A festive world tour
Christmas Around the World
Traditions, food and customs from countries that celebrate Christmas, told warmly and told well.
Christmas is observed in most of the world on December 25. The way it is celebrated differs widely, from quiet family meals in Austria to neighbourhood light displays in the United States and date nights in Japan.
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Christmas in Germany
Christmas in Germany is a season-long celebration that centres on Heiligabend (Christmas Eve), open-air Christmas markets and the four Sundays of Advent.
Christmas in Austria
Austria celebrates a quiet, family-focused Christmas. Cities and alpine villages alike fill with Adventmärkte, brass music and the scent of roasted chestnuts.
Christmas in Slovenia
Slovenia blends Alpine, Mediterranean and Slavic Christmas customs into a long festive season that runs from early December through Epiphany on January 6.
Christmas in United Kingdom
Christmas in the United Kingdom is centred on Christmas Day at home with family, followed by Boxing Day on December 26.
Christmas in United States
Christmas in the United States blends traditions from many cultures. The season usually begins the day after Thanksgiving and ends on New Year's Day.
Christmas in Japan
In Japan Christmas is a popular but secular celebration. It is widely seen as a romantic and family-friendly evening rather than a religious holiday.
Christmas in Italy
Christmas in Italy is a long, family-focused season that often begins with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8 and runs through Epiphany on January 6.
Christmas in France
Christmas in France is celebrated quietly at home, with a long late-night supper called Le Réveillon, often after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.
Christmas in Sweden
Christmas in Sweden is centred on Christmas Eve, December 24, when families gather for the julbord buffet and the main gift exchange.
Christmas in Mexico
Christmas in Mexico is a long, warm season known as la temporada navideña. It begins on December 16 with Las Posadas and continues through Three Kings Day on January 6.
Christmas in Poland
Christmas in Poland is one of the most important holidays of the year and centres on Wigilia, the Christmas Eve supper on December 24.
Christmas in Finland
Christmas in Finland is a quiet, family-focused holiday. The main celebration falls on December 24, Jouluaatto, with December 25 and 26 as public holidays.
Christmas in Norway
Christmas in Norway, known as Jul, is a cozy and home-centred holiday. The main celebration is on the evening of December 24, Julaften.
Christmas in Philippines
The Philippines is widely known for one of the longest Christmas seasons in the world. Decorations and carols often appear in September, and the celebrations continue through Epiphany in early January.
Why Christmas looks so different country to country
Christmas grew out of a quiet midwinter church feast, then collected centuries of local customs as it travelled. In northern Europe, it absorbed older winter solstice rituals like evergreen branches, candles and feast nights. In southern Europe and Latin America, it inherited nativity scenes, processions and long family meals. In parts of Asia, it arrived recently through colonial trade or pop culture and turned into a date night or a shopping season instead of a religious feast.
That is why the same date can mean roast pork and dancing around the tree in Denmark, KFC and strawberry shortcake in Japan, fried fish and fireworks in Brazil, or a quiet Mass and a long sleep in Italy. Use the country cards above to read a one-page summary of each.
Three patterns to look for
- Who brings the gifts. Santa Claus in the US and UK, Father Christmas in France, the Christkind in parts of Germany and Austria, Befana the witch in Italy on January 6, the Three Kings in Spain and Latin America.
- When the main meal happens. Christmas Eve dinner is the big event in Germany, Poland, Sweden and most of Latin America. Christmas Day lunch is the centre in the UK, Ireland, Australia and the US.
- What sits at the centre of the table. Carp in Poland and the Czech Republic, roast goose in Germany, turkey in the UK and US, ham in Sweden, panettone in Italy, bacalhau in Portugal, hallacas in Venezuela.
Trusted resources for going deeper
If you want to read further about Christmas customs, these long-standing sources are a good place to start.
- Britannica: Christmas
Encyclopedic overview of the holiday's history, religious meaning and global spread.
- BBC Religion: Christmas
Clear, accessible explainer on the origins and traditions of Christmas worldwide.
- Smithsonian Magazine
Long-form journalism on Christmas history, food, music and how the holiday changed over time.
- UNESCO Intangible Heritage
Several Christmas-adjacent traditions, from Krampus runs to nativity processions, appear on the official list.
- NORAD Tracks Santa
The classic free Santa tracker, live every December 24 since 1955.
- Google Santa Tracker
A more playful tracker with games, music and short culture clips from countries around the world.