Dates, gift-bringers, foods and signature traditions from 53 country and regional guides
Christmas is celebrated around the world on 25 December by Catholic, Protestant and most Orthodox churches, and on 7 January by Orthodox churches that follow the Julian calendar, including those of Russia, Georgia and Serbia, as well as by Coptic Christians in Egypt and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. With about 2.3 billion Christians worldwide (Pew Research Center, 2020 data), it is one of the most widely celebrated festivals on earth, and in many countries it is also a public holiday for people of every faith.
How people celebrate varies widely. In much of continental Europe and Latin America the main event is a family supper and gift-giving on Christmas Eve; in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and India the focus is Christmas Day. South of the equator Christmas falls in midsummer, while in countries where Christians are a minority, such as Japan and China, it is mostly a festival of lights, shopping and get-togethers. This guide sets out the dates, gift-bringers, foods and signature customs of 53 countries and regions, each linked to a full country guide.
These ten countries show the full range of Christmas customs, from Europe's Advent markets to summer beach lunches in Australia and fried-chicken dinners in Japan.
Christmas Day has been a US federal holiday since 1870. Homes and streets are strung with lights, stockings are hung for Santa Claus, and landmarks such as the Rockefeller Center tree in New York, an official tradition since 1933, draw huge crowds. Christmas dinner is usually roast turkey or ham.
The centrepiece is Christmas Day lunch of roast turkey and Christmas pudding, with crackers pulled at the table and the monarch's Christmas broadcast at 3 pm. Carol services, pantomimes and mince pies fill December, and Boxing Day on 26 December is a public holiday.
Christmas, often called Bada Din, is a national public holiday in India even though Christians are about 2.3% of the population (Census 2011). It is celebrated most widely in Goa, Kerala, the Northeast and cities such as Kolkata and Mumbai, with midnight Mass, paper star lanterns, rich plum cake and Goan kuswar sweets.
Christmas falls in midsummer, so many Australians eat seafood, cold ham and pavlova, often outdoors or at the beach. Carols by Candlelight in Melbourne has run since 1938, and Boxing Day brings the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race and the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
Germany popularised the decorated Christmas tree and the Advent wreath, and its Christmas markets run through Advent; Dresden's Striezelmarkt dates back to 1434. Presents are opened on Christmas Eve, brought by the Christkind or the Weihnachtsmann, and roast goose is a classic meal on 25 or 26 December.
French families gather for the réveillon, a long Christmas Eve feast of oysters, foie gras and other delicacies that ends with a bûche de Noël. Père Noël leaves presents overnight, Provence sets out its thirteen desserts and santon figurines, and Strasbourg has held a Christmas market since 1570.
Natale centres on family and the Nativity. Elaborate presepe cribs appear in homes and churches, with Naples' Via San Gregorio Armeno famous for crib-making. Christmas Eve is traditionally a meatless fish supper, panettone and pandoro are the classic cakes, and La Befana brings gifts at Epiphany.
Only around 1% of Japanese people are Christian, so Christmas is not a public holiday but a popular season of illuminations, gifts and dates. Christmas Eve is often treated as a romantic evening, and since a 1974 KFC campaign, fried chicken and strawberry-topped Christmas cake have become the standard Christmas meal.
Christmas is not a public holiday in mainland China, although it is in Hong Kong and Macau, yet shopping districts in large cities decorate heavily. A popular custom is giving wrapped 'peace apples' on Christmas Eve, called Píng'ān Yè, because the word for apple, píngguǒ, sounds like píng'ān, meaning peace.
Brazil celebrates in summer heat. The main event is the ceia de Natal, a late Christmas Eve dinner of roast turkey or pork, farofa and rabanada, often followed by Missa do Galo at midnight. Papai Noel delivers presents, and offices and families run amigo secreto gift swaps.
Christmas is not a single day everywhere. Most countries mark 25 December, but gift-giving and feasting can fall anywhere from St Nicholas Day on 6 December to Epiphany on 6 January, and churches on the Julian calendar celebrate on 7 January.
