Christmas Traditions Around the World
- The Mary Word
- Nov 12
- 3 min read
By Tanaz Tahery and Myra Vasudev
Christmas is celebrated all over the world, each culture having a unique way to celebrate brings its own magic to the holiday. Traditions in countries may differ immensely, but it's what makes Christmas so magical and whimsical. Let's take a little festive journey around the globe and see how the Christmas magic is spread in five very different places – Brazil, Egypt, France, and the Philippines.
Egypt
In Egypt, most traditions predominantly relate to the Coptic Orthodox Church. Christmas is celebrated on January 7th rather than on Christmas Day. The holiday begins with a 43-day fast, when people eat a vegan diet lasting up to Christmas Eve (December 24th)
After attending a midnight mass, families gather together to have breakfast with a special dish called fatta, which is an exuberant meal of rice, bread, and meat. Homes are decorated with palm crosses and nativity scenes. It’s a quieter, more spiritual Christmas that blends the key features of family, faith and tradition.
France
As you walk through the streets of France, you are welcomed by the strong glow of Christmas lights draping your surroundings as markets float through the air with the aroma of roasted chestnuts, and homes displaying nativity scenes often decorated with tiny, hand-painted figurines.
Christmas begins when families gather together for le Réveillon, a long and luxurious midnight feast that might include oysters, roast duck, foie gras, and the famous bûche de Noël, a Yule log-shaped cake. Many families take part in a mass service, which can take place at midnight or a few hours earlier.
Children open their presents either after Midnight Mass or later on Christmas Eve, after the meal rather than opening it on Christmas morning. Children leave their slippers by the fireplace or Christmas tree for Père Noël (Santa) to fill with small gifts, much like leaving out stockings in many western traditions.
Brazil:
In Brazil, people deck out their homes, shops, and neighbourhoods with bright lights and Christmas trees. The season kicks off on December 24th with a large family gathering, Often celebrated with a delicious midnight feast. The feast usually includes dishes such as roasted turkey (Peru assado), along with rice, farofa, and various salads. As a predominantly catholic nation, most families take part in the Missa do Galo, (Rooster Mass). Christmas day is more family-oriented focused on finishing leftovers from the night before and spending time with loved ones.
Another way Brazilians celebrate Christmas is through a fun activity that takes place between family and friends, ‘Amigo Secreto’ which is Portuguese for “secret friend.” This is a Christmas tradition where friends and family exchange gifts, much like the western tradition of “Secret Santa,” But here’s the twist— friends leave cheeky, cryptic and affectionate clues before revealing their identity.
Philippines
The Philippines is known to have the longest Christmas celebrations in the world which blends Filipino and Spanish Catholic traditions. Celebrations start on September 1st, with the reason being that it is one of the ‘ber’ months which Filipinos refer to as the final four months of the year, with celebrations extending well into January.
Filipinos also celebrate Christmas by engaging in the practice of Simbang Gabi, which is the tradition of having nine days of dawn masses through Christmas eve. Another way that they celebrate is through Noche Buena, which is Spanish for “Good Night” is the Filipino Christmas feast that starts on the midnight of Christmas Eve and extends well into Christmas day.
Some examples of traditional dishes include; lechon (roasted pig), hamon (christmas ham), and queso de bola (edam cheese), pancit (noodles), Bibingka and Puto (rice cakes), and desserts like ube halaya and leche flan. These dishes and traditions reflect a blend of local Filipino and Spanish Colonial influence.
CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, these are a collection of four very unique Christmas traditions from four different parts of the world, highlighting the incredible diversity of our world when it comes to how we celebrate different holidays. We hope that you have enjoyed this article and will continue to reflect on the upcoming Christmas happening this year and think about how maybe you have celebrated these particular traditions or how maybe you can implement them into your Christmas this year.
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