Christmas Around the World: Think Globally, Celebrate Locally
For many, the Christmas season includes traditions such as cutting down a tree, decorating cookies, and taking photos with Santa. But just as traditions vary from family to family, they vary from country to country. Read on to learn about some of the unique ways people celebrate Christmas around the world and how to celebrate locally.
In Caracas, Venezuela, roads are closed to traffic for the nine days leading up to Christmas to allow residents to travel to morning Mass—on roller skates! Along the way, the skaters sing Christmas carols. The origins of las patinatas (“the skates”), which began in the ‘50s, are unclear. Some say it’s the tropical country’s alternative to sledding, but one thing is clear: It’s fun! Celebrate locally by taking the family to Roller King (rollerkingroseville.com), Sunrise Rollerland (skate.sunriserollerland.com), or The Rink (therinksacramento.com).
On many American tables, a turkey takes center stage at Christmas, but in Japan, it’s chicken that reigns supreme—specifically, Kentucky Fried Chicken. Thanks to a very popular “Kentucky for Christmas” marketing campaign in 1974, Colonel Sanders has been synonymous with Santa in Japan for nearly half a century. KFC says homesick foreigners longing for traditional Christmas dinners inspired them to sell chicken as a substitute for turkey and, to this day, December 24 is KFC Japan’s busiest day of the year. Celebrate locally by supporting a mom-and-pop fried chicken joint. We suggest CHX Shop (chxshop.com), Nash + Tender (nashandtender.com), and Kiki’s Chicken (kikischicken.com) for finger-lickin‘-good fare that’s fun and flavorful.
When you trim the tree, don’t forget the spider webs. In Ukraine, Christmas trees are often adorned with spiders and webs as symbols of good luck. According to a beloved folktale, a poor family couldn’t afford to decorate their Christmas tree. To cheer them up, a friendly spider spun beautiful webs on the tree after they went to bed on Christmas Eve. As sunlight entered the home on Christmas morning, the webs glistened and turned to gold and silver, delighting the family and providing for all of their needs. Celebrate locally by picking up a copy of A Christmas Spider’s Miracle by Trinka Hakes Noble or another adaptation of the treasured tale to share with the kiddos in your life. And, if you find a spider on your tree, don’t fret; consider it good luck!
Throw another shrimp on the barbie, mate! In Australia and New Zealand, where it’s summer in December, it’s common to barbecue on “Chrissie.” Delicacies Down Under include prawns, lobster, steaks, and sausages. It may be a bit cooler in the north, but you can still give the tradition a go. Pick up some meat, sausages, and seafood at Adam’s Meat Shop (adamsmeatshop.com), Roseville Meat Company (rosevillemeats.com), or Kings Meats (kingsmeats.net) and fire up the barbie!
Pickles are all the rage, appearing widely on merchandise and menus (pickle martini, anyone?). But the humble pickle has been associated with Christmas since the 1800s. According to tradition, parents hide a pickle ornament on the tree on Christmas Eve and the first child to find it in the morning gets a treat. Some claim the tradition came from Germany, but that’s a myth, as most Germans have never heard of the Christmas pickle. Germany has, however, long been known for making beautiful glass ornaments—often in the shape of fruits and veggies—and some say a savvy American salesman simply made up the tale to sell leftover pickle ornaments. Either way, it’s all in good fun. Celebrate locally by snagging your own pickle ornament—or “Go Pickle!” card game—at Dorothea’s (dorotheas.com).
In Iceland, the Christmas season starts on December 11 when the first of 13 Yule Lads—mischievous, troll-like Santas—come down from the mountains to leave small gifts in the shoes of nice children and rotting potatoes in those of naughty ones. A different lad—each with a distinctive personality—comes each night. There’s the “pot licker,” the “door slammer,” and the “window peeker,” among others. If that’s not bad enough, their mother is a witch who boils naughty children and their feline friend—the “Christmas cat”—is said to eat children who don’t receive a new item of clothing by Christmas Eve. Yikes! Thankfully, Icelanders also have less frightening traditions, such as exchanging books for Christmas. Celebrate locally by shopping for gifts at your local bookseller, such as Ruby’s Books (rubysfolsom.com), Face in a Book (getyourfaceinabook.com), or The Bookhouse (bookhousecp.com). But watch out for those Yule Lads!
