How is Christmas Celebrated Around the World?

Christmas celebrated is a very special place in my heart. The time of joy, giving, and family is indeed one time of the year that brings a lot of warm memories. Beyond the traditions I grew up with, I have become enamored with how cultures worldwide celebrate this particular holiday. 

I have traveled and witnessed different places celebrating Christmas. Each place tells a different story of its significance across the globe. This article goes down memory lane into those experiences. Christmas celebrations from the snowy regions in Europe to sun-soaked festivities in Oceania. 

Come join me as we pen this exotic journey into how and when Christmas as a global phenomenon is celebrated. Alongside its interesting, varied array of traditions unique to every corner of the earth.

What is Christmas and Why is it Celebrated?

Christmas is basically about the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a holiday that is extremely religious for Christians. But whose impact is beyond church everywhere Christmas is a world phenomenon. It is celebrated by people of all different religions, cultures, and backgrounds.

A few people I have met who celebrate Christmas do that purely for spiritual reasons. While many others indulge in a celebration because of the enjoyment of family traditions associated with Christmas.

• Erecting a tree
• Wrapping gifts
• Basking in the spirit of the whole thing. Christmas has a way to bring people together.

However, not all are celebrating Christmas. Christmas isn’t celebrated at all in some nations, and in some, it is a holiday of a secular nature. In Japan, it is a romantic holiday where partners exchange gifts and enjoy a fancy dinner, which was interesting and refreshing on my visit.

When is Christmas Celebrated Around the World?

Most of us have a habit of celebrating Christmas on December 25. However, I’ve learned that not everyone slots the dates by the same calendars. For example, in countries such as Russia, Ethiopia, and Serbia, Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7. Since these countries follow the Julian calendar.

Once during Orthodox Christmas, I was in Greece, and it was just as bright and lovely as the December 25th celebration. Fascinatingly, one could celebrate the holidays twice in one season.

How Many People Celebrate Christmas Around the World?

Some estimates say around two billion people celebrate Christmas worldwide. It is said to be one of the most celebrated holidays in the world. To me, just traveling to South America was enough to find out how much Christmas captured the very soul of an area that was previously unreligious.

In places such as India, I spent a Christmas a few years back. The Christian population may be small, but the celebrations take shape into full life. Churches are all well decorated, midnight masses are overflowing, and local flavors spice up the holiday.

Christmas Traditions Around the World

Every country has a special way of celebrating Christmas in this wonderland of contrasts. Here, let me take you on an adventure with some particular traditions I’ve lived through.

Europe

Christmas is simply magic in Europe, and the traditions vary from one country to another. For the Christmas markets, I went for the first time to Germany, and I have to say: I was overwhelmed. The air was filled with the smell of mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, and gingerbread. Most of all, it resounded with a feeling of community and warmth.

In Italy, I joined a family for the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. It is when families prepare seven different seafood dishes in anticipation of the arrival of Christmas Day. The hospitality and wonderful experience of enjoying a meal with people treated me like one of the family will remain embedded in my memory.

North America

In the United States, Christmas entails mixed traditions. There are the decorations of homes with shimmering lights to the cookies and milk left for Santa Claus. One year, I spent Christmas in Canada and was lucky to be present at a Santa Claus parade, which seemed to bring the community together.

I celebrated Las Posadas with Mexico, which is a nine-day waiting before Christmas. While pretending to be Mary and Joseph seeking refuge, people sang and prayed to build a piñata the size of a house. Traditional Latina activities like this were so engrained in tradition. They helped me appreciate the diversity of cultures and how it relates to Christmas celebrations.

South America

A Christmas in South America is filled with a lot of energy and passion. I joined a family in the city of Colombia for Nochebuena, which is the greatest party of all. We ate the usual traditional food: buñuelos and natilla, and danced until dawn.

Of all, I could not believe that fireworks would be displayed on Christmas Eve in Brazil when I always thought that meant New Year’s. It gave it a more glorious and celebrative feel on holiday.

Asia

Have you seen some of these Christmas traditions in Asia? Christmas starts in the Philippines as early as September! I was stunned by the display of those colorful lantern festivals and the absolute zeal of the celebrations.

To the Japanese, Christmas is all for couples with commercial insanity. I spent my Christmas Eve in Tokyo, where I celebrated it with the locals by munching on their famous fried chicken for Christmas at KFC. Such weirdness, but it is the most celebrated tradition that makes one grin. 

Africa

Christmas in South Africa for me was summer holidays barbecuing (or braais) on the beach. Quite different from the other Christmases I have known that are all about winter snowfall, it was joyful and festive all the same:

Ganna is the name given to Christmas in Ethiopia, celebrated on 7 January. I attended a typical church service where everyone wore white and sang hymns. What a spiritual experience that had me looking at the holiday from a different perspective!

Oceania

Sunshine and Outdoor Fun are mostly the themes of Christmas in Australia and New Zealand. One Christmas, I celebrated in Sydney watching people wearing Santa hats surf! Hot cocoa was replaced by cold drinks for Christmas with a barbecue. 

How Christmas is Celebrated Differently Around the World

One continuous Christmas reality I have been able to argue with all along in my travels is that no two are exactly alike. Each culture brings a different flavor to the event. It includes historical flavor, religious flavor, and local flavor.

Indeed, some countries celebrate Christmas by exchanging gifts and putting up Christmas trees. Because it takes love and Santa to a place. Others have built a beautiful institute of cultural creation with their ceremonies of faith or community celebration. Still other countries, for instance, Japan, take entirely different turns and consider it a holiday for lovers, lights, and decor.

How Many Countries Celebrate Christmas?

All these variants draw my attention to the fact that Christmas is not a traditional event at all. It is the spirit of joy, love, and congratulations that crosses all borders. It has been defined how much for so many nations Christmas is celebrated. Christmas has been celebrated by over 160 nations. Not all nations that have Christmas holidays make a holiday out of it.

Festivals such as Indonesia and Malaysia are mostly recognized as Islamic countries. Christmas is mostly observed by Christians, and non-Christians also join in to be a part of the decorations and shopping. It is, of course, very nice to see how such a time brings people together without recognizing the difference in their beliefs.

Modern Christmas Celebrations Around the World

Most of the old traditions have changed over time, and Christmas merges into both: the modern as well as the old. Commercialization has brought some things like Christmas trees, Santa, and gift-giving. It is to places where they weren’t originally part of the culture.

What I most adore is how no one can deny making Christmas their way. That’s lantern festivals in the Philippines, fireworks in Brazil, or a barbeque on the beach in Australia. The holiday continues adapting, creating greater and new experiences. 

The Departure

Christmas is a testimony to the universal craving to connect, love, or celebrate. If it’s a snowy Christmas in Europe or a sunny one in Oceania, the holiday brings people together with both the uniqueness and the familiarity it has.

It’s been an experience of learning and appreciation with traveling Christmas all over the world. It has taught me that, even in different traditions, the spirit of Christmas–joy, kindness, and togetherness–is something we all share. That, I think, is what makes this holiday so magical. 

FAQs

Is Christmas the same all over the world?

No, Christmas differs greatly in each country in the world, and so every single country has its traditions, its special food, and its customs. 

How to explain Christmas to a child?

Christmas is celebrated as the time that is spent with family and friends in memory of the birth of Jesus Christ. The sharing of love, affection, and goodness offers gifts to those for whom we care. 

What are the three miracles of Christmas?

The three miracles of Christmas are the virgin birth of Jesus, the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem, and the visit of the angels to announce his birth.