Exploring Christmas Traditions Around the World With Kids
Have you ever wondered how other people celebrate Christmas around the world? From Iceland’s spooky Christmas Cat to Japan’s beloved Christmas Fried Chicken custom, there is a diverse range of fun Christmas traditions around the world!
If you’re looking for fun new ways to celebrate Christmas with your children this year, read on to discover twelve Christmas traditions from around the world to inspire you. We’ll explore where each tradition comes from and give suggestions on how you could bring a touch of international flair to your own family Christmas celebrations at home.
You may also be interested in our 20 Festive Family Christmas Party Ideas! blog and make sure to claim your Free Christmas Activity Pack, but now, back to the global festivities…
12 ways to celebrate Christmas from around the world:
We hope you’ll find inspiration here to start a new family Christmas tradition!…
- Czech Republic: Walnut Shell fortune telling
- Lebanon: Sprouting Christmas lentils
- Ukraine: Decorate with spiderwebs
- Finland: Christmas Sauna tradition
- Japan: Fried chicken for Christmas dinner!
- Iceland: The mischievous Yule Lads
- South Africa: BBQ and Carols by Candlelight
- Lithuania: A Festive Feast with Straw Table Decorations
- Greece: The lucky Vasilopita Cake
- Iceland: The Spooky Christmas Cat
- Jamaica: Grand Market Christmas Carnivals
- Philippines: Giant Lantern Festival
- Bonus post Christmas tradition! Italy: La Befana
- Bonus Christmas activity! FREE Christmas Traditions Activity
- More Christmas learning fun with Busy Things!
1. Czech Republic Christmas Tradition: Walnut Shell fortune telling
In the Czech Republic, a popular Christmas Eve tradition involves floating walnut shells with small candles inside on a bowl of water. Each family member floats a shell, and if the shell makes it across the bowl without sinking, it’s a sign of good luck for the year ahead.
Make it Your Christmas Tradition: Recreate this with small boats made of nutshells or paper and float them in water for a bit of Christmas Eve magic. It’s a great way to talk about hopes for the new year!
2. Lebanon Festive Tradition: Sprouting Christmas Lentils
In Lebanon, seeds like wheat, lentils, and chickpeas are planted on December 3rd, Saint Barbara’s feast day. As they sprout, they symbolise new life and are displayed under the Christmas tree or near the nativity scene.
Give this Christmas tradition a try: Sprout your own lentils or other seeds as a countdown to Christmas activity, showing children how things grow and change over time. It’s a wonderful way to talk with children about patience, hope, and the beauty of new life as part of your Christmas decor.
3. Ukraine Christmas Decorations: Decorate with festive Spiderwebs!
Ukrainians decorate their Christmas trees with spiderwebs instead of tinsel! This tradition comes from a legend where a poor family’s bare Christmas tree was magically decorated in spider webs on Christmas eve that turned to silver and gold. Ever since, spiderwebs have represented prosperity, hope and good luck.
Is this your new way to celebrate Christmas? Craft “spiderweb” ornaments with your children, using string or paper for your Christmas tree and share the tale of this magical story, a lovely way to talk about family traditions, kindness, and fortune.
4. Finland Christmas Tradition: Christmas Sauna
In Finland, families traditionally visit the sauna on Christmas Eve, followed by a festive feast. The sauna symbolises cleansing before the celebrations.
Is this your new family Christmas tradition? Have a family spa night! Create a “sauna-like” atmosphere with scented candles, a warm bath, relaxing music, cosy robes and a warm drink before a festive meal.
5. Japan Christmas Custom: Fried Chicken Christmas Dinner
In Japan, Christmas dinner means Fried Chicken! Christmas isn’t widely celebrated in a religious sense, but many families enjoy a festive meal from KFC! This quirky tradition started as a marketing campaign in the 1970s and has become a beloved Christmas custom.
Try this Christmas Tradition: Have a special family takeaway night or make your own “fried chicken feast” together. Children can help bread the chicken and choose sides to recreate this Japanese favourite at home.
6. Iceland Christmas Legend: The 13 Yule Lads
From December 12 to Christmas Eve, Icelandic children are visited by the Yule Lads. The 13 Yule Lads are Icelandic folklore’s version of Santa’s mischievous relatives! These quirky characters each have their own personality and leave small gifts (or playful tricks) for children in the days leading up to Christmas.
Your new Christmas family tradition? Get the family involved by creating your own line-up of Yule Lads! Hide small treats (or silly pranks) around the house for 13 days before Christmas. Children will love waking up to find what each Lad has left for them overnight.
7. South Africa Christmas Traditions: BBQ and Carols by Candlelight
In South Africa, Christmas falls in the middle of summer, so celebrations often include a braai (barbecue) and outdoor festivities. They also have a beloved tradition of singing Carols by Candlelight.
Make it Your Christmas Tradition: Embrace the spirit of a South African Christmas by hosting a BBQ! Invite family to gather around the outdoor fire and have a candlelit Christmas Carol sing-along.
