is the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine Rite, developed from the Antiochene Rite of Christian liturgy which is that of the Ecumenical Patriarchate ...
. The family will then return home for the traditional Christmas Eve " Holy Supper", which consists of 12 dishes, one to honor each of the Twelve Apostles. Devout families will then return to church for the or All Night Vigil, or watch the national liturgy on television, which airs from Moscow's
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour ( rus, Храм Христа́ Спаси́теля, r=Khram Khristá Spasítelya, p=xram xrʲɪˈsta spɐˈsʲitʲɪlʲə) is a Russian Orthodox cathedral in Moscow, Russia, on the northern bank of the Moskv ...
. On Christmas morning the – Divine Liturgy of the Nativity – is held, and families return to their local churches to attend. Since 1992 Christmas has become a national holiday in Russia, as part of the ten-day holiday at the start of every new year. During the Soviet period, religious celebrations were discouraged by the officially atheist state. Christmas trees and related celebrations were gradually eradicated after the
October Revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key mom ...
. In 1935, in a surprising turn of state politics, the Christmas tradition was adopted as part of the secular
New Year New Year is the time or day currently at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increments by one. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner. In the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar system ...
celebration. These include the decoration of a tree, or (spruce), festive decorations and family gatherings, the visit by gift-giving Ded Moroz ( 'Grandfather Frost') and his granddaughter, Snegurochka (, 'the Snow Maiden'). Many of these were brought to Russia by
Peter the Great Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
after his Western travels in the late 17th century. Christmas is known as ''
Quviasukvik Quviasukvik ( iu, ᖁᕕᐊᓲᑎᖃᕐᕕᒃ), is the first day of the year according to the Inuit. The festival of the New Year is celebrated by the Inuit, Yupik, Aleut, Chukchi and the Iñupiat. The feast originally derives from traditional I ...
'' in the federal subject of Chukotka, and is marked by the Chukchi, the Yupik and the
Aleut The Aleuts ( ; russian: Алеуты, Aleuty) are the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands, which are located between the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. Both the Aleut people and the islands are politically divided between the ...
as their New Year on December 24.


= Ukraine

= '' Sviata Vecheria'' or 'Holy Supper' is the central tradition of the Christmas Eve celebrations in Ukrainian homes and takes place in most parts of the country on January 6. In Western Ukraine, especially in Carpathian Ruthenia, due to historical multi-culturism, Christmas can be observed twice—on December 25 and January 7, often irrespective of whether the family belongs to
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church , native_name_lang = uk , caption_background = , image = StGeorgeCathedral Lviv.JPG , imagewidth = , type = Particular church (sui iuris) , alt = , caption = St. George's ...
, the
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, one of the Ukrainian Orthodox Churches, or one of the Protestant denominations. The Western Ukrainian tradition of two Christmas celebrations, since 2017, is also celebrated nationwide as well. When the children see the first star in the eastern evening sky, which symbolizes the trek of the Three Wise Men, the may begin. In farming communities the head of the household now brings in a sheaf of wheat called the which represents the importance of the ancient and rich wheat crops of Ukraine, the staff of life through the centuries. means literally 'grandfather spirit' and symbolizes the family's ancestors. In city homes a few stalks of golden wheat in a vase are often used to decorate the table. The dinner table sometimes has a few wisps of hay on the embroidered tablecloth as a reminder of the manger in Bethlehem. A prayer is said and the father says the traditional Christmas greeting, , 'Christ is born!', which is answered by the family with which means 'Let us glorify him!'. In some families the Old Slavic form is used. At the end of the the family often sings Ukrainian Christmas carols. In many communities the old Ukrainian tradition of caroling is carried on by groups of young people and members of organizations and churches calling at homes and collecting donations. Traditionally, Christmas Day opens for Ukrainian families with attendance in church services (Mass, worship service or Divine Liturgy). Ukrainian churches offer services starting before midnight on Christmas Eve and on Christmas morning. Christmas supper, without Lenten restrictions, does not have as many traditions connected with it as . The old tradition in Ukraine of giving gifts to children on St. Nicholas Day, December 19, has generally been replaced by the Christmas date and it is Father Frost who visits all the children in a sleigh pulled by only three reindeer. (In Western Ukraine the St. Nicholas Day is marked there on December 6.)


Northern Europe

In much of Northern Europe Christmas is celebrated on December 24 and is referred to as ''jul'' (see
Yule Yule, actually Yuletide ("Yule time") is a festival observed by the historical Germanic peoples, later undergoing Christianised reformulation resulting in the now better-known Christmastide. The earliest references to Yule are by way of indi ...
), while December 25 is a relaxed day for visiting relatives. ''Yule'' may come from the Norse word , , meaning 'wheel', and
Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th ...
. The Norse believed that the sun was a great wheel of fire that rolled towards and then away from the earth.


= Denmark

= Danes celebrate on December 24, which is referred to as (literally 'Yule evening'). An evening meal with the family consists of either roast pork, roast duck or roast goose and eaten with potatoes, plenty of gravy, and red cabbage or finely chopped kale boiled in butter. Caramelized potatoes are also an important part of the Danish Christmas dinner. For dessert rice pudding is traditionally served – composed largely of whipped cream and accompanied by lashings of black cherry sauce. The rice pudding also contains chopped peeled almonds, and a single whole peeled almond. Whoever finds the whole almond will have good luck for the coming year, and the lucky finder is entitled to a small gift, . After the meal is complete, the family gathers around the Christmas tree and sings Christmas songs and hymns while holding hands and dancing in circles, and may even tour the house, still holding hands and singing. When the singing is complete, traditions vary. In some traditions, the family will select one child to hand out the presents. All children take turns handing out presents in other traditions. Alternatively "Santa Claus", ''
Julemanden ( fo, Jólamaður, kl, Juulimaaq) is the Christmas gift-bringer in modern Danish culture, the equivalent of Father Christmas or Santa Claus. can be directly translated as "The Yule-Man" or "The Christmas-man". is often illustrated as a short, ...
'', will appear at the door in full costume with a large sack of presents over his shoulder. He will then distribute the presents, with the assistance of any children present, to their recipients. He should be offered suitable drink to keep him warm and cheerful on his onward journey, but do not expect loquacity – utterances are normally limited to loud and hearty laughs. Meanwhile, the presents are opened and this is followed by more snacks, candy, chips and, sometimes, a traditional Christmas drink called '' gløgg.'' The Danish are somewhat famous for their (pl. )'','' literally meaning 'Christmas lunch', which includes various traditional Danish dishes, potentially accompanied by beer and snaps. These are popular and held within families, as well as by companies and other social groups. They would traditionally have taken place leading up to Christmas, but due to time constraints and stress during the Christmas month they are nowadays commonly held during November and January as well. The family , however, are normally held on Christmas Day and/or the Second day of Christmas (December 26). Another more recent Danish tradition is the concept of television , special Christmas-themed, advent calendar-type television programmes with a daily episode shown on each of the first 24 days of December, thus culminating on '. Several television stations produce their own, most, but not all of which are targeted at child viewers. Some of the television advent calendars become extremely popular and go on to be reprised in subsequent years. In Denmark, Santa Claus is known as (literally 'the Yule Man') and is said to arrive in a sleigh drawn by reindeer, with presents for the children. He is assisted with his Yuletide chores by elves known as (or simply ), who are traditionally believed to live in attics, barns or similar places. In some traditions, to maintain the favour and protection of these , children leave out saucers of milk or rice pudding or other treats for them and are delighted to find the food gone on Christmas morning.