| Date | Occasion | Where it matters most |
|---|---|---|
| 6 December | St Nicholas Day | Early gifts in Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and other central European countries; in the Netherlands the main gift evening is 5 December. |
| 13 December | St Lucia (St Lucy) Day | Candlelit processions in Sweden, Norway and Finland; wheat is sown in Croatia. |
| 16–24 December | Novena season | Las Posadas processions in Mexico and dawn aguinaldo Masses in Venezuela. |
| 24 December | Christmas Eve | The main celebration and gift-giving in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Scandinavia, Portugal and most of Latin America. |
| 25 December | Christmas Day | Catholic, Protestant and most Orthodox churches; the main day in the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada, Australia, India and many other countries. |
| 26 December | Boxing Day / St Stephen's Day | Public holiday in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand; the Day of Goodwill in South Africa; Junkanoo in the Bahamas. |
| 6 January | Epiphany / Three Kings' Day | Gifts from the Three Kings in Spain and Mexico and from La Befana in Italy; Christmas itself for the Armenian Apostolic Church. |
| 7 January | Orthodox, Coptic and Ethiopian Christmas | Julian-calendar Orthodox Christmas in Russia, Georgia and Serbia, Coptic Christmas in Egypt and Ethiopian Christmas (Genna). |
Select a country for its full Christmas guide. Each entry shows one signature custom so you can compare traditions at a glance.
Europe is where many of the customs now seen worldwide began: the decorated tree, the Advent wreath, Christmas markets and St Nicholas. Most Western European countries hold the main celebration on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, St Nicholas Day (6 December) brings early gifts across much of central Europe and the Low Countries, and Orthodox communities in Russia and Georgia celebrate on 7 January.
In the United States and Canada, Christmas combines church services with Santa Claus, outdoor lights and a family dinner on 25 December. Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean add Spanish Catholic traditions such as Las Posadas processions, nativity scenes and Three Kings' Day, alongside local festivals like Junkanoo in the Bahamas.
South of the equator Christmas arrives in summer. In Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Venezuela the high point is a late family supper on Christmas Eve, followed by midnight Mass, fireworks and toasts as the clock strikes twelve. For a regional summary, see Christmas in South America: an overview.
Christians are a minority in most of Asia, so Christmas ranges from a deeply religious feast for local churches in India, Lebanon, Iraq and Bethlehem to a largely secular festival of lights and shopping in Japan, China, Hong Kong and Vietnam. Armenian communities in Iran and Lebanon celebrate on 6 January.
Sub-Saharan Africa now has more Christians than any other region of the world, according to the Pew Research Center's 2020 figures. Celebrations range from summer braais and the Day of Goodwill in South Africa to Coptic Christmas in Egypt on 7 January, which follows a 43-day Nativity fast.
In Australia and New Zealand Christmas falls at the start of the summer holidays, so customs inherited from Britain, such as carols, crackers and Christmas pudding, sit alongside barbecues, seafood and days at the beach.
Santa Claus is now known almost everywhere, but many countries keep their own gift-bringer, and some deliver presents weeks before or after 25 December.
| Gift-bringer | Countries | When presents arrive |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Claus | United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand | Night of 24 December |
| Father Christmas | United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa | Night of 24 December |
| Père Noël | France and French-speaking regions | Night of 24 December |
| Christkind (Ježíšek, Jézuska) | Southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Hungary | Christmas Eve |
| Weihnachtsmann | Northern and eastern Germany | Christmas Eve |
| St Nicholas (Sinterklaas, Mikulás, Samichlaus) | Netherlands, Hungary, Switzerland, Germany, Czech Republic | 5–6 December |
| Babbo Natale and La Befana | Italy | 25 December and 6 January |
| The Three Kings (Reyes Magos) | Spain, Mexico and much of Latin America | Night of 5–6 January |
| Ded Moroz and Snegurochka | Russia | New Year's Eve |
| Joulupukki | Finland | Christmas Eve, often in person |
| Nisse / Tomte | Norway, Denmark, Sweden | Christmas Eve |
| Papai Noel / Viejito Pascuero | Brazil / Chile | Christmas Eve, around midnight |
| Agios Vasilis (St Basil) | Greece | 1 January |
The Christmas meal is where national traditions differ most. Several Catholic and Orthodox countries keep a meatless supper on Christmas Eve, centred on fish, while English-speaking countries favour a roast on Christmas Day.
