Christmas is a public holiday in most countries of the world, yet no two countries celebrate it the same way. Some open presents on Christmas Eve, others on Christmas morning or not until January 6. Some eat fish, some fried chicken; some celebrate in the snow and some on the beach.
Christmas traditions around the world
Here is what Christmas looks like in 18 countries. South of the equator, in Australia, Brazil, Argentina and South Africa, it falls in summer, so dinner often moves outdoors.
Germany
Christmas markets fill town squares from late November, and children open one door of their Advent calendar each day. Presents come on Christmas Eve, Heiligabend. Decorated Christmas trees started here, in the 16th century.
The Philippines
The world’s longest Christmas season begins with the “ber months” in September. Families go to Simbang Gabi, nine dawn Masses from December 16 to 24, hang parol star lanterns and share the Noche Buena feast.
Mexico
Las Posadas act out Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter every night from December 16 to 24, with songs and piñatas. The poinsettia, the Christmas flower, is called nochebuena here.
Japan
A bucket of KFC and a strawberry Christmas cake make the classic Christmas meal. Christmas Eve is a night for couples.
South Korea
Christmas is a public holiday, and Christmas Eve is a favourite date night. Santa Claus goes by Santa Harabeoji: Grandpa Santa.
Australia
Christmas comes in summer, so it often means the beach and a barbecue. On Christmas Eve, Melbourne sings by candlelight at Carols by Candlelight.
Poland
Wigilia, the Christmas Eve supper, begins when the first star appears. Twelve meatless dishes go on the table, and one place stays empty for an unexpected guest.
Sweden
Lucia processions light up December 13. At 3 pm on Christmas Eve, many families watch Donald Duck, Kalle Anka, on TV.
Italy
Homes and churches build a presepe, a nativity scene. On January 6 the kindly witch La Befana fills children’s stockings with sweets, or with coal for the naughty ones.
The United Kingdom
Crackers snap at Christmas dinner, mince pies are everywhere, and at 3 pm the King’s Christmas message is on TV.
The United States
Stockings hang by the fireplace, and cookies and milk wait for Santa. Every Christmas Eve since 1955, NORAD has tracked Santa’s sleigh.
Brazil
Papai Noel arrives in the summer heat, and families gather for the ceia de Natal at midnight on Christmas Eve.
Iceland
Thirteen Yule Lads visit one by one in the nights before Christmas. On Christmas Eve people give each other books and read late into the night: the Jólabókaflóð, or Christmas book flood.
Ethiopia
Christmas, called Genna, falls on January 7, and many people dress in white for church.
Venezuela
In Caracas, people roller-skate to early-morning Mass in the days before Christmas.
India
In Goa, churches fill up for midnight Mass. Where there are no fir trees, families decorate a mango or banana tree instead.
Spain
Families sit down to a late dinner on Nochebuena, Christmas Eve, and in Catalonia children tap the Caga Tió log until it “gives” sweets. Many children get their presents from the Three Kings on January 6.
Türkiye
Most families decorate their tree for New Year’s Eve rather than Christmas: the yılbaşı ağacı. Saint Nicholas, the real man behind Santa Claus, was bishop of Myra, today’s Demre in Antalya.
Christmas trees around the world
Bringing an evergreen indoors and decorating it became a Christmas custom in 16th-century Germany, and from there it travelled the world. Two Baltic capitals claim one of the first public Christmas trees: Tallinn, in 1441, and Riga, in 1510.
A few trees are famous in their own right:
- Trafalgar Square, London: every year since 1947, the city of Oslo has sent London a Norwegian spruce to say thank you for Britain’s help in the Second World War.
- Rockefeller Center, New York: the giant tree has been lit every year since 1933, one of the city’s big December nights.
- St Peter’s Square, Vatican City: a tall tree stands next to the nativity scene every Christmas.
Not every decorated tree is a Christmas tree. In Türkiye and Russia the tree belongs to New Year’s Eve, and in Goa a mango or banana tree may stand in for a fir.
Today the trees people make on Deco My Tree have a map of their own. Every country shows as a flag with its number of trees, and you can zoom in to the towns and districts where they stand.