= Estonia

= In the weeks preceding Christmas or , children place a slipper in their windows and receive a piece of candy or some other sweets from visiting elves (). Estonians celebrate Christmas on December 24, which is referred to as ('Christmas Saturday') and is by act of Parliament a public holiday in Estonia. Each year on this day, the President of Estonia declares the Christmas Peace and attends a Christmas service. The tradition was initiated by the order of Queen Christina of Sweden in the 17th century. Estonian children are visited by '' jõuluvana'' ('Santa Claus') on Christmas Eve, and must sing songs or recite Christmas poems before receiving their gifts. The evening meal typically includes pork with sauerkraut or Estonian sauerkraut with pork and barley (), baked potatoes, white and blood sausage, potato salad with red beet, and pâté. For dessert, Estonians eat gingerbread () and marzipan. The most highly regarded drinks during this time have been beer and mulled wine or '' glögi'' and ('glowing wine'). Estonians leave the leftover food from Christmas dinner on the table overnight, in hopes that the spirits of family, friends, and loved ones will visit and also have something to eat. It is also customary to visit graveyards and leave candles for the deceased. December 25 or is a relaxed day for visiting relatives.


= Finland

= Christmas is an extensively prepared celebration centering on the family and home, although it has a religious dimension also. The Christmas season starts from December or even in late November, when shops began advertising potential Christmas gifts. Christmas decorations and songs become more prominent as Christmas nears, and children count days to Christmas with
Advent calendar An Advent calendar is used to count the days of Advent in anticipation of Christmas. Since the date of the First Sunday of Advent varies, falling between November 27 and December 3 inclusive, many reusable Advent calendars made of paper or wood ...
s. Schools and some other places have the day before Christmas Eve (, December 23) as a holiday, but at the latest on Christmas Eve (, December 24), shops close early and stay closed until December 26. The main Christmas festivities are held on Christmas Eve on December 24, while Christmas Day () and the following day (, 'St. Stephen's Day') are mandatory public holidays in Finland. Schools continue holidays up to the New Year. The Declaration of Christmas Peace has been a tradition in Finland from the Middle Ages every year, except in 1939 due to the
Winter War The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...
. It is a custom in many towns and cities. The most famous one of these declarations is on the Old Great Square of
Turku Turku ( ; ; sv, Åbo, ) is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper (''Varsinais-Suomi'') and the former Turku and Pori Province (''Turun ja Porin lääni''; ...
, the former capital of Finland, at noon on Christmas Eve. It is broadcast on Finnish radio (since 1935) and television, and nowadays also in some foreign countries. The declaration ceremony begins with the hymn (
Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...
's ''
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" (originally written in the German language with the title ) is one of the best known hymns by the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther, a prolific hymnwriter. Luther wrote the words and composed the hymn tune bet ...
'') by a band of the
Finnish Navy The Finnish Navy ( fi, Merivoimat, sv, Marinen) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. The navy employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscripts are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS", short f ...
and a male choir and continues with the Declaration of Christmas Peace read from a parchment roll, in both Finnish and Swedish, the country's two official languages: : Tomorrow, God willing, is the most gracious feast of the birth of our Lord and Saviour, and therefore a general Christmas peace is hereby declared, and all persons are directed to observe this holiday with due reverence and otherwise quietly and peacefully to conduct themselves, for whosoever breaks this peace and disturbs the Christmas holiday by any unlawful or improper conduct shall be liable, under aggravating circumstances, to whatever penalty is prescribed by law and decree for each particular offence or misdemeanour. Finally, all citizens are wished a joyous Christmas holiday. The ceremony ends with the Finnish
national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...
''
Maamme "" (; sv, Vårt land, ; both meaning "Our Land") is the de facto national anthem of Finland. The music was composed by the German people, German immigrant Fredrik Pacius, with original Swedish language, Swedish words by Johan Ludvig Runeberg, a ...
'' and '' Porilaisten marssi'' played by the band, with the crowd usually singing when the band plays . Recently, there is also a declaration of Christmas peace for forest animals in many cities and municipalities, so there is no hunting during Christmas. Finnish people clean their homes well before Christmas and prepare special treats for the festive season. A sheaf of grain, nuts and seeds are tied on a pole, which is placed in the garden for the birds to feed on. Spruce trees are cut or bought from a market and taken to homes on or a few days before Christmas Eve and are decorated. Candles are lit on the Christmas tree, which is traditionally decorated using apples and other fruit, candies, paper flags, cotton and tinsel, in addition to Christmas ornaments such as stars or baubles. Actual candles are no longer used, being replaced by incandescent or LED lamps. A star symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem is placed at the top of the tree. Just before the Christmas festivities begin, people usually take a Christmas sauna. The tradition is very old; unlike on normal days, when one would go to the sauna in the evening, on Christmas Eve it is done before sunset. This tradition is based on a pre-20th century belief that the spirits of the dead return and have a sauna at the usual sauna hours. Afterwards, they dress up in clean clothes for the Christmas dinner or '' joulupöytä'', which is usually served between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., or traditionally with the appearance of the first star in the sky. The most traditional dish of the Finnish Christmas dinner is probably Christmas ham, roast suckling pig or a roasted fresh ham, but some may prefer alternatives like turkey. Several sorts of
casserole A casserole (French: diminutive of , from Provençal 'pan') is a normally large deep pan or bowl a casserole is anything in a casserole pan. Hot or cold History Baked dishes have existed for thousands of years. Early casserole recipes c ...
s, like rutabaga, carrot and potato casserole are traditional, and are almost always exclusively served on Christmas. Other traditional Christmas dishes include boiled codfish (soaked beforehand in a lye solution for a week to soften it) served snowy white and fluffy, pickled
herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Ocean ...
and vegetables. Prune jam pastries, plum or mixed fruit soup, rice porridge with cinnamon, sugar and cold milk, and sweets like chocolate are popular desserts. Christmas gifts are usually exchanged after Christmas Eve dinner. Children do not hang up stockings in Finland but '' Joulupukki'' visits the household, maybe with a '' tonttu'' to help him distribute the presents. Christmas Day services begin early at six in the morning and people visit families and reunions are arranged on this day. Boxing Day, or ' (
St. Stephen Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ''Stéphanos'', meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name; c. 5 – c. 34 AD) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first ...
's Day) is traditionally set aside for driving around the village (), to counterbalance the solemn and family-oriented part of Christmas.


= Iceland

= The Christmas or
Yule Yule, actually Yuletide ("Yule time") is a festival observed by the historical Germanic peoples, later undergoing Christianised reformulation resulting in the now better-known Christmastide. The earliest references to Yule are by way of indi ...
( ''Jól'' in Icelandic) celebration in Iceland starts four Sundays before Christmas proper, which begins on December 24 (Advent) and ends thirteen days later on January 6. Traditionally, one candle is lit each Sunday until four candles are lit on the 24th. At 6:00 pm church bells ring to start the Christmas celebration. The religiously observant and/or traditional Icelanders will attend mass at this time while the secular Icelanders will begin their holiday meal immediately. After the meal is finished, they open gifts and spend the evening together. In Iceland people over the Yule holidays most often eat smoked lamb, ptarmigan and turkey. Pork is also very popular. Thirteen days before December 24, children will leave their shoes by the window so that the Yule Lads can leave small gifts in their shoes. The Yule Lads are the sons of two trolls living in the Icelandic mountains. Each of the Yule Lads is known for a different kind of mischief (for example slamming doors, stealing meat, stealing milk or stealing the candles). The Yule Lads traditionally wear early Icelandic wool clothing but are now known for the more recognizable red and white suit. Each home typically sets up a Christmas tree indoors in the living room with most decorating it on December 11. In addition to the decorations, presents are put underneath the tree. It is also a tradition in many homes to boil
skate Skate or Skates may refer to: Fish * Skate (fish), several genera of fish belonging to the family Rajidae * Pygmy skates, several genera of fish belonging to the family Gurgesiellidae * Smooth skates or leg skates, several genera of fish belongi ...
on the 23rd. The day is called Saint Thorlak Mass (). During the holiday season, it is traditional for families to work together to bake small cookies to serve or give to guests. Most common are thin gingerbread cookies which are decorated in many different colors of glaze. Many families also follow the tradition of making ('leafbread'), which is a flat thin bread that is cut out using a special tool and folding technique. The end of year is divided between two days – the Old Year's Day () and the New Year's Day (). At the night of the former and morning of the latter Icelanders shoot up fireworks blowing the old year away and welcoming the new one. Thirteen days after the 24th Icelanders say goodbye to the Yule Lads and other mystical creatures such as elves and trolls. There are bonfires held throughout the country while the elves, Yule Lads, and Icelanders dance together before saying goodbye until the next Christmas.


