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Most popular christmas traditions


Top 10 holiday traditions in the US ‹ EF Academy Blog

The holiday season in the United States is a time like no other. As soon as Thanksgiving ends, the country rushes to prepare for the winter holidays. From Christmas movies to extravagant decorations, people stop at nothing to get in the holiday spirit. Here are 10 of our favorite holiday traditions!

1. Decorate the tree

Whether you get a real tree or a fake one, creating a perfect tree is a classic Christmas activity. Complete with lights, tinsel, baubles and ornaments, Christmas trees are one of the most traditional symbols of the holiday season. Put on some holiday music and gather your family and friends to “deck the halls” as you decorate your tree and get in the Christmas spirit.

2. Bake Christmas cookies

The holiday season is a time to indulge! A favorite tradition in the US is baking and decorating Christmas cookies. It’s typical to use cookie cutters to make sugar cookie dough into holiday shapes like trees, stars, or wreaths. Once the cookies are baked, go crazy with red and green icing and sprinkles to really highlight the holiday season.

3. Write a letter to Santa (and the reindeer!)

In the US, tradition holds that Santa Claus travels all over the world on Christmas eve to deliver presents to children everywhere. Guided by his trusty team of flying reindeer (most famously, Rudolph), Santa’s sleigh traverses the entire globe all in one night. Many children write letters to Santa to ask for special gifts. The night before Christmas, families leave out letters and cookies for Santa, and carrots for the reindeer. After all, Santa and his team must get hungry with all that traveling!

4. Look at the twinkly lights

During the holiday season, homes across the US are transformed into winter wonderlands. Filled with twinkling lights, nativity scenes, Santa figurines and so much more, it’s incredible to look at all the holiday displays. A popular tradition is to walk or drive around the neighborhood to admire all the beautiful decorations. Some neighborhoods in New York and Los Angeles, like Dyker Heights in Brooklyn or Candy Cane Lane in LA, truly pull out all the stops!

5. Build a gingerbread house

Gingerbread is a food that doesn’t get much recognition outside the holiday season. But, it shines bright as the star of an important tradition: building gingerbread houses! You can make your own gingerbread from scratch, or buy a kit at the grocery store to make things a little easier. Put your house together and cover it with icing, sprinkles, and gumdrops. You’ll end up with a gorgeous creation that tastes good, too!

6. Sing Christmas carols

The holiday songbook has practically endless amounts of Christmas songs, both classic and modern. In the US, the age-old holiday tradition of caroling is still done today, although it might not be as popular. But, if you’re in the mood to spread some holiday cheer, round up some musical friends and go door-to-door in your neighborhood, singing your favorite carols.

7. Exchange gifts

Giving gifts is a fun and thoughtful way to celebrate the people you love during the holiday season. There are a variety of popular gift exchanges, like “Secret Santa” or the silly tradition of “white elephant.” For Secret Santa, people each choose a name at random and secretly buy gifts for whoever they’ve chosen. It’s always fun to guess who your Secret Santa is when you receive your gift!

8. Wear an ugly sweater

Dressing up for holiday parties is one of the best parts of the season. It’s fun to don your very best, complete with sequins and sparkles, hopefully. But, it can be even more fun to show up wearing a hallmark “ugly” Christmas sweater, complete with a silly saying or antiquated embroidery. Hunt for the perfect hideous knit at a thrift store, find one with a festive phrase online, or make your own. Extra points for garland and flashing lights!

9. Watch Christmas movies

When the weather outside is frightful, the best thing to do is settle in with a blanket, a cup of hot cocoa and your favorite Christmas movies. From timeless classics like It’s A Wonderful Life to the hilarious journey of Buddy in Elf, there are so many holiday movies worth watching. Many TV channels even have countdowns to Christmas with a different movie every night. Here are some of our top movie picks for the holiday season – and they’re great to practice English with, too!

10. Spend time with the people you love

Holiday traditions are the most fun when done with cherished friends and family. Whether baking cookies or caroling, decorating the tree or snuggling up on the couch with a classic holiday movie, being surrounded by your favorite people makes everything better. No matter what holidays you choose to celebrate, the season is a time to give thanks, reflect on the past year, and spend time with loved ones.

