2022
The best thing about the holiday season is that it brings people together—usually around a table filled with festive food. Many of us Google Moderators celebrate Christmas during this time of year, but how we celebrate varies from culture to culture. So, we want to share some of the different holiday traditions observed during Christmastime in different countries around the world.
1. Chile
@JavieraAu: Chile is probably the only Spanish-speaking country that calls Christmas “Pascua” instead of “Navidad,” and Santa Claus ”El Viejito Pascuero” instead of “Papá Noel.” My family and I gather together on La Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) for a big dinner. We usually prepare pavo (turkey) or make a big asado (barbecue). The typical Christmas drink which must be on the table is cola de mono. It's made of coffee, milk, aguardiente (Chilean liquor), cinnamon, and sugar. For dessert, we eat pan de pascua—a sweet Christmas cake, similar to the German stollen.
At midnight, the whole family goes to the neighborhood square to see how El Viejito Pascuero climbs on roofs and goes down chimneys to leave presents for the kids. It’s usually over 30 degrees Celsius during Christmas, so we don’t mind staying outside. Later, we go back home to see what Santa left for us. On the next day, December 25, we have a big lunch with our relatives.
2. Brazil
@FelipePK:In Brazil, Christmas is celebrated differently depending on the region. I’m from São José dos Campos, São Paulo and my family is Catholic. On December 24, we get together early in the morning at my grandmother's house. We’re all in a festive mood, and have a lot of fun while making a pie-like dish called esfiha and panettones—a sweet bread loaf with raisins and candied fruit from Milan, Italy.
Family and friends visit throughout the day to wish us a happy holiday. For dinner, we bake a whole turkey—a tradition inherited from North America. We also make galinhada, which is rice stew with chicken, and roast tender, a type of smoked ham, glazed with mustard and honey. On the side, we usually have egg yams, rice, and our traditional farofa—a toasted cassava flour mixture. We say a prayer before dinner, enjoy our meal, and then distribute Christmas presents. On December 25, we have a big barbecue for lunch, as the weather is very hot at this time of the year.
3. Germany
@PoliMC: In Germany, celebrations start at the end of November because Christmas markets are already open by that time. There you can find all kinds of traditional German food, such as German sausage, mulled wine, and Christmas Stollen—a type of cake filled with raisins, gingerbread hearts called Lebkuchenherzen.
A special custom takes place on December 6, when families commemorate Saint Nicholas Day.
On that day, Saint Nicholas and his helper Knecht Ruprecht judge whether children behaved well during the year and deserve presents. Kids place their shoes in front of the door on the evening of December 5 in the hope that Saint Nicholas will fill them with fruits, sweets, and chocolate. In return, they prepare a poem for him.
Оn Christmas Eve, families gather to put up the Christmas tree, read together, and tell each other stories. After that, they all sit around the table and enjoy Christmas Stollen, potato salad, and carp. The celebration continues on Christmas Day when families have roasted goose, red cabbage, and potato dumplings.
4.Denmark
@MortenSI: Christmas in Denmark is all about tradition. On December 24, the whole family gathers to prepare dinner. A traditional Christmas dinner in my family consists of a whole roasted duck, stuffed with different vegetables to bring out the flavor. Every family has their own secret recipe. We also serve pork roast with white and brown potatoes. The brown potatoes are boiled and then fried in a pan with caramelized sugar. On the side, we serve pickled red cabbage and enough gravy to feed a football team.
For dessert, we prepare a rice pudding with vanilla almonds, topped with warm cherry sauce. This is where the dinner gets competitive. In the big bowl of rice pudding, there is only one whole almond amongst many chopped almonds. Whoever gets the whole almond wins an extra present. After dinner, we dance around the Christmas tree and open our presents.
5.Croatia
@KatyaL: Every year, the holiday decorations in Croatia are very original and interesting. Došašće, or Advent, is the four-week period between St. Caterina’s Day (November 25) and Christmas Eve, when Croatians start preparing for the holiday. People decorate a Christmas wreath with four candles and light them one by one each week.
On December 24, Croatians don’t eat meat, but instead have codfish, which is cooked in different ways depending on the region. For example, in Dalmatia, the coastal part of Croatia, they make bakalar—a soup with dried cod. On some of the Dalmatia islands, they also make squid with potatoes.