= Norway

= The major day of celebration in Norway, as in most of Northern Europe, is December 24. Although it is legally a regular workday until 4:00 p.m., most stores close early. Church bells chime in the Christmas holiday between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. In some families, the Christmas story from Luke 2 will be read from the old family Bible. The main Christmas meal is served in the evening. Common main dishes include pork rib, '' pinnekjøtt'' (pieces of lamb rib steamed on a grid of birch wood). Many people also eat lutefisk or fresh, poached cod. Rice porridge is also popular (but most commonly served as an early lunch rather than for the main Christmas dinner), an almond is often hidden in the porridge, and the person who finds it wins a treat or small gift. In some parts of Norway it is common to place porridge outside (in a barn, outhouse or even in the forest) to please . In many families, where the parents grew up with different traditions, two different main dishes are served to please everyone. If children are present (and they have behaved well the last year), (Santa Claus) pays a visit, otherwise gifts are stored under the Christmas tree. For a lot of Norwegians, especially families, television is an important part of the earlier hours of Christmas Eve. Many Norwegians do not feel the Christmas spirit until they have watched the Czech-German fairy tale ''
Three Nuts for Cinderella 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * '' Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 ...
'' (Norwegian title: ), the Disney Christmas cavalcade '' From All of Us to All of You'' the Norwegian fairytale movie ''
Reisen til Julestjernen ''Reisen til Julestjernen'' (Journey to the Christmas Star) is a Norwegian play by Sverre Brandt from 1924. It was performed for the first time on Saint Stephen's Day (December 26), 1924. The play holds the record for the most performances at the ...
'' or the comedy sketch '' Dinner for One'', known in Norway as (The Countess and the Butler) and which is broadcast on (little Christmas Eve, December 23). Attending one of the many stage productions of '' Putti Plutti Pott and Santa's Beard'' is also a very popular tradition. December 25 is a very quiet and relaxed day. Church services are well attended. The old tradition of a very early morning service before breakfast has been replaced in most areas by a service in the later morning. Afterward, many families get together for a large festive meal. December 26 is also a day of many festivities. Cinemas, night clubs and bars are full, and there are many private gatherings and parties, where all kinds of traditional
Christmas cookies Christmas cookies or Christmas biscuits are traditionally sugar cookies or biscuits (though other flavours may be used based on family traditions and individual preferences) cut into various shapes related to Christmas. History Modern Christma ...
and sweets are enjoyed. Fatty, tasty dinners are also part of it. The time between Boxing Day and New Year's Eve is called ''romjul''. During this time children in some parts of Norway dress up as and – ' Christmas goat' – in their neighbourhoods and sing Christmas carols to receive treats, much the same way as in the American
Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observan ...
. January 6 (the 13th day of Christmas) is commonly regarded as the end of Christmas, while some end Christmas on the 20th day, and some even at Candlemas.


= Sweden

= The pre-Christian holiday of
Yule Yule, actually Yuletide ("Yule time") is a festival observed by the historical Germanic peoples, later undergoing Christianised reformulation resulting in the now better-known Christmastide. The earliest references to Yule are by way of indi ...
, or ''jól'', was the most important holiday in Scandinavia and Northern Europe. Originally the observance of the
winter solstice The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the winter ...
, and the rebirth of the sun, it brought about many practices that remain in the
Advent Advent is a Christian season of preparation for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas. It is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity. The name was adopted from Latin "coming; arrival", translating Greek '' parousia''. ...
and
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
celebrations today. The Yule season was a time for feasting, drinking, gift-giving, and gatherings, but also the season of awareness and fear of the forces of the dark. Swedish Christmas celebrations begin with the first of
Advent Advent is a Christian season of preparation for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas. It is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity. The name was adopted from Latin "coming; arrival", translating Greek '' parousia''. ...
. Saint Lucy's Day (locally known as ) is the first major Christmas celebration before Christmas itself. The eldest daughter arising early and wearing her Lucy garb of white robe, red sash, and a wire crown covered with whortleberry-twigs with nine lighted candles fastened in it awakens the family, singing "Santa Lucia", serving them coffee and
saffron bun __NOTOC__ A saffron bun, Cornish tea treat bun or revel bun, is a rich, spiced yeast-leavened sweet bun that is flavoured with saffron and contains dried fruit including currants and raisins similar to a teacake. The main ingredients are plai ...
s ( St. Lucia buns), thus ushering in the Christmas season. Schools elect students to play the part of Lucia and her maids, and a national Lucia is elected on national television from regional winners. The regional Lucias will visit shopping malls, old people's homes and churches, singing and handing out ,
gingerbread Gingerbread refers to a broad category of baked goods, typically flavored with ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon and sweetened with honey, sugar, or molasses. Gingerbread foods vary, ranging from a moist loaf cake to forms nearly as cr ...
cookies. Boys take part in the procession as well, playing different roles associated with Christmas. Some may be dressed in the same kind of white robe, but with a cone-shaped hat decorated with golden stars, called ('star boys'); some may be dressed up as ''tomtenissar'', carrying lanterns; and some may be dressed up as gingerbread men. They participate in the singing and also have a song or two of their own, usually , which tells the story about
Saint Stephen Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ''Stéphanos'', meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name; c. 5 – c. 34 AD) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first ...
, the first Christian
martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
, caring for his five horses. Electric candles and glowing stars are placed in almost every window in the month of December in Sweden. Although December 25 () is a Swedish public holiday, December 24 is the day when Santa Claus (or simply '' Tomte'') brings the presents. Although not a public holiday, Christmas Eve is a ''de facto'' holiday in the sense that most workplaces are closed, and those who work, for instance in shops or care homes, get extra wages as a compensation. The was originally a small invisible Christmas house gnome or dwarf from Nordic mythology, who watched over the house and its inhabitants. An old superstition still calls for feeding the on Christmas Eve with a small bowl of porridge. If a bowl of porridge is not laid out for him somewhere in or outside the house, he will bring bad luck to everyone in the house the next year. The modern is a version of Santa Claus in red clothes and white beard, except that he does not enter the house through the chimney, but knocks on the door and asks "" ('are there any nice children here?') Christmas is, as everywhere else, an occasion celebrated with food. Almost all Swedish families celebrate on December 24 with a Christmas table, called Christmas smörgåsbord ('' julbord''), a display of several Christmas food items. Almost all have Christmas ham, (''
julskinka A Christmas ham or Yule ham is a ham often served for Christmas dinner or during Yule in Northern Europe and the Anglosphere. The style of preparation varies widely by place and time. Despite the common claim that the tradition of eating ham ...
'') accompanied by other Christmas dishes, such as small meatballs,
pickled herring Pickled herring is a traditional way of preserving herring as food by pickling or curing. Most cured herring uses a two-step curing process: it is first cured with salt to extract water; then the salt is removed and the herring is brined in ...
, spareribs, small hot dogs,
lutfisk ''Lutefisk'' ( Norwegian, in Northern and parts of Central Norway, in Southern Norway; sv, lutfisk ; fi, lipeäkala ; literally "lye fish") is dried whitefish (normally cod, but ling and burbot are also used). It is made from aged stock ...
, pork sausage, salmon, Janssons frestelse (potato casserole with anchovy), and
rice pudding Rice pudding is a dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and other ingredients such as cinnamon, vanilla and raisins. Variants are used for either desserts or dinners. When used as a dessert, it is commonly combined with a sweetener such ...
. The Christmas is served with julmust and beverages like mulled wine, Christmas beer or snaps. A Scandinavian speciality is the '' glögg'' (mulled and spiced wine with almonds and raisins), which is served hot in small cups. The different dishes of the may vary throughout Sweden, from south to north. Businesses traditionally invite their employees to a dinner or lunch in the weeks before Christmas, and people go out privately to restaurants which also customarily offer julbord during December. Examples of candies and treats associated with Christmas are
marzipan Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar, honey, and almond meal (ground almonds), sometimes augmented with almond oil or extract. It is often made into sweets; common uses are chocolate-covered marzipan and small marzipan imit ...
, toffee, '' knäck'' (quite similar to butterscotch), nuts and fruits: figs, chocolate, dates and oranges decorated with cloves. Television also plays a big role, many families watch the Disney Christmas special ('' From All of Us to All of You''), '' Karl Bertil Jonssons julafton'' (animated short), or a re-run of the ''
Svensson, Svensson ''Svensson, Svensson'' is a Swedish sitcom. It has also been made into a feature film and a play. Two seasons consisting of 12 episodes each were broadcast in the autumn of 1994 and the autumn of 1996. They have since been repeated numerous times ...
'' episode "" ('Merry Christmas') on the TV channel
SVT1 SVT1 (SVT Ett; commonly referred to as Ettan) is the primary television station of the Swedish public service broadcaster Sveriges Television in Sweden. History Television in Sweden officially launched on 4 September 1956 with the launch of '' ...
. After the on December 24, the presents are distributed, either by or a family member, and usually from a sack or from under the Christmas tree where they have been lying all day or for several days. Many Swedes still adhere to the tradition that each present should have a rhyme written on the wrapping paper, to hint at the contents without revealing them. In older days a yule goat was an alternative to ; nowadays it is used as an ornament, ranging from sizes of to huge constructions like the giant straw Christmas
Gävle goat Gävle () is a city in Sweden, the seat of Gävle Municipality and the capital of Gävleborg County. It had 77,586 inhabitants in 2020, which makes it the 13th most populated city in Sweden. It is the oldest city in the historical Norrland (Swe ...
, famous for frequently being vandalised or burnt down. If one has two families to celebrate Christmas with, it is common that one of the families move their celebrations to Christmas Day or the day before Christmas Eve (commonly referred to as ''little Christmas Eve''). After December 24, the Christmas celebrations have more or less come to an end. Some people attend the julottan, an early morning church service on December 25. This particular service was the main service of Christmas historically—nowadays, the Midnight Mass has become increasingly popular. Others attend a simpler service called ''Christmas Prayer'' in the afternoon of Christmas Eve; however, many Swedes do not attend church at all during Christmas as the country is very
secular Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin ''saeculum'', "worldly" or "of a generation"), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. Anything that does not have an explicit reference to religion, either negativ ...
. Even so, most families do set up a (' Christmas Crib'). On January 13 (locally known as or 'twentieth-day Christmas'), 20 days after Christmas, the Christmas celebrations come to an end and all Christmas decorations are removed.