8. Lithuania Christmas Customs: Kūčios and Straw Table Christmas Decorations
On Christmas Eve, Lithuanians prepare a special 12-dish meal called Kūčios, symbolising the 12 apostles. The table is often decorated with straw to remind families of Jesus’ humble birth.
Is this your new way to celebrate Christmas?
Create your own Kūčios-inspired family dinner where each dish has a special meaning or memory attached to it, and share these stories as part of the meal. For a crafty twist, let children make straw decorations or “place cards” for the table.
9. Greece Christmas Tradition: The lucky Vasilopita Cake
In Greece, families bake a cake called Vasilopita for New Year’s Day to celebrate St. Basil’s Day. The person who finds the coin hidden inside is said to have good luck for the year and slicing the cake is a special ritual.
Start this Christmas tradition: Bake your own Vasilopita, or any favourite cake, together and hide a coin inside! Enjoy the cake on New Year’s Day, and see who finds the lucky coin!
10. Iceland Christmas Legend: The Spooky Christmas Cat (Jólakötturinn)
Iceland’s legendary Christmas Cat, the Jólakötturinn, is said to prowl the countryside at Christmas time, eating anyone that hasn’t received new clothes by Christmas! The tradition encourages giving clothing as gifts and is often tied to acts of kindness and charity.
Make it your new Christmas Tradition: Encourage children to donate their outgrown or unused clothes to those in need as a way to “keep the Yule Cat happy.” It’s a great introduction to a discussion about charity, kindness and the importance of helping others.
You could also incorporate the Christmas Cat by gifting a cosy item, like socks or gloves, to family members and create “cat treats” out of paper or clay and leave them out to “appease” the Christmas Cat!
11. Jamaica Christmas Celebrations: Grand Market and Christmas Carnivals
In Jamaica, the Christmas season is filled with colourful markets, street parties, and carnival-like celebrations. Grand Market, held on Christmas Eve, sees families gather to enjoy food, music, dancing and carnival-like parades fill the streets with plenty of festive cheer!
Could this be your new Christmas Tradition? Have a mini family carnival at home! Dress up in fun costumes with festive music, cook some Jamaican-inspired dishes and set up ‘market stalls’ to serve your street-food and to play different festive games and crafts.
12. Philippines Christmas Tradition: Giant Lantern Festival
In San Fernando in the Philippines, the Giant Lantern Festival brings a magical display of light, with enormous lanterns crafted in intricate patterns illuminating the night sky. These lanterns, or “parols,” symbolize the Star of Bethlehem and the hope and joy of Christmas. They’re a source of pride and community spirit, as teams work for months on their designs.
Celebrate Christmas differently with this custom: Have a Christmas lantern-making session with your children, crafting colourful paper lanterns or try creating giant stars as a nod to the Philippines’ festive tradition. Try shining torches through the lanterns to see the colourful effects! Hang them around the house or even hold a “mini lantern festival” in your garden.
Bonus Post-Christmas Tradition: Italy: La Befana
On the night of January 5th, Italy celebrates La Befana, a kindly old witch who delivers gifts to children. Her legend is tied to the Epiphany, and she is a favourite figure in Italian Christmas celebrations.
Could this be your new festive tradition: Invite children to put out a small “gift” for La Befana, like a note or drawing. Perhaps have a go at making their own La Befana doll to hang by the fireplace. You could also create “Befana bags” filled with sweets to surprise them on January 6th for a sweet end to the festive season.
FREE Christmas activity: Learn about Christmas traditions
The Busy Things monsters have been wondering about why we do certain things at Christmas, and they want you to find out about Christmas traditions both at home and around the world!
Start your research with our FREE Christmas activity! We’ve given you some prompts to think about your family traditions and how other people in the world celebrate Christmas to start off your traditions research!
Download you FREE Christmas activity below…
More Christmas learning fun with Busy Things!
If you’re looking for fun Christmas learning activities, Busy Things is brimming with engaging, festive educational games! Here’s just a few of them…
Merry maths game in Christmas Miner Birds – children can practise their maths with this fun multiplayer candy cane adventure!
Christmas themed word-reading game: Santa’s Sleigh Dash – A festive reading game that will help to children practise phonics as they guide Santa!
Jolly Jingles festive musical fun! An Interactive music activity where children can help the bell ringers to play a festive tune!
Wrap Christmas Presents – Children can choose a gift from the Busy Things gift shop and get creative with their wrapping skills!
Did you know, Busy Things covers the whole of the early years and primary curriculum. There are many different kinds of educational games and resources for all learning types, all aimed at sparking children’s curiosity and creating a love of learning! We have many Christmas themed activities to make learning fun! Take a free trial today!
Did you also know that we offer educational gift subscriptions? Busy Things subscriptions are available in 3, 6, 9, or 12-month subscriptions. They make a wonderful, long-lasting gift idea for children to learn and play all year round!