The various Christmas traditions that bring together families and friends are part of what makes the Christmas season so special. But when it comes to Christmas traditions around the world, they aren’t all Christmas cookies and eggnog. From the days and the trees to different foods and events, there are all kinds of Christian Christmas traditions used to celebrate Christmas around the world.
These 10 Christmas traditions around the world show just how passionate and creative people can be when it comes to celebrating Christmas, and may even inspire you to try some new Christmas traditions with your own friends and family this year.
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Roller Skate Mass – Venezuela
Christmas church services have long been part of Christian Christmas traditions. Many attend church on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning to remember the real reason for the season. But in Venezuela, where over 60% of the population is Catholic, the people in the capital city of Caracas have made this tradition their own by adding a unique spin — literally. Instead of walking or driving to church, the people of Caracas roller skate to mass on Christmas morning. In fact, this aspect of their Christmas traditions is so popular that the government closes down the streets for all the roller skaters.
Las Posadas, Piñatas & Christmas Radishes – Mexico
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Mexico is another predominantly Catholic country that has established some special Christmas traditions to honor the birth of Christ. The festivities kick off in early December with Las Posadas, a procession that tells the story of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. In addition, the city of Oaxaca hosts The Night of the Radishes, where the locals carve the Nativity Scene into large radishes to be displayed in the Christmas market. Finally, the country is known for its Christmas piñatas, which are shaped like a seven-point star, representing the seven deadly sins. The breaking of the piñata shows how faith in Christ wipes out those sins.
Pohutukawa Tree – New Zealand
No Christmas around the world is complete without a tree. So while New Zealand isn’t exactly known for its fir trees, the locals make up for it by decorating pōhutukawa trees. These coastal evergreen trees have large branches and bright red flowers. In fact, much like a poinsettia, New Zealanders use branches of the pōhutukawa trees to decorate their homes and churches during the Christmas season.
Giant Lantern Festival – Philippines
People in the Philippines know a thing or two about making Christian Christmas traditions their own. Each year, the city of San Fernando in Pampanga, Philippines, hosts a Giant Lantern Festival known as Ligligan Parul. Talented artists compete by crafting gigantic lanterns out of steel frames that are then decorated with thousands of lights. The dazzling lanterns light up the whole sky and are meant to mimic the Star of Bethlehem.
Guiding Stars and Breaking Bread – Poland
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Poland is another country that does its own take on Bethlehem star-related Christmas traditions. Everyone looks forward to Christmas Eve dinner in Poland, known as Wigilia. Dinner lasts many hours and kicks off with a sharing of the oplatek, an unleavened Christmas bread. But here’s the kicker: dinner can’t start until the first star appears in the sky, which is a nod to the Star of Bethlehem!
12-Course Christmas Eve Dinner – Ukraine
Ukraine is another country that has made lengthy Christmas Eve dinners part of their Christian Christmas traditions. In fact, they typically have 12 courses, in honor of the 12 apostles. One of the iconic dishes during this Christmas Eve feast is kutia (or kutya), which is like a wheat pudding mixed with honey, nuts, and dried fruit. This dish is typically served at the start of the meal and symbolizes unity between man and God.
Homemade Advent Calendars – Switzerland
Advent calendars have become a common staple in Christmas traditions around the world, but few do it quite the Swiss. Instead of spending money to buy an advent calendar, many families in Switzerland make their own. The Christian Christmas tradition of making advent calendars started long ago and the calendars were typically filled with holy pictures that brought to mind key elements of the advent season. Of course, the calendars became less religious and more personal as time passed but they are still a beloved Christmas tradition in Switzerland.
Christmas Apples – China
While only a small part of China’s population is Christian, the country has still managed to adopt some Christmas traditions that speak to the love, joy, and peace that the Christmas season brings. One of those traditions is the gifting of Christmas apples. In fact, the Chinese terms for Christmas Eve (Ping’an Ye – meaning peaceful night) and apple (Píngguǒ) were combined to make Ping’anguo or peace apples. The apples are even sometimes decorated to make them extra special.
Love Offering – Democratic Republic of the Congo
Another Christmas tradition around the world can be found in African countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo. In many of these nations, Christmas Day kicks off with caroling before families return home to prepare their love offerings. The love offering is a gift that each family gives to Jesus at the evening church service. Many churchgoers even share a meal together afterward.
Babushka – Russia
When it comes to celebrating Christmas around the world, Russia may not be the first country that comes to mind. However, the largely Orthodox country does have some of its own Christmas traditions, such as Babushka. Babushka is a Russian word that means “grandmother.” As the story goes, Babushka met the three wise men but refused to go with them to meet Jesus because it was too cold. Afterward, she regretted her decision, so she grabbed some gifts and tried to catch up with the wise men. She never did, so instead, she gave her gifts to good boys and girls.
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Marissa Mayer is a writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. Her work has been featured in Christian Post, The Daily Signal, and Intellectual Takeout. Mayer has a B.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from Arizona State University.
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