Southern Europe


= Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia

= In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia, Christmas (, ) is celebrated mainly as a religious holiday. The festivities begin on
Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-day Dem ...
's Day on December 6 (in Slovenia) or
St. Lucy Lucia of Syracuse (283–304), also called Saint Lucia ( la, Sancta Lucia) better known as Saint Lucy, was a Roman Christian martyr who died during the Diocletianic Persecution. She is venerated as a saint in the Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, a ...
's on December 13 depending on what region (in Croatia). St. Lucy or St. Nicholas brings children presents, and St. Nicholas is said to be accompanied by Krampus who steals away the presents of bad children. This "anti-Santa" is said to have one cloven hoof, a handful of heavy chains, and a sack on his back to collect naughty children. In Croatia on St. Lucy's, families will plant wheat seeds in a bowl of shallow water, which will grow several inches by Christmas and are then tied together with a red, blue and white ribbon called ''.'' On Christmas Eve (, ('holy eve')), three candles representing the
Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God th ...
are lit and placed in the middle of the wheat; the glow symbolizes the soul of each person. On this day, the tree is decorated, the home is decked with greenery and the women prepare the Christmas meal. They also bake special types of bread: one is round inscribed with a cross on top known as the , another is made with honey, nuts and dried fruit called the Christmas Eve Bread (, ). In many villages, straw (which symbolizes Christ's birth in the manger) is spread around the floors of the home for the Christmas Eve dinner. As is customary with Catholic people, meat is not consumed in Croatia, while in Slovenia it is. Instead of meat in Croatia and with other food in Slovenia, salad and fish is served, many choosing to eat the
Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see names in other languages) is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of the Adriatic Sea, str ...
n specialty , dried cod fish. The family then sprinkle holy water on their Yule log () which they light and watch. In villages, the is freshly cut that very morning by the father of the household while reciting traditional prayers. At the end of the meal, a piece of the ' is cut and dipped in wine and used to sprinkle on the candles to extinguish them, while reciting the Trinitarian formula ("In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen"). Many families will go to a midnight mass on Christmas Eve and often another on Christmas Day. It is common for Christmas presents to be placed under the tree, to suggest that the Angel or the Baby Jesus () leaves them there while others are attending midnight mass. Presents are opened after the mass. Christmas is a day of celebrating with family; a large feast is prepared and traditional foods such as stuffed cabbage, turkey, pot roast, pita and smoked meat are served, along with various desserts such as '' fritule'', potica (especially in Slovenia), strudel, and cookies. Slovenes are also visited by another one of their ('three good men'), who bring presents in December: Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus and Dedek Mraz ('Grandfather Frost'). Families mostly celebrate New Year's Eve at home with extended family members, friends, and sometimes neighbours. Women prepare cabbage sarma, which they will eat on January 1 to symbolize good fortune, and steak tartare, which they eat on New Year's Eve on toast with butter. At midnight, people go outdoors to watch fireworks, while Dedek Mraz leaves presents under the tree. Epiphany on January 6 marks the end of the Christmas season.


= Bulgaria

= In Bulgaria, Christmas ( bg, Коледа, ''
Koleda Koliada or koleda (Cyrillic: коляда, коледа, колада, коледе) is the traditional Slavic name for the period from Christmas to Epiphany or, more generally, to Slavic Christmas-related rituals, some dating to pre-Christian ...
'' or more formally , , 'Nativity of Jesus') is celebrated on December 25 and is preceded by Christmas Eve (, ). Traditionally, Christmas Eve would be the climax of the Nativity Fast, and thus only an odd number of lenten dishes are presented on that evening. The table is usually not cleared after the dinner and until the next morning, to leave some food for the holy spirits – a custom which probably comes from pagan pre-Christian times. On that day, a
Bulgarian budnik Budnik ( bg, Бъдник), refers to a log brought into the house and placed on the fire on the evening of Christmas Eve, a central tradition in Christmas celebrations in Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro, much lik ...
is set alight. On Christmas, however, meat dishes are already allowed and are typically served. Among the Bulgarian Christmas traditions is ''koleduvane'', which involves boy carolers (, ) visiting the neighbouring houses starting at midnight on Christmas Eve, wishing health, wealth and happiness. Another custom is the baking of a traditional round loaf (, ''
pita Pita ( or ) or pitta (British English), is a family of yeast-leavened round flatbreads baked from wheat flour, common in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and neighboring areas. It includes the widely known version with an interior pocket, also ...
''). The pita is broken into pieces by the head of the family and a piece is given to each family member, a valuable possession, and a piece for God. A coin is hidden inside the pita and whoever gets the coin will have luck, health, and prosperity in the coming year. As in other countries, a Christmas tree is typically set up and the entire house is decorated. The local name of Santa Claus is (, 'Grandfather Christmas'), with Dyado Mraz (, 'Grandfather Frost') being a similar Russian-imported character lacking the Christian connotations and thus popular during the Communist rule. However, it has been largely forgotten after 1989, when Dyado Koleda again returned as the more popular figure.


