Christmas Traditions Around the World for Kids: 24 Countries

Christmas looks different almost everywhere you go. Iceland has 13 Yule Lads, Sweden crowns Lucia with candles, and the Philippines hangs star-shaped lanterns called parols. Below are 24 well-documented traditions, one for each day from December 1 to 24, with a quick way to try each at home. Where a tradition has a real date, we matched it to that day.

Key takeaways: how to use this list

• One country a day. Read the fact, find the place on a map, and do the "Try it" (2 to 15 minutes).
• Real dates where we could match them. The Netherlands lands on December 5, Colombia on the 7th, Iceland on the 12th, Sweden on the 13th, Mexico on the 16th, and Poland on the 24th. A few celebrate on January 5 to 7.
• These are common customs, not what every family does. Traditions vary by region, faith, and household.
• Stay safe. Use LED candles, keep button batteries away from little ones (Poison.org), and check for allergies before tasting anything.

Many of these customs are religious or deeply cultural. Treat them as something to learn about, not a costume to wear. Name the country, ask "why do people do this?", and stay curious.

Your 24-day Christmas-around-the-world plan

Days 1–7

Day 1 · Germany. The modern Advent wreath began in Hamburg in 1839, when pastor Johann Hinrich Wichern built a wooden ring holding 24 small red candles and four large white ones. Germany's Christmas markets are older still: Dresden's Striezelmarkt was first documented in 1434. Try it: draw a wreath and color in one candle a day.

Day 2 · Philippines. Christmas preparations start in September here, and homes glow with parols, star-shaped lanterns that stand for the Star of Bethlehem. Nine dawn Masses called Simbang Gabi run December 16 to 24. Try it: fold a paper star lantern for your window.

Day 3 · Australia. Christmas lands in summer, so lots of celebrating happens outdoors. Melbourne's Carols by Candlelight began in 1938, after radio announcer Norman Banks saw a woman singing along to a broadcast by candlelight; about 10,000 people came to the first one. Try it: sing three carols outside after dark with LED candles.

Day 4 · New Zealand. The pōhutukawa, nicknamed the New Zealand Christmas tree, blooms crimson from November to January, peaking in mid-to-late December. Māori regard it as a chiefly tree. Try it: paint a tree covered in red blossoms, or glue red pom-poms onto a drawn branch.

Day 5 · Netherlands (December 5). Sinterklaas is said to arrive by steamboat from Spain in mid-November, and gifts are given on the evening of December 5, called Pakjesavond. Children leave a shoe by the fireplace or radiator with a carrot or hay for his horse. Try it: leave a shoe out tonight and look for a small treat in the morning.

Day 6 · Kenya. Many Kenyans travel from cities to rural hometowns for the holidays. Nyama choma, grilled meat, is a popular Christmas meal, and churches hold Christmas Eve night vigils called Kesha, ringing bells at midnight. Try it: cook one dish together and tell a story about where your family comes from.

Day 7 · Colombia (December 7). On the night of December 7, Colombians set out candles and paper lanterns for Día de las Velitas, honoring Mary's Immaculate Conception. It's the unofficial start of the Christmas season. Try it: line up LED tea lights on a windowsill at dusk and name one thing you're thankful for.

Days 8–14

Day 8 · Japan. Christmas isn't a national holiday in Japan, but many people eat a Christmas cake of white sponge, cream, and strawberries. A successful 1970s advertising campaign also turned Christmas fried chicken into a custom. Try it: top a shortcake with strawberries and call it Japan night.

Day 9 · Canada. Canada Post gives Santa his own postal code, H0H 0H0, and volunteers write replies to children's letters. Try it: write your own letter to Santa. In the U.S., check our guide to Santa letter mailing deadlines before you mail anything.

Day 10 · India. Christians make up about 2.3% of India's population, yet many people join in Christmas as a secular holiday. Many Christian homes hang bright stars outside for the Star of Bethlehem, and families share sweets and cakes with neighbors. Try it: bake or buy treats and deliver a plate to a neighbor.

Day 11 · Brazil. Many Brazilian families make a nativity scene, the presépio, the main decoration, and Christmas Eve dinner often starts late, around 10 or 11 p.m. Rabanada, a French-toast-style dessert, is a classic. Try it: build a tiny nativity from cardboard or play dough.

Day 12 · Iceland (December 12). Thirteen Yule Lads arrive one at a time starting December 12, and children set a shoe on the windowsill hoping for a small gift. On Christmas Eve, books are Iceland's most popular present, a custom called Jólabókaflóð, the Christmas Book Flood. Try it: put a shoe on the sill tonight and plan a reading challenge.

Day 13 · Sweden (December 13). On Saint Lucia Day, a girl dressed as Lucia, in a white dress with a red sash and a crown of candles, brings the household saffron buns called lussekatter, meaning Lucia's cats. Try it: bake or buy saffron buns, and use an LED candle crown, never real flames.

