Traditions 1
13 days before Christmas, the Jolasveinar (goblins or elves from the mountains who are dressed in red) start appearing in our towns. Years ago, they used to play tricks on people, but now the Jolasveinar leave a gift in children’s shoes that we place in the windowsills. If a child has been bad, the Jolasveinar leave a potato instead of a gift.
Iceland
Our Father Christmas is a very serious looking man who dresses in gray and has a long white beard. He leaves presents for good children and switches for the bad ones.
Latvia
St. Nicholas visits us twice - once on December 4th to see if we’ve been good and, again, on December 6th to bring treats. On the night of his return, we leave empty baskets along with hay, water, and carrots for his horse by our door. He comes back with treats for the good children and switches for those who have been bad!
Belguim
Traditionally, our Father Christmas has a long white beard and is dressed in a long green or red robe decorated with holly, ivy, and mistletoe. Letters to Father Christmas are burned in the fireplace and carried to him in the smoke. Stockings are hung by the fireplace to catch any coins dropped down the chimney by Father Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Father Christmas leaves children presents in stockings and under the Christmas tree. The practice of sending Christmas cards and caroling originated in our country.
United Kingdom
We are the only Middle Eastern country where Christmas is an official holiday. On Christmas Eve, we traditionally attend midnight mass. Papa Noel gives children gifts of clothes and candy at mass or later at home.
Lebanon
Straw ornaments on our trees and the straw placed on our dinner tables on Christmas Eve reminds us of the straw in the stable where Jesus was born.
Belarus
Beginning on December 16, our Las Posada procession depicts Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging. The poinsettia is native to our country and it has been incorporated into Christmas celebrations since the 17th century. Some children place their shoes in a windowsill on the Eve of Epiphany for presents to be placed in (Epiphany is also known as Three Kings Day and is usually observed on January 6).
Mexico
On New Year’s Eve, handkerchiefs hanging from our roofs are traditionally filled with fried wheat, raisins, and coins by Gah-ghant Baba, the Old Father.
Armenia
Since December 25 arrives during our summer, many of our Christmas traditions and celebrations are outdoors. It’s great! When we carol by candlelight, we don’t have to bundle up!
Australia
Strange things happen between December 13 and Christmas: animals talk to one another; trolls, gnomes, goblins and a powerful enchantress named Lossi roam the nights. Our first holiday celebration occurs on St. Lucia Day (December 13) when a young girl with a crown of lights and a candle in her hand brings light into the winter darkness.
Norway
Most of our churches use the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar so our Christmas
celebrations come 13 days after most of the Western world has celebrated Christmas. Our Grandfather Frost wears red robes trimmed in white fur and he has a long white beard. He brings gifts to good children and ignores the bad children. In 1917, Christmas celebrations were outlawed and many became New Year’s celebrations, but in 1991, we were once again allowed to celebrate Christmas!
Russia
Our Christmas celebrations begin on St. Lucia Day (December 13) and continue through Saint Knut’s Day on January 13. Our Santa Claus is a dwarf or gnome called Jultomten who delivers presents on Christmas Eve. Many of our Christmas decorations are made out of straw which remind us of Jesus’ birth in a stable. Traditionally, our Christmas presents are called Christmas knocks since people used to sneak up to the doors of friends and families, knock on the door and throw the presents inside to escape notice. Our presents often include a Christmas rhyme.
Sweden
Less than 1% of the people in our country celebrate Christmas. Dun Che Lao Ren, Old Man Christmas, leaves gifts in stockings for the children in our small Christian communities. We decorate our Christmas trees with lanterns, flowers, and red paper chains.
China
Christmas became a federal holiday for us in 1870. Our Santa Claus was inspired by Clement C. Moore’s poem "A Visit from Saint Nicholas" and Thomas Nast’s drawing. We not only decorate the inside of our houses, but the outsides as well. We hang stockings by our fireplaces and write letters to Santa Claus who visits us Christmas Eve.
United States
Sinterklaas arrives in the beginning of December. He travels from Spain to Amsterdam every winter bringing his white horse and a huge bag of toys for the children. He wears a red robe and a mitre (the traditional head gear for bishops) on his head. On St. Nicholas Eve (December 5), children leave hay and carrots for Sinterklaas’ horse and cookies for Sinterklaas. And, Sinterklaas leaves presents for the children.
Netherlands or Holland
Our Christmas season ends with the Festival of the Three Kings on January 6. On this day, children traditionally carry lighted stars while going from house to house singing carols.
Slovenia
During Las Posadas, statues of Joseph and Mary are carried to different houses where they are given food and shelter for the evening. The ritual is repeated each day for ten days. On Christmas Eve, the statues return to the church for the Dance of the Pastores which symbolizes the shepherds bringing gifts to Jesus after his birth.
Belize
Noche-buena begins on Christmas Eve and continues through January 6 (Epiphany). We usually exchange presents on Epiphany, not Christmas Eve.
Spain
On Christmas Eve, we place our shoes by the fireplace for Pere Noel to fill with presents. Pere Fouettard is a scary figure who accompanies Pere Noel and tells him how each child has behaved. Insome areas, Pere Noel distributes gifts on St. Nicholas Eve (December 5).
France
In the weeks before Christmas, our towns and churches traditionally set up beautiful and elaborate nativity scenes. On January 5, the night before Epiphany, La Befana, an old woman who travels on a broom, leaves gifts of toys, candy, and fruit for good children. Bad children find their shoes filled with coal.
Our Christmas trees are traditionally not seen by children until Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve, children set out bowls of rice pudding in the attic to pacify the Nisse. He is a mischievous old man who wears grey pants, wooden shoes, and a red hat. Those who don’t give him rice pudding may find broken decorations and missing presents!
Denmark
Our traditions begin early in December with the lighting of candles on December 7. On December 8, we have a national holiday to celebrate the Virgin Mary. Then, on December 16, we decorate our Christmas trees and begin the Novenaa nine-day prayer ritual. On Christmas, El Niño Jesus delivers presents at the foot of children’s beds.
Colombia
Mekulash, our version of Santa Claus, visits us on December 6 (St. Nicholas Day). Children put boots in the windows. If they’ve been good, Mekulash fills the boots with yummy treats like candy, chocolates, fruits, and nuts. If they’ve been bad, the boots contain a switch.
Hungray
During the month of December, Christians here do not eat any animal products including meat, poultry, and dairy. We celebrate Christmas Eve on January 6 by going to church and having a traditional meal of fata (rice, garlic, and boiled meat) and qurban (a biscuit marked with a cross and twelve dots).
Egypt
Since we are a large and diverse nation, we have a wide variety of Christmas traditions including having one of the oldest Santa parades, eating Chicken Bones (a cinnamon candy filled with bittersweet chocolate), and having a Réveillon, a Christmas Eve feast. We’re also one of the world’s largest exporters of Christmas trees.
Canada