Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year: Cheery music playing, drinking hot chocolate, watching Christmas movies, and decorating the Christmas tree. These are all  activities that bring people together to celebrate and create great memories. Personally, it was these memories that shaped what Christmas means to me.  I’ve since wondered: How do my Christmas traditions differ from those around the world?  How do others celebrate this wonderful holiday on a global level?  

Let’s take a look at how Christmas is celebrated by the many peoples and cultures around the world.

Christmas in Japan is said to be their most romantic time of year, with all the streets filled with colorful lights. They practice a lot of the same traditions as us, like getting presents from Santa and spending time with family. Since the early 70s, Japanese people have had a unique tradition of eating a large bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). This all started when Japan got its first KFC in 1970; legend has it the manager dressed up as Santa and went to an office party. He then overheard people saying they wished it was easier to get turkey in Japan for Christmas dinner. This is said to have sparked the idea of making dining at KFC the new Christmas tradition. From there, selling a Christmas chicken bucket at a low, all-inclusive price, along with great marketing made KFC a Japanese tradition.

Another Christmas tradition from around the world, which has even migrated to the United States, is the Christmas pickle ornament. In Germany, it’s tradition for parents to hide a pickle ornament in the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning, the kids will search for it, and the first to find the pickle gets to open the first present. This tradition creates memories for all German families and has even migrated around the world. A small percentage of Americans even practice the tradition. German legend is that the tradition started when a captured soldier was starving in jail and the guard obliged, saving his life by giving him a pickle to eat. The legend goes on to have the soldier survive and go back to his family, putting a pickle on the tree every Christmas as a reminder of his gratitude.

 Around the world, it’s a common Christmas tradition to go to church on Christmas morning with your family.  In Venezuela, it is tradition to take public transportation to early morning mass. The capital city, Caracas, has its own tradition for families to roller skate instead.  This was said to have started as an alternative to sledding because of the warm weather in Venezuela, and has since brought many families together. This has also brought a legend to Caracas. The legend goes that children would tie a string to their toe the night before Christmas and trail it out the window. Then, in the morning, people roller skating by would tug on the strings and let the kids know it was time to get their skates on. The tradition is so popular in Caracas, that from the 16th to the 25th of December, the Venezuelan government blocks the roads off for families to skate to mass. This encourages more families to be a part of the tradition and creates a beautiful scene of dozens of families skating down the street on Christmas morning.

The Philippines are known for their Christmas celebrations. They celebrate the longest Christmas season in the world, starting three months early in September.  Their biggest and most well-known Christmas tradition is the Giant Lantern Festival in San Fernando. It starts on December 17th going all the way through January 1st. During this festival, people make giant lanterns out of lights and colorful plastic with vibrant colors and designs. These lanterns are at least 15 feet tall and create gorgeous pieces of art. This festival was started by a religious tradition known as “lubenas,” which is a nine-day prayer before Christmas. Over time, the lanterns got larger and more creative, especially with the introduction of electricity to the Philippines. Now, the night skies of San Fernando light up with vibrant colors showcasing lanterns that are competing for a top prize of ₱300,000. 

 No matter where you are in the world or how you celebrate it, the holiday season is a great time of year when people come together. Whether your family roller skates to church or hides a pickle in the tree, Christmas traditions give families something to look forward to during the season. These traditions are something that they can keep in the family for generations to come. This Christmas season, maybe try stepping out of your comfort zone and adopting a new tradition from a different culture or country.