= Greece and Cyprus

= The festive period lasts from November 30 to January 6 (Epiphany) on the Greek calendar. December 25 and 26 is a public holiday in Greece. In Greek, Christmas is known as () and people wish Merry Christmas to each other, saying (). Most families set up Christmas trees and shops have decorations and lights. Presents are placed under the Christmas tree and are opened on January 1, St Basil's Day. In Greek tradition, Basil's (of Caesarea) name was given to Father Christmas and is supposed to visit children and give presents on January 1 (when Basil's memory is celebrated), unlike other European traditions, where this person is Saint Nicholas and comes every Christmas. Carol singing is another tradition on Christmas and New Year's Eve. The Christmas meal usually includes lamb or pork and desserts such as '' kourabies'' () and ''
melomakarona The melomakarono ( el, μελομακάρονο plural: μελομακάρονα, ''melomakarona'') is an egg-shaped Greek dessert made mainly from flour, olive oil, and honey. Along with the kourabies it is a traditional dessert prepared pr ...
'' (). Other Christmas and New Year foods include
baklava Baklava (, or ; ota, باقلوا ) is a layered pastry dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with syrup or honey. It was one of the most popular sweet pastries of Ottoman cuisine. The pre- Ottoman origin of t ...
, ''
kataifi Knafeh ( ar, كنافة) is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert made with spun pastry called ''kataifi'', soaked in a sweet, sugar-based syrup called attar, and typically layered with cheese, or with other ingredients such as clotted cream, pis ...
'' (pastry), and '' thiples'' (a kind of fried pastry). On December 24 and 23 housewives make the Christmas cake with a cross in the middle and which are subsequently offered to the elderly and children. Children go singing carols from house to house either before or on Christmas Day. People go to church early the morning of Christmas on December 25. Christmas morning after church there is the practice to become the "pork batches," served with wine to open the appetite, and "thick," done by Eve, which is boiled pork with plenty of lemon that is left to clot overnight. Pork dishes are a hallmark of Greek Christmas. In many Greek cities and ports like
Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...
, Volos, Patra, and the
Greek Islands Greece has many islands, with estimates ranging from somewhere around 1,200 to 6,000, depending on the minimum size to take into account. The number of inhabited islands is variously cited as between 166 and 227. The largest Greek island by a ...
, traditional Christmas boats are decorated. And in many central squares of the country a large Christmas tree is decorated, where many of the Christmas festivals take place. Some of the Christmas festivals in Greece are , where all the residents of the city of Kastoria are delivered in a separate
Dionysian The Apollonian and the Dionysian are philosophical and literary concepts represented by a duality between the figures of Apollo and Dionysus from Greek mythology. Its popularization is widely attributed to the work ''The Birth of Tragedy'' by ...
revelry, with the accompaniment of folk melodies bodies all traditional musical sounds of the area. It is an ancient tradition whose origin has been lost to time. In
Mani Mani may refer to: Geography * Maní, Casanare, a town and municipality in Casanare Department, Colombia * Mani, Chad, a town and sub-prefecture in Chad * Mani, Evros, a village in northeastern Greece * Mani, Karnataka, a village in Dakshina ...
there are beliefs about demonic and other supernatural beings, who come from the Twelve Days of Christ as the Epiphany. These are the goblins and say that they are the descendants God Pan or Satyrs, who jumped from the
mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narra ...
in the Christian life.


= Italy

= The Feast of the Immaculate Conception () on December 8 is a national holiday in Italy. Christmas decorations, including the ''presepe'' (nativity scene), as well as the Christmas tree, are usually put up on this day. Some modern takes on this holiday involve them hanging
vultures A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
to symbolize the cleaning of their spirits. Saint Lucy's Day () is celebrated as a Catholic holiday in
Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
and the northern regions of Italy on the supposed shortest day of the year, which is December 13. St. Lucy ( Santa Lucia) is the patron saint of the city of
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy * Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' * Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York ** North Syracuse, New York * Syracuse, Indiana *Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, M ...
. Evening candlelight processions called the Parade of Light are conducted and are followed by the Feast of St. Lucy. Sicilians pay tribute to a miracle performed by St. Lucy during a famine in 1582. At that time, she brought a flotilla of grain-bearing ships to starving Sicily, whose citizens cooked and ate the wheat without taking time to grind it into flour. Thus, on St. Lucy's Day, Sicilians do not eat anything made with wheat flour. Instead they eat cooked wheat called ''
cuccìa Cuccìa is a traditional, primarily Sicilian dish containing boiled wheatberries and sugar, which is eaten on December 13, the feast day of Saint Lucy, the patron saint of Syracuse. The dish is consumed in Sicily and in isolated pockets of South ...
''. Christmas is celebrated in Italy in a similar fashion to other Western European countries, with a strong emphasis given to the Christian meaning of the holiday and its celebration by the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
, also reinforced by the still widespread tradition of setting up the , a tradition initiated by
Saint Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...
. It is quite common to attend Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve and practice the custom not to eat any meat. The dinner traditionally consists of seafood, followed by typical Italian Christmas sweets, such as pandoro, panettone, torrone, panforte, struffoli, caggionetti, Mont Blanc (dessert), Monte Bianco or others, depending on the regional cuisine. Christmas on the 25th is celebrated with a family lunch, consisting of different types of meat dishes, cheese and local sweets. The ancient Christmas festival called Ndocciata is celebrated on December 8 and Christmas Eve in Agnone, Molise, with a parade of torches leading up to the "Bonfire of Brotherhood". On Christmas Eve, in the squares of many towns of eastern
Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
, a large bonfire, , is lit to warm the Baby Jesus. Traditions regarding the exchanging of gifts vary from region to region, as this might take place either on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day. Presents for children are left underneath the Christmas tree either by Santa Claus (called :it:Babbo Natale, ''Babbo Natale'') or, according to older traditions, by Baby Jesus himself. In some regions children receive gifts earlier (at St. Lucy's Day) or later (on Epiphany). December 26, (St. Stephen's Day, in Italian ), is also a public holiday in Italy. Festivities extend to the end of the year and then to the Epiphany. On January 6 (Epiphany, in Italian ) decorations are usually taken down, and in some areas female puppets are burned on a pyre (called ''Bonfire, falò''), to symbolize, along with the end of the Christmas period, the death of the old year and the beginning of a new one. While gifts are now given at Christmas by an American-style Santa Claus as well, Italy holds fast to its tradition of native gift-givers. On the eve of the 6th, la Befana, the good Epiphany witch, is thought to ride the night skies on broomstick, bringing good children gifts and sweets, and bad ones charcoal or bags of ashes. In other areas it is the
Three Wise Men 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * '' Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 190 ...
who bring gifts, especially oranges symbolizing gold, and chocolate symbolizing their kisses to good children. In some municipalities, most famously in Milan, the custom of the (Three Kings' Procession) is elaboratedly celebrated with a parade welcoming the Wise Men, and the passing out of sweets. In other places such as Treviso, the day is celebrated with bonfires, the sparks of which are said to predict the future of the new year.