Study in New York or Pasadena and celebrate all of these holiday traditions in the US.

20+ Popular Christmas Traditions Around the World

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By Minted | Last Updated: October 14, 2022

A CLOSE LOOK AT CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

Christmas is one of the most important celebrations for Christians and every year billions of people around the world celebrate in their own unique ways, creating their own unique Christmas traditions. While many people celebrate Christmas on December 25th, it can be celebrated at different times or for longer periods of time depending on where you live in the world. Over 160 countries celebrate this special holiday in some unique forms. While some traditions are religious in nature, such as attending church, others are less formal in nature and might include decorating Christmas trees, watching Christmas movies, or baking cookies for loved ones. We have assembled a list of 10 most popular Christmas traditions. See how many traditions your family participates in and also gain inspirations on some new ones you may want to start! We also share a fun list of 12 Christmas traditions around the world that you may or may not be aware of that you can use as ideas on how to celebrate Christmas in a new way with your family.

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10 MOST POPULAR CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS IN THE US

One uniquely American tradition during the holidays is watching specific movies and TV shows that put us in the holiday spirit. There are a number of favorites that range from old movies to cartoons. What better way to celebrate the holidays than with timeless classics such as “It’s A Wonderful Life,” “Miracle on 34th St.”, or “The Christmas Story?” Don’t forget those cartoons that will forever be a part of the holidays, such as “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” and “Frosty The Snowman. ” While some of those older movies and cartoons may not be as popular for the younger generation, you can always find more recent family favorites that bring a smile to your face, such as “Home Alone,” “Elf,” “ or “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.”

As most of us have some time off during this time of the year, there are also a number of blockbuster movies that will be released during the holidays. Kick back, relax, and enjoy these great movies and shows during the holidays.

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Top-Performing Christmas Movies Based on Ticket Sales (source: BoxOfficeMojo)

Rank

Christmas Movie

Gross Worldwide Ticket Sales

1

The Grinch

$511,595,957

2

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

$345,141,403

3

A Christmas Carol

$325,286,646

4

The Polar Express

$313,500,433

5

Elf

$220,885,524

6

The Holiday

$205,135,175

7

The Santa Clause

$189,833,357

8

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

$173,961,069

9

The Santa Clause 2

$172,855,065

10

Four Christmases

$163,733,697

Once you have had your fill of binge-watching holiday movies, you may want to participate in one of the oldest Christmas traditions, which dates back to the 15th century. That is, of course, selecting and decorating a Christmas tree. Each year, 30-35 million real Christmas trees are sold in the United States alone. Whether you go and cut down your own tree, buy one, or use an artificial tree, decorating a tree is one of the first signs that the Christmas holiday season is upon us.

If you do plan to venture out and find a real tree, finding the perfect one may take some time. You may want to consider things such as the scent, how sturdy the branches are in order to hold all of the ornaments, whether it drops a lot of needles, the price, color, shape, height, and so on. While there are a lot of variables to consider, you will know when you find the perfect one for your home.

Once you do finally get the tree into your home, the decorating fun begins. Start with a festive tree skirt as the base of your Christmas tree. Adorn your tree with lights, tinsel, garlands, ornaments, and a number of other trinkets that suit your family theme and taste.

Many families hang a special ornament each year that holds a special significance to them. Start a family Christmas tradition of adding one special ornament each year to your tree. Minted offers personalized Christmas photo ornaments in case you wanted to create special ornaments to send out to your loved ones this year.

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Holiday decorating is not limited to just the tree. Decorate your home with Christmas light displays and be the envy of your neighborhood. Some displays even coordinate the lights to turn off and on in unison with popular Christmas songs. Families often travel from miles around to search for the most beautiful light displays.

While you are decorating your home, don’t forget to hang stockings for each of your family members, even that special pet. Remember, you don’t have to have a fireplace to hang stockings. You can hang them from the staircase railing, from garland, on a bookcase, the footboard or headboard of your bed, your TV stand, and so many other places. Be creative! You may also want to read through our post on Christmas mantle decoration ideas.

