Christmas Traditions From Around the World

Hi everyone,

After an unproductive day here, I drew some inspiration from the Christmas films I've watched today and decided to continue with my long list of blogs surrounding Christmas.

One part of Christmas that I have always loved is traditions. Whether it's opening presents on Christmas Eve in your pyjamas or waiting until after your Christmas Feast to open presents, all traditions surrounding Christmas count. Growing up one of our traditions as a family was to go to Christmas Eve mass at the local Catholic Church. My dad is a Catholic and my grandad (my mum's dad) was a Catholic. So in his memory and for my dad we went to mass every year. We still do (numbers vary each year) and we get to see people from the local community who we may not see at other points in the year.

The church is always freezing so we always make sure we wrap up warm but the church is lit with candles which makes it feel more Christmassy.

That's one of my Christmas traditions but what about some around the world?

United States of America:

In the USA, houses are decked out to the nines, with lights sprinkled everywhere to Frosty the Snowmen on top of the roof. Aside from the decorations, time with family is very important so a traditional feast is a must on Christmas Day. Turkey with stuffing, Ham or Roast Beef are the most common meats chosen for the day, with cranberry sauce, potatoes and roasted vegetables amongst others for accompaniments. Egg Nog is always a winner for a drink.

There is always a big Christmas event put on at the Rockefeller Center each year in order to light the big Christmas tree they have there. The USA are also famous for their ballet performances in New York as well as the Radio City Rockettes.

Austria:

Austria is famous for its Christmas markets. Streets lined with stalls far and wide, you can't help but light up inside. On Christmas Eve, Christmas trees in homes are lit up for the first time with families singing traditional Christmas Carols such as 'Silent Night'. Gifts that have been placed underneath the Christmas tree are traditionally opened after dinner on Christmas Eve. Austria is also famous for its Gingerbread. Yum!

Denmark:

The people of Denmark celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. Their evening meal usually consists of either roast pork, roast duck or roast goose and eaten with potatoes, gravy, red cabbage or kale boiled in butter. Their traditional dessert is rice pudding but with a twist. They make it with whipped cream with an accompaniment of black cherry sauce. The twist is that they put a whole almond in the rice pudding. Whoever finds it will have good luck for the following year. They also sing Christmas Carols/Songs after dinner as a family before opening presents.

On Christmas Day, they have another amazing feast full of traditional Danish dishes. Families gather round the table to celebrate Christmas. Companies and other social groups gather together too either on Christmas Day or in November or January.

Estonia:

In Estonia, children leave a slipper in the window in the weeks leading up to Christmas receiving candy or sweets from visiting elves. Santa Claus visits the children of Estonia on Christmas Eve but they must sing a Christmas Carol/Song or recite a Christmas poem before receiving their presents. Another tradition on December 24th is that the President of Estonia declares Christmas Peace and attends a Christmas Service. Declaring Christmas Peace as a nation was initiated by the order of Queen Christina of Sweden in the 17th century. December 25th is a day for visiting relatives.

Australia & New Zealand:

Christmas in Australia and New Zealand is celebrated during the summer months and traditionally families gather around the BBQ and exchange gifts. Australia hosts an annual Carols by Candlelight event in aid of Vision Australia. In New Zealand, the Pohutukawa is often used as a symbol of Christmas and is nicknamed the 'New Zealand Christmas Tree'.

What are your Christmas traditions? How soon do you put up your Christmas tree? What kind of a Christmas feast do you have?

Lily xxxx

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree 2024