Christmas Around the World

Well, it's Friday, another week has passed and we are closer to Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year. For a couple of weeks every year, the world takes on a magic glow, people seem merrier, and even winter somehow feels cosy.

Whether we're celebrating a religious festival, like Hanukkah or Christmas, or a more secular occasion, there are so many rituals, or customs that make the holiday season so special. 

So, let's travel around the world and find some of the ways Christmas is celebrated! 

Giant Lantern Festival, Philippines, is held each year on the Saturday before Christmas Eve in the city of San Fernando – the “Christmas Capital of the Philippines.”

One of the most unorthodox Christmas Eve traditions can be found in Norway, where people hide their brooms. It’s a tradition that dates back centuries to when people believed that witches and evil spirits came out on Christmas Eve looking for brooms to ride on. 

One of the most important ways of celebrating Christmas in Italy is the Nativity crib scene, and it's thought that the first Nativity scene go back to 1025,in Naples. 

Mistletoe and kisses!! One of the British Christmas traditions of hanging mistletoe dates back to the ancient Druids who believed the plant brought good luck and helped protect against evil spirits. In Norse mythology, mistletoe symbolised love, which is where the custom of kissing under the mistletoe originates from. 

Do you have your own Christmas family traditions? My mom used to bake a cheese pie and hide little lucky messages or even some coins! 😁

Let's share some of the funny, beautiful, weird traditions  of Christmas. Or just have a friendly chat and enjoy this Friday and the start of the weekend. 

As always, smile a lot, and be gentle with yourself and others!