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Christmas traditions of countries around the world
All over the world, Christmas celebrations reflect local culture and traditions. The festivities can be startlingly different from country to country, focusing on different aspects of the nativity story. But whether you're celebrating Sheng Dan Jieh in China or awning Pere Noel in France, you're sharing in the wonder and magic of the Christmas season. In the following pages, we'll take a look at Christmas traditions in countries around the world, from Sweden to Australia, from England to China. Christmas is generally celebrated on Christmas Day, the 25th of December. Some countries however have slightly different Christmas traditions and as such festive season celebrations take place over a longer period of time, from the beginning of December to the beginning of January. At Christmas, Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Traditional Christmas decorations often can be admired and festive celebrations can be joined in most countries, even in many of the countries where Christianity is not the religion of the majority of people. Christmas trees are a popular decoration as are tiny sparkling lights in windows and on walls.
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CONTENT
Christmas traditions of countries around the world
Christmas in the United States of America
Facts about Christmas in America
1. Virtually everyone celebrates Christmas.
2. Most believe it should be a religious holiday.
3. We’re split over “Happy Holidays” vs. “Merry Christmas.”
4. Most are OK with public religious displays.
5. Churches will be open.
6. And most people want to go during Christmastime.
7. Americans believe the Christmas story is true.
What Do People Do?
One Gift on Christmas Eve
Leaving Cookies Out for Santa
Hanging Stockings
Picking out a Christmas Tree
Topping the Christmas Tree
Secret Santa
Making your own ornaments
Facts About Christmas In France
French Christmas Facts 1: Celebration
French Christmas Facts 2: varied celebrations
French Christmas Facts 3: The Christmas Celebration In Eastern And Northern France
French Christmas Facts 4: la Fête de lumières
French Christmas Facts 5: La Fête Des Rois
French Christmas Facts 6: French children
French Christmas Facts 7: Bad Children
French Christmas Facts 8: Le pain calendar
French Christmas Facts 9: La Bûche De Noël
French Christmas Facts 10: The sapin de Noël
What Do People Do?
1. Advent
2. Christmas Eve
3. Le Réveillon
4. Midnight Mass
5. Traditional French Christmas food
6. Les Treize (13) desserts
7. French alcohol at Christmas
Facts about Christmas in Italy
1. Festivities don’t end on December 25
2. Gifts – When will you open yours?
3. Nativity scenes
4. Bagpipes and tombola season
5. Panettone or pandoro?
6. Christmas bonus
7. On Christmas Eve don’t eat meat
What Do People Do?
1. Extended Celebrations
2. No meat on Christmas Eve
3. Visiting the Vatican for midnight mass
4. Skiing into Christmas
5. Gifts from the good witch
6. Sweet treats
Facts About Christmas in Cape Town
1/ Christmas Day lunches are huge.
2/ Many locals flock to the beach.
3/ Christmas falls in the middle of summer holidays.
4/ Instead of Santa, we have Father Christmas.
5/ Christmas is a good time to braai.
Ways to celebrate an South African Christmas
1 .Visit the Kruger National Park
2. Take part in Carols by Candlelight in the big cities such as Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg
3. Have a barbecue with Family or A (braai) as it is called in South Africa
4 . Decorate your Christmas Tree and home with Friends and family, And leave out a Christmas Stocking to collect Gifts From , Father Christmas
5. Leave a glass of milk With Cookies For Father Christmas
Christmas in Japan
Facts about Christmas In Japan
1. It’s the most romantic day of the year
2. Lights, lights everywhere
3. What turkey? It’s all about the Kentucky (Fried Chicken)
4. Let them eat cake (but save some for yourself too)
5. Ripping open your presents is bad form
How To Celebrate Christmas In Japan
Eat Strawberry Shortcake
Visit A Christmas Market
Go Shopping
Exchange Gifts
Merry Christmas Wishes
Christmas Messages For Friends
Christmas Messages For Family
Christmas in the United States of America
In the United States, Christmas is observed on the 25th of December.Here the festive season traditionally begins on the fourth Thursday in November, just after the Thanksgiving holiday. On Thanksgiving Day, a spectacular parade is taken out in New York City that has the smiling figure of Santa Claus participating in it. It indicates the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Department stores, shopping malls and small shops ready themselves appropriately for the season to attract shoppers and get them to spend quite a few bucks on Christmas trees, gifts, apparels, greeting cards and suchlike.