When is Christmas celebrated?
Most of the world celebrates Christmas Day on December 25, a Friday in 2026. Churches that still follow the old Julian calendar celebrate 13 days later, on January 7, and in many countries the biggest night of all is Christmas Eve.
| Date | Who celebrates |
|---|---|
| December 24, evening | Christmas Eve is the main celebration in Germany, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and much of Latin America |
| December 25 | Christmas Day in most countries, from the UK, the US and Australia to the Philippines, Brazil and India; in Ukraine too since 2023 |
| January 6 | Christmas for the Armenian Apostolic Church; elsewhere the Epiphany, when the Three Kings (Spain) and La Befana (Italy) bring presents |
| January 7 | Orthodox churches on the Julian calendar, in Russia, Serbia and Georgia, along with Egypt’s Copts and Ethiopia (Genna) |
How to say “Merry Christmas” around the world
Deco My Tree speaks 19 languages, so here is “Merry Christmas” in each of them, ready for your next message.
| Language | Merry Christmas |
|---|---|
| English | Merry Christmas |
| Turkish | Mutlu Noeller |
| German | Frohe Weihnachten |
| Spanish | ¡Feliz Navidad! |
| French | Joyeux Noël |
| Italian | Buon Natale |
| Portuguese | Feliz Natal |
| Dutch | Vrolijk kerstfeest |
| Polish | Wesołych Świąt |
| Swedish | God jul |
| Russian | С Рождеством! (S Rozhdestvom!) |
| Arabic | عيد ميلاد مجيد (Eid milad majid) |
| Hindi | क्रिसमस की शुभकामनाएं (Christmas ki shubhkamnayein) |
| Indonesian | Selamat Natal |
| Japanese | メリークリスマス (Merī Kurisumasu) |
| Korean | 메리 크리스마스 (Meri Keuriseumaseu) |
| Thai | สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส (Suk san wan Khrit-mat) |
| Vietnamese | Giáng sinh vui vẻ |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 聖誕快樂 (Shèngdàn kuàilè) |
Looking for more than two words? Borrow one of our Christmas wishes and send it on a friend’s tree.
The Christmas World map
Deco My Tree World is a live map of the trees people make on Deco My Tree. Zoomed out, each continent shows a small forest with its number of trees. Closer in, every country appears as a round flag with its count, and closer still you see towns and districts, with each tree’s first name.
Tap a tree to see whose it is, where it stands and how many gifts it has, then leave a gift with a message of your own. Messages stay private: only the tree’s owner reads them. If you have a tree, you can put it on the map yourself. Only your town or district shows, never your address.
Questions
Which country celebrates Christmas first?
Kiribati. Christmas Day begins first on Kiritimati, also called Christmas Island, which runs on UTC+14: its midnight comes at 10:00 UTC on December 24. See Christmas Eve around the world for the whole timeline.
Which countries celebrate Christmas on January 7?
Orthodox churches that keep the Julian calendar, including those in Russia, Serbia and Georgia, celebrate on January 7, as do Egypt’s Copts and Ethiopia, where Christmas is called Genna.
Where did the Christmas tree tradition start?
In Germany, where decorated evergreens became part of Christmas in the 16th century. Tallinn (1441) and Riga (1510) both claim one of the first public Christmas trees.
Is Christmas celebrated in every country?
It is a public holiday in most countries, but not in all of them. In Türkiye, for example, December 25 is a working day, and most families decorate their tree for New Year’s Eve instead.
What is the Christmas World map?
It’s Deco My Tree World, a free map of the trees people make on Deco My Tree. You can browse it by continent, country and district, and visit any tree on it.
Can I add my own tree to the Christmas World map?
Yes, unless a parent supervises your account. Create your tree, open the map and tap “Add your tree”. Only your town or district is shown, and you can hide your tree from the map at any time.
How do you say Merry Christmas in Spanish, French and German?
¡Feliz Navidad! in Spanish, Joyeux Noël in French and Frohe Weihnachten in German. The table above has it in all 19 languages Deco My Tree speaks.