Christmas around the globe

Every yuletide season, as the world settles beneath winter skies or summer winds in either hemisphere, ancient customs and traditions take center stage in several countries.

Let’s have a glimpse at some unique commemorations.

Colombia

On 7 December, it celebrates the Día de las Velitas, when entire Colombian cities and towns glow under the delicate flicker of candles and lanterns arranged on balconies, windows, sidewalks and plazas. Families honor the Virgin Mary as open spaces hold concerts and competitions, while fireworks dance through the night. By the next morning, white flags bearing Our Lady’s image sway over doorways. This marks the true opening of the Christmas season.

Mexico

The season stretches into what many fondly call the Guadalupe–Reyes Marathon. Beginning on 12 December with the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe and ending on the 6th of January with the arrival of the Reyes Magos, it is less a marathon of endurance and more a chain of joyful gatherings. Nightly posadas from 16 to 24 December fill neighborhoods with music and lanterns. Christmas arrives at the heart of it, while Holy Innocents’ Day on 28 December brings playful tricks. New Year’s Eve rolls into New Year’s Day, until finally the Three Wise Men close the festivities. It is a lighthearted, social stretch of days similar to our extended Christmas celebration.

Canada

Far to the north, Canada nurtured the wild imagination of kids not just domestically, but all over the world. In 1973, a handful of postal workers in Vancouver began replying to letters addressed to “Santa Claus, North Pole” that would otherwise have ended as mail in the undeliverable office. Their small gesture grew steadily until 1982, when the initiative became a nationwide program under the now-famous postal code H0H 0H0. Postmaster Roy Debolt described the aim as making the holidays “a little warmer and more complete” for every child who wrote in. Today, thousands of letters continue to make their way through this uniquely

Canadian tradition.

Austria and Germany

In these neighboring nations, the Christkind remains the unseen giver of gifts. Introduced during the Reformation, the figure – often imagined with golden curls and angelic wings – signals its departure with the ring of a small bell. Only then may children enter the room to see the lit tree and presents.

Poland

In largely Catholic Poland, Wigilia — our equivalent of Noche Buena — on Christmas Eve begins only after the first star appears, affectionately called the Gwiazdka. Families break the opłatek wafer — similar to communion wafers, which are often stamped with religious imagery — and exchange warm wishes before settling into a supper of symbolic dishes, often 12 in number.

Finland

Christmas Eve holds a tradition of quiet remembrance. Families visit the graves of loved ones and bring candles that glint gently against the snow, which transforms entire cemeteries like constellations on the ground. It serves as a peaceful end to the season and the year.

Assyrians

Among Assyrian communities in Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkiye, Christmas on December 25th is preceded by a month-long fast. Christmas Eve brings families outside their homes, where they hold candles while a child reads the nativity story. Thorn bushes are then set alight, and tradition holds that complete ashes promise good luck. Once the fire settles, family members jump three times over the embers, making a quiet wish with each leap.

Bahamas and Jamaica

Across the Caribbean, the holidays pulse to the beat of goatskin drums and cowbells. Junkanoo, with its roots tracing back to African heritage and the 1700s, transforms Boxing Day and New Year’s Day into dawn-lit spectacles. Maskers parade through the streets in handmade, kaleidoscopic costumes, their steps synchronized to brass instruments and joyful chants. Back home, tables brim with seasonal favorites – benny and coconut cakes, baked ham, peas and rice, fried fish, macaroni, coleslaw, plantains, and pastries from Cat Island and Acklins — often accompanied by eggnog or cold bottles of Kalik or Sands, the most popular beer brands in the area.

Georgia

Georgia’s Christmas on January 7th features the Alilo procession, a spirited walk through the streets as children sing carols and collect sweets. Homes display the chichilaki, a curly, wooden tree carved from local materials, which adds a rustic charm to the festivities.

Ethiopia and Eritrea

Christmas arrives on the 7th of January, known as Gena and Ledet, following a 40-day fast that remains a lasting expression of devotion. At dawn, churches come alive with priests in ceremonial robes, chanting and dancing as drums echo through courtyards. The day unfolds into the spirited game of gena, a hockey-like contest which brings whole communities together. Many wear the shamma, a white cotton wrap trimmed with bright stripes, before the holiday transitions into the three-day Timkat festival, honoring the baptism of Christ.

Philippines

Ber months... Jose Mari Chan’s familiar lyric Whenever I see boys and girls selling lanterns on the street... Parols and belens... Extensive Christmas villages... Absolute transformation of homes with Christmas decor... Christmas tree lightings in parks, malls and hotels... Christmas concerts... Carols and caroling... Manito y manita... White elephant... Godparent’s visits... Outreach events... Office parties... Eating groups... Family get-togethers and clan reunions... Simbang Gabi... Puto bumbong and bibingka... Pavo y jamon... Spaghetti, fruit salad, and quezo de bola... Don’t you just love Christmas in the Philippines?