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The tradition of hanging a strand of mistletoe in the house goes back to the 2nd or 3rd century. Mistletoe was said to have powers that bring good luck to a home by getting rid of evil spirits. More commonly, it was also used as a sign of love and friendship. This is where the custom of kissing under the Mistletoe originates. If you’re curious about where you can purchase mistletoe nearby, consider Home Depot, Lowes, your local hardware store, the garden section of Walmart or Kmart, or the pop-up Christmas tree sales tent.

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Of the many Christmas traditions celebrated around the world, the most common thread is the celebration of a shared meal. Create memories and reflect on the year by joining friends and family together to enjoy a delicious meal. If the idea of interacting with a larger group this holiday season has you feeling uneasy, look to just host a special meal with your immediate household.

As you might imagine, there are countless food choices that people enjoy throughout the world during Christmas, however, there are some main staples that are a part of many Christmas meals. Some classics include roast turkey, ham or chicken, potatoes, stuffing, and of course you cannot forget the gravy. You can also pair the food with some cocktails too.

If you're hosting, you can create a merrier ambiance around the dining room and kitchen with napkin sets and tea towels in Christmas patterns. Some candles and garland in the dining table set the mood for this Christmas dinner with your loved ones. Little accents and decorations here and there in the house will certainly make the season brighter and warmer for everyone.

Not everyone shares the same seasons and climate. In some parts of the world, there could be hotter temperatures during Christmas, which would result in serving colder or lighter dishes. Serving roasted meats cold or enjoying seafood recipes may be more common in warmer climates.

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While we all love a good meal, the actual process of baking together is often a family tradition in itself. Making cookies, baking pies, or building gingerbread houses falls in line with the holiday spirit that it is better to give than receive. Don’t forget to set a few cookies aside (with a glass of milk) for when Santa pays a visit. Some popular Christmas snacks include:

sweet home by Ana de Sousa

Gift giving is one of the most beloved traditions of Christmas (especially for children) and it goes back to when the Three Wise Men offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to baby Jesus in the manger. Gifts are usually placed under the Christmas tree or within stockings in festive patterns. Browse some unique gifts you can get for your family and friends.

>The timing and place of the gift exchange could vary depending on where you live in the world. For example, in some European countries (Netherlands, Germany, Czechia), some presents are opened as early as December 5th, right before St. Nicholas’ Day on December 6th. In America, we have created a few unique ways to exchange gifts in large group settings, such as

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The tradition of giving gifts to others is centered around showing how much we appreciate others and value the role they play in our lives. As you go about your holiday shopping, remember Christmas is a time to think about others and the joy of giving rather than receiving. Need some help finding the perfect personalized gift for your friends and family this year? Browse Minted’s Holiday Gift Guide for our top picks this 2022 season.

Tree lot wrapping paper designed by Joyce Pinheiro.

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Exchanging greeting cards has become a huge tradition during the holidays. It is a great way to communicate with friends and family and express that you are thinking of them. This year has been a very unusual one, with many of us not venturing too far from home, which means it has likely been a while since some of your more distant friends and family have seen your face. The annual holiday card greeting will be appreciated that much more this December. Did you know that in the United States alone, more than two billion Christmas cards are sent annually?

When it comes time to selecting Christmas cards for your loved ones, consider our wide range of beautiful and unique designs that capture the celebration of the holiday. Minted’s exclusive Christmas cards are designed by a global community of independent artists which guarantees that you will always find a unique and stylish design. There are a number of customization options available through Minted to add a more personal touch to your holiday greeting. Impress your friends and family with beautiful designs, premium quality, and experienced craftsmanship. Learn about what unique design trends we are seeing in 2021.

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The Elf on a Shelf phenomenon became a family Christmas tradition close to 15 years ago. It is derived from a children’s story about Santa’s elves watching over children and reporting back to Santa about the good and bad activities of the children observed that day.

The tradition has become extremely popular amongst adults and kids, as the Elf hides in a new spot every morning around the house and the kids try to find it. The elves are said to have magical powers derived from being adopted and loved by a child. However, the kids must follow one simple rule and that is to not touch the elf or the elves may lose their magic. If touched, the elves cannot report the children’s Christmas wishes back to Santa.

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Music plays a large role in many Christmas traditions around the world. We listen to holiday favorites with family and friends and have our playlist of favorite songs, such as “O Holy Night,” “Let It Snow,” “Jingle Bells,” and many others.

