Christmas Traditions around the world is something everyone should learn about. Every culture that celebrates Christmas has its own festive traditions for making the holiday memorable. Some of these include dishes or treats that are only available once a year. Others give meaningful gifts, and still others decorate in a specific way, hold festivals, parades, or parties to celebrate the season.
Christmas Traditions around the world: France
In France, a Nativity crib is frequently used to decorate the home. Clay figures can be found in French cribs. Some towns and cities, such as Marseilles, hold Nativity figure fairs in December. In addition to the traditional Nativity figures, French scenes include a Butcher, a Baker, a Policeman, and a Priest.
‘Joyeux Noel’ means ‘Merry Christmas’ in French. It’s ‘Nedeleg Laouen’ in Breton (spoken by some people in Brittany, Northern France), ‘Bon Natale’ in Corsican, and ‘E güeti Wnâchte’ in Alsatian (spoken by some people in Alsace, Eastern France). Many more languages wish you a Merry Christmas.
Strasbourg, in North Eastern France, hosts one of Europe’s largest Christmas markets.
In French homes, IYule Logs made of Cherry Wood are frequently burned. An old custom was to bring the log into the house on Christmas Eve and sprinkle it with red wine to make it smell nice when it burned. It is customary to leave the log and candles burning all night, along with some food and drinks, in case Mary and the baby Jesus pass by during the night.
Père Noel is the French name for Father Christmas/Santa Claus/St. Nicholas (Father Christmas). In eastern France, he is accompanied by Le Pere Fouettard, a black-clad man. In the Netherlands, he could be the same person as Zwarte Piet/Sooty Piet/Roetpiet.
The main Christmas meal, known as ‘Réveillon,’ is eaten after people have returned from the midnight Church Service on Christmas Eve/early Christmas morning, they eat this. Roast turkey with chestnuts or roast goose, oysters, foie gras, lobster, venison, and cheeses are all possibilities. A chocolate sponge cake log known as a bûche de Noel is traditionally served for dessert.
Christmas Traditions around the world: Spain
The majority of Spaniards attend Midnight Mass, also known as ‘La Misa Del Gallo’ (The Mass of the Rooster). This is because a rooster is said to have crowed on the night Jesus was born. Nochebuena is the Spanish word for Christmas Eve. In the days leading up to Nochebuena, children might participate in ‘piden el aguinaldo,’ where they go around and sing carols to their neighbors in the hopes of winning money!
On Christmas Eve, most families eat their main Christmas meal before the service. Traditional Spanish Christmas dinners included ‘Pavo Trufado de Navidad,’ which is turkey stuffed with truffles (the mushrooms, not the chocolate ones!) or ‘Pularda asada,’ which is roasted young hen. Seafood is the most popular Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meal in Galicia (a region in north-west Spain surrounded by water). This can include anything from shellfish and mollusks to lobster and small edible crabs.
Mazapán (almonds, sugar, and eggs), turrón (honey and toasted almonds), and polvorones are popular desserts and sweets (made of flour, butter and sugar).
“Day of the Innocent Saints” is celebrated on December 28 and is remarkably similar to April Fools Day in the UK and the USA. People attempt to dupe one another into believing absurd jokes and stories. Inane stories are also broadcast on TV and in newspapers. You can call someone “Inocente, inocente,” which translates to “innocent, innocent,” if you fool them. People commemorate the infants that were slain on King Herod’s instructions when he attempted to slay the infant Jesus on December 28.
In addition to Christmas, Spain also commemorates another holiday centered on the Christmas Story. Epiphany is observed on January 6th and is known by that name. Epiphany is known as “Fiesta de Los trois Reyes Magos” in Spanish, which translates to “The festival of the three Magic Kings” in English. Epiphany commemorates the giving of gifts to the infant Jesus by the Kings or Wise Men.
On Christmas Day, some gifts are given to kids, but Epiphany is when the majority are unwrapped. Children think that the Kings will bring them gifts on the Epiphany. They ask the Kings in letters for gifts and toys. And they put shoes under the Christmas tree or on balconies on Epiphany Eve (January 5) to be filled with gifts. Children frequently leave gifts for the Kings, including a drink of cognac, a satsuma, and some walnuts. A cup of water is occasionally left for the camels that transport the Kings! The Kings may include sugar-coated coal bits in the gifts if the kids have been misbehaving.
Argentina
At Christmastime, the temperature is warm in Argentina. Christmas planning starts extremely early in December, even in November. Argentina has a sizable Catholic population, and Advent is observed there as well.
Lights and wreaths made of green, gold, red, and white flowers are used to elegantly decorate the houses. House doors have garlands in red and white hanging from them. Christmas trees are also quite well-liked, and many people adorn them by the eighth of December (the feast of the Immaculate Conception – when Catholics celebrate when Mary was conceived). Some individuals like to decorate their Christmas trees with cotton balls to resemble snow. In Argentina, artificial trees are much more prevalent than genuine ones. In addition to green, they can also be found in white or blue.
