Christmas in Sweden is a festival of light in the heart of the darkness. In December the sun barely climbs above the horizon, and much of the country spends the holiday in a deep blue twilight. Against that darkness Swedes set a thousand small flames: Advent candles in every window, […]
Christianity
Christmas in Italy: The Presepe, La Befana, and Christmas Eve Feasts
Christmas in Italy is a season of faith, family, and food, stretched between two great feast days and filled with traditions that are centuries old. It begins in early December and does not end until Epiphany in January, when a kindly old witch called La Befana makes her rounds. In […]
Christmas in Mexico: Las Posadas, Piñatas, and Three Kings Day
Christmas in Mexico is a long, warm, and deeply rooted affair. It is not one night but a season that stretches from the middle of December into early February, blending Catholic faith, Spanish colonial heritage, and distinctly Mexican color. Candlelit processions wind through neighborhoods, star shaped piñatas swing above laughing […]
Christmas in the Philippines: Simbang Gabi, Parol, and the World’s Longest Season
No country celebrates Christmas quite like the Philippines. Here the holiday is not a single day or even a single month. It is a season that swells through a quarter of the year, widely regarded as the longest Christmas celebration on earth. As soon as the calendar turns to September, […]
15 Best Places to Spend Christmas Around the World (2026 Guide)
Some people dream of a white Christmas in a snowy market town. Others want to meet Santa on the Arctic Circle, stand where the story began in Bethlehem, or trade the cold for a sunny beach. The world offers all of these and more. This guide gathers 15 of the […]
Christmas Symbols and Decorations Explained: Trees, Wreaths, Mistletoe, and More
Every December, homes fill with the same familiar objects: an evergreen tree, a ring of greenery on the door, red flowers on the windowsill, stockings by the fire, and lights everywhere. We hang them without thinking. But almost every Christmas decoration started as a symbol, and most carry a meaning […]
The Religious Meaning of Christmas: The Nativity, Advent, and Epiphany Explained
Strip away the gifts, the lights, and the feasting, and Christmas began as one thing: a religious festival marking the birth of Jesus Christ. For roughly a third of the world’s people, that meaning still sits at the center of the season. This guide explains the religious side of Christmas […]
Christmas Foods Around the World: 30 Traditional Dishes by Country
Ask people what Christmas tastes like and you will get a different answer in every country. For one family it is a dark pudding set alight at the table. For another it is corn dough steamed in husks, a spicy stew scooped up with flatbread, or a cold slice of […]
Santa Claus and His Global Cousins: Christmas Gift-Bringers Around the World
Almost every Christmas culture has someone who brings the gifts. In the United States and much of the world it is Santa Claus, a round, red suited man with a sleigh and a workshop at the North Pole. But travel a little and the gift bringer changes. He might be […]
Christmas Around the World: 25 Country Traditions You Should Know
Christmas looks different in every corner of the world. In one country it arrives with snow, candles, and a quiet church service. In another it lands in the middle of summer, on a beach, with cold prawns and a barbecue. The date can shift, the gift bringer changes name and […]