Christmas and New Year customs from around the world
In Greece, Agios Vassilios gives presents on New Year’s Eve.
In Brazil, Santa Claus is called Papai Noel and they believe that because it is very hot there, he wears light silk clothes.
In Sweden, in addition to Santa Claus, there is also a Christmas dwarf, Tomte and his goat, Yule.
In Russia, Santa Claus is called Ded Moroz which means «Grandfather Frost». He wears blue clothes and his sleigh is pulled by horses.
In Eastern Europe we also find the Babushka, an old woman with a colorful headscarf who gives presents to all the children with her basket.
Santa’s reindeer are usually eight or nine and have the following quirky names: Dasher, Prancer, Dancer, Comet, Donner, Blindchen, Vixen, Cupid and of course, Rudolph.
In Sweden on December 13 they celebrate Saint Lucia. On the feast of Saint Lucia the girls wear a white dress, a red ribbon around the waist and a wreath of candles on the head and with a candle in hand they walk through the streets of the cities to bring everyone light.
In Spain and Latin American countries, the Three Wise Men are called the Three Kings. According to tradition, they come on January 6 on decorated carriages and distribute sweets and gifts to children.
In Scandinavian countries, children decorate trees in nature or leave outside the door of their house sheaves of wheat or oats full of seeds called julenek.
In Germany, Poland and Ukraine, it is very lucky if someone finds a spider on their Christmas tree. According to tradition, a spider wove its web on the night Christ was born and covered him with it.
In Serbia, children open their presents two Sundays before December 25th. They also set up a fake kidnapping of their mom and demand a ransom! And how are they paid? But with what else? With gifts!
In Norway, on Christmas Eve families hide their brooms, so that the wicked witches cannot take them.
In France, Santa Claus fills children’s shoes with gifts! And in Poland they leave their slippers on the windowsills for the Christmas elf to put gifts and treats inside.
In Poland, they wait for the first star to appear in the sky to eat the festive dinner. There, Christmas Eve is also called the Feast of the Star.
In Lapland, children get woolen gloves as a gift and celebrate with their relatives in an igloo.
In Mexico, on the night of Christmas Eve they break a piñata that is filled with treats and small gifts.
In Serbia, on Christmas Eve, an oak branch with its leaves is burned in the fireplaces of the houses, as a symbol of the fire that the shepherds lit in the cave where Christ was born. This branch is called Badnjak, which is also known as «Christmas log».
In the Philippines, they have something colorful lanterns, called parol, which hang on doors and symbolize the Christmas star.
In Hungary, children carry a small nativity scene from house to house by hand while singing carols.
