Christmas Celebrations around the World

For those who celebrate Christmas, Christmas is a magical time of the year. It is a time to celebrate the birth of Christ and to spend time with family and friends. In many cases great food is eaten, presents are given and received and a joyous time is had by all. So how do you celebrate Christmas?

What I’ve learnt about Christmas is that every country that celebrates has their unique celebration that includes foods and traditions. I’ve been lucky enough to spend Christmas in a few different countries – mostly Australia but I have also spent it in London on my own, in Kitzbuel in Austria while on a winter European tour and in Los Angeles, CA with a friend. 

All my Christmas’ while living and working abroad have been different, yet similar. So I have asked some fellow travellers how and where they have celebrated Christmas. And we have come up with these Christmas celebrations around the World. Many of them from Europe. This says to me, European’s love celebrating Christmas! And we all love celebrating with food!

Celebrating Christmas in Australia

Sharyn of DiscoverAustraliaNow 

Christmas spent enjoying warm weather in the pool

Australia celebrates Christmas, but it is quite different to other countries. Australia being in the Southern Hemisphere is in summer time when Christmas occurs. So forget the snow and sitting by the fire. Think sitting outdoors with shorts and a t-shirt by a pool! Or in the pool!

This is how I spend Christmas when in Australia. After waking up it’s time to open presents. While people are enjoying their presents, lunch is being prepared. Lunch usually involves a baked dinner of baked lamb, chicken and vegetables. Ham off the bone is sliced and if the day is hot, salads may be served instead of vegetables. Some opt to BBQ their meat rather than bake – this often depends on the weather. And Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a pavlova for desert.

The afternoon is often spent by having a snooze on the couch, a dip on the pool or a quick drive to the beach for a swim before dinner which is usually leftovers from lunch.

Ahh Christmas in Australia!

Christmas in Lapland

Erin Parker of Travel From Australia

A snowy Christmas in Lapland

Christmas in Lapland felt like stepping straight into a fairytale. One of my favourite memories is farewelling Santa Claus himself from Santa Claus Village. In Lapland, Santa officially begins his journey around the world on December 23rd, departing from his hometown of Rovaniemi. Watching him set off from the Arctic Circle, surrounded by snow-covered trees and families filled with excitement, truly made the magic of Christmas come alive.

Christmas in Lapland is traditionally celebrated on Christmas Eve, or Jouluaatto, and we embraced every part of it. That morning, we decorated a Christmas tree outdoors in the crisp winter air, hanging simple ornaments and lights while the forest around us sparkled with fresh snow. There was something so peaceful and grounding about creating a Christmas moment out in nature, just as many Finnish families do.

Afterwards, we enjoyed a traditional Finnish Christmas Eve lunch filled with local favourites. Our table featured oven-baked ham, fresh smoked salmon, sauteed reindeer, creamy carrot and potato casseroles and colourful beetroot salad.

The combination of Lapland’s traditions, the snowy wilderness and the calm joy of Christmas Eve created a celebration we’ll never forget – simple, meaningful and filled with pure Arctic joy.

Christmas in Spain

Cristina of My Little World of Travelling

Christmas decorations in Church in Malaga, Spain

If you are looking to celebrate Christmas in Spanish style, the first thing to know is that we do celebrate Christmas Day, but Christmas Eve is even more important.

We gather with family around 9 pm to enjoy dinner together. The table is beautifully set up and ready to start eating with some starters that usually consist of cold meats (mainly Spanish ham and Manchego cheese), crisps and prawns. We have soup for the main, but not just any soup. While I prefer sopa de picadillo, a chicken broth topped with croutons, hard-boiled egg and Serrano ham, some families prepare a seafood stew. This is followed by a meat-based dish, like turkey, pork or beef. Last but not least, the meal ends with something sweet, a wide range of nougats and chocolates. After a feast, we love watching TV, singing or playing board games until past midnight.

Christmas Day starts with opening Father Christmas presents, although it’s important to know that these are small gifts, as Spanish kids receive big presents on the Three Kings Day. Later, we enjoy lunch together, consisting of leftovers from last night’s dinner.

