How Christmas is celebrated around the world

jan j. photography// Shutterstock For centuries, cultures worldwide have celebrated the end of the midwinter season’s darkest days and the rebirth of new life. Now, in much of the world, it’s simply known as Christmastime. Stacker dove into just some of the ways people celebrate the holiday across the globe. While much of the world’s Christians celebrate Christmas with nativity scenes, church services, candy canes, and Santa Claus, there is a seemingly endless variety of Christmas traditions, feasts, celebrations, and rituals. For many people, Christmas falls on Dec. 25, but hundreds of millions of Orthodox Christians–12% of the world’s Christian population–celebrate on Jan. 7. Some people and cultures follow traditional religious themes, while others incorporate folklore or regional customs. And even for a vast majority (86%) of non-Christian Americans, Christmas is still celebrated, albeit secularly. These 30 diverse traditions from around the world have one thing in common: they’re all about Christmas. Read on to learn more–and to gain inspiration for new traditions in your family. Iceland: 13 Yule Lads Iness_la_luz // Shutterstock In Iceland, Christmas includes a blend of religious and regional folklore. Traditions like gift-giving are familiar, but instead of a single Santa Claus-esque figure, Icelandic children are visited by 13 troll-like creatures known as the Yule Lads. Over the 13 nights leading up to Christmas, one of the Yule Lads, each representing a different Father Christmas, leaves sweets or rotten potatoes, depending on whether or not the child has been on their best behavior. Philippines: Giant Lantern Festival aapsky // Shutterstock The city of San Fernando is known locally as the “Christmas Capital of the Philippines,” thanks to its competition featuring colorful, glowing ornamental lanterns called parols. Villages across the region carefully construct and display the nearly 20-foot parols for thousands of onlookers. The festival began in the early 1900s, but really took off in 1931 when the city got electricity, allowing lantern artists to put bright lights inside their creations. The celebration occurs on the Saturday before Christmas Eve. Austria: Krampus Calin Stan // Shutterstock One of the less cheerful Christmas legends is the story of Krampus, Santa’s evil counterpart. Pagan legend has it that Krampus torments naughty Austrian children, threatening to beat them with birch branches or whisking them away in a basket. He is said to accompany St. Nicholas, visiting children’s homes and doling out punishment while his brother rewards the well-behaved. Each year, people across Austria dress up in their scariest Krampus costumes and terrify onlookers of the Krampus Parades. Germany: St. Nicholas Day