Christmas Traditions From Around the World

We all know and love the tried-and-true Christmas traditions of the US, like hanging stockings from the mantel or snacking on gingerbread cookies and candy canes. But the holiday is celebrated in dozens of countries all over the world in some form or fashion — and every place does it a little bit differently. If you’re looking to mix up your holiday routine this year, try these traditional Christmas recipes (and twists on traditional recipes) from around the world, plus global-inspired Christmas decorations for your home.

First up: The United Kingdom. Christmas dinner in the UK usually consists of turkey and roasted vegetables, followed by Christmas pudding. Each person at the table gets a Christmas cracker — a cardboard tube wrapped in colorful paper — that’s filled with a toy, a party hat or a corny joke. In some families, the crackers are pulled apart by two people (similar to a wishbone), and whoever gets the larger half keeps the prize.

Rather than hanging stockings from the mantel, children in France place their shoes in front of the fireplace or under the Christmas tree so Père Noël (Father Christmas) will fill them with gifts. After midnight mass on Christmas Eve, French families gather for a decadent meal called réveillon, often featuring lobster, oysters, foie gras, cheeses and turkey with chestnuts. The feast ends with bûche de Noël, a sponge cake whimsically decorated to look like a yule log.

Originally from Milan, panettone is a sweet bread often filled with candied citron, raisins and lemon zest that’s become a holiday staple all over the world. For a new take on the traditional treat, whip up Giada De Laurentiis’ panettone bread pudding with amaretto sauce.

GET THE RECIPE: Panettone Bread Pudding

Originally a tasteless bread made with just flour, oats and water, stollen is now a sweet treat enjoyed on Christmas Day in Germany. It’s typically filled with dried fruit, nuts and spices and dusted with powdered sugar just before serving.

GET THE RECIPE: Stollen Bread

A piñata filled with sweets is a star of Las Posadas, a series of parties held from Dec. 16 to Dec. 24 in Mexico. The piñata typically has a round center with seven conical points, originally representing the seven deadly sins. Make a piñata for a Mexican-inspired Christmas celebration using floral foam, party hats, crepe paper and silk flowers.

Coquito, an eggnog-like alcoholic beverage made with rum, coconut milk, condensed milk, egg yolks and cinnamon, is enjoyed alongside Christmas dinner in Puerto Rico. Serve it chilled and topped with a dash of cinnamon.

GET THE RECIPE: Coquito Cocktail

Ugly Christmas sweater parties are commonplace now, but the holiday trend started in 2002 when students Chris Boyd and Jordan Birch invited partygoers to wear their worst and join them at Vancouver's Commodore Ballroom. According to them, they wanted to throw "a cheesy, feel-good, festive party, and the sweaters were a main ingredient of that."

In Norway, small, heart-shaped paper baskets called julekurver are hung around the house during the holidays and filled with goodies. In this Scandinavian-inspired holiday scene, designer Laurie March incorporated a graphic, woven paper heart, a modern twist on the traditional julekurver.

There's nothing like cozying up with a good book in the winter, and in Iceland they've turned this pastime into a holiday tradition. Called the "Christmas book flood," gifters chose from books published in Icelandic that year and give them out to friends and family for the holidays.

Since temperatures are high on Christmas in Argentina, some people decorate their Christmas trees with cotton balls to represent snow. If you, too, celebrate the holiday in a warm climate, make this easy garland using cotton balls and buttons, as designer Brian Patrick Flynn did here. Drape it around your tree or over the mantel.

When you think of a traditional Christmas dinner, you might think of ham, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. In Japan, however, Kentucky Fried Chicken is on the menu. The fast-food chain has promoted "Kentucky for Christmas" in Japan since 1974, leading to tens of millions in sales between Dec. 20-25.

The ancient Krampus tradition spans several European countries, including Germany, Austria, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Krampus, which is a scary, demon-like creature, is said to work in tandem with Saint Nicolas encouraging good behavior and punishing those who misbehave.

What better location to celebrate Christmas than the birthplace of Mozart and the setting for The Sound of Music? Salzburg, Austria, is a music city that provides the perfect soundtrack as you walk the streets to explore holiday stalls, shops and street performers.

Towering Yule goats are a sign the holiday season has begun in Sweden. Starting on the first day of Advent, towns and villages in the country construct massive straw Yule goats and decorate them in festive colors.

In Russia, New Year's celebrations are equally if not more important than Christmas. Santa Claus is known as Father Frost and alongside Snow Maiden, they hand out presents to children. On New Year's you'll hear the traditional greeting of "S Novym Godom."

Travel to Rovaniemi, Finland, any time of the year to visit the official home of Santa Claus. After you meet the big guy, settle in for a sleigh ride powered by Sami reindeer.

Named after Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, this meringue cake is a popular Christmas sweet in New Zealand and neighboring Australia. (The two countries have a running debate on who invented the dessert.) It's typically topped with whipped cream, strawberries, kiwi and passionfruit.

GET THE RECIPE: Mixed Berry Pavlova

The United Kingdom is a lot like the United States regarding Christmas traditions. While both decorate with Christmas trees, holly and mistletoe, there is one unique difference. While in the US, kids leave out milk and cookies for Santa Claus, kids in the UK leave mince pies and brandy for Father Christmas.