Without a doubt, everyone has their favorite Christmas ornament that they break out in the weeks leading up to the wonderful holiday. But did you know that there are tons of different decorations and traditions from all over the world.
If you are looking to make your Christmas holiday just a bit more multicultural next year, here is a great place to start.
From Mexican Christmas traditions, to German Christmas decorations and blown glass ornaments, let’s break down some of the most special and unique holiday traditions from all different corners of the globe.
Ukraine
In Ukraine, there is a story of a poor family growing a Christmas tree from a pinecone and having it decorated with gold and silver spiderwebs thanks to a little bit of Christmas magic. Now, families in Ukraine decorate their trees with spider-shaped ornaments. Beyond that, it is considered good luck if you find a real spider web strung up in your Christmas tree.
India
In India, the option to get the traditional evergreen tree is basically impossible. For that reason, the tradition in India is actually to celebrate the Christmas holiday with decorating mango or banana trees! On top of that, families often bring in mango leaves to decorate their homes during the holiday season.
Germany
In Germany, the most unique tradition is to hide a pickle in a Christmas tree and challenge the children of the house to find the pickle on Christmas Eve. The first children to find the pickle German Christmas Decorations will get an extra gift the following morning. While this is certainly a fun and silly tradition, it is also believed that the origination of this custom is because ornament retailers simply wanted to sell more ornaments many years ago. Pretty funny, right?
Greece
Known for its beautiful sea views, it perhaps is no great mystery why a really long-held tradition in Greece is to hang ship-shaped decorations on Christmas trees. On top of that, massive boats that harbor in the many marinas in Greece will also decorate themselves with lights to bring the beautiful lighted tradition to the waves!
Mexico
In Mexico, the millions that celebrate Christmas every year ring in the holiday by carving little radishes. This is especially true in the big Mexican city of Oaxaca. The tradition dates back as far to the last 19th century, with people now showing off their master carving skills by carving nativity scenes, traditional Mayan images and figurines inspired by local wildlife in the region.
Norway
Perhaps it is no surprise that one of the countries closest to the actual North Pole has some pretty wonderful Christmas traditions. Perhaps the most popular is the weaving of Julekurver baskets, which are hung around homes and filled with tasty nuts, candy and little gifts. To make the tradition even cuter, the traditional shape that these baskets are woven into are hearts. Many children will make these baskets at school and then bring them home for their family to enjoy.
