Christmas does not happen on one day in most of the world. It is a run of dates, from early December to the sixth of January, and each country treats a different one as the main event. Here is the season in calendar order, with the custom that belongs to each date. For ready-made questions, see our Christmas trivia.
From September: the Philippines
The Filipino Christmas season is one of the longest in the world, with decorations appearing as early as September. It builds to Simbang Gabi, a series of nine dawn Masses ending on Christmas Eve.
All of Advent: Germany’s markets
German towns hold Christmas markets through the weeks of Advent; those in Nuremberg and Dresden are among the oldest and best known. Germany is also where the decorated Christmas tree is usually traced, from the 16th century. It became fashionable in Britain only after Queen Victoria’s German husband, Prince Albert, put one up at Windsor in the 1840s.
December 5: Sinterklaas
In the Netherlands and Belgium the main gift-giving day is traditionally the eve of St. Nicholas’s Day, when Sinterklaas brings presents. The Dutch name is the origin of the English “Santa Claus,” brought to New York by Dutch settlers.
December 13: St. Lucia’s Day
Sweden marks the day with processions led by a girl in a crown of candles, and with saffron buns called lussekatter.
December 16–24: Mexico’s posadas
Nine nights of processions re-enact Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter, often ending in a piñata. The poinsettia, native to Mexico, is called flor de Nochebuena, the Christmas Eve flower.
Early December: Norway’s gift to London
Every year since 1947, Oslo has sent a Norwegian spruce to stand in London’s Trafalgar Square, as thanks for Britain’s support during World War II.
December 24–25: Christmas itself, in summer and winter
In Brazil and Argentina it falls in summer, and families celebrate with a late-night Christmas Eve feast and fireworks at midnight. In Australia it is a barbecue-and-beach day, and Melbourne is known for its Carols by Candlelight concerts.
In Japan, Christmas is not a national holiday, but it is widely celebrated. A fried-chicken dinner became a tradition after a successful KFC advertising campaign in the 1970s, and a Christmas cake of sponge, cream and strawberries is the usual treat.
In the United States many traditions are fairly recent: Christmas became a federal holiday in 1870, Rudolph appeared in 1939, and the Rockefeller Center tree lighting in New York began in the 1930s.
December 26: Boxing Day
A public holiday in the United Kingdom, and also observed in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The name is usually traced to giving boxes of money or gifts to servants and tradespeople.
January 6: Epiphany and La Befana
Many Italian families treat Epiphany as the real gift day, when La Befana, a kindly witch on a broomstick, fills children’s stockings.
How to say it
| Language | Merry Christmas |
|---|---|
| Spanish | Feliz Navidad |
| French | Joyeux Noël |
| German | Frohe Weihnachten |
| Italian | Buon Natale |
| Dutch | Vrolijk kerstfeest |
| Swedish | God jul |
| Portuguese | Feliz Natal |
A translation round makes a good change of format in a Christmas trivia night: read the greeting aloud and ask which language it is.