We think we do Christmas pretty well in the UK, but maybe we could learn a thing or two from the weird and wonderful traditions from around the world. At Enjoy Education, we work with many international families, all of whom have different festive traditions from their country, so this year we asked them about their favourite national traditions for Christmas. Our age-old traditions of hiding a silver coin in the Christmas pudding, burning letters to Father Christmas, or leaving him and the reindeer carrots and brandy by the fireplace, are charmingly festive but are by no means the most quirky!
Germany
Our German families start their Christmas celebrations on 5 December, when children leave a shoe outside their door to be filled with sweets overnight. But naughty children beware; not only will you find a bundle of twigs left in your shoe by St Nikolaus’ servant, Knecht Ruprecht, but you will also be hunted down by men dressed up as the Krampus, a demonic version of St Nick!
Although German Christmas traditions are thankfully not all as terrifying as this, they can certainly be inventive… On 24 December, when Germans celebrate Christmas, children race their siblings and cousins to find the lone pickle hidden in the Christmas tree! After this, German children often meet Father Christmas face-to-face, who leaves their presents under the tree rather than in stockings. Young children are then allowed to sleep under the tree on Christmas night. Pine needle mattress, anyone?
Scandinavia
No Christmas list would be complete without including Father Christmas’s stomping ground – Scandinavia. In a traditional Scandinavian home you will find beautifully decorated gingerbread houses and Lucia Bread to eat on Christmas Eve. Many families will come together to sit down for a big supper, speeches and celebrations which run long into the night.
In a traditional Scandinavian home you will find beautifully decorated gingerbread houses and Lucia Bread to eat on Christmas Eve
Many of their Christmas traditions remain rooted in the paganism of the Old Norse and a lot of the symbols of Christmas still reference the Gods of old, such as the straw goat, called a Julbock, which adorns many of the homes across Scandinavia. In Sweden, men even dress up as a Julbock to play funny tricks on their family and friends, just like in Norway, where a mischievous elf called Nisse causes all sorts of shenanigans.
Japan
Only 1% of Japanese families are Christian and despite not being a national holiday for Japanese families, Japan has one of the strangest Christmas traditions of all – a bucket of Christmas chicken. Turkey is a hard to find in Japan and when KFC found that foreigners were opting for fried chicken as a replacement, they saw an opportunity. In 1974, KFC launched a national campaign to encourage more families, local and foreign, to buy into their chicken buckets. The campaign was so successful that on Christmas Eve in Japan you will see people lining the streets for hours as they queue for their family-sized Christmas bucket.
What about Christmas in hot countries?
As the nation’s hopes for a White Christmas have been dashed yet again by unseasonably warm weather in England, let’s gather inspiration from some of the world’s hottest Christmases.
For Christian families in Egypt, Christmas is celebrated on 7 January, after a 43-day Advent. Many families go to a late-night Church service on Christmas Eve, which often lasts until 4am!
Our Venezuelan families make the most of their 30-degree sunshine over Christmas to rollerblade to late-night Church services throughout December, with authorities even shutting the roads to allow for the crowds.
Ethiopians celebrate the baptism of Jesus rather than his birth, on 19 January, organising a special procession of children wearing crowns and carrying colourful umbrellas, despite the lack of rain.
And lastly, the popular Chilean Christmas drink, ‘Cole do Mono’. This concoction, translates as ‘Monkey’s Tail’, and consists of coffee, milk, sugar, cinnamon and alcohol. It’s a tradition we would happily accept as one of our own, whatever the weather!
Kate Shand is Founder and MD of Enjoy Education, one of the largest and most established schools advice and tutoring companies in the UK, offering a complete educational service including schools advice, international relocation, revision courses and tutoring
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