As someone who loves the holiday time, I’ve always been interested in learning about how people from different countries and cultures celebrate this time of the year. It’s very fascinating to see how, no matter what they believe in, millions of people come together during this time to celebrate with their loved ones. Here are 5 different holiday traditions that I love, all from different continents of the world:
1. Saint Nicholas Day, Germany
On the night of December 5th, German kids polish their shoes and put them outside their doors for St. Nicholas to fill them with presents, which they receive with joy when they wake up in the morning of the 6th. Up until the 16th century, December 6 was the day kids all over the world would receive their presents from Santa, and although this date has since changed in most parts of the worlds, it remains a tradition in Germany.
2. New year, China
One of China’s most popular holidays is New Year. What’s special about their New Year is that it is not celebrated January 1st! The Chinese New Year falls any day between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20, depending on first day of their lunar calendar. During this holiday, there are tons of celebrations all throughout China, which include lots of red, dragons, and fireworks. Each year, a new animal is assigned for the year, and this upcoming year of 2020 Chinese people will be welcoming the year of the rat (BTW, how is it almost 2020 already)!
3. KFC dinner, Japan
In 1974, a few years after KFC had first opened in Japan, they did a campaign called “Kentucky for Christmas” to advertise their foods as a traditional holiday meal so that they could succeed in this new market. Since then, it’s been a tradition for millions of Japanese families to eat KFC on December 25! How cool is that?
4. Holidays at the beach, Australia
While most people who live in countries in the northern hemisphere are trying to keep warm, Australians are enjoying a nice Christmas day at the beach! Due to its southern location, this country’s Holiday celebrations take place during the summertime. Its residents, and thousands of visitors, take advantage of the great weather and share time together by having picnics while enjoying a nice break by the beach.
5. Nochebuena, Venezuela
Christmas in Venezuela is usually celebrated on Christmas Eve, and on this day, friends and family get together to eat and share the moment. The traditional food, hallacas, consists of a corn dough stuffed with pork, raisins, olives, and as many things as you want to add! Since Venezuela is a predominantly catholic country, it is accustomed to attend mass that day to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Another interesting fact about Christmas in Venezuela is that children ask Baby Jesus for gifts every year instead of Santa. Or if you were anything like me as a kid, you’d take advantage of this and ask both, because why not?