Christmas Traditions Around the World

In the Philippines, Christmas is one of the longest celebrations in the world. Christmas is celebrated from September to December and slowly ends around mid January. It is common to see many nativity scenes, known as belen, around the country and within people's households. It is also common to see many lights decorating houses, churches, and schools, and to see the star ornament, parol, included in these decora...

Senegal is a country known for having a majority 95% adherence to Islam, and for celebrating a bountiful of Muslim holidays, such as Eid Al-Adha and Ramadan. But in Senegal, Muslims and Christians alike come together to celebrate Christmas and all it has to offer. Even though Christmas is a Christian holiday, this doesn’t stop the Muslim majority from respectfully and happily indulging in Chri...

Christmas in Japan isn’t an official holiday, but schools close on Christmas Day. The Emperor's birthday is December 23rd and then the New Year break is close after, so Christmas fits within the timeline. Beethoven’s Ode To Joy is extremely popular in Japan around Christmastime and the New Year, so Beethoven’s song is mainly called daiku, or ‘number nine’. Other activities that take place aroun...

Christmas in Sweden is celebrated by St. Lucia's Day on December 13. This day is celebrated by a girl dressing up in a white dress with a red sash around her waist and a crown of candles on her head. This is inspired by the story of a girl who would secretly bring food to imprisoned Christians in Rome in 304. She would wear candles on her head so that her two hands would be free to give food to the...

In Venezuela, Christmas is celebrated by attending midnight mass, called Misas de Aguinaldo, feasting on food, putting up multiple nativity scenes, and Santa Barbera’s Day, which starts on December 4th. Other important celebrations are Epiphany or El Dia de los Reyes Magos, known as the day of the Three Kings, on January 6th. Foods such as hallacas and the pan de jamon are eaten around this time. ...