Christmas

Christmas traditions in the Netherlands are really two holidays in one — and understanding that duality is the key to the Dutch December. Weeks before most countries hang their first

Christmas traditions in the Philippines begin in September. Not metaphorically — literally. The moment the calendar flips to a month ending in “-ber,” Filipino radio stations switch to Christmas music,

Christmas traditions in Sweden blend ancient Nordic customs with warm, light-filled celebrations designed to push back the long darkness of the Scandinavian winter. In a country where December brings as

Christmas traditions in South Africa unfold under blazing summer skies: think Santa in shorts, prawns and braai on the Christmas table, and carols sung in eleven official languages. In the

Christmas traditions in Spain run on a different clock than the rest of Europe. The season opens not with Advent calendars but with a national lottery draw watched by millions;

Christmas traditions in Romania are among the most ancient and vividly folkloric in Europe — a world of star-carrying carolers in embroidered folk costumes, masked goat and bear dancers parading

Christmas traditions in Norway are shaped by deep fjords, Arctic nights, and a culture that treats the darkest month of the year as an invitation to gather close. In Norway,

Christmas traditions in Poland are among the most beautiful and deeply ritualized in all of Europe — a Christmas Eve celebration so rich in symbolism that UNESCO-worthy is barely an

Christmas traditions in Portugal are a journey through one of Europe’s oldest nations at its most festive — from Lisbon’s grand illuminated avenues to Madeira’s legendary floating nativity of lights,

Christmas traditions in New Zealand are a masterclass in doing the holidays differently: barbecues instead of roasts, the beach instead of the fireplace, and a native tree — the pohutukawa

Christmas traditions in Lebanon blend French elegance, Middle Eastern warmth, and mountain-village charm into a celebration unlike any other. In this small Mediterranean country — where Christians and Muslims have

Christmas traditions in Mexico are a nine-day party that the whole country throws together. From December 16 to 24, neighborhoods process through the streets reenacting Mary and Joseph’s search for