Country guides
Christmas in different countries
14 country guides, each written around the same questions: when the celebration actually happens, what is on the table, who brings the presents and one fact worth repeating at dinner. Pick a country below, or read the table first to see how the gift moment shifts from place to place.
Christmas Day is December 25 across these guides, but the celebration is not always on it. 6 of the 14 countries covered here name December 24 in their main celebration date, which is why a gift that arrives on Christmas morning can land a day late.
Choose a country
Each guide covers traditions, food, gift customs, the local name for the gift bringer and a fun fact. They are short on purpose: the details that actually differ, without filler.
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 runs from Christmas Day through to Epiphany on January 6, which Italia.it describes as the last day of the Christmas holidays.
Christmas in France
France.fr describes Père Noël as traditionally visiting on the eve of Christmas Day, with children leaving shoes and slippers by the fire in the hope of extra treats.
Christmas in Sweden
Sweden.se explains that Swedish Christmas peaks on December 24, a habit that goes back to a medieval way of counting the day as starting at sunset.
Christmas in Mexico
Mexico's Secretaría de Cultura describes the Christmas festivities as a more than 400-year-old expression of syncretism, community and identity, combining indigenous, European and even Chinese elements.
Christmas in Poland
Poland's Ministry of Culture entered the traditions of the Christmas Eve Wigilia on the national list of intangible cultural heritage. The name Wigilia comes from the Latin word for keeping watch, reflecting a day of preparation for Christmas.
Christmas in Finland
Visit Finland describes Christmas Eve as the main event of the Finnish holidays and the night Santa brings gifts for children, with Finns taking things slow in the company of loved ones.
Christmas in Norway
Visit Norway describes Christmas Eve as the point when most Norwegians gather for a traditional meal and the opening of presents, and says Santa Claus sometimes pays them a visit.
Christmas in Philippines
Philippine government features describe a long Christmas season, with many saying the celebration starts as early as September, when decorations go up and Christmas songs are heard everywhere.
Celebration date and gift bringer, side by side
Every value in this table comes straight from the country guide it links to, so the two always agree.
| Country | Main celebration date | Gift bringer |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | December 25 (with main celebration on December 24) | Christkind (in many regions) or Weihnachtsmann |
| Austria | December 25 (main celebration on December 24) | Christkind |
| Slovenia | December 25 | Miklavž, Božiček or Dedek Mraz, depending on family tradition |
| United Kingdom | December 25 | Father Christmas (also called Santa) |
| United States | December 25 | Santa Claus |
| Japan | December 25 (not a public holiday) | Santa-san |
| Italy | December 25, with the Christmas festivities closing at Epiphany on January 6 | La Befana on Epiphany; Christmas gift bringer practice varies by family |
| France | December 25, with Père Noël traditionally visiting on Christmas Eve | Père Noël |
| Sweden | December 24, Christmas Eve, as the main celebration | Father Christmas, whose Swedish figure sweden.se traces back to Saint Nicholas |
| Mexico | December 25, with Las Posadas from December 16 to 24 and Día de Reyes on January 6 | Los Reyes Magos for January 6; Christmas gift traditions vary by family |
| Poland | December 25, with the main celebration at the Wigilia supper on December 24 | Święty Mikołaj, Aniołek or Gwiazdor, depending on the region |
| Finland | December 24, Christmas Eve, as the main celebration | Santa Claus, who Visit Finland says lives in Lapland in the north of Finland |
| Norway | December 24 evening as the main celebration | Santa Claus, alongside Fjøsnissen, the barn-dwelling Norwegian nisse |
| Philippines | December 25, with the season often starting as early as September | Gift-giving in the sources used is family and godparent based rather than tied to one figure |
How to read these guides
The quickest way to understand an unfamiliar Christmas is to ask three questions in order: which day the family actually gathers, what is served at that meal, and who is said to bring the presents. Answer those and most of the rest of the season makes sense, because decorations, church services and time off tend to arrange themselves around that one evening or morning.
That is exactly how each country page is structured, so you can open two of them in separate tabs and compare like for like. If you would rather see the customs grouped by theme instead of by country, the Christmas around the world hub takes that angle, and Christmas food around the world puts the menus next to each other.
The evening of December 24 does a lot of work in this dataset: Germany, Austria, Sweden, Poland, Finland and Norway all name it in their celebration date. If that evening is new to you, our Christmas Eve traditions guide covers what tends to happen once the table is cleared.
Using this when you are sending something abroad
If you are posting a parcel or scheduling a call, the date to work back from is the one in the table above, not December 25 by default. Check the country guide, note the celebration date, then confirm the current cut-off dates with the postal service you are actually using, since those change every year and are not something we can promise on your behalf.
If the post has already become unrealistic, the last minute Christmas gifts guide collects ideas that need no shipping at all, and Christmas messages has wording you can send the same day, in a tone that suits whichever evening the family is gathering.
Frequently asked questions
- Which countries in these guides celebrate on December 24?
- Germany, Austria, Sweden, Poland, Finland and Norway name December 24 in their celebration date, so the family gathering or gift exchange falls on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas morning.
- Does everyone call Santa the same thing?
- No. Across these 14 guides the gift bringer appears as Christkind (in many regions) or Weihnachtsmann, Christkind, Miklavž, Božiček or Dedek Mraz, depending on family tradition, Father Christmas (also called Santa), Santa Claus and Santa-san and more besides. Each country page lists the local name.
- How many countries are covered so far?
- 14 guides: Germany, Austria, Slovenia, United Kingdom, United States, Japan, Italy, France, Sweden, Mexico, Poland, Finland, Norway and Philippines.
- What does each country guide include?
- The celebration date, main traditions, festive food, gift customs, the local name for the gift bringer and one fun fact. Where reference links exist for a country, they are listed at the bottom of that guide.
Keep exploring
- Christmas around the worldThe overview hub, with traditions grouped by theme.
- Christmas traditions explorerFilter customs by country and compare them side by side.
- Christmas food around the worldWhat is actually served, from carp to fried chicken.
- Traditions around the worldLong read on the customs behind the celebrations.
What would you like to do next?
14 of the 14 guides currently list reference links at the bottom of the page. We add them as each guide is reviewed rather than filling the space with links we have not checked.