Pictures of Christmas celebrations around the world

Sparkling Christmas trees, Santa Claus, and stockings are part of the idea of ​​Christmas for many people, but the holiday can look very different globally.

From Europe to Asia to Antarctica, here’s how Christmas is celebrated in nine parts of the world – and one orbit around around the world.

Like other Europeans, Croats also celebrate Saint Nicholas Day in early December, whereby children take their shoes off, expecting Saint Nick to leave them sweets and small gifts, According to the Christmas resource website St. Nicholas.

Antonio Zdunich, who was born in Croatia, said: “As a child, I used to leave my shoes on the window. “Someone will fill it with presents and candy in the night, and I’ll wake up feeling happy”

Many families in Croatia plant wheat on December 13 with the belief that if it grows well, the next year will be prosperous for them, he said.

They also celebrate with Donald Duck. Last year, more than 4.5 million people – almost half of Sweden’s population – watched Disney’s 1958 film special “From All of Us to All of You”, according to Europe’s English-language news network, The Local. The show has been broadcast there every year since 1959.

Popular foods for this time of year are meatballs, ham, smoked or marinated salmon, pickled herring and stewed potatoes and anchovies known as Jansson’s Temptation, Kerttu said.

Many Japanese people Celebrate the holiday like Valentine’s DayAccording to JR Pass, a Japanese rail travel agency, couples spend the day together. People often go on a date to have dinner and go for a walk to see the Christmas lights with their partner.

One of the most discussed traditions – outside of Japan at least – is the culture’s fascination with eating fried chicken at Christmas, often from the American fast-food chain KFC.

A 1974 holiday marketing campaign called “Kentucky Christmas” kicked off a custom now celebrated by millions of Japanese, said Tatsuya Noguchi, a KFC Japan representative.

According to Noguchi, pre-orders for meals like “Party Barrel” or “Christmas Pack” start about seven weeks in advance. The restaurant chain also posted its highest sales of the year from December 23 to 25, he said.

“Every year, the busiest day is December 24 – about five to 10 times busier than the annual average,” says Noguchi.

Some 92% of the Philippines’ 110 million people are Catholic. Christmas is the most important time of the year in the Philippines and the country is said to celebrate the holiday longer than anywhere else – from September to January.

“Like many other Latin cultures, my family in the Philippines celebrates Nochebuena, a big celebration on Christmas Eve,” said Siena Klinzing, who is of mixed Filipino descent. “It involves getting together with family, having a big party and sharing gifts.”

She said her family stayed up late, like New Year’s Eve, to wish everyone “Merry Christmas” as soon as the clock struck midnight, she added.

Another important tradition is Simbang Gabi, which means “mass at night”, where people get up before dawn to attend mass for nine days from December 16 to 24. It is believed that these people Completing all nine days could beg for a blessing, Klinzing said.

Malls and hotels are often decorated a lot with Christmas trees spanning many floors, according to Visit Dubai, the emirate’s official tourist attraction.

Christmas markets, performances and special holiday menus at restaurants are also popular during December.

“Every night, people form a singing procession meant to represent Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem,” Mexican food blogger Mely Martinez.

Those processions often culminate at someone’s home, where people gather for a feast with food like tamales, Christmas punches and candies, she said. Martinez says other popular Christmas treats include pozole, a deep-fried doughnut called bunuelos, and a hot chocolate drink called champurrado.

Currently, Antarctica is home to 70 permanent research stations representing 29 different countries, by Oceanwide Expeditions, an Arctic and Antarctic tour company.

Without the usual hustle and bustle of Christmas, broadcasters have found creative ways to celebrate among colleagues.

Kathleen Maclean, a representative from the British Antarctic Survey, said: “Each of our five Antarctic research stations celebrates Christmas in their own way, depending on the weather. Some might roast turkey and eat canned and frozen vegetables, while others sing carols, watch Christmas movies and play board games, she said.

Maclean said despite the festivities, the research continues because “long-term monitoring data still needs to be collected”.

According to NASA’s website, astronauts on the International Space Center celebrated Christmas, Hanukah and New Year over the past 21 years and have developed a few traditions along the way.

Celebrations on the ISS include decorating the station, enjoying versions of traditional plastic food bags such as turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and cookiesand videotaped holiday greetings sent back to earth.

Christmas has also come twice on the Space Station since it falls on January 7 in the Russian Orthodox calendar, the date many Russian cosmonauts follow.