It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is so much more than a religious event. It is celebrated all around the world by different beliefs and religions. Here are 5 different countries and how they celebrate Christmas and any traditions they follow.

Germany:

Germany celebrates Christmas with two public holidays, 25^th and 26^th December. For many people, 24^th December (Christmas Eve) is divided into a hectic morning and a festive evening. On Christmas Day and boxing day the German people enjoy a extravagant feast on a festively decorated table. The traditional Christmas meal is roast goose with potato dumplings and red cabbage.  Germany is responsible for the foundation of Christmas trees, as devout Christians began the tradition in the Middle Ages. Typically, the tree is brought into the house on Christmas Eve and is secretly decorated by the mother of the family for the young children. Germans also exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, rather than on Christmas Day.

Russia:

Russia celebrates Christmas on January 7^th. This is because the Russian Orthodox church uses an older calendar known as Julian for religious celebrations. New Year’s Eve tends to be a more important time of year, as this is when Grandfather Frost gives presents to the children. The Christmas Eve meal concludes the Nativity Fast. Typically, meatless it can be made up of twelve dishes to represent the twelve apostles. Christmas day meal features a main course of meat of your choice. This is accompanied by a rage of side dishes such as aspic, stuffed pies, and desserts in various forms.

Japan:

Christmas is not celebrated as a religious holiday in Japan and is instead seen as a time to spread happiness. A lot of the traditions have been taken from the West, as Christmas is a new idea to the Japanese. Fried chicken is the most popular meal to eat on Christmas Day, so restaurants like KFC take orders in advance. Christmas Eve is thought of as a romantic day where couples spend together exchanging gifts. In many ways it resembles Valentine's Day celebrations in the UK.

India:

With more than 25 million Christians living in India, Christian communities in large cities such as Mumbai celebrate Christmas in several different ways. Traditional Christmas trees are usually replaced with mango or banana trees, whilst churches are decorated with Poinsettia flowers and candles for midnight mass. Midnight mass is a very important for Christians in India, especially Catholics. It is where the whole family walk to the mass and this will be followed by a massive feast of different delicacies, the giving and receiving of presents.

Finland:

The northern part of Finland, known as Lapland, is where Father Christmas lives. This means he can visit the children personally on Christmas Day to give them their gifts or he leaves the presents under the tree. Christmas Eve is the most important day of the holidays, it is spent with family, decorating the tree, drinking “glögi” (mulled wine) and bathing in a Christmas sauna