Canada
Boxing Day — originating from the custom of servants receiving a special “Christmas box” from their masters — is celebrated on December 26th in Canada.
The Bahamas
“Junkanoo,” a colorful street parade held on Boxing Day (December 26th) and New Year’s Day (January 1) — and featured prominently in the James Bond movie “Thunderball” — is primarily associated with The Bahamas.
Sweden
In Sweden, festivities start December 13th with St. Lucia’s Day, which celebrates the patron saint of light. The eldest daughter gets up before dawn and dresses as the “Queen of Light” in a long white dress. She wears a crown of leaves. Singing “Santa Lucia”, the Lucia Queen goes to every bedroom to serve coffee & treats to each member of the family. The younger children in the family help too. The whole family helps to select the Christmas tree just a day or two before Christmas.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia follows the ancient Julian calendar, which means that they celebrate Christmas on January 7th, also referred to as Ganna. Families dress in white to attend church. Most Ethiopians wear a traditional shamma – a thin, white cotton wrap with brightly colored stripes across the ends.
The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Northern France
Children in The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Northern France eagerly await the arrival of Sinterklaas during the holiday season, ahead of St. Nicholas Day on December 6. Sinterklaas is a bishop that wears red robes and a tall, pointed mitre on his head. Sinterklaas brings a huge sack full of gifts for the children on his white horse. Families celebrate on St. Nicholas Eve or St. Nicholas Day at home with lots of good food, hot chocolate, and a “letterbanket”, a “letter cake” made in the shape of the first letter of the family’s last name.
Israel
Running for eight days and nights, Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah or Hanukah) is a festival commemorating a temple’s rededication in Israel.
Japan
In Japan, Christmas is generally seen as a time to buy presents rather than celebrate a religious holiday. Christmas Eve is generally a time for couples to be together, and in many ways, it can seem more like Valentine’s Day.
Mexico
Mexican families shop for gifts, ornaments, & good things to eat in market stalls, called puestos. They decorate their homes with lilies & evergreens. Family members cut intricate, beautiful designs in brown paper bags to make lanterns, or farolitos. Placing a candle inside, they then set the farolitos along sidewalks, on windowsills, and on rooftops & outdoor walls to illuminate the community with the spirit of Christmas.
France
On December 25th, French families go to church and then enjoy an abundant feast of wonderful dishes, ending with the traditional bûche de Noel. This “Yule log” is a rich buttercream-filled cake shaped and frosted to look like a log.
The United States
Created by activist, author, and professor Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa (running from December 26th to January 1) is primarily celebrated in the United States.
Bonus: Santa Claus Fun Fact!
The German-American cartoonist Thomas Nast (1840-1902) first drew the popular image of Santa Claus. By the 1880s, Nast’s Santa had evolved into the form we now recognize. The image was standardized by advertisers in the 1920s.
Interested in testing out your own knowledge of holiday customs around the world?
