Yule Love These 11 Christmas Traditions from Around the World
Christmas in Ireland
In Ireland, many people celebrate Christmas in much the same way as people in the UK and the US, but they also have many of their own unique traditions. The season is celebrated from Christmas Eve until the feast of Epiphany on January 6th.
According to the old tradition, some Irish houses burn a candle in their largest window for the entire night between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to welcome Mary and Joseph. St. Nicholas or Father Christmas is said to visit on Christmas Eve and leave presents for children.
The day following Christmas is known as St. Stephen’s Day in Ireland (it’s known as Boxing Day in many other places). It’s a very important holiday in Ireland and most people celebrate by watching football games and horse races. Christmas dinner usually includes a turkey as well as spiced beef that is eaten either hot or cold and dessert is usually a Christmas pudding.
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Christmas in Sweden
During the Christmas season in Sweden, one of the biggest days is St. Lucia’s Day. This holiday is celebrated by a girl dressing in a white dress with a crown of candles on her head. Many villages, towns and even the country as a whole choose their own “Lucia” to represent them. The Lucias visit different hospitals and nursing homes to sing holiday songs and bring good cheer.
Christmas Eve is when the main holiday meal is had. Often a buffet spread is served at lunchtime. Cold fish is an important part of the buffet and the spread often includes several varieties of herring, gravlax and smoked salmon. Other dishes include cold meats, cheeses, liver pate, pickles, salads and different types of bread and butter, as well as a selection of warm dishes.
Presents are typically exchanged on Christmas Eve and the whole family often gathers around to watch an episode Donald Duck! On Christmas morning, many families attend church.
In Sweden, Santa is known as Jultomten or just Tomten which means “The Christmas Gnome” or “The Gnome.” He brings gifts with the help of other gnomes and elves. The season is officially over on January 13th which is when people usually take their Christmas tree down.