In Ireland, it’s customary to place a candle in the window on Christmas Eve to welcome strangers and remember those who are far from home. And on January 6, the Epiphany (celebrated by many cultures as the day the Three Wise Men visited baby Jesus), the Irish observe another tradition: Women’s Christmas. On this day, the men do the housework and cooking, while the women meet up and treat themselves to a day out. Ladies, celebrate both these traditions locally by gathering up your girlfriends for a candle-making workshop at the Candle Bar (candlebar.org). And gentlemen, you know what to do…
The Rink
On many American tables, a turkey takes center stage at Christmas, but in Japan, it’s chicken that reigns supreme—specifically, Kentucky Fried Chicken. Thanks to a very popular “Kentucky for Christmas” marketing campaign in 1974, Colonel Sanders has been synonymous with Santa in Japan for nearly half a century. KFC says homesick foreigners longing for traditional Christmas dinners inspired them to sell chicken as a substitute for turkey and, to this day, December 24 is KFC Japan’s busiest day of the year. Celebrate locally by supporting a mom-and-pop fried chicken joint. We suggest CHX Shop (chxshop.com), Nash + Tender (nashandtender.com), and Kiki’s Chicken (kikischicken.com) for finger-lickin‘-good fare that’s fun and flavorful.
Nash + Tender
CHX Shop
When you trim the tree, don’t forget the spider webs. In Ukraine, Christmas trees are often adorned with spiders and webs as symbols of good luck. According to a beloved folktale, a poor family couldn’t afford to decorate their Christmas tree. To cheer them up, a friendly spider spun beautiful webs on the tree after they went to bed on Christmas Eve. As sunlight entered the home on Christmas morning, the webs glistened and turned to gold and silver, delighting the family and providing for all of their needs. Celebrate locally by picking up a copy of A Christmas Spider’s Miracle by Trinka Hakes Noble or another adaptation of the treasured tale to share with the kiddos in your life. And, if you find a spider on your tree, don’t fret; consider it good luck!
A Christmas Spider’s Miracle by Trinka Hakes Noble
Throw another shrimp on the barbie, mate! In Australia and New Zealand, where it’s summer in December, it’s common to barbecue on “Chrissie.” Delicacies Down Under include prawns, lobster, steaks, and sausages. It may be a bit cooler in the north, but you can still give the tradition a go. Pick up some meat, sausages, and seafood at Adam’s Meat Shop (adamsmeatshop.com), Roseville Meat Company (rosevillemeats.com), or Kings Meats (kingsmeats.net) and fire up the barbie!
Kings Meats
Pickles are all the rage, appearing widely on merchandise and menus (pickle martini, anyone?). But the humble pickle has been associated with Christmas since the 1800s. According to tradition, parents hide a pickle ornament on the tree on Christmas Eve and the first child to find it in the morning gets a treat. Some claim the tradition came from Germany, but that’s a myth, as most Germans have never heard of the Christmas pickle. Germany has, however, long been known for making beautiful glass ornaments—often in the shape of fruits and veggies—and some say a savvy American salesman simply made up the tale to sell leftover pickle ornaments. Either way, it’s all in good fun. Celebrate locally by snagging your own pickle ornament—or “Go Pickle!” card game—at Dorothea’s (dorotheas.com).
Celebrate locally by snagging your own pickle ornament
In Iceland, the Christmas season starts on December 11 when the first of 13 Yule Lads—mischievous, troll-like Santas—come down from the mountains to leave small gifts in the shoes of nice children and rotting potatoes in those of naughty ones. A different lad—each with a distinctive personality—comes each night. There’s the “pot licker,” the “door slammer,” and the “window peeker,” among others. If that’s not bad enough, their mother is a witch who boils naughty children and their feline friend—the “Christmas cat”—is said to eat children who don’t receive a new item of clothing by Christmas Eve. Yikes! Thankfully, Icelanders also have less frightening traditions, such as exchanging books for Christmas. Celebrate locally by shopping for gifts at your local bookseller, such as Ruby’s Books (rubysfolsom.com), Face in a Book (getyourfaceinabook.com), or The Bookhouse (bookhousecp.com). But watch out for those Yule Lads!
Face in a Book
Ruby’s Books
In Ireland, it’s customary to place a candle in the window on Christmas Eve to welcome strangers and remember those who are far from home. And on January 6, the Epiphany (celebrated by many cultures as the day the Three Wise Men visited baby Jesus), the Irish observe another tradition: Women’s Christmas. On this day, the men do the housework and cooking, while the women meet up and treat themselves to a day out. Ladies, celebrate both these traditions locally by gathering up your girlfriends for a candle-making workshop at the Candle Bar (candlebar.org). And gentlemen, you know what to do…
Candle Bar
by JENNIFER MARAGONI
The Rink photo by Megan Wiskus. Nash + Tender photo by Taylor Allred ©stylemediagroup. CHX Shop and Kings Meats photos by Taylor Allred ©stylemediagroup. Ruby's Books photo by Krista May Photography. Other photos courtesy of their respective companies or organizations.