Christmas traditions from around the world
It’s time to switch things up this year and embrace a few different Christmas traditions. Last Christmas, many families spent the holiday season apart due to lockdown. As a result, everyone is keen to welcome in the new year surrounded by their loved ones and plenty of food.
Give everyone a chocolate gift to kick off the festive season, and then welcome in a few new traditions. You could get inspiration from these Christmas traditions from around the world.
France
Fruit was used to decorate Christmas trees in France thousands of years ago. Red apples were particularly popular and supposedly associated with the Garden of Eden. However, after a bad harvest one year, the tradition quickly faded. These days, glass ornaments are used to resemble fruit instead, and the French go big on red decorations.
Ukraine
Spider webs are used on Christmas trees in Ukraine. Sparkly spiders and beaded webs are hung all over the Christmas tree as a symbol of good luck. The tradition stems from an old folktale about a Christmas spiderweb that turned gold on Christmas morning. You can reuse your Halloween decorations for Christmas and make your tree spooktacular.
Australia
Christmas down under is a little different. There is sun, heat and seashells on the Christmas tree. Aussies love to decorate their Christmas trees with sparkly seashells to align with the summer season. Strange, right?
Finland
Geometric ornaments are on-trend right now. However, the tradition actually started in Finland. They decorate their Christmas trees with geometric structures and hang them above the dining table. They stay above the table until Midsummer, in the hope they will bring a good harvest.
USA
Have you ever seen popcorn strings on Christmas trees? In the 1950s, popcorn decorations became popular in North America. This supposedly started as a way to attract wildlife to outdoor trees in the winter. It’s a great way to decorate your tree on a budget.
Denmark
The Danish make paper hearted called julehjerte by pleating and plating paper. The hearts are red and white and filled with nuts or sweets. In the UK, we often hang small chocolates from the tree to be eaten on Christmas morning.
Mix up your Christmas decorations this year with a few traditions from around the world. You could make popcorn strings for around the tree or reuse a few glittery spiders from Halloween. Get creative and make this Christmas stand out from the rest.
