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The Christmas season is celebrated in different ways around the world. See also List of winter festivals for a list of holidays not specifically related to Christmas. This page focuses on traditions in countries other than the United Kingdom and North America. See Christmas and China and Taiwan In the Republic of China (Taiwan), Christmas is not officially celebrated. However, coincidentially, December 25 is the date of the signing of the Constitution of the Republic of China in 1947. Hence there is already an official holiday on that date, which is largely treated as if it were Christmas.
In countries of Central Europe (for this pourpose, roughly defined as the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, parts of Austria, Germany and possibly other places) the main feast for the general public is Christmas Eve (December 24th). The day is usually a fasting day; in some places children are told they'll see a golden pig if they hold fast until dinner. When the evening comes preparation of Christmas Dinner starts. Traditions concerning dinner vary from region to region, for example in the Czech Republic the prevailing meal is fried carp with potato salad and fish soup. However, in some places the tradition is porridge with mushrooms (a modest dish), and elsewhere the dinner is exceptionally rich, with up to 12 dishes.
What's common is that people usually stay in close family circle. Staying alone during Christmas Eve is considered very sad, and many families "bring home" their grandparents at least for Christmas.
After the dinner comes the time for gifts. Tradition varies with region, commonly gifts are attributed to Christkind (Little Jesus) or their real originators (e.g. parents). Children usually find their gifts under the Christmas Tree, with name stickers. An interesting example of complicated history of the region is the "fight" between Christmas beings. During communism, when slavic countries of Central Europe were under Soviet influence, communist authorities strongly pushed Russian traditional Ded Moroz ("Grandfather Frost") in the place of Christkind. Little Jesus won. Now Santa Claus is attacking, by means of advertising and Hollywood film production.
Many people go to Catholic churches for Midnight Mass. It's not uncommon to go to a church only one time a year, for this Christmas Mass.
Other attributes of Christmas include Christmas trees, mistletoe, Christmas garlands.
Since the 1880s, the Christmas customs of Eastern European Slavic countries have included a similar character known as Ded Moroz ("Grandfather Frost.") According to legend, he travels in a magical troika — a decorated sleigh drawn by three horses. With his young, blond assistant Snegurochka (the Snow Maiden, said to be his granddaughter) at his side, he visits homes and gives gifts to good children. He only delivers presents to children while they are asleep, and unlike Santa, he does not travel down chimneys, coming instead to the front door of children's homes. It is traditional for children to leave food for Ded Moroz just as American and British children do.
This Ded Moroz is not identified nor in any way associated with St. Nicholas of Myra, who is very widely revered in Eastern Europe more for his clerical and charitable works as a Bishop. In all likelihood, Ded Moroz is actually a Slavic interpretation of the American Santa Claus or some similar figure, any connection to the original saint long since disappeared.
Main article: Joulupukki
Joulupukki is the Finnish name for Santa Claus. The name Joulupukki literally means Yule Goat or Christmas Goat. This name is likely to come from an old Finnish tradition, where people dressed in goat hides called nuuttipukkis used to circulate in homes after Christmas eating leftover food.
Today Joulupukki looks and behaves mostly like his American version, but there are differences. Joulupukki's workshop is situated, not in the North Pole or Greenland, but in Korvatunturi, Lapland, Finland. He doesn't sneak in through the chimney during the night, but knocks on the front door during Christmas eve. When he comes in, his first words usually are: "Onko täällä kilttejä lapsia?" (Are there (any) nice children here?)
He wears usually red, warm clothes and uses a walking stick. He goes to people's homes with a sleigh driven by a number of reindeer, of which one is called Petteri Punakuono (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer). Joulupukki has a wife, Joulumuori (Christmas Lady), who knows how to make very delicious Christmas German-speaking areas
The Striezelmarkt, Germany's oldest Christmas market, boasting the specialities of the Dresden region, is arguably a worldwide Christmas gift production center which continues for nearly one month. This is the time when Dresden Stollen fruitcake, Pulsnitzer gingerbread, wood carvings from the Erzgebirge Mountains, Dresden Pflaumentoffel, Lusatian indigo print, Silesian ceramics, Bohemian glass, and Meissen porcelain dominate the lives of visitors who come from all over to thoroughly immerse themselves in Christmas.
Knecht Ruprecht ("Black Peter") is a companion of Father Christmas in many different Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein), the character of Santa is replaced by the Christkind (literally "Christ child"). He or Father Christmas brings the presents not on the morning of December 25th, but on the evening of December 24th. A knock on the door heralds Father Christmas's arrival; someone dressed in a red suit and white beard enters with a sack and a stick, supposedly for punishing the children if they have been bad. He asks how well-behaved the children have been, and they have to say a poem or sing a song. For families who lack a suitable figure, or to confuse suspicious children, Father Christmases can be hired to come to homes and play the part.
It is a tradition to lavishly decorate a Christmas tree in the days preceding Christmas, and late Christmas Eve, for the tree to be unveiled and presents to be exchanged. In Protestant Christian churches, there is often a service in the late afternoon, intended to immediately precede this - this service often caters to families with children.
