Though belonging to the Christian faith, but Christmas is celebrated and observed all over the world, in both Christian and non Christian countries, with a few exceptions. Such is the festive attraction of the festival that people from all faith and ethnicities immerse in the celebration of Christmas, though the activities and traditions may vary from place to place. Along with prayers and wishing everyone, feasting, carolling and giving Christmas gifts to near and dear ones also from as important activities for the season. It is of particular importance to students, who goes abroad to study, or takes trips in the Christmas holidays. They keep keen knowledge on the local celebration flavours of different places, so that they can have the best of merry making. For kids too, this is a special time, for they can have the most of parties and get the most of gifts at this time. Across the world, the spirit of Christmas remains unchanged. While most of us celebrate it as a festive season spreading over a week, for some it is a month long festival that starts with the Advent on Sunday next to November 26 and ends on January 6 with the feast of Epiphany. Read on to have a glimpse over the different ways in which it is celebrated in different countries and places around the world.
All over the world, Christmas celebrations reflect local culture, history and traditions. The festivities can be startlingly different from country to country; focusing on different aspects of the origin and history. Often hailed “the most wonderful time of the year,” Christmas is a season of unity. This doesn’t just extend to family; Christmas is one of those rare occasions which truly unites people world-wide, across caste and creed, religion and ethnicity. What is fascinating is the different ways in which we see Christmas all over the world. In the following pages, we'll take a look at the different Christmas traditions in countries across the world, from Sweden to Australia, from England to China.