One Christmas tradition that has been passed down from many generations is caroling, in which a group of people shows up at homes to serenade inhabitants with holiday music. Some grade schools and high schools have even adopted the practice by encouraging certain groups of students to travel from classroom to classroom singing. This tradition or caroling dates back to the 19th century and is still practiced in many countries to this day.

12 ADDITIONAL UNIQUE CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

There are some truly unique and somewhat strange traditions that are practiced in different places around the globe. Here is a sampling of just a few…

Countless German cities like Berlin, Munich, Nuremberg, and Duesseldorf host impressive Christkindlmarkts, or Christmas Markets, where locals and tourists can shop hand-made souvenirs and seasonal-themed edible treats like lebkuchen and pfeffernüsse. Some of these outdoor markets and villages have been re-created each year dating back 500 years. If you do find yourself at a German Christmas market this year, be sure to observe any social distance advisories and mask-wearing protocols.

This theme has become fairly popular over the last few years. Outfits our parents and grandparents wore during the holidays (considered fashionable at the time) are now the butt of the joke at these gatherings and have become a funny family pastime. The tradition of wearing over-the-top holiday sweaters will most likely stay strong and continue to bring people together for some laughs. Consider hosting an ugly Christmas sweater party! In line with dressing up, be sure to check out our list of Christmas outfit ideas for the perfect family holiday card.

How would you like to take a nice swim in freezing cold water on Christmas morning? This may not be for you but hundreds of people in Brighton, England schedule a Christmas day dip every year with just a swimsuit and their Santa hat. This tradition is not exclusive to Brighton but also practiced in London’s Serpentine Lake, Sandycove, Dublin, and plenty of other cold bodies of water around the world. The thought of jumping in frigid Irish waters on Christmas morning is not for everyone!

While Christmas is not viewed as a huge celebration in Japan, a fairly new tradition has emerged in which families enjoy a feast of Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas day.

One of Norway’s Christmas Eve traditions that dates back centuries is the act of hiding all the brooms in the house. This act deprives the witches and evil spirits of finding something to ride on.

Before Venezuelans in Caracas head home to enjoy their Christmas day feast of tamales, hundreds head to church on roller skates. Roads all across the city are closed to cars so people can partake in this unique annual tradition and skate to church in safety.

Numerous cities throughout the U.S. and Europe host a Dickens Fair tradition each holiday season. San Francisco has been hosting one annually since 1970. Attendees will feel as though they have time-traveled back in time to a Victorian London setting where old-timey vernacular is used, vintage clothing is adorned, and bangers and mash are served at every other food stall.

On the Saturday before Christmas Eve, eleven villages in the city of San Fernando in the Philippines create giant lanterns in an annual competition. Known as The Giant Lantern Festival, this competition attracts people from all over the country to view this spectacle. The lanterns started off as small and simple creations, but over the years the lanterns have become more elaborate and much larger, reaching close to 20 feet. The lanterns are shaped in kaleidoscope patterns and are illuminated with electric bulbs.

One of the scarier traditions around the holidays takes place in Austria. While St. Nicholas rewards nice little boys and girls with presents, his evil accomplice, Krampus, is said to capture the naughty children and take them away in a sack. Krampus is described to be a half-man, half-goat and young men dress up in costume to frighten kids during the Krampus Parade, which has grown in popularity across Europe.

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In Sweden, they construct a giant straw goat, known as The Yule Goat, which is over 42 feet high, 23 feet wide, and weighs over 3 tons. Every year, the goat is built in the same spot. If you are not able to view the Yule Goat in person, you can watch a live stream from the first Sunday of Advent until after it is taken down at the beginning of the New Year. More recently, vandals have been setting the Yule Goats on fire, which is easy prey given that it is made from straw.

The Rink at Rockefeller Center has to be one of the most iconic outdoor ice skating venues in the world. The seasonal rink opens around the end of October each year but starts to really lure in skaters once the Rockefeller Center Tree is lit in early December. Call ahead to learn what special socially distanced guidelines may be in place.

If roast turkey or ham does not seem appetizing for Christmas dinner, then how about fried caterpillars? This delicacy can be enjoyed in South Africa at Christmas. The Pine Tree Emperor Moth - also known as the Christmas caterpillar - is covered in different colors and is said to give a little extra luck in the New Year to all those who eat it.

