Global Christmas
Sep 29 2026
Christmas in Germany is a season that unfolds slowly. Rather than centering everything on a single day, the celebration begins during Advent and builds throughout December with candlelight, Christmas markets, baking, music, handmade decorations and family traditions. Many customs now familiar far beyond Germany—including Advent calendars, Christmas markets and some forms of Christmas tree tradition—have …
Sep 28 2026
Christmas in Italy is not simply a celebration of December 25. It is a season that stretches across several weeks, filled with religious observances, elaborate Nativity scenes, sparkling town squares, long family meals, regional sweets and traditions that can look surprisingly different from one part of the country to another. In northern Italy, Christmas may …
Sep 16 2026
Christmas in France can look very different depending on where you celebrate it. In Alsace, historic town centers glow with elaborate Christmas markets and half-timbered houses covered in lights. In Provence, families build Nativity scenes filled with tiny clay figures called santons and set out an extraordinary collection of traditional Christmas desserts. In Paris, department-store …
Sep 15 2026
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 …