Some counties and families have more Spanish traditions than others. For example, my family and I love seeing the Christmas lights and visiting the nativity scenes across my hometown, Malaga, which are available from early December to the first week of January.

New Year’s Eve and the Three Kings Day are two other important Christmas dates you might want to experience if visiting Spain. However, a tradition you could try at home is to eat 12 grapes at 12 o’clock on New Year’s Eve. If you manage to eat them all, we believe it will bring us luck for the new year.

Not a traditional Spanish dish at Christmas but a favourite Spanish Dish is Paella. Check out the Paella recipe here. It is the short-cut recipe that is easy to make while travelling.

How to Celebrate Christmas Italian Style

Chris of Spritzience

A festively decorated panettone at Marchesi Pasticceria

If you’re looking for a great place to celebrate Christmas, Italy has you covered.   Throughout Italy, gorgeous window displays go up near the end of November, however, Dec. 8^th (the Immaculate Conception) is traditionally when the full magic starts, with neighborhoods turning on their Christmas lights and city centers lighting their Christmas trees.

Milan is a great city to base yourself in, packed with incredible holiday window displays at small shops, and fashion themed Christmas inspiration, starting with holiday trees.  They change every year however, Swarovski, Gucci and Dior have decorated a few in recent years.  Nearby Turin is the spot for chocolate gifts and its magical festival of lights, with local artists creating more than 20 lights displays spread throughout the city.

As you head toward Germany, cities like Verona, Trento & Bolzano have festive Alpine themed Christmas markets.  In the south, cities like Naples have incredible nativity scenes- with entire streets dedicated to artisan shops where the art of paper mâché and hand painting nativity figurines has been passed down by generations.

Then there is the food.  No matter where in Italy you are, no celebration is complete without a specialty cake and most definitely a panettone.  These domed shaped cakes are traditionally made with candied oranges and raisins; however, a new generation of pastry chefs have created an entire range of new variants, coating them with chocolate, or pistachio glaze and filling theme with candied cherries and chocolate. Dolce & Gabbana has recently started selling them and Prada owned, Marchesi Pasticceria, is another great spot for a selection of gourmet panettones and cakes.  It’s also a common holiday gift, so it’s not uncommon to receive 3 or 4 panettones during the season.

Celebrations – holiday markets and light displays usually last until the Epiphany on January 6^th.  This date is also a final chance for children to receive some small gifts, as the Befana (a witch), visits during the night, to fill socks left out with chocolates and fruits.

How to Celebrate Christmas Turkish Style

Sasha @ Mog and Dog Travels

Christmas carol service at St Anthony Catholic Church in Istanbul, Turkey

If you’re surprised to hear about Turkish Christmas celebrations, you’re not the only one! Whilst Turkey is a majority Muslim country, it is also home to small Christian communities from a wide range of denominations and backgrounds including Orthodox, Catholic, Armenian, Syriac, Greek and Bulgarian!

This is why you’ll find churches offering Christmas Eve/Christmas Day Mass. Also carol concerts in Istanbul and in some other provinces including in Mardin and Edirne. Orthodox Christians actually celebrate Christmas later, usually around the 6th/7th of January. You can still enjoy beautiful Christmas decorations in these churches even in the New Year.

Turkey is actually the birthplace of Santa Claus (officially known as Saint Nicholas). You’ll see Santas everywhere — including some hilarious animatronic ones — in places like Istanbul and Fethiye. But in a twist, Santa Claus in Turkey is actually connected with celebrating the coming of the New Year! Santa Claus or ‘Noel Baba’ gives gifts to everyone which he places under a decorated tree, known as a New Year Tree or Yılbaşı Ağacı.

Turkish families tend to celebrate Noel Baba’s arrival at home. In the morning they will share a traditional Turkish kahvaltı (a huge breakfast consisting of numerous dishes) and swap gifts. Later on they usually prepare a roast dinner, play games and roast chestnuts.

