Unique Christmas Traditions Around the World

Christmas may be celebrated around the world, but not everyone celebrates the same way. Different countries and cultures incorporate many unique traditions into Christmas, making the holiday special. Whether your family plans to spend the holiday at home or abroad, it is always fun to learn about traditions celebrated by other cultures. Read on to discover some unique Christmas traditions that can help your family learn how others celebrate this beloved holiday.

Greece has a long-standing tradition known as karavaki, or Christmas Boat. Literally translated to mean “little ship,” this tradition embraces the practice of decorating sailing and fishing boats with lights for the holiday. While modern Greeks decorate their homes with lighted Christmas trees for the season, it was once commonplace to use a lighted ship model as the centerpiece of holiday decorations. In recent years, this practice made a comeback with lighted ships often seen in restaurants and shops during the season, especially on the islands where the tradition seems to have originated.

In Guatemala, a unique Christmas tradition occurs well before Christmas Day. Each year on the evening of Dec. 7, residents in this South American country participate in something called La Quema del Diablo, or Burning of the Devil. As the sun sets, Guatemalans don devil disguises and gather around bonfires to light effigies of the devil, often made from pinatas. The celebration, which dates back to the 17^th century, seeks to cleanse bad spirits and fortunes as the new year approaches.

Iceland celebrates Christmas with 13 Yule Lads, a family of mountain trolls who visit once a year to teach children to be good. On Christmas Eve, Icelandic children leave a pair of shoes on the windowsill to await a visit from the trolls. In the morning, they find out if they’ve been naughty or nice by the presents left for them, either sweet treats if they’ve been good or something foul, like rotten potatoes, if they’ve been bad.