Christmas Traditions

There are many different Christmas traditions from around the world. Each country has its own different and unique traditions.

Take Germany for example. They started the tradition of putting up a Christmas tree in Strasbourg, Germany at the beginning of the 17th century. After 1750, Christmas trees began showing up in other parts of Germany, and even more so after 1771.

Mexico started the tradition of the poinsettias, a national holiday symbol. As its red and green coloring seemed perfect for the new holiday, the plants, which were called poinsettias after Poinsett (the person who found the plant)  began appearing in greenhouses as early as 1830 and became more popular.

England was responsible for a new tradition in the late 1830s.  A man named John Calcott Horsley helped to start the tradition of sending Christmas cards when he began making small cards showing Christmas scenes and a pre-written holiday greeting in the late 1830s.

The family fireplace is a traditional part of the typical Christmas scene. This is Norway’s tradition. Norway is the birthplace of a Yule log or a burning piece of wood. People in Norway use Yule log in their celebration of the return of the sun at the winter solstice.

In Sweden, they celebrate a holiday called St. Lucia Day on December 13. They begin preparation and celebration for Christmas around then. On St. Lucia Day, the oldest daughter in each family wakes up her family members, dressed in a long, white gown. She is wearing a crown made of twigs with lighted candles. For the day, she is called “Lussi.” The family then eats breakfast in a room lit with candles. Candles are a theme for this day.

In the Philippines, they have a giant lantern festival. When this tradition first started, the lanterns were made out of origami paper. Today, the lanterns are made from different materials and have grown in size. They are lit up by electric bulbs that sparkle in a kaleidoscope of patterns.

In Austria, there is an evil Santa named Krampus. He roams the streets of Austria, punishing the kids that didn’t behave over the year.  St. Nicholas rewards nice boys and girls, while Krampus captures the naughtiest children and whisks them away in his sack. 

All of these traditions sound like a lot of fun. They all originated a long time ago in each country, and the population has kept them going. Some of these have become so popular in their own country that they have spread around the world.

Works Cited

History.com Editors. “Christmas Traditions Worldwide.” HISTORY, 2 Mar. 2021,

www.history.com/topics/christmas/christmas-traditions-worldwide.

Momondo Team. “The Top 11 Christmas Traditions around the World –

Momomdo.” Discover, Momondo, 6 May 2020,

www.momondo.com/discover/christmas-traditions-around-the-world.