Christmas is a time of year when people worldwide celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a cultural celebration in most countries as well as a religious celebration.

Christmas has been celebrated for centuries and there are many different ways to celebrate it. For example, some people like to light candles with their family on Christmas Eve while others prefer to attend a Christmas service at church. Many different types of foods can be eaten during Christmas as well, such as turkey, eggnog, and fruitcake.

Some countries have very expensive decorations for their Christmas trees while other countries prefer to keep them simple.  No matter how Christmas is celebrated there are some amazing Christmas ornaments that can be found in each country that celebrates.

Christmas decorations from around the world

Christmas decorations in England

In England, Christmas is known as “Yuletide.” Santa Claus was first mentioned in a book by John Milton called “Paradise Lost” that was published in 1667. The tradition of giving Christmas presents to loved ones comes from Germany and Switzerland. Sweets such as mince pies and candy canes are also popular at Christmas time in England. People decorate their houses with holly during Yule as well.

Mistletoe is a favorite tradition at Christmas in England. Mistletoe (real or faux) is placed on the ceiling and is said to bring good fortune to anyone who kisses under it.

This mistletoe is one of the most traditional ones I have found. Hang it somewhere near a door and prepare to pucker up!

At Christmas dinner, everyone is presented with a “Christmas Cracker” on their plate. These crackers are wrapped in gift paper and contain a small trinket or other fun item.

You can buy these crackers here or you can make your own and make something special for each family member.

 

Christmas decorations in Germany

Germany gave Christmas the Christmas tree! An evergreen tree that is brought inside and lit with candles (twinkle lights today) to celebrate the season. The tree was decorated with apples, candy canes and miniature toys.

So much of what we use as Christmas decorations in the United States today has been passed to us from German immigrants, so many of you may already have German Christmas decorations in your home.

German homes feature big Christmas trees, nutcrackers, and Christmas pyramids.

Nutcrackers, according to German folklore, were given to loved ones to bring good luck to families and protect the home. Today you will find a huge range in price and style in nutcrackers. The best of the best are the Steinbach, Ulbricht and Erzgebirge nutcrackers that feature hand painted detail and fine wood. They do increase in value as they age so you may not want to let the kids play with these ones.

This is a beautiful Steinbach nutcracker

An Ulbrict one

an Erzgebirge one

 

No matter which kind of nutcracker you buy if you buy a German nutcracker you will have a Christmas decoration that will make you happy for years to come.

The other Christmas decoration that Germany is known for are German Christmas pyramids that tell the nativity store on different tiers of the pyramid. When the candles are lit around the pyramid the figures on it rotate.

You get what you pay for here as well…my mother has one that she bought when they lived in Germany and it still works beautifully nearly 50 years later!

 

Christmas decorations in Norway

In Norway presents are not delivered by Santa Claus, but by a gnomelike creature known as Julenissen. He wears a red hat and goes from door to door distributing gifts on Christmas Eve. Norwegians like to decorate their home with little red Nisse (as do all Scandinavian homes)

Nisse have really caught on in the US over the past 5-10 years and you see little gnomes popping up in Christmas decorations as well as Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day and more. A traditional Nisse wears a red hat and is quite simple in decoration. If you want one for your home here are some of the best:

Or this one:

buy here

People in Norway like to make traditional heart baskets to hang on the tree as well as fragrant gingerbread houses. You will find similar decorations in Sweden, Denmark and Finland.

 

Christmas decorations in Russia

In Russia, Christmas is celebrated on January 7th with religious observances and family visiting. However, New Year’s Eve is the bigger national holiday.

In Russia, children are given gifts from Grandfather Frost on New Year’s Eve. He brings gifts with his granddaughter, “the Snow Maiden”. It is also tradition to exchange gifts that represent wealth and prosperity in the new year.

Grandfather Frost wears a blue coat sometimes instead of a red one, and Russian homes often have a Grandfather Frost figure.

Many Russians are very religious and have a nativity set in their home. This nativity is handmade from Russia and typical of their nativity scenes.

 

Related: If you love Christmas nativities check out my post about Nativities from around the world.

 

Christmas Decorations in Mexico

In Mexico, Christmas celebrations last from December 12 through January 6th. They begin with the celebration of the Posadas which are a series of Christmas parades held every night from December 16th to the 24th. They are retellings on the story of Joseph and Mary and the parades lead to homes that have “no room at the inn”.