= Malta

= Christmas ( mt, Il-Milied) in Malta is mostly secular, with a number of Christian-related themes. Midnight Masses are popular among the older generations, and Christmas processions take place on Christmas Eve with a statue of the baby Jesus in towns and villages, led by the Society of Christian Doctrine. A Public holidays in Malta, public holiday in Malta, Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25. Christmas lunch usually consists of turkey served with potatoes and vegetables (Malta is a former British colony). The island has adopted other popular secular customs and traditions such as the Christmas tree and Father Christmas. Presents are normally exchanged either on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day. A local seasonal food is the ('honey ring'). These Maltese Christmas sweets are eaten as a dessert during the Christmas season but can also be purchased year-round. Christmas cribs are popular and are seen in most homes. Another Christmas tradition is the planting of common vetch seeds in flat-bottomed pots. They are planted around the beginning of December, normally placed on white cotton and watered every day whilst being kept in the dark all the time. They are usually taken out just before Christmas, and resemble long white spaghetti-like strands of leaves (since they would have grown in the dark).


= Portugal

= An Public holidays in Portugal, official holiday in Portugal, Christmas is widely celebrated and associated with family gatherings. Many who have moved to the urban centers of Lisbon or Porto, along with many who have emigrated to other countries, still travel to their hometown to spend Christmas Eve with their families. Before the ('Rooster's Mass') that celebrates the birth of Christ, families gather around the , the late supper held on Christmas Eve. The traditional dish is (dried codfish boiled with vegetables), although, in northern Portugal, the bacalhau is often replaced by octopus. The Christmas dinner usually ends with (golden slices), ''filhós'', and (dreams), all List of fried dough foods, variations of fried dough desserts. The traditional cake (Bolo Rei, king cake) is served on Epiphany. Although Santa Claus () is increasingly more popular, in some regions people still attest that (Baby Jesus) List of Christmas and winter gift-bringers by country, brings presents to children.


= Serbia and Montenegro

= In Serbia and Montenegro, Christmas (, or more formally ) is celebrated for three consecutive days, beginning with Christmas Day. The Serbian Orthodox Church uses the traditional Julian calendar, per which Christmas Day (December 25) falls on January 7. This day is called the first day of Christmas, and the following two are accordingly called the second, and the third day of Christmas. During this festive time, one is to greet another person with "Christ is Born," which should be responded to with "Truly He is Born." The Serbian language, Serbian name for Christmas is (Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, Cyrillic: , ), which means 'young, little God'. This holiday surpasses all the others celebrated by Serbs, with respect to the diversity of applied folk customs and rituals. These may vary from region to region, some of them having modern versions adapted to the contemporary way of living. The ideal environment to carry them out fully is the traditional multi-generation country household. In the morning of Christmas Eve a young, straight oak tree is selected and felled by the head of the household. A log is cut from it and is referred to as the Badnjak (Serbian), ''badnjak''. In the evening, the is ceremoniously put on the domestic fire that burns on the house's fireplace called , whose hearth is without a vertical surround. The burning of the ' is accompanied by prayers to God so that the coming year may bring much happiness, love, luck, riches, and food. Since most houses today have no ' on which to burn a ', it is symbolically represented by several leaved oak twigs. For the convenience of people who live in towns and cities, they can be bought at marketplaces or received in churches. The dinner on this day is festive, copious and diverse in foods, although it is prepared in accordance with the rules of fasting. Groups of young people go from house to house of their village or neighbourhood, congratulating each other, singing, and making performances; this continues through the next three days. The Serbs also take a bundle of straw into the house and spread it over the floor, and then put walnuts on it. Before the table is served for the Christmas Eve dinner, it is strewn with a thin layer of straw and covered with a white cloth. The head of household makes the Sign of the Cross, lights a candle, and Censer, censes the whole house. The family members sit down at the table, but before tucking in they all rise and a man or boy among them says a prayer, or they together sing the Troparion of the Nativity. After the dinner young people visit their friends, a group of whom may gather at the house of one of them. Christmas and other songs are sung, while the elderly narrate stories from the olden times. On Christmas Day, the celebration is announced at dawn by church bells and by shooting. A big importance is given to the first visit a family receives that day. People expect that it will summon prosperity and well-being for their household in the ensuing year; this visit is often pre-arranged. Christmas dinner is the most celebratory meal a family has during a year. A special, festive loaf of bread is baked for this occasion. The main course is roast pork of a pig which they cook whole by rotating it impaled on a wooden spit close to an open fire. Even though gift-giving is not necessarily a part of the tradition, a
Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...
-inspired character called (translated as 'Christmas friend') sometimes takes his part in gift-giving, as Santa Claus is more traditionally connected to New Year's celebrations. Gift-giving is, nevertheless, connected with the celebrations, being traditionally done on the three consecutive Sundays that immediately precede it. Children, women, and men, respectively, are the set gift-givers on these three days. Since the early 1990s, the Serbian Orthodox Church has, together with local communities, organized public celebrations on Christmas Eve. The course of these celebrations can be typically divided into three parts: the preparation, the ritual, and the festivity. The preparation consists of going and cutting down the tree to be used as the ', taking it to the church yard, and preparing drink and food for the assembled parishioners. The ritual includes
Vespers Vespers is a service of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic (both Latin and Eastern), Lutheran, and Anglican liturgies. The word for this fixed prayer time comes from the Latin , mea ...
, placing the ' on the open fire built in the church yard, blessing or consecrating the ', and an appropriate program with songs and recitals. In some parishes they build the fire on which to burn the ' not in the church yard but at some other suitable location in their town or village. The festivity consists of getting together around the fire and socializing. Each particular celebration, however, has its own specificities which reflect traditions of the local community, and other local factors. In Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia Christmas is celebrated on January 7. This is a result of their Eastern Orthodox churches marking Christmas Day based on the
Julian calendar The Julian calendar, proposed by Roman consul Julius Caesar in 46 BC, was a reform of the Roman calendar. It took effect on , by edict. It was designed with the aid of Greek mathematicians and astronomers such as Sosigenes of Alexandri ...
, which is now 13 days behind the internationally used Gregorian calendar.


= Spain

= Christmas is an Public holidays in Spain, officially recognized holiday in Spain. In most of Spain, the Christmas period () lasts from Christmas Eve (, that is, 'Good Night') on December 24 to Epiphany on January 6. Many homes and most churches display a
Nativity scene In the Christian tradition, a nativity scene (also known as a manger scene, crib, crèche ( or ), or in Italian ''presepio'' or ''presepe'', or Bethlehem) is the special exhibition, particularly during the Christmas season, of art objects rep ...
, a
Christmas tree A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas. The custom was further developed in early modern ...
, or both. The or (Nativity scene) has a long tradition and is present in many homes, schools and stores, while the Christmas tree is not traditional, but it has become very popular. In Catalonia on the 26th, (Saint Stephen) is celebrated with a family gathering. In most of Spain (though not in a few areas, such as Catalonia), a large family dinner is celebrated on Christmas Eve () and can last until late in the night. There is a wide variety of typical foods one might find on plates across Spain on this particular night, and each Regional food, region has its own distinct specialties. It is particularly common to start the meal with a seafood dish such as prawns or salmon, followed by a bowl of hot, homemade soup. The main meal will often consist of Lamb (food), roast lamb, or seafood, such as cod or shellfish. For dessert, there is quite a spread of delicacies, among them '' turrón'', a dessert made of honey, egg and almonds. Special dishes and desserts include shellfish and fish,
marzipan Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar, honey, and almond meal (ground almonds), sometimes augmented with almond oil or extract. It is often made into sweets; common uses are chocolate-covered marzipan and small marzipan imit ...
, turkey with truffles, and ''polvorones'' (shortbread made of almonds, flour and sugar). Even though there is still the traditional ''Misa del Gallo'' at midnight, few Spaniards continue to follow the old custom of attending. In most of Spain, Christmas day was not associated with presents for children until recently; instead, the Three Magi brought the presents on the night of January 5, as they still do. Now children often receive some presents on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, brought by ('Father Noel'), which is a non-traditional version of Santa Claus, as depicted in U.S. media, but in some regions there are other more traditional characters, for example, the Olentzero in the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country. In the evening of December 31 () there is also a large family feast. Young people typically go out to a , a very big feast in bars and pubs, and they drink and dance until the next morning, when it is common to have Churros, churros with chocolate for breakfast. In the evening of January 5 a huge parade or cavalcade () welcomes the Three Magi to the city. Children put their shoes in the window on January 5 in the hope that the Three Wise Men will deliver them presents.