In Argentina, the Nativity scene, or “pesebre,” is a significant Christmas ornament. The pesebre is placed close to the tree.
Christmas Cards aren’t prevalent in Argentina and although some people give and receive presents, it’s typically exclusively between close family and friends.
On Christmas Eve, the big Christmas festivities begin. Many Catholics will go to a Mass in the late afternoon.
The main course Christmas dinner is traditionally served on Christmas Eve evening, around 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. It could be served in the garden or on a grill! Some popular dishes include roasted turkey, roasted pork (in northern Argentina, some people will order goat), ‘vitel toné’ (slices of veal served with a creamy anchovy and tuna sauce), stuffed tomatoes, salads, and a variety of sandwiches such as ‘pan de atun’ (special tuna sandwiches),’sandwiches de miga’ (sandwiches made of thin white bread without crusts – they can be single.
Dessert options include fruit salad, ice cream, and various pies, as well as Christmas bread and puddings like “Pan Dulce” and Panettone. Sweets like chocolate raisins, sugar-coated peanuts or almonds, “mantecol” (a semi-soft nougat made from peanut butter), and other “turron” varieties will also be available (hard nougat).
There will be a loud display of fireworks at midnight. Additionally, some enjoy “toasting” the start of Christmas day. Some individuals enjoy attending midnight services, while others would rather remain home, set off fireworks, and then unwrap their presents beneath the Christmas tree. Additionally, more people are now attending late-night events and nightclubs.
Some children will anticipate receiving their gifts from “Papá Noel” (Father Christmas/Santa Claus). Some may anticipate their arrival from “El Nio Diós” (the Baby Jesus). On Christmas Eve, both of those are presumably going to bring gifts. Some kids, meanwhile, will hold out until Epiphany (6 January) in the hopes that the “Reyes Magos” (The Three Wise Men) will deliver their gifts.
Italy
The Nativity crib scene is one of the most important aspects of Christmas in Italy. St. Francis of Assisi popularized the use of a Nativity scene to help tell the Christmas story in 1223. (Assisi is in mid-Italy). He had gone to Bethlehem the previous year to see where it was believed Jesus was born. A Nativity scene is common in the homes of many Italian families.
The Nativity scenes in Naples, Italy, are world famous. These are referred to as ‘Presepe Napoletano’ (Napoletan Nativity/crib scenes). It is believed that the earliest Nativity scene in Naples occurred in the Church of Saint Mary of the Nativity in the year 1025, long before St. Francis of Assisi popularized the tradition.
The 16th century saw a rise in the popularity of nativity scenes, which is still prevalent today (before that only churches and monasteries had scenes). On December 8th, nativity scenes are typically placed outside. However, the baby Jesus figurine isn’t placed in the manger until the evening of December 24!
The Nativity scene is occasionally exhibited as a large, meter-high pyramid! It has multiple tiers of shelves and is embellished with colored paper, pinecones that have been wrapped in gold, and little candles. Frequently, a little star is hung inside the triangle’s or pyramid’s top. It’s possible that there are presents, sweets, and fruit on the shelves above the manger scene.
Neapolitan Nativity scenes are unique in that they always include extra “everyday” persons and items, including houses, waterfalls, food, animals, and even prominent individuals and politicians. The biggest Nativity scene in the entire world, with over 600 items on it, is located in Naples.
The “Via San Gregorio Armeno” in Naples is still a roadway where people still build nativity scenes. Wonderful hand-made Nativity scene ornaments, figures, and, of course, entire scenes are available for purchase on the street.
However, its popularity has only really risen during World War II in Italy. The custom of having a Christmas tree placed next to the Nativity Crib on St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican was established in 1982 by the Polish-born Pope John Paul II. Nine of the seventeen life-size statues depicting the cradle scene at the Vatican were created in 1842. Every year, a new Italian area or nation in Europe donates a tree to the Vatican.
Italians now traditionally put up their Christmas trees on December 8th (the feast of the Immaculate Conception). After then, the tree is left up until the Epiphany on January 6.
Children in shepherd’s caps and sandals go out carol-singing and playing music on shepherd’s pipes, according to an ancient Italian tradition.
It’s customary to avoid eating any meat (and perhaps any dairy) on Christmas Eve. People frequently have a small seafood lunch before attending Midnight Mass. Various regions of Italy have different fish varieties and preparation methods.
In Italy, Epiphany is also significant. Children think that an elderly woman named “Befana” delivers them gifts on the eve of the Epiphany. The tale of Befana delivering gifts and the tale of Babushka are extremely similar. By the fireplace, kids hung stockings for Befana to fill. Instead of Befana, the Three Kings may bring you gifts at Epiphany in some parts of northern Italy. Santa Claus, or “Babbo Natale” in Italian, who is actually Father Christmas, also brings gifts on Christmas Day!
In Piedmontese, it’s “Bon Natal,” in Sicilian, “Buon Natale,” and in Ladin (spoken in some areas of the northern Italian region of South Tyrol), “Bon/Bun Nadèl,” it’s “Happy/Merry Christmas.”
