Many of us have very specific Christmas traditions that we celebrate with our families.  What is interesting is how these traditions vary around the world.  Let’s take a short trip around the world and see how different some of these traditions are.

Finland:  ‘HYVÄÄ JOULUA!’
Christmas is a magical time in Finland.  Families gather together and celebrate with traditional Finnish foods.  Most families will visit the Sauna (properly pronounced as sow-na), exchange gifts, and sings Christmas hymns.  It is also customary to visit the gravesides of departed family members.

Germany: ‘FROEHLICHE WEIHNACHTEN!’
The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree began in Germany during the 17th century.  As such, the Christmas holiday is a widely and beautifully celebrated holiday in Germany.  German children follow their advent calendar closely, and instead of Santa filling their stocking, he fills a shoe that has been left out for him to fill!

Australia:  ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS’
Christmas falls in the middle of summer in Australia so for many Australian families, Christmas means beach days and barb-b-ques!

Ukraine:  ‘SROZHDESTVOM KRISTOVYM!’
In the Ukraine, the youngest child in the family watches out the window for the evening star to appear in the sky.  This is the signal that the traditional 12-course Christmas meal can begin!

For many children, a Christmas tradition other than their own can be hard to imagine.  That’s why it is fun to discuss other countries and families holiday celebrations.  It can even be fun to incorporate a part of a another country’s tradition into your own family gathering.

Merry Christmas from the JM Cremp’s family!