“Joy to the world, The Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King…” *

Christmas is one holiday that is celebrated the world over. Each country has its own special traditions and decorations.

Read on for several examples of Christmas ornaments and traditions in their international incarnations.

In Belgium, parades are an integral part of the Christmas celebration. Belgian Christmas parades often end at a place of worship.

In Lithuania, intricately detailed ornaments are handcrafted from straw that is gathered from the fields.

In Ireland, candles are traditionally placed in each window of the home to welcome Jesus and visitors. Battery-powered or electric candles are a modern-day version of this tradition. As an added bonus, electric candles are less of a fire hazard than are candles with open flames. In the Irish tradition, only a woman named Mary is allowed to put out the candles (or turn them off, as the case may be.)

In the Ukraine, spider webs are used as tree ornaments. Hit some after-Halloween sales to stock up.

Add an elf or two or ten to bring a Norwegian element into your Christmas decorations. Elves are an important element in the folklore of Norway.

Many Scandinavian traditions involve respect for other creatures. Scandinavian communities cease all hunting and fishing on Christmas, because the entire world is worshipping that day, even the animals. Children will pour grain out on Christmas Eve so that the birds will have something to eat on Christmas morning.

In Canada and in France, traditional Christmas ornaments include pine boughs and kissing balls.

The Polish spend Christmas Eve fasting until the evening sun sets. Then Polish families help themselves to an incredible meal. One chair is left empty at the feast, as a symbol of welcoming the Messiah to the table. A “peace wafer” is split up among all the guests at this Christmas Eve gathering.

Yugoslavian Christmas ornaments often include figures of angels. A gold or silver coin is placed in a cake, and the person who receives the slice which contains the coin is believed to have good luck for the next year. It is also common for homes to include a crib as part of the Christmas decorations, to show that the Christ child is welcome in their home.

In England, a Yule log is burned in the fireplace on Christmas Eve while family and friends gather around the fire and sing Christmas carols. Children do not have to go to bed until the flames of the Yule log have completely faded.

An Argentinean Christmas tree might be bedecked with cotton, to look like snow. A home
decorated for Christmas in Argentina will most likely contain a nativity set.

In Germany, trees are decorated with roses, apples, and candles. German homes generally contain an Advent wreath, as well. The symbolism of this is expressed well in Jesus Christ the Apple Tree**: “The tree of life my soul hath seen, /Laden with fruit and always green:/The trees of nature fruitless be/ compared with Christ the apple tree.”

Christmas ornaments and decorations in Puerto Rican homes focus on the saints, manger scenes, the Holy Family, and the Three Kings (“Wise Men”). On January fifth, the day before the Epiphany celebration, Puerto Rican children leave grain, water, and grass beneath their beds so that Wise Men/Three Kings of Epiphany have something to sustain and hydrate themselves and their camels.

In Chile, Santa Claus by any other name still does much the same. Christmas tradition in Chile is that Old Man Christmas comes down the chimney to deliver gifts. Old Man Christmas is thinner than the American elf, and probably fits better in the narrower chimney columns found in South American countries. Figurines that depict the “cast” of the Christmas story are popular as Chilean Christmas Ornaments.

Swedish homes, like those of Lithuania, contain Christmas ornaments and decorations that are constructed from straw found on the farms of the countryside. Animal figures, such as goats, and dolls, are some of the more common designs of traditional ornaments in Sweden.

Any one of these Christmas decorations, ornaments, or traditions could be adopted – and adapted – by your own family to celebrate your heritage, or to incorporate diverse traditions into your family’s holiday home.


*From “Joy to the World,” lyrics by Isaac Watts

**Arranged by Elizabeth Poston