See Saint Nicholas for information about Saint Nicholas Day, a festivity similar to Christmas from which many English and American traditions derive.
The present_giver in children's folklore in The Netherlands and Belgium is a Santa-ish character called Sinterklaas or Sint Nicolaas. Like Father Christmas in Germany, Sinterklaas is often accompanied by a black helper named Zwarte Piet (Black Pete). Sinterklaas wears a tall bishop's hat and carries a crooked staff. He is said to reside in Spain, and in mid-November he arrives by steamboat, an event which is often acted out in the many coastal communities of the Low Countries. Dutch children leave their shoes out on many nights in the run-up to the actual celebration, to find them filled with small treats in the morning. December 5 (The Netherlands) and December 6 (Belgium) are traditionally recognized as the main gift-giving days of the Low Countries, with December 25 being a lower-key, more religious event.
In recent years Dutch and Belgian cultures have also incorporated Santa Claus into their traditions, with him and Sinterklaas being recognized as two distinct characters.
Christmas is an official holiday in India. The celebrations by Christians is largely based on the American media depiction. Sincere devotees attend the church services. In many of the schools that are run by the Christian missionaries, the Hindu children actively participate in the programmes. This is because the Hindus view Christ as a holyman and pay reverence. This involves enacting dramas related to Christ, singing carols etc. The christamas is officially celebrated at the Rashrapati Bhavan by the President of India. The celebrations continue and get mixed up with new year celebrations.
Encouraged by the commercial sector, the secular celebration of Christmas is popular in Japan. The Japanese adopted the character of Santa Claus in their celebrations but the Santa image does not carry the same social importance as in the United States. Christmas is not as important as New Year's Day, and is not an official holiday. In contrast to western customs, Christmas is a day for couples to date and groups to hold parties, while the official New Year's Day holiday is a day of family celebration. Christmas is a time for lovers to exchange gifts, have a special date and stroll under Christmas lights erected by companies and governments to enhance the romantic feel of the day. Families and friends may also exchange small gifts or money. A unique feature of Japanese Christmas giving is the Christmas cake, a white_frosting cake, often with strawberries, that symbolizes a birthday cake for the baby Jesus.
The first Christmas was believed to have been celebrated by Dutch merchants living in Nagasaki at late Edo period with local officials and those who worked with merchants joining the party. In Meiji period as spreading of Christian teachings were authorized, churches held their Christmas mass. In upper circles, Christmas parties and exchange of presents were held heavily influenced by American customs. The practice slowly spread in major cities, but its proximity to New Year's Day made it much lesser focus of attentions. During World War II, all celebrations and customs especially those from America were avoided and suppressed. From 1960s with rapidly expanding economy, Christmas became popular influenced by TV drama from America but not as a religious occasion. This is quite similar to a matsuri which its participants often does not consider which kami is being celebrated but believing that celebration is a tribute nevertheless. From 1970s to 1980s, series of TV drama and songs were released that celebrated occasion as that between lovers.
Mexico's Christmas traditions center around posadas.
The big day in Norway, as in most of Northern Europe, is December 24. Although shops are open until 1pm, the big Christmas meal is served in the evening. Common main dishes include pork rib, "pinnekjøtt" _ pieces of lamb rib steamed over birch branches, and in some western areas burned sheep's head. Many people also eat "lutefisk" (soaked, dried cod) or fresh, poached cod. Rice porridge is also popular, and an almond is hidden inside. The one getting the almond, gets a treat (or has to do the dishes). In many families, where the parents grew up with different traditions, two different main dishes are served to please everyone.
For a lot of Norwegians, especially families, TV is an important part of the earlier hours of Christmas Eve. Many Norwegians don't feel the christmas spirit until they have watched the movie Tri orisky pro Popelku (Norwegian title: Tre nøtter til Askepott) and the Disney christmas cavalcade.
If children are present (and they have behaved well the last year), "Julenissen" (Santa Claus) pays a visit, otherwise gifts are stored under the Christmas tree and then distributed by the youngest present. A shrinking minority of Norwegians also goes to church, mostly their first visit since last Christmas.
December 25 is a very quiet and relaxing day, before the festivities take off on Boxing Day. Cinemas, night clubs and bars are full, and there are lots of private gatherings and parties, where all kinds of traditional Christmas cookies and sweets are enjoyed. Fatty, tasty dinners are also part of it. Children dress up with masks and go "Julebukk" - "Christmas bucks" - asking for treats, much the same way as in the American halloween. Epiphany, January 6, is the official end of Christmas, which is just as well, since everyone is broke, and horrible diets are called for...
See Christmas customs in the Philippines.
See Christmas customs in Poland.
See Christmas customs in Romania.
Southern Hemisphere In commonwealth countries in the southern hemisphere, Christmas is still celebrated on Sweden Sweden's Christmas begins with Santa Lucia Day on December 13. Like in many other countries in northern Europe Father Christmas brings the present on December 24.
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