Western Europe


= France

= Christmas in France ( on the Public holidays in France, French calendar) is celebrated mainly in a religious manner, though secular ways of celebrating the occasion also exist, such as Christmas decorations and carols. Children do not hang Christmas stockings but put their shoes by the fireplace or under the Christmas tree so (Father Christmas or Santa Claus) can give them gifts (a practice also among Romandy, French-speaking Switzerland). Some families also attend Midnight Mass and decorate their homes with Nativity scenes depicting the birth of Jesus. Additional ('little saints') may be added in the nativity scenes. In France and in other francophone, French-speaking areas (see French Canada), a long family dinner, called a '' réveillon'', is held on Christmas Eve. The name of this dinner is based on the word (meaning 'waking'), because participation involves staying awake until midnight and beyond. is generally of an exceptional or luxurious nature. Appetizers may include lobster, oysters, escargots or foie gras, etc. One traditional dish is
turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...
with chestnuts. in
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...
will often include some variety of '' tourtière''. Dessert may consist of a ''
bûche de Noël A Yule log or bûche de Noël () is a traditional Christmas cake, often served as a dessert near Christmas, especially in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and several former French colonies such as Canada, Vietnam, and Lebanon. ...
''. In Provence, the tradition of the 13 desserts is followed, almost invariably including (a flavoured bread), date (fruit), dates, etc. Quality wine is usually consumed at such dinners, often with Champagne (wine), champagne or similar sparkling wines as a conclusion. Christmas carols may also be sung.


= United Kingdom

= In the United Kingdom Christmas decorations are put up in shops and town centres from early November. Many towns and cities have a public event involving a local or regional celebrity to mark the switching on of Christmas lights. Decorations in people's homes are commonly put up from early December, traditionally including a Christmas tree, cards, and lights both inside and outside the home. Every year, Norway donates a giant Christmas tree for the British to raise in Trafalgar Square as a thank you for helping during the Second World War. Christmas carolers at Trafalgar Square in London sing around the tree on various evenings up until Christmas Eve and Christmas decorations are traditionally left up until the evening of January 5 (the night before Epiphany); it is considered bad luck to have Christmas decorations up after this date. In practice, many Christmas traditions, such as the playing of Christmas music, largely stop after Christmas Day.
Mince pie A mince pie (also mincemeat pie in the United States, and fruit mince pie in Australia and New Zealand) is a sweet pie of English origin filled with mincemeat, being a mixture of fruit, spices and suet. The pies are traditionally served durin ...
s are traditionally sold during the festive season and are a popular food for Christmas. It is common in many UK households for children and adults to put up advent calendars in their homes, which may either contain chocolates or Christmas scenes behind their doors. A common feature of the Christmas season is the Nativity play which is practiced in most primary and some secondary schools across the UK. This practice is becoming less common, and other plays may be performed instead with less overt religious tones. Midnight Mass is also celebrated by Anglicans, Catholics, and other denominations, and services take place in nearly all Church of England parishes on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve, presents are supposedly delivered in stockings and under the Christmas tree by
Father Christmas Father Christmas is the traditional English name for the personification of Christmas. Although now known as a Christmas gift-bringer, and typically considered to be synonymous with Santa Claus, he was originally part of a much older and unrela ...
, who previously had been something like the Ghost of Christmas Present in Charles Dickens' ''A Christmas Carol'' (1843), but who has now become mainly conflated with
Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...
. The two names are now used interchangeably and are equally known to British people, though some distinctive features still remain. Many families tell their children stories about Father Christmas and his reindeer. One tradition is to put out a plate of carrots for the reindeer, and mince pies and sherry for Father Christmas to help him on his way. The majority of families open their presents on the morning of Christmas Day, the Royal family being a notable exception, as they open their gifts on Christmas Eve, following German tradition introduced by the Hanoverians. Queen Victoria as a child made note of it in her diary for Christmas Eve 1832; the delighted 13-year-old princess wrote, "After dinner ... we then went into the drawing-room near the dining-room ... There were two large round tables on which were placed two trees hung with lights and sugar ornaments. All the presents being placed round the trees..". Since the first commercial
Christmas card A Christmas card is a greeting card sent as part of the traditional celebration of Christmas in order to convey between people a range of sentiments related to Christmastide and the holiday season. Christmas cards are usually exchanged during ...
was produced in London in 1843, cards are sent in the weeks leading up to Christmas, many of which contain the English festive greeting ''Merry Christmas#Merry Christmas and Happy Christmas, Merry Christmas''. On Christmas Day, a Public holidays in the United Kingdom, public holiday in the United Kingdom, nearly the whole population has the day off to be with their family and friends, so they can gather round for a traditional Christmas dinner, traditionally comprising a domestic turkey, turkey with cranberries, brussels sprouts, parsnips, Yorkshire pudding and roast potatoes, quite like the Sunday roast, and followed by a Christmas pudding. During the meal, Christmas crackers, containing toys, jokes, and a paper hat are pulled. Attendance at a Christmas Day church service has become less popular in modern times, with fewer than 3 million now attending a Christmas Day Church of England service. The List of British monarchs, monarch releases a Royal Christmas Message, royal message on Christmas Day, in the form of a short programme carried on radio and television. The messages typically reflect on topics such as the year's events, the state of the British royal family, royal family, and themes such as unity. The message averages 7 million viewers, and is often one of the most-watched programmes of the day on Christmas. The celebration of
Boxing Day Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...
, on the day after Christmas Day, is a tradition practiced in the UK. It is a bank holiday, and if it happens to fall on a weekend then a special Bank Holiday Monday will occur. Top-level Association football, football competitions such as the Premier League have traditionally held fixtures on Boxing Day. Other traditions include carol singing – many carols are sung by children on people's doorsteps and by professional choirs – and sending Christmas cards. In public, there are decorations and lights in most shops, especially in town centres, and even in Indian and Chinese restaurants. Churches and cathedrals across the country hold masses, with many people going to midnight mass or a service on Christmas morning. Even though church attendance has been falling over the decades some people who do not go to church often think it is still important to go at Christmas, so Church attendance increases. Most theatres have a tradition of putting on a Christmas pantomime for children. The pantomime stories are traditionally based on popular children's stories such as ''Little Red Riding Hood'' and ''Aladdin'', rather than being directly concerned with Christmas as such, although there is sometimes a link. Television is widely watched. Public transport and vital transport services are closed-down on
Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...
. The Christmas wind-down starts early, with last trains running out of the major cities as early as 19:00 on December 24. Bus, night bus, and underground services are also unavailable from about 21:00 hours. Individual transport companies start making announcements as early as October, and while one train operating company may choose to run no trains on Boxing Day another may run a limited Saturday service but totally close major stations. In England, telling ghost stories, local legends, and other strange, bizarre, and fantastic "winter stories" (as Charles Dickens – author of ''A Christmas Carol'' – termed them) is a centuries-old tradition, to which Shakespeare, William Shakespeare contributed with ''The Winter's Tale'' (1623) but which was well known even before Shakespeare's time. (In contrast, Ireland, Scotland, and the USA favor Halloween as a time for telling ghostly tales.) Colin Fleming details other contributors to this tradition in the ''Paris Review''.


Wales

Wales has a tradition of singing ''Plygain, caneuon plygain'', which is done on the week before Christmas day.


