Christmas Traditions Around the World

Here in America, Christmas is characterized by holiday movies and eggnog, but around the world, Christmas takes on many different traditions. In Japan, Sweden, Australia, and China, Christmas looks different. Each country has their own unique way of celebrating the holidays.

In Japan:

Every time Christmas rolls around in Japan, local KFCs gets ready for their busiest night of the year. Japan has always been a relatively secular country, so naturally their Christmas season was never super festive. For most people in Japan, Christmas is celebrated more for the novelty than the tradition. This could be why in recent years, the Japanese have adopted a tradition of KFC on Christmas day. KFC in Japan even serves a special Christmas themed menu to celebrate the occasion.

In Sweden:

In the city of Gavle in Sweden a giant goat made of straw is constructed in the town square every December. This goat stands fourty-two feet tall and weighs almost four tons , making it officially the world's largest straw goat. With the enormous goat comes a more destructive tradition. Every year, the citizens of Gavle attempt to burn down the goat. Since the beginning of the giant Goat in 1966, it has been successfully burnt down twenty-nine times. The use of straw as the only building material certainly makes the goat a prime target for burning.

In Australia:

In the Southern hemisphere, Christmas falls during the summer, so Australians are able to celebrate Christmas with what we would consider summer activities. For example, the many beaches along Australia's coast get flooded with people wearing santa hats on Christmas day. That night, the same beaches become huge parties that last into the next day.

In China:

Across China, which is another mostly secular country, Christmas is appreciated for its bright lights and colors. The bright red and green of Christmas accompanied by the shining lights provides a nice change from the urban environment in many chinese cities. Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong are known to decorate for Christmas, and they usually have some type of fireworks display go with the lights and trees.

Although Christmas is celebrated in many different ways across the world, what really matters is that it's a day to be with family and have fun.

By Jake Bogartz