| Country | Main meal | Signature dishes |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Christmas Day lunch | Roast turkey, Christmas pudding, mince pies |
| United States | Christmas dinner | Roast turkey or ham, eggnog, cookies |
| Germany | 24–26 December | Roast goose, Stollen, Lebkuchen |
| France | Réveillon, 24 December | Oysters, foie gras, bûche de Noël |
| Italy | Christmas Eve fish supper | Baccalà and seafood, panettone, pandoro |
| Poland | Wigilia, 24 December | Twelve meatless dishes: carp, pierogi, barszcz |
| Czech Republic | Christmas Eve | Fried carp, potato salad, vánočka |
| Sweden | Julbord, 24 December | Christmas ham, meatballs, pickled herring |
| Portugal | Consoada, 24 December | Bacalhau, bolo-rei |
| Spain | Nochebuena, 24 December | Seafood, roast lamb, turrón |
| Mexico | Nochebuena, 24 December | Tamales, bacalao, ponche, rosca de reyes |
| Venezuela | Christmas Eve | Hallacas, pan de jamón |
| Brazil | Ceia de Natal, 24 December | Roast turkey or pork, farofa, rabanada |
| Japan | Christmas Eve | Fried chicken, strawberry Christmas cake |
| India | Christmas Day | Plum cake, Goan kuswar sweets |
| Australia | Christmas Day lunch | Seafood, cold ham, pavlova |
| Egypt | Coptic Christmas, 7 January | Fatta after the Nativity fast |
The Christmas tree. Decorated evergreens were part of Christmas in German-speaking lands by the 16th century. The custom spread across Britain after an 1848 illustration of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's family around a tree. Norway has given London's Trafalgar Square tree every year since 1947, and Nova Scotia has sent a tree to Boston since 1971 in thanks for help after the 1917 Halifax Explosion.
The Advent wreath. The wreath with candles for the Sundays before Christmas began with the Hamburg pastor Johann Hinrich Wichern in 1839 and is now used in churches and homes worldwide.
Christmas markets. Dresden's Striezelmarkt dates to 1434 and Strasbourg's market to 1570. German-style markets are now held from Birmingham to Tokyo.
Christmas cards and crackers. The first commercial Christmas card was commissioned by Sir Henry Cole in London in 1843, and the London confectioner Tom Smith developed the Christmas cracker in 1847.
Santa Claus. Santa grew out of St Nicholas, the 4th-century bishop of Myra, by way of the Dutch Sinterklaas in New York. The 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" and Thomas Nast's later illustrations fixed the image of a jolly, white-bearded figure with a sleigh and reindeer.
The poinsettia. Native to Mexico, where it is called flor de Nochebuena, the Christmas Eve flower, the poinsettia is now a Christmas plant across the world.
Carols. "Silent Night" was first performed in Oberndorf, Austria, in 1818, and "Carol of the Bells" is based on "Shchedryk", a Ukrainian New Year song arranged by Mykola Leontovych.
Christmas is celebrated by Christians in almost every country and as a cultural festival in many others. Common threads are church services, family meals, gift-giving and decorations, but customs differ: much of continental Europe and Latin America celebrates mainly on Christmas Eve, the Southern Hemisphere celebrates in summer, and Orthodox churches on the Julian calendar celebrate on 7 January.
Orthodox churches that still follow the Julian calendar, including the Russian, Georgian and Serbian churches, keep Christmas on 25 December by that calendar, which currently falls on 7 January in the Gregorian calendar. The Coptic Church in Egypt and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which use their own calendars, also celebrate on 7 January. Ukraine moved its official Christmas holiday to 25 December in 2023.
Christmas Eve, 24 December, is the main celebration in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Portugal and most of Latin America, including Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. Families usually share a special supper and open presents that evening.
Santa Claus brings presents in the United States, Canada and Australia, Father Christmas in the United Kingdom, Père Noël in France, the Christkind in parts of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Sinterklaas on 5 December in the Netherlands, the Three Kings on 6 January in Spain and Mexico, La Befana in Italy, Ded Moroz at New Year in Russia and St Basil on 1 January in Greece.
Christmas food varies by country: roast turkey and Christmas pudding in the United Kingdom, roast goose and Stollen in Germany, carp in Poland and the Czech Republic, bacalhau in Portugal, tamales in Mexico, seafood and pavlova in Australia, plum cake in India and fried chicken with strawberry cake in Japan.
No. Christmas is a public holiday in most countries with large Christian populations and in some where Christians are a minority, such as India and Iraq. It is not a public holiday in mainland China, Japan, Vietnam or Iran, although it is widely marked in their cities, and Hong Kong and Macau do observe it.
Germany is the best-known home of Christmas markets, with Dresden's Striezelmarkt dating back to 1434. Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic have long market traditions too, and in France the Strasbourg Christmas market has been held since 1570.
In Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina and Chile, Christmas falls in summer. Traditional European customs continue, but many families eat outdoors, hold barbecues or go to the beach, and fireworks at midnight on Christmas Eve are common in South America.
The Twelve Days of Christmas traditionally run from Christmas Day, 25 December, to 5 January, ending with Twelfth Night on the eve of Epiphany on 6 January. In many countries Epiphany, also called Three Kings' Day, marks the end of the Christmas season.
From a candlelit Wigilia in Poland to a beach barbecue in Sydney, Christmas around the world shares the same spirit of family, generosity and light, expressed in thousands of local ways. Explore any country above for its full story.
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