Scotland

Christmas in Scotland was traditionally observed very quietly, because the Church of Scotland never placed much emphasis on the Christmas festival. However, in Catholic areas people would attend Midnight Mass or early morning mass before going to work. This tradition derives from the Church of Scotland's origins including Columba, St Columba's monastic tradition, under which every day is God's day and there is none more special than another; thus Good Friday is not an official public holiday in Scotland. Christmas Day was commonly a normal working day in Scotland until the 1960s, and even into the 1970s in some areas. The New Year's Eve festivity, Hogmanay, was by far the largest celebration in Scotland. The gift-giving, public holidays and feasting associated with mid-winter were traditionally held between December 11 and January 6. However, since the 1980s, the fading of the Church's influence and the increased influences from the rest of the UK and elsewhere, Christmas and its related festivities are now nearly on a par with Hogmanay and New Year's Day, Ne'erday, New Year's Day. The capital city of Edinburgh now has a traditional German Christmas market from late November until Christmas Eve and on the first Sunday in Advent a Nativity scene is blessed by the Cardinal Archbishop in the main square. Bannock (food), Bannock cakes made of oatmeal are traditionally eaten at Christmas.


= Ireland

= Christmas in Ireland is the largest celebration of the Public holidays in the Republic of Ireland, Irish public holidays and lasts from December 24 to January 6, although many view December 8 as being the start of the season, as schools used to close on this day, making it a traditional Christmas shopping time. This is no longer compulsory and many schools stay open. Almost the entire workforce is finished by lunchtime on Christmas Eve, or often a few days beforehand. Christmas Day and Saint Stephen's Day, St. Stephen's Day are public holidays, and many people do not return to work until after New Year's Day. In 2006, the total amount spent in Ireland to celebrate Christmas was €16 billion, which averages at approximately €4,000 for every single person in the country. It is extremely popular on Christmas Eve to go for "the Christmas drink" in the local pub, where regular punters are usually offered a Christmas drink. Many neighbours and friends attend each other's houses for Christmas drinks and parties on the days leading up to and after Christmas Day. Although religious devotion in Ireland today is considerably less than it used to be, there are huge attendances at religious services for Christmas Day, with Midnight Mass a popular choice. Most families arrange for their deceased relatives to be prayed for at these masses as it is a time of remembering the dead in Ireland. It is traditional to decorate graves at Christmas with a wreath made of holly and ivy. Even in the most undevout of homes in Ireland the traditional crib takes centre stage along with the Christmas tree as part of the family's decorations. Some people light candles to signify symbolic hospitality for Blessed Virgin Mary, Mary and Saint Joseph, Joseph. Therefore, it is usual to see a white candle, or candle set, placed in several windows around people's homes. The candle was a way of saying there was room for Jesus's parents in these homes even if there was none in Bethlehem. It is traditional to leave a mince pie and a bottle or a glass of Guinness for
Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...
along with a carrot for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Rudolph on Christmas Eve. Santa Claus, often known in Ireland simply as Santy or in Irish language, Irish, brings presents to children in Ireland, which are opened on Christmas morning. Family and friends also give each other gifts at Christmas. The traditional Christmas dinner consists of turkey or goose and ham with a selection of vegetables and a variety of potatoes. Dessert includes Christmas pudding, Christmas cake, and mince pies with rich sauces such as brandy butter. Christmas celebrations in Ireland finish with the celebration of Little Christmas also known as in Irish on January 6. This festival, which coincides with Epiphany, is also known as ''Women's Christmas'' in County Cork, Cork and County Kerry, Kerry.


= Netherlands and Flanders

= Christmas traditions in the Netherlands are almost the same as those in Dutch-speaking parts of Belgium (Flanders). The Dutch recognize two days of Christmas as public holidays in the Netherlands, calling December 25 ('first Christmas day') and December 26 ('second Christmas day'). In families, it is customary to spend these days with either side of the family. In Catholic parts of the country, it used to be common to attend Christmas Eve Midnight Mass; this custom is upheld, but mostly by the elder generation and by fewer people every year. Christmas Eve is these days a rather normal evening without any special gatherings or meals. On Christmas Day, throughout both Flanders and the Netherlands elaborate meals are prepared by the host or together as a family. It is also common to have meals where each guest prepares and brings one dish. Christmas decorations start appearing in stores right after Sinterklaas. The week before Christmas is important to the retail trade because it is the biggest sales week in the country. Christmas songs are heard everywhere. The cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Eindhoven are the busiest cities in terms of entertainment on Christmas Day. Traditionally, people in the Netherlands and Flanders do not exchange gifts on Christmas, since this is already done during a separate holiday ( Sinterklaas) a few weeks before Christmas. However, more and more people have in the 2000s and 2010s started to give presents on Christmas as well, possibly under the influence of commerce and from other countries where Christmas is celebrated with many presents (notably the US). In the north/east, the West Low German part of the Netherlands, some people will blow the Midwinter horns from
Advent Advent is a Christian season of preparation for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas. It is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity. The name was adopted from Latin "coming; arrival", translating Greek '' parousia''. ...
until Epiphany (holiday), Epiphany. The Christmas season wraps up after the new year with Epiphany (holiday), Epiphany, or , on January 6. Children, especially in the north of the Netherlands, dress up as the
Three Wise Men 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * '' Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 190 ...
and travel in groups of three carrying lanterns, re-enacting the Epiphany and singing traditional songs for their hosts. In return they are rewarded with cakes and sweets. This practice is less common south of the great rivers. In the south and east of the Netherlands it is common practice to burn the Christmas trees of the community on a big pile on January 6 to celebrate the end of Christmas and the start of the new year.


Oceania


Australia

In Australia, as with all of the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas occurs during the height of the summer season. Christmas Day and Boxing Day (December 25–26) are recognized as Public holidays in Australia, national public holidays in Australia, and workers are therefore entitled to a day off with pay. The Australian traditions and decorations are quite similar to those of the United Kingdom and North America, and similar wintry iconography is commonplace. This means a red fur-coated Santa Claus riding a sleigh, carols such as "Jingle Bells", and various snow-covered Christmas scenes on Christmas cards and decorations appear in the middle of summer. There have also been depictions of Christmas traditions tailored to Australian iconography, such as Santa partaking in activities such as surfing (in 2015, a world record was set on Bondi Beach for the world's largest surf lesson, featuring 320 participants in Santa suits), parodies of traditional carols, and original songs such as Rolf Harris's ''Six White Boomers'' (which depicts Santa Claus as using a Ute (vehicle), ute pulled by kangaroos instead of reindeer and a sleigh). A notable Christmas event in Australia is '' Carols by Candlelight''—an annual concert and charity appeal benefiting the charity Vision Australia.


New Zealand

Christmas Day and Boxing Day are both Public holidays in New Zealand, statutory holidays in New Zealand. While Boxing Day is a standard statutory holiday, Christmas Day is one of the three-and-a-half days of the year where all but the most essential businesses and services must close. Many of New Zealand's Christmas traditions are similar to those of Australia in that they are a mix of United Kingdom and North American traditions conducted in summer. New Zealand celebrates Christmas with very little traditional Northern Hemisphere winter imagery. The Metrosideros excelsa, pohutukawa (''Metrosideros excelsa''), which produces large crimson flowers in December, is an often used symbol for Christmas in New Zealand, and subsequently the pohutukawa has become known as the ''New Zealand Christmas tree''.


References


Further reading

*Rae, Simon (1996) ''The Faber Book of Christmas''. London: Faber & Faber * Restad, Penne L. (1995) ''Christmas in America: a history''. New York: Oxford University Press *Tabori, Lena, ed. (1999) ''The Little Big Book of Christmas''. New York: William Morrow *Thomas M Landy
"Feasts"
''Catholics & Cultures'' updated May 12, 2016


External links

* Jennifer Eremeeva

''Russia Now'', December 15, 2010. {{Christmas Christmas traditions, * Human geography