In major cities, the streets, shops, restaurants and cafes are lit up with Christmassy decorations. They are especially spectacular in Istanbul. So grab yourself a steaming mug of salep (a creamy drink made from wild orchid root and topped with cinnamon) and enjoy them!

Celebrating Christmas Belgian Style

Vanessa Morgan from Traveling Cats and The Cat Movie Archive

celebrating a Belgian Christmas

Most families in Belgium eat the same dishes every Christmas, so you can definitely call it a tradition. It’s quite different from what people in the United States usually eat.

So what’s on the menu?

We always start with either fresh oysters and a squeeze of lemon or a slice of foie gras on toasted bread. 

In case you’re wondering, foie gras is a buttery paté made from the fattened liver of a duck or goose. It’s luxurious and expensive, which is why we mostly eat it during the holidays. However, it’s also controversial, which is why many families now choose the vegetarian alternative, Faux Gras (“faux” means “false” in French).

The main course is usually game meat like venison, pheasant, wild boar, or partridge. We serve it with duchess potatoes (mashed potatoes piped into shapes and baked until golden), croquettes (crispy fried potato cylinders with a creamy inside), or gratin dauphinois (thin potato slices baked with cream, cheese, and garlic).

For dessert, there’s always a bûche de Noël, a chocolate Yule log cake. 

Christmas movies play in the background all evening, from the first glass of champagne to the last bite of dessert.

In the Walloon region of Belgium, we also start Christmas morning with a cougnou, a sweet bread shaped like baby Jesus.

It’s the same every year—and that’s exactly how traditions are made.

Celebrating Christmas Irish Style

Gill of Secret Sussex, who loves writings about gardens in Sussex

candles of midnight mass in Ireland

Having lived in England for over 12 years, going home to Ireland for Christmas will never lose its charm, comfort and that warm fuzzy feeling. Despite being in close proximity and having an intertwined, complex history, Ireland celebrates Christmas differently to England.

It is a tradition for much of the Irish diaspora in the United Kingdom to load up their cars and get a ferry home for Christmas. The ferries are typically very busy at this time of year!

I for one, adore the Christmas Eve rituals in Ireland, where there is a sense of anticipation but also a sense of calm. Many people opt for going to Midnight Mass in Ireland, a very Irish tradition to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Midnight mass typically will have Christmas carols, a few prayers and a real community sense and spirit.

What is kind of funny about this is that many people will go to Midnight Mass after the pubs have closed, so they will be, let’s say, a little merry! More recently, some parishes host the midnight mass at 9 pm to accommodate families with little ones.

One tradition I think is so cute is the kids leaving a can of Guinness out for Santy. Yes, we call Father Christmas, Santy in Dublin, particularly! On Christmas Eve before they cuddle up in bed, eagerly awaiting the next morning.

One tradition my family have created in Ireland is running the “Gold Mile” every Christmas Day. This is a charity run that many do, getting a spurt of activity early on in the day before the indulgence of food and drink commences.

Nollaig na mBan or “Women’s Christmas” is a traditional Irish celebration on the 6th of January each year. This acknowledges the hard work women put into making Christmas special and encourages women to take a day of rest. Women are encouraged to go out and socialise with their friends, while the men stay at home to take the Christmas decorations down.

Not always on the menu at Christmas time as a traditional Irish dish, but Irish stew is a typical Irish Meal. Get the recipe to make an easy Irish Stew while travelling here.

How to Celebrate Christmas in Norwegian Style

From Annmarie @ The Northbound Archives

just like in the movies – a twinkling village

In Norway, Christmas Eve is the main day where families celebrate, coming together to feast and exchange gifts. A traditional Norwegian Christmas dinner usually includes ribbe (pork ribs) and pinnekjøtt (salt-cured lamb ribs). Some of my Norwegian friends in other parts of the country also eat cod as part of their Christmas dinner. 

