How is Christmas celebrated around the world?

After a seemingly endless year full of distress and global unrest, it is finally once more the season of joy - Christmas - when we can spend time with our loved ones and enjoy the holiday spirit while jamming to Mariah Carey songs. With the current state of the world, this cheerful celebration couldn’t have come at a better time to allow us all to reflect on the past year, and raise our hopes for the year to come, while of course enjoying ourselves before growing another year older. Thus, in the spirit of Christmas and the unity that the past year has brought among the countries and the citizens of the world, we would like to take you on a trip around the globe to find out a little bit more about Christmas traditions and celebrations from all corners of our ever-changing planet.

Scandinavian traditions

Our first stop is Scandinavia, more exactly Sweden and Finland, where December 13th is known as Saint Lucia’s day, and is generally considered the start of Christmas celebrations. This day, which first began in 1764 but gained widespread acclaim in the 1900s, is meant to honour Saint Lucia, a martyr saint from the 3rd century AD, who helped bring food to Christians hiding in catacombs from the Romans during the Diocletian Persecution (when Diocletian, one of the Roman emperors, forbid the practise of Christianity in the empire, and although he himself did not allow murders to occur, fanatic followers of his committed them anyway); unfortunately however, she was executed at the orders of a disgruntled suitor.

Today, a series of traditions accompany this celebration: the eldest daughter in a family wears a white dress (usually with a red ribbon tied around her waist), dons a crown of foliage and candles, and offers her family food and other goodies. She is meant to symbolise Saint Lucia herself, who is said to have worn a crown of candles to help light her way and allow her to carry more food without having to walk in the darkness. Other Finnish traditions include a family trip to the sauna on Christmas Eve, and having porridge with a hidden almond for Christmas lunch; the person who finds it would sing a little song and earn year-long luck. This is similar to the French Galette des Rois, and is thought to have originated in the Middle Ages.

Japanese traditions

As we move further East, we see a more recent and definitely stranger tradition originating in Japan: that of a mandatory KFC dinner on Christmas day. It started in 1970, a short while after the first KFC opened in Japan, when Takesi Okawara, the manager of said restaurant, came up with the idea in a dream. During the day, he had heard a couple talking on the phone about how much they missed turkey for Christmas, which led to him dreaming about it and waking up in the middle of the night to write down the bizarre idea: eating a KFC party barrel for Christmas.

They came up with a very simple marketing slogan, “Kentucky for Christmas” (or Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii in Japanese), and rolled it out in 1974, hoping to increase their sales. Much to their delight, the campaign skyrocketed, and, soon enough, millions of families would make it a tradition to eat from KFC during the holidays. It became a national phenomenon, thanks to its simplicity, the lack of any traditions before it, and the importance of elders in the Japanese community, which synchronised perfectly with Colonel Sanders, KFC’s renowned mascot. Today, 3.6 million families in Japan celebrate each Christmas with a variety of products from KFC, which serves to show the real impact that an advertising campaign can have on an entire nation, and the importance of being in the right place at the right time; what started out as a wild idea, has changed Japanese culture and tradition for many years to come.

South American traditions

Our last stop is South America, where we explore the more extravagant Christmas traditions in Colombia and Mexico. Christmas celebrations in Colombia begin on December 7th, which is also known as Día de las Velitas (or Little Candles Day). This was started in 1954 by Pope Pius IX when he declared the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary as dogma. To offer their support and encouragement, people lit candles both in their homes and on the streets, and soon enough this became an annual tradition.

Today, it is even believed that each candle symbolises a wish for the year to come, and so many candles are lit and placed in people’s balconies and on the streets, creating beautiful displays and stunning landscapes.

Colombia

On the 9 nights leading up to Christmas Eve, Colombians celebrate the Novenas, a tradition that began in the 18th century but is still going strong. It could be because of the religious significance of the parties held each night, as prayer books get passed around and read out of frequently; or, it could be because of the insane amounts of food and general merriment involved. Either way, it is definitely a celebration that holds a dear place in many Colombians’ hearts.

Mexico

A similar ritual can be seen in Mexico, where people start off the holiday season with Las Posadas (Spanish for “shelter”), a 9-day celebration meant to honour Mary and Joseph’s 9-day journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. It begins on the 16th of December and finishes on Christmas Eve, time in which children lead processions from house to house, sometimes even dressed as religious characters, and ask for shelter and receive refreshments. On the final day, Buena Noche, they break open piñatas and add a baby Jesus to their nativity scenes (also known as nacimientos, they play a large role in the Mexican holiday traditions).

Concluding remarks

As our global exploration of Christmas celebrations comes to an end, we hope that you’ve learned a thing or two about how people spread the holiday spirit around the world, and we’d like to encourage you to look back on the year that passed and how it has impacted our planet as a whole. It has been a difficult year for many, a year full of opportunities for others, but as we approach its finale, we can only hope that 2021 will be the gateway to a brighter, more inclusive future. Merry Christmas!