Holiday Traditions Around the World

In the U.S., the holiday season is arguably one of the most prominent points of American culture, with many people choosing to celebrate in their own way. Around the world, however, there are a variety of different traditions people in various countries embrace to celebrate the holiday season. 

Pasko: The Philippines

In the Philippines, Christmas, or Pasko in Tagalog, is celebrated for one of the longest periods in the world, as festivities begin as early as September. Formal celebrations usually begin about a week before Christmas as people attend Catholic masses. One famous Filipino holiday tradition is the “parol”, which is a bamboo pole with a lighted star lantern attached to it. It is a widely used Christmas decoration in the Philippines. On Christmas Eve, people would stay awake all night to await Christmas day, and at midnight they would hold a midnight feast called Noche Buena.

Hanukkah: Israel

Hanukkah is a largely global holiday, with millions of Jewish people around the world engaging in a celebration of light, and the country of Israel is no exception. The eight-day festival is marked by the lighting of candles on a menorah, meant to symbolize the eight days during which the miracle of light occurred. Food and time with family are meant to mark this holiday, with revelers eating latkes, or potato pancakes as a staple of the holiday food.

Christmas: Jamaica

In Jamaica, there are many cultural elements that serve to mark the holiday. On Christmas Eve, people often attend a ‘Gran Market’ where vendors sell gifts, decorations, and food. On Christmas Day, it is common for people to eat a breakfast of ackee and saltfish as well as breadfruit. Breakfast is then, most commonly, followed by attending mass at a church during which worshipers sing carols and dance. 

Sekukkulu: Uganda

Christmas in Uganda is referred to as “Sekukkulu”, which means “the birth of Jesus Christ”. It is usually preceded by a “watch night” on the 24th, where people attend church service and prepare food for the next day, which primarily involves bananas and chickens. On Sekukkulu, the church is usually filled to capacity, even by people who don’t attend often; people would be dressed in new clothes, especially women, who would wear traditional dresses and headwear. Overall, Ugandans believe that Sekukkulu is not about exchanging gifts; rather, they envision it as a special time for family, love, food, music, and clothes.

Christmas: Poland

Christmas time is usually marked by Advent, which begins four Sundays before Christmas. During this period, people usually practice fasting as well as cleaning in order to prepare for holiday celebrations. During Christmas Eve, which is known as Wigilia, there would be fasting until the evening, which consists of a dinner of twelve dishes, one for each of the Twelve Apostles. This is also the day when Christmas trees are decorated. Christmas Eve would then wrap up with a Midnight Mass service, and the day after Christmas, known as Boxing Day, would be celebrated with family and a bit of caroling.

New Years: Japan

In Japan, New Years’ celebrations are dominated by a variety of cultural celebrations and traditions. One of the most prominent practices is that of deep cleaning, where household members clean areas that would normally be overlooked in regular cleanings. Another tradition is that of Otoshidama where adults give children small envelopes with money in them, the practice is deeply rooted in family tradition.

Holiday traditions vary around the world, yet many of them center on the principles of tradition, family, and celebration; we hope you learned some more about how different holidays are celebrated around the world. 

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• holiday season
• international