No matter what Christmas traditions you practice during the holiday season, it is always a fun time of the year to share special moments celebrating with family and friends. Happy Holidays!

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8 traditions that are important to follow to celebrate Christmas in the UK

Christmas Jumpers

Many people know the tradition of giving warm clothes at Christmas according to the film "Bridget Jones's Diary", literally in the very first minutes of which the actor Colin Firth appears in a ridiculous jumper with a deer - a gift from his mother. Unlike the hero of the film, real English people wear Christmas sweaters with a more joyful expression on their faces and consider them a full-fledged attribute of the holiday. Those who did not get the sweater have to be content with mittens, scarves or hats, but certainly in festive colors.

Christmas crackers (Christmas Crackers)

Before sitting at the festive table, in the United Kingdom it is customary to “break” Christmas Crackers - cylindrical crackers in the form of huge sweets. "Crackers" are laid out on the table near each device. To "break" them, two people must stretch the clapperboard from both edges. Inside there is always a playful message, a small souvenir with jokes to be read aloud, and paper crowns that all guests wear.

Queen's speech

No British Christmas is complete without a speech by Her Majesty. Every year on 25 December at exactly 15:00 GMT, millions of people across the United Kingdom gather in front of their televisions to watch the Queen's Christmas speech (formally known as Her Majesty's Gracious Speech) broadcast. The broadcast is conducted from the living room at Buckingham Palace and lasts only a few minutes. During this time, Elizabeth II manages to tell about herself, her family and the state. As head of the Church of England, she tends to draw on gospel examples and biblical stories. The speech is connected by a single theme that reflects the previous year and illuminates the coming one. The broadcast is not only in the UK, but also in all Commonwealth countries. The first to hear and see the Queen's performance are New Zealanders, then Australia, and the last ones are Canadians.

Addresses from the Throne date back to 1932, when King George V first congratulated his subjects over the radio. Elizabeth II continued this tradition. Television broadcasts began in 1957 and were interrupted only once, in 1969, when the documentary film "The Royal Family" was aired instead of the royal Christmas message that had become customary. However, a written message from the Queen was published in parallel.

Advent calendar

Four weeks before Christmas, the British, especially the little ones, start to keep advent calendars. The word "advent" comes from the Latin "adventus" ("coming"), and it refers to the period of preparation for the holiday. Most often, such calendars are produced in the form of cardboard houses with opening windows and are sold in any large grocery store. Every day it is allowed to open only one door in the box-house, strictly corresponding to the date. Behind each door (there are twenty-four in total) is a picture, a toy, or just a poem dedicated to Christmas. The final falls precisely on Catholic Christmas Eve.

Christmas stockings

Another tradition familiar from movies and cartoons: Christmas stockings are hung in the room near the fireplace or on the wall so that Santa Claus puts gifts in them on the night before Christmas. The tradition is associated with Saint Nicholas. According to legend, in one village a poor man was dying, leaving three daughters in poverty. St. Nicholas heard how the villagers discussed the unenviable fate of the girls, and decided to secretly help the family. The saint threw three gold coins into the chimney, which fell into the stockings of the girls hung over the fireplace to dry.

Today, you can buy stockings of any size and design in stores and fit virtually any gift there, and yet the most important gifts are still placed under the tree. Children, on the other hand, believe that those who behaved well all year will find sweets in stockings, and hooligans and naughty ones will find a piece of coal there.

Christmas carols (Christmas carols)

As a rule, members of charitable organizations sing Christmas carols to collect donations. Sometimes children help them. Having united in small groups, they go and ring the doorbell to the neighbors and sing for them. On the eve of the holiday on Trafalgar Square, you can see whole performances for the whole family on stories about the birth and life of Jesus Christ, invariably accompanied by melodic chants.

Christmas menu

No Christmas meal is complete without roast turkey, pigs in blankets and Yorkshire pudding with gravy sauce (gravy). For dessert, Christmas pudding and mince pies are served. The main drink is a Christmas punch (a glass of hot cider) or a non-alcoholic egg-nog cocktail made from eggs and milk. Baileys, cherry liqueur and wine are also very popular among the British.

