Germany
To kick off the Christmas season, German children celebrate St. Nicholas Day (Nikolaustag). On the night of December 5, children leave their shoes outside. Nikolaus travels by donkey in the middle of the night, leaving candies, oranges, and small toys in the shoes of all the good children.
Germans also celebrate by attending Christmas markets, which consist of food, drink and seasonal items from open-air stalls, accompanied by traditional singing and dancing. Decorations typically include elaborate lights, and sometimes Christmas trees up to 30 meters tall.
Austria
Like in Germany, Austrian children place their shoes outside on St. Nicholas Day. Only the good children will receive candy and toys in their shoes, but bad children must St. Nicholas’s vicious sidekick, Krampus, a demon-like beast that roams the streets frightening kids and punishing the bad ones. In the first week of December, young men dress like Krampus and frighten young children in the streets with chains and bells.
Sweden
Every year in Gävle, Sweden, a 13-meter-tall straw goat is constructed in the Gävle’s Castle Square. This tradition unwittingly has led to another tradition of vandals attempting to burn it down. The goat has been burned down 29 times since 1966, the most recent occurrence in 2016. Every year, the question is whether the goat will be burned this year, or whether it will remain standing.
Australia
Since December 25 is in the summertime for Australians, they celebrate Christmas with palm trees, beaches and sunny weather. Rather than a hearty roast for dinner, they choose to enjoy shrimp on the barbie, grilling seafood like prawns and lobsters.
Japan
In Japan, Christmas is celebrated as less of a religious holiday and more of a day to spread joy, resembling America’s Valentine’s Day. Perhaps the most interesting thing about their Christmas celebration is their dinner—nearly every Japanese family gathers around the table to enjoy Kentucky Fried Chicken. This tradition began in the 1970s when KFC used the slogan “Kentucky For Christmas” as their marketing in Japan. Today, the fried chicken dinners must be ordered months in advance; those who don’t do so have to wait for hours in line to get theirs.
Philippines
One way Filipinos celebrate Christmas is by holding a Giant Lantern Festival (Ligligan Parul Sampernandu) the Saturday before Christmas Eve, bringing in spectators from across the country and the world. 11 villages compete to create the most elaborate lantern. What began as small lanterns half a meter in diameter, constructed from Japanese origami paper and candles, has evolved into six-meter lanterns made from an assortment of materials, lit by electric bulbs. Today’s lanterns shine in a variety of intricate patterns and kaleidescope of colors.
Venezuela
Citizens of Caracas, Venezuela head to mass on Christmas Eve every year, much like people around the world, but they do it on rollerskates. All across the city, roads are closed off to cars so people can safely skate to church. After the service, they make their way home to enjoy a Christmas dinner consisting of Hallaca, a dish made from corn dough stuffed with meat, wrapped with plantain leaves and boiled or steamed.