On Christmas Day everyone prepares sarme—a mix of meat and rice wrapped in cabbage leaves, beef stew, or stuffed turkey. There are also different types of traditional bread and cookies called kolači, baked in every home.
6. Bulgaria
@IrrPavlova: On Christmas Eve in Bulgaria, there should only be fasting foods on the table: boiled wheat seeds, bean soup, stuffed peppers with beans or rice, oats, pickles, onions, garlic, honey, walnuts, and wine.
In the four corners of the room, a walnut is placed as a symbol of good wishes to the north, east, south and west corners of the world.
At midnight, the koleduvane tradition starts. Young men go door to door singing songs related to different wishes depending on the house they are at, and the age of everybody who lives there. The hosts usually give them bread, money, and wine. At the end of the night, the whole group has a feast. The money and food they received are donated to the poor as well as the neighborhood school.
7.Greece
@VasT: Christmas traditions in Greece may vary from region to region, but there are three traditions that make Christmas what it is. First, there are the kalanda—carols sung by kids on December 25. Children go from door to door, singing songs and getting rewarded with sweets, fruits, and even money.
Then we have the melomakarona and kourampiedes, which are cookie-like sweets. Melomakarona are covered with honey and kourampiedes with powdered sugar. When the house smells like cloves and cinnamon, you know it’s the holiday season. In most houses, there is one big dish filled with sweets for all the guests to take as they enter.
Last but not least, we prepare a special kind of bread called “Christopsomo,” or Christ’s bread. The person making it puts a coin inside the dough and divides it into pieces before putting it in the oven to bake. Whoever finds the coin will have luck during the next year.
8.Russia
@MashaPS: In Russia, Christmas Eve and Christmas are celebrated on January 6 and 7, respectively. That’s because our holidays go by the Julian Calendar, while most other countries follow the Gregorian calendar.
One of the greatest holiday traditions is to make a wish at midnight on January 6. Another tradition is for young men to sing from door to door, wishing for the health and prosperity of the household.
9. South Korea
@LilyanaZ: Christmas is relatively new in Korea compared to their other holidays, and it is not as big as Chuseok (“Korean Thanksgiving”) and Seolnal (Chinese New Year). There are still services held in churches on this day, however, young Koreans tend to celebrate with their friends or their significant others, as opposed to family. People rarely put up Christmas decorations in their homes, but public places such as malls and theme parks are usually decorated with Christmas lights. There isn’t a traditional meal served in Korea during Christmas, but generally, European and American food is quite popular at this time.
10. Japan
@Ivi_Ge: Christmas in Japan might not be a traditional celebration, but there are many places to go and things to see during this holiday. Just like in Korea, one of the key differences between Christmas in Europe and Christmas in Japan is that this is considered a holiday for lovers, rather than a time for getting together with your family. Typically couples plan a romantic date, such as a dinner at a special restaurant, or walk around the city to enjoy the Christmas illuminations. It’s not common to put up a Christmas tree in your home in Japan, but many businesses and shopping centers display beautifully decorated trees.
Do you celebrate Christmas in your country? Tell us about your traditions in the comments below.
In Hungary, families take part in decorating the Christmas tree on December 24.
Then, we cook a traditional dinner which starts with halászlé, a paprika-based fish soup. Next, we have stuffed cabbage with lots of sour cream and fried fish with potato salad.
The cherry on top is mákosguba, the queen of Hungarian desserts. It's made from crescent rolls, milk, poppy seeds, and meringue on top. Pálinka, a traditional Hungarian drink, is always on the table as well. After dinner, most families go to Midnight Mass. The next two days are for spending time with family and eating more delicious food.
People in Colombia decorate their homes with lights, Christmas tree and the Pesebre (Crib), the place where the baby Jesus will be born on december 25th, day when they put in the middle of the Pesebre (called also "birth or Bethlehem") the little baby. 
Nine days before the "good night" (12/25); The Colombians celebrate the "novena"; Each night, for 9 nights, they gather around the manger and the Christmas tree, sing songs for the baby that will be born, read the Holy Bible and eat sweets and cakes or bread stuffed with sweet jelly.