Christmas cards

A postcard is a complete and very important part of a gift. The British carefully choose, sign, pack in an envelope, put it under the Christmas tree or send it by mail to relatives and friends in other cities and countries. This attribute of Christmas should not be neglected. British relatives and friends will obviously be surprised if they do not find your message on December 25th.

Maria Razumova

12 interesting Christmas traditions from around the world ‹ GO Blog

Christmas is always about food, family and friends, isn't it? And what is most attractive is the various traditions that have formed in different countries.

Here we have collected the most amazing (or surprisingly strange) traditions from around the globe:

1. Christmas Chicken

Christmas is always about food, and in Japan it is associated with three letters - KFC. In Japan, many people order chicken with KFC, and in advertising they sing along - “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!”, This is a kind of “Kentucky For Christmas!”. This tradition started at 19'74 when marketing campaigns for chicken took place everywhere and as a result, to this day, KFC has the biggest sales on Christmas Eve.

2. Lucky number

Since the 19th century, the Spanish National Lottery has been giving away a large amount of money with the name “El Gordo” or “The Fat One” in English. It became a huge event on December 22nd and people with a dozen tickets can be found waiting for the jackpot. Lottery numbers are usually sung by a chorus of 22 schoolchildren, and the whole country is eager to hear who this lucky person is!

3. Tió de Nadal

If you are not a fan of Christmas trees, what about Christmas figurines? In many cities in Spain, gifts are received through Tió de Nadal (Christmas figurine) - these are wooden figurines with a face and small feet decor.

However, the figurine not only brings gifts to families, but it can also be fed at night and can be seen snuggled up in a blanket on a rocking chair. Sweet, isn't it? Well, the mercy ends right here: on Christmas Eve, families throw the figurine into the fire of the fireplace, and the poor legged figurine… squeezes presents and sweets out of itself!

This figurine is also popularly called the Caga Tió or poop figurine. It's because the whole process looks like squeezing excrement out of yourself... 😀

4. Brooms and Mops

In Norway, Christmas means hiding your brooms and mops, not because they don't want to clean up, just Norwegians are a little superstitious. The fact is that in this way they prevent the theft of utensils by ghosts. It turns out that ghosts take those brooms and mops and fly around on Christmas night.

5. Christmas Spiders

Believe it or not, there is a Christmas spider. In Ukraine, at Christmas, the Christmas tree is decorated with a spider net. Don't be scared, there are just ornaments that look like cobwebs and it turns out to bring good luck. The origins of this story come from a very old tale in which a poor woman could not afford ornaments to decorate a tree. The next morning she woke up and saw a Christmas tree decorated with cobwebs and sparkling in the morning light so beautifully.

In other countries like Poland or Germany, it is considered a good sign to see a spiderweb on a Christmas tree.

6. Santa's Post Office

I'm sure many of us wrote letters to Santa, but did you know that he has a real address? He has a Canadian postal address, and if you write to him by December 16 in any language, including Braille, he will write back.

Just send your letter to Santa Claus, North Pole H0H 0H0, Canada. It's completely free, you don't even need a postage stamp, because Santa is cool, and so is the North Pole zip code.

7. Christmas pickles

Pickles must be your favorite decoration because they mean an extra gift. In many countries, there is an ornament in the form of a pickle, which is hidden in the Christmas tree. And the person who finds it will receive an additional gift or a big jackpot in the form of good luck for the whole year.

It's still unclear where this tradition came from, but I think we're all fine as long as there's an extra gift.

8. Guiding stars

In some countries, like Ukraine and Poland, the time for unpacking gifts is written in stars: the youngest child in the family must look at the evening sky and wait for the first star to appear. This is the signal indicating the time of unpacking. In case of bad weather, someone from the family decides when is the best time to open gifts.

9. Christmas Pudding

Puddings in various flavors and shapes are a popular Christmas treat. In Slovakia and some regions of Ukraine, pudding will bring joy not only to your stomach, but also to your destiny! It goes like this: The oldest member of the family takes a spoonful of loxa pudding and throws it at the ceiling. The more pudding on the ceiling, the more luck will accompany you! Everything is very simple.

**10. Donald Duck (**

Donald Duck)

An important tradition on Christmas Eve in Sweden is the “Donald Duck Special”.

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