…..Christmas is a Christian tradition like no other. For many people, the material aspects of the holiday in particular are the fan favorite, such as gift-giving, games like White Elephant and Secret Santa, Christmas trees, decorating cookies, and watching holiday movies. These traditions offer a fun way for people to bond with each other and celebrate during the cold winter months. The history of the holiday and Santa Claus goes as far back as the third century. The name Santa Claus is derived from his Dutch nickname, Sinterklaas, which is a shortened version of Sint Nikolaas. His joyful and positive reputation grew from there, and by the early 1800s, the celebration of Christmas became worldwide. 

…..Today, Christmas is celebrated in over 160 countries. In the Philippines, people celebrate with a magnificent  lantern festival around the holidays, which is held annually on the Saturday before Christmas Eve in San Fernando. Similarly, Japan, Toronto, and Colombia are known for their spectacular light displays and candle-lightings. These places celebrate the holidays through candle-lightings and light displays. The festive lights are also similar to the light shows in the United States. 

…..Other countries, such as Germany and Iceland, include mythical figures in their celebrations. In both countries, the Yule Lads and Saint Nicholas leave treats and gifts in the best-behaved children’s shoes.

…..Some other countries celebrate through different means, such as Sweden, Austria, and Norway. Sweden celebrates with the Gävle Goat, which is a monument built in the center of the Gälve Castle Square. A more recent tradition is to set the monument on fire, which has been done successfully 29 times. People visit the attraction, and some years, watch it be set ablaze. On a darker note, in Austria, a demon-like creature called the Krampus roams the city streets, scaring kids and punishing the supposed “naughty” ones. Young men dress up as the Krampus and go around terrifying children. In Norway, they celebrate their holiday season with the tradition of broom-stealing, which originated based on the belief that witches and evil spirits come out on Christmas Eve in search of brooms to ride on. 

…..The US seems to have a mixture of many of these traditions. Here, many families celebrate with the idea that the character, Santa Claus, delivers presents in the night by coming down chimneys. The belief that Santa Clause delivers coal in the stockings of  naughty children is also prevalent. The stockings themselves mimic the traditions of the Nordic region, which follows the practice of leaving shoes out overnight.  Americans also often attend holiday light shows, which offer a festive and fun way to enjoy Christmas. 

 …..Some countries celebrate in similar ways, some borrow traditions from other countries, and others have their own means of celebrating. Each culture shows their appreciation for the Christian Holiday.