Author's posts
Sep 15 2026
Christmas in Poland: Wigilia, Traditions, Food & Festive Customs
Christmas in Poland is filled with candlelight, carols, elaborate Nativity scenes and some of Europe’s most distinctive Christmas Eve traditions. Although the celebrations continue through Christmas Day and beyond, December 24 holds a particularly important place in Polish family life. The traditional Christmas Eve supper, known as Wigilia, begins only after the first star appears …
Sep 14 2026
Christmas in Sweden: St. Lucia, Julbord, Tomte & Swedish Holiday Traditions
Christmas in Sweden arrives during one of the darkest times of the year, which may help explain why light plays such an important role in the season. Paper stars glow in windows, Advent candles brighten homes, and on December 13, candle-carrying Lucia processions bring music and light into schools, churches, workplaces and communities. Yet Swedish …
Sep 13 2026
Christmas in Norway: Traditions, Food, Nisse & Norwegian Holiday Customs
Christmas in Norway is a season of glowing windows, candlelight, snowy landscapes, abundant food and traditions that reach far back into Scandinavian history. Norwegians call Christmas jul, a word with roots in the Old Norse midwinter celebration jól. Over centuries, older Nordic customs mixed with Christian traditions and later European influences to create the Norwegian …
Sep 12 2026
Christmas in Finland: Traditions, Food, Sauna & Joulupukki
Christmas in Finland seems almost designed for winter. Snow-covered forests, long December nights, candles glowing in windows and warm wooden saunas create an atmosphere that feels naturally suited to the holiday season. Yet Finnish Christmas is much more than picturesque snow and reindeer. It is a deeply family-centered celebration built around traditions such as Christmas …
Sep 11 2026
Christmas in Iceland: Yule Lads, Traditions, Food & Icelandic Holiday Customs
Christmas in Iceland is a season of glowing windows, dark winter skies, steaming kitchens, books, folklore and some of the most unusual Christmas characters anywhere in the world. Instead of one Santa Claus, Iceland has thirteen Yule Lads who descend from the mountains one at a time before Christmas. Their mother is a frightening troll …
Sep 10 2026
Christmas in Greece: Traditions, Food, Christmas Boats & Greek Holiday Customs
Christmas in Greece is a season shaped by family gatherings, Orthodox Christian traditions, distinctive holiday foods and customs that reflect the country’s long relationship with the sea. Christmas trees now glow in homes and town squares throughout Greece, but one of the country’s most distinctive decorations is something quite different: a small illuminated boat. The …
Sep 09 2026
Christmas in the Philippines: Traditions, Simbang Gabi, Parol & Filipino Holiday Foods
Christmas in the Philippines is difficult to confine to a few days in December. The season seems to arrive gradually, beginning with the first hints of Christmas music and decorations during the “ber” months and building toward an extraordinary series of religious observances, family reunions, neighborhood celebrations and enormous shared meals. By December, star-shaped parol …
Sep 08 2026
Christmas in Australia: Summer Traditions, Food, Carols & Holiday Customs
Christmas in Australia arrives in the middle of summer. Instead of short winter days, snow-covered streets and roaring fireplaces, December can bring brilliant sunshine, backyard barbecues, beach trips, seafood lunches and long evenings outdoors. That difference in season has helped Australia develop a Christmas style that combines traditions inherited largely from Britain and Europe with …
Sep 07 2026
Christmas in Brazil: Traditions, Food, Papai Noel & Brazilian Holiday Customs
Christmas in Brazil arrives at the beginning of summer, bringing long days, warm evenings, family gatherings, sparkling city displays and tables filled with foods that reflect centuries of cultural exchange. There may be Christmas trees, Santa Claus and songs about snow, but outside the window it can be hot enough for shorts, sandals and an …
Sep 06 2026
How to Organize a Secret Santa Gift Exchange
Secret Santa is one of the easiest ways to exchange Christmas gifts with a family, friend group, office, club, or other large gathering. Instead of everyone buying a present for everyone else, each participant is secretly assigned one person. Everyone buys one gift, everyone receives one gift, and the identity of the giver remains a …
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