Facts about Christmas in America
1. Virtually everyone celebrates Christmas.
Around 9 in 10 Americans will celebrate Christmas this year, far outpacing other seasonal holidays, according to PRRI. But the celebrations aren’t limited to Christians.
Pew Research found 81 percent of non-Christians in America celebrate Christmas, including 87 percent of the religiously unaffiliated.
2. Most believe it should be a religious holiday.
Almost 8 in 10 Americans say Christmas should be more about Jesus, according to LifeWay Research. They also found 70 percent believe “Christmas would be a better experience if it had a more Christian focus.”
According to PRRI, 72 percent say they personally celebrate Christmas as at least a somewhat religious holiday, with 43 percent saying it’s strongly religious.
3. We’re split over “Happy Holidays” vs. “Merry Christmas.”
When asked by PRRI if stores should greet customers with “Happy Holidays” or “Seasons Greetings” instead of “Merry Christmas” out of respect for people of different faiths, 47 percent of Americans agree and 46 percent disagrees.
LifeWay Research found 29 percent of Americans believe it is offensive to use “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.”
4. Most are OK with public religious displays.
Frequently, the Christmas season features legal challenges to explicitly Christian displays on government property or performances at schools. LifeWay Research found 86 percent believe children in public schools should be allowed to sing religious Christmas songs in school-sponsored musicals.
They are a little more split over physical holiday displays on government property, according to Pew. A plurality (44 percent) are fine with nativity scenes or other Christian symbols on government property whether they are accompanied by symbols of other faiths or not. Almost 3 in 10 (28 percent) say the symbols should be allowed, but only with symbols of other faiths. Only 20 percent say religious symbols should not be allowed at all.
5. Churches will be open.
Despite Christmas falling on a Sunday this year, almost 9 in 10 pastors (89 percent) say their churches will have worship services on Christmas Day, according to LifeWay Research. More than 7 in 10 (71 percent) will have a Christmas Eve service and 63 percent will have services on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
6. And most people want to go during Christmastime.
It’s a good thing churches will be open because most people want to go to church during Christmas. According to LifeWay Research, more than 6 in 10 Americans (63 percent) say the holiday season should include a trip to church.
LifeWay Research also found 61 percent say they typically attend church during Christmastime. And of those who don’t attend, 57 percent said it is likely they would attend if someone invited them.
7. Americans believe the Christmas story is true.
People may be inclined to attend because they accept the biblical nativity story as historical fact.
What Do People Do?
The United States of America has many different traditions and ways that people in celebrate Christmas, because of its multi-cultural nature.
One Gift on Christmas Eve
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Opening one gift on Christmas Eve represents every kid’s favorite Christmas tradition. The excitement and anticipation has built up to a crescendo and most parents simply can’t take it anymore. Surely, tearing the wrapping paper off a single present will help release some of the suspense. And, in some households, the night before Christmas in America means the kids get to open two gifts each…because pajamas don’t count!
Leaving Cookies Out for Santa
For those kids who still believe in Santa, leaving out a few cookies and a tall, cold glass of milk for the big man is one of the top ten american Christmas traditions. On the one hand, it’s a thoughtful gesture. On the other, it’s a bribe. If Santa particularly likes your cookies, then maybe you’ll find an extra toy in your stocking. And, waking up to find an empty glass of milk and a partially eaten cookie really sells it to the kids.
Hanging Stockings
Christmas in America brings out the creativity of parents across the country. And, nowhere is this more apparent than the custom-made stockings. While some children hang the basic red and white stockings, other kids, s