On Christmas Eve, it is tradition for Mexican families to attend mass and then return home to eat tamales. The following day is when the real part of celebrating begins. The tree is decorated with fruit and sugar cane figures and a star made out of pine needles at the top.

You will find poinsettias all over Mexico during Christmas time as well as nativity scenes. You might even see a few pinata around as a way to find small gifts and toys. These Christmas piñata are generally star shaped.

 

Christmas Decorations in Italy

In Italy, Christmas Eve is the largest holiday! The day is filled with religious observance as well as some fun. Often, children will get small gifts from St. Nicholas on Christmas Eve. But they hang their stockings on January 6th for La Befana ( the old lady in search of the Christ Child.)

When my family was in Rome before New Year’s, I couldn’t understand why every shop had witch dolls in the window, but once I understood that it was an old lady and not a witch, it made more sense. There is a beautiful book about la Befana that is great for teaching your kids about Christmas worldwide.

Most Italians own a presepe or a manger scene. The largest ones are displayed in churches or town squares but most families collect their own as well. These nativities can range from 3 pieces to hundreds of pieces, and the brand Fontanini is considered to be the best.

 

Christmas decorations in France

France places a lot of pride in the Christmas season, which is why decorations are so beautiful. There are no rules on when to start putting up your holiday decorations, but many people will do it the first week of December. Many homes have their nativity scene. The display can be placed anywhere from the living room table to mantles or window sills.

Christmas trees are worn with holly and natural green garland, including pinecones, leaves, and faux fruit. It is common to see red apples on French Christmas trees. Most French families use candles instead of electric tree lights because they want an authentic rustic feel for their Christmas decorating style.

Buy here

The French love to shop at traditional Christmas Markets in large cities like Strasbourg, Paris and Nice. There are lots of ideas for gifts, decorations and delicious food.

There are no traditions in France for when to open presents on Christmas Day. Instead, it is common practice to open gifts on the night of December 24th during midnight mass or on Christmas morning.

This country’s version of Santa Claus is Le Père Noël and he comes down the chimney with all their gifts. He sometimes carries a sack full of oranges, which represent gold coins.

 

Ukrainian Christmas Decorations

Ukraine may hold the record for the most unusual Christmas decorations…spiders and spider webs.

A folk tale tells of a poor widow who couldn’t afford to decorate her pine tree. She went to sleep without a thing on the tree and awoke the next morning to find spiders had decorated it for her with delicate webs that caught the light and made for a beautiful Christmas morning.

No products found.

Buy spider ornament here.

 

In Ukraine, Christmas is celebrated from January 7 through January 17th. This is because the Christmas holiday was banned by the communist government from 1935 to 1991. They celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday rather than a festive one, but they still have beautiful decorations for their homes and churches.

Ukraine’s Nativity scene’s are made of ceramic figurines with lots of tiny pieces that have been hand painted to represent each person in the nativity. The dolls used in carnival celebrations often look like those found during Holy Week in Seville, Spain which adds a unique quality to Ukraine’s nativities.

 

Christmas decorations in Greece

The Christmas Ship is one of the most unique Christmas decorations in Greece. These small boats were a traditional gift for sailors to bring home to their families when they returned to port. At Christmas time, ships were filled with food, wine, and Christmas treats like cookies and candy.

Today, these little boats are still given as a symbol of the season, but large boats in port are often decorated like Christmas trees. You will find the little ones decorated in individual homes.

The Christmas tree in Greece is decorated in ornaments and lights and topped with a star (inside or outside) which signifies the Star of Bethlehem.

Christmas is a big religious day, but presents are exchanged on New Year’s Eve, like in many other European countries.

 

Christmas decorations in Australia

Australia is a former British colony and has lots of English Christmas traditions, but they are just a little different. In Australia, December is a summer month! Instead of warming up by a fire they are often at the beach. Traditional food often includes seafood, a summer BBQ and Pavlova (a meringue dessert). Both Australia and New Zealand celebrate Christmas very similarly.

You will find Santa figures around Australia that are similar to those in the Northern Hemisphere but every one and a while you will find Santa in a bathing suit!

 

Every country celebrates Christmas in its own way but it’s safe to say that spending time with family and friends brings everyone worldwide together to celebrate peace and love throughout the world! I hope this helps you understand some other cultures a little bit better and find ways to bring those traditions into your home through decoration or understanding! I hope you enjoyed Christmas Decorations from around the world.

 

 

Last update on 2024-09-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API