The celebrations last more than just a day though. December marks a whole month of celebration in Norway, with Christmas markets popping up in the cities, beautiful light displays, and a whole range of special Christmas treats available in supermarkets such as spiced cookies and Julebrus (Christmas soda). Julebrus is essentially a very sweet fizzy soft drink families often share around Christmas time. 

Gingerbread-making is also a very popular hobby in Norway during Christmas, and you can buy kits to make your own gingerbread house from supermarkets. In the city where I live, Bergen, we have Pepperkakebyen which is the world’s largest gingerbread city. Schools, businesses and societies will make gingerbread houses and donate them to Pepperkakebyen, where they are displayed from November until January.

It truly is a wonderful festive event. The delicious aroma of fresh gingerbread fills the whole room, and the miniature gingerbread houses depicting scenes from Bergen and other places in the world are fun to admire. If you happen to be in Norway during the Christmas period, it’s definitely worth a visit!

Celebrating Christmas Danish Style

Jackie @ Jackie Goes Places

traditional Danish Christmas dinner and the Christmas tree

Christmas (Jul) in Denmark…there’s nothing quite like it! While many Danish Christmas traditions take place the entire month of December, the main event happens on December 24. This is when families all across Denmark gather together for a traditional dinner and to exchange gifts. 

The festivities begin with a delicious dinner of roast duck or roast pork with cracklings (sometimes both!). There’s a mix of boiled potatoes and caramelized potatoes, a sweet and sour pickled red and plenty of brown gravy. After dinner everyone enjoys dessert and a little friendly competition. The dessert, a sweet rice pudding mixed with chopped almonds and warm cherry sauce on top, is called risalamande. 

However, there is one whole almond hidden in the bowl, and whoever finds it wins the special almond gift! After dinner and dessert, the lights are lit on the Christmas tree. Everyone joins hands and dances around the tree while singing traditional Danish Christmas carols. Then it’s time to exchange gifts! If there are children present, the youngest will usually take gifts one at a time from under the tree and hand them out so everyone can watch each present being unwrapped. 

The next day people meet with even more family for a traditional Christmas lunch of open-faced sandwiches along with plenty of beer and schnapps. Oh, and if you are wondering how to say Merry Christmas in Danish…it is Glædelig Jul!

How to Spend Christmas in the Philippines

by Trisha Mae

yummy, Philippines Christmas food

If you want to know how to spend Christmas in the Philippines, start by embracing the spirit that arrives as early as September. The moment the “ber” months begin, familiar carols play in jeepneys and sari-sari stores, and parols slowly brighten the streets. Malls put up giant Christmas trees, and whole neighborhoods glow with lights. This early celebration may surprise visitors, but for Filipinos it’s simply the beginning of the season we love most.

One of the best ways to experience Christmas the Filipino way is by joining Simbang Gabi. For nine days before Christmas, people wake up before dawn and walk to church in the cool morning air. These quiet mornings feel peaceful and full of hope. Many believe that completing all nine Masses grants a wish. Whether that wish comes true or not, the faith behind it is part of what makes the season meaningful. And nothing completes the experience like a warm bibingka or puto bumbong enjoyed after Mass.

As Christmas gets closer, children carol from house to house with homemade instruments, singing for coins or candies. Their voices remind us that the season is meant to be shared. Families prepare for reunions, especially when balikbayans come home. Laughter grows louder as everyone exchanges Monito Monita gifts with playful themes, often focusing on small, meaningful items rather than expensive presents.

Filipino hospitality also shines brightly during this time. It is common for people to open their homes to friends, neighbors, or even visitors who happen to drop by, offering food from the table without hesitation.

On Noche Buena, when the clock strikes midnight, families gather around a table filled with ham, queso de bola, sweet spaghetti, shanghai, fruit salad, and sometimes lechon or even lechon bread (a clever way Filipinos enjoy the festive lechon without spending too much). More than the food, it is the stories and the togetherness that make the night special.

Spending Christmas in the Philippines means embracing connection. It is a season of faith, generosity, and joy. If you are visiting, come with an open heart, an empty stomach, and a willingness to join the celebration.

Are You Ready to Celebrate Christmas Abroad?