Holidays Around the World for Joyous Celebration

The holidays are many people’s favorite time of the year with different celebrations that mean a variety of things to the cultures of the world.

In the United States, traditions such as the lighting of the tree in New York City’s Rockefeller City and in homes around the country, as well as singing carols and making Christmas cookies, come to mind when we think of Christmas.

Other holidays, such as Kwanzaa and Hanukkah, are also widely celebrated in the U.S. But globally, there are hundreds of other traditions in hundreds of other countries surrounding the holiday season. Let’s take a look at some of the coolest and most out-of-the-box traditions and celebrations that happen around the world.

European Holiday Culture

Perhaps one of the most interesting and unique European traditions of the holiday season takes place in Sweden and revolves around a well-known farm animal. In the Gävle’s Castle Square is a Yule Goat that stands 13 meters tall, and it has been there since 1966. But it hasn’t been the same goat all these years, because another tradition surrounding the Yule Goat has to do with destroying it. Each year, the Swedish attempt to burn the goal down, and since it was first constructed, this has been successfully accomplished 29 times, the most recent of these incidents happening in 2016.

A more well-known Christmas legend is Krampus, a creature that originated in Austria. Instead of the jolly, friendly Santa Claus that is promoted in America, many European countries tell the story of Krampus, a demon-like beast who frightens and kidnaps children who haven’t behaved. (Some traditions are better than others!) The country of Iceland has another fun tradition involving thirteen happy, mischievous troll-like men.

They are dubbed the Yule Lads and dress in traditional Icelandic clothing, filling the shoes of well-behaved children with toys and presents, and those of badly behaved kids with rotting potatoes. Some of their names are Door-Slammer and Sausage-Swiper, which demonstrate the mischief these Icelandic characters can get into. Other European traditions involve the hiding of brooms in Norway and Saint Nicholas’ Day in Germany.

Asian Holiday Culture

In San Fernando, Philippines, a city commonly referred to as the “Christmas capital” of the country, the Giant Lantern Festival is hosted each year on Christmas Eve. The Philippines is perhaps the country in Asia where Christmas is celebrated the most, and this competition consists of eleven villages taking part to build the best, brightest, and most elaborate lantern. Originally, the lanterns were simple and small, but over time they have become larger and more complex.

Because Buddhism and Islam are the predominant religions in many areas of Asia, Christmas isn’t often celebrated to great lengths. But many countries, such as Japan, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia, have adopted commercial aspects of Christmas and incorporated them into their own cultures.

Trends like shopping, malls, and Christmas lights are abundant in many Asian countries. Asians still throw Christmas parties and play Christmas music, as well, and have found ways, in general, to mix traditional, sometimes American or European, customs into their own cultures and the other holidays they celebrate.

Holidays in the Americas

Earlier in this article, several traditions and Christmas activities commonly associated with the UnitedStates were described. However, there are also customs that are unique to the rest of North America, the Caribbean, and Central America and South America. For example, in Venezuela, many people go to church on Christmas morning. Ordinary enough, right? What isn’t so ordinary is the method of transportation they choose to make it to church.

Instead of car, bike, or even on foot, the Venezuelan people choose to roller skate. Many streets in the cities are even closed for safety measures. In Colombia, to kick off the Christmas season, Little Candle’s Day is celebrated. Families place paper candles and lanterns in their windows and homes, and eventually, entire cities glow. Some cities even compete with one another to see who can have the most elaborate or best display.

Toronto, Canada also has a tradition concerning lights, called the Cavalcade of Lights. 300,000 LED lights are strung on City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square. Light is important in the Caribbean, as well, when it comes to Christmas traditions, as does music, instruments, religion, food, and Three Kings’ Day in many countries. Jamaica is one of the most well-known Central American countries when it comes to food, while many are known for their distinct styles of music.

Countries around the world all have their own versions of holiday traditions and customs, created through years of mixing music, religion, food, and competition. These diverse celebrations show how even though humans may not all recognize the same holidays, the holiday season is special for everyone in some way or another.