Christmas Traditions Around the World

With less than a week until Christmas day, people across America are scrambling for the perfect gifts and stressing about cooking the perfect meal.  Some might call it the over-commercialization of Christmas or an elaborate celebration of the season, but the fact remains that we Americans love to go big or go home when it comes to the holidays.  While the mad dash leading up to Christmas has become a custom in our country, it doesn’t necessarily exist around the world.

In China, for example, most stores and restaurants are open on Christmas because it is not recognized as a national holiday.  Although department stores in major cities decorate in the Christmas spirit, you’ll find very few homes strung with lights or giant trees showcased in the living room.  In fact, Christmas didn’t catch on at all in China until the 1990’s due to strict Communist laws against it.  Now it serves as a kind of warm up for their biggest holiday, Chinese New Year.

1913 Vintage Christmas Card (Credit: IronRodArt)

Australians celebrate Christmas differently due to the fact that it takes place during their summer holiday.  It’s not uncommon to see Santa wearing shorts and visiting children on the beach in that country.  Likewise, in Ethiopia, the weather navigates the holiday away from being a celebration of winter.  Instead, they have a solemn procession at church and celebrate on January 7^th according to the traditional Julian calendar.  The celebrations that ensue focus on family, friends and good food. If presents are exchanged, they are very modest.

In England, the cold, foggy weather at Christmastime invites people to stay inside and tell stories by the fire.  Families bake cookies, sing traditional holiday songs, and feast on a midday meal on Christmas day.  Next to their plates, they have colorful “crackers,” which are paper tubes encasing paper hats and small trinkets (check out the multimedia gallery to see the ones Suzette had at our SevenPonds New Years lunch).

Whichever country you’re in, whether you’re home for the holidays or traveling abroad, the spirit of Christmas can nevertheless instill feelings of gratitude and reflection.  Whether it’s been a fruitful year filled with luck or a tough year marked by loss, the holidays can allow us to reflect on what we have and take the time to appreciate our loved ones.

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• 10 Remarkable Origins of Common Christmas Traditions
• How to Get Through the Holidays When You Don’t Feel Like Celebrating
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