Day 14 · Italy. On the night of January 5, La Befana, an old woman on a broom, brings sweets to good children; the "coal" for naughty ones is usually black-dyed rock candy. Italian homes also display a presepe, or nativity scene. Try it: hang a stocking and make a nativity from craft sticks.

Days 15–21

Day 15 · United Kingdom. Christmas crackers are paper tubes that snap when two people pull them apart, revealing a paper crown, a small gift, and a joke. Tradition credits Tom Smith of London with inventing them in 1847. Try it: make no-bang crackers from cardboard tubes with a paper crown and a riddle inside.

Day 16 · Mexico (December 16). Las Posadas runs December 16 to 24. Neighbors reenact Mary and Joseph's search for lodging, singing at doors before a party with a star-shaped piñata. It is a religious tradition, so approach it with respect. Try it: make a paper-bag piñata, fill it with small treats, and give everyone space to swing.

Day 17 · Venezuela. Hallacas, corn-dough parcels stuffed with stew and wrapped in plantain leaves, are a staple of Venezuelan Christmas. Families usually gather in the morning to prepare the ingredients together. Try it: set up a family assembly line to make wraps or dumplings.

Day 18 · Spain. On the night of January 5, children put shoes on a balcony or window for the Three Kings, and cities hold parades that evening. In Catalonia, kids 'feed' and blanket a log called Tió de Nadal from December 8, then sing to it on Christmas so it leaves sweets. Try it: draw a crown and set out a shoe.

Day 19 · Ethiopia. Ethiopian Christmas, Genna, falls on January 7. Many people wear a thin white cotton netela, attend an overnight church service, and play a field-hockey-style game also called Genna. Pilgrims travel to Lalibela's churches. Try it: wear white and play a round of 'hockey' with a rolled sock and a paper-towel tube.

Day 20 · Ireland. A lit candle in the window on Christmas Eve is a traditional Irish welcome for Mary and Joseph and anyone in need of shelter. Sea swims on Christmas morning, often for charity, are a newer custom. Try it: set an LED candle in your window and talk about who your family would welcome in.

Day 21 · Ukraine. On December 24, the Holy Supper (Sviata Vecheria) traditionally begins when the first star appears, with a meatless meal of 12 dishes, starting with kutia, a sweet dish of grain, honey, and poppy seeds. A sheaf of grain called a didukh honors ancestors. Ukraine made December 25 its official Christmas holiday in 2023. Try it: bundle straw or dried grass into a mini didukh.

Days 22–24

Day 22 · The Bahamas. Junkanoo is a festival of goatskin drums, cowbells, dancing, and elaborate costumes. In The Bahamas it's an organized parade tied to the Christmas season, around Boxing Day and New Year's Day, with roots in African-Caribbean history. Try it: make cardboard-and-tissue costumes and parade with pots, spoons, and bells.

Day 23 · Finland. Every Christmas Eve at noon, the Christmas Peace is declared in Turku, a tradition said to date to the 14th century and broadcast across Finland. It urges calm and dignified behavior. Try it: tomorrow at noon, hold five minutes of 'Christmas peace': no screens, no squabbles, just cozy quiet.

Day 24 · Poland (December 24). Wigilia, the Christmas Eve supper, begins when the first star appears. Tables hold an extra place for an unexpected guest, and families share and break an opłatek wafer while exchanging good wishes. Twelve meatless dishes are traditional. Try it: set one extra place at your table and share a kind wish with each person.

Which traditions are easiest to try at home?

Tradition	Country	Prep
Shoe by the door	Netherlands	1 minute
LED candle in the window	Ireland	2 minutes
An extra place at the table	Poland	2 minutes
A Christmas Eve book gift	Iceland	Wrap one book
Strawberry shortcake night	Japan	10 minutes with a store-bought cake

Your 10-minute setup checklist

• Print or sketch a world map, and add a sticker for each country as you go.
• Write the country and fact on 24 index cards, in date order.
• Gather LED tea lights, craft paper, and tape.
• Pick two or three days to swap or skip, and don't worry about it.
• Keep the dated days (December 5, 7, 12, 13, 16, and 24) on their real dates.
• Prefer a ready-made journey? Wonderkin's Around the World Advent Calendar Passport is one option.

Make it magical with Wonderkin

Wonderkin's Around the World Advent Calendar Passport turns December into a journey of its own: a printed 5 × 7-inch passport and 24 stickers, plus printable clue cards and a map across 23 countries and six continents, with a Day 24 homecoming. It's a different itinerary from the 24 traditions above. You bring your own 24-door calendar; at the time of writing, it's $28 (regularly $40). Browse more in the advent calendars collection.