For the past several years, we’ve been asking embassy representatives for their favorite holiday traditions that our readers could explore from home. This year, we’re mainly focused on our favorite tradition from Iceland, Jólabókaflóðið, which helps us celebrate Great Reads from Around the World. So join us as we explore literature, and cultures, from around the world in our third annual holiday round-up, featuring all of the responses we’ve received so far.
🇮🇸 A good book and a cup of hot chocolate on Christmas Eve make Jólabókaflóðið a treasured tradition in Iceland.
🇫🇮 In Finland, not surprisingly, Christmas saunas are a big thing. Suvi Jarvela-Hagstrom, the Head of Cultural Affairs and Public Diplomacy at the Embassy of Finland shared another haunting tradition. “People visit graveyards and light candles at the graves of their loved ones,” she told Diplomatica. “The graveyards are seas of candles at Christmas time.”
🇮🇩 Take a note from Indonesia, and celebrate a holiday other than your own. “Indonesia is very diverse in terms of traditions and religions. The festivities of our religious holiday celebration, including Christmas, Eid al-Fitr, Galungan, Lunar New Year, are often celebrated not only by the followers of the specific religion, but also others in the area,” Dian Permana of the Embassy of Indonesia told us. “Some Muslims might help to decorate or provide security for the church during Christmas, and the Christians might help provide the same support during Eid al-Fitr, and the food is shared to those regardless of their religions.”
🇦🇹 Hannes Richter of the Embassy of Austria recommends the new year’s tradition Bleigießen in which you predict your future by melting a tin figurine over a candle, dropping it in water, and interpreting its shape. Finja Draxler, also of the Austrian Embassy, reminds us that the Danube Waltz at midnight is another classic way to usher in the new year.
🇺🇾 Celebrate like the Uruguayans by eating twelve grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve to attract good luck, or walking around the block with a suitcase (also a midnight) to welcome travel into your life in the coming year. Maria Fernanda Garcia, a counselor at the Embassy of Uruguay, also points to the tradition of throwing a bucket of water out of your house to remove bad energy and begin the year clean of bad vibrations. “It’s a popular tradition throughout the country,” she told us. “But in the cities, people throw water out the windows of their apartments, so if you’re walking through Montevideo at midnight, be careful! You’re probably going to get wet.”
🇲🇹 Ryan Meilak, the head of outreach at European Parliament’s Liaison Office, shares that in his native Malta, presepju, or a crib depicting the nativity scene, is a popular holiday tradition, with most families having a locally-crafted crib to fit their budget and home.
🇵🇭 Mark Lim of the Public Diplomacy section of the Embassy of the Philippines reminds us of the importance of gathering with friends and family over a lovingly-prepared meal. “The Noche Buena (Christmas Eve Feast) and the Media Noche (New Years Eve Feast) highlight the gathering as well as how Filipino families traditionally bond over food,” he told Diplomatica. Enjoy a traditional Filipino treat by cooking Puto bumbong, made from a purple-colored ground rice cooked in bamboo tubes that are placed on a custom-made steamer-cooker. and best paired with hot chocolate. (Recipe here.)
🇪🇸 Ana Fernández of the Embassy of Spain’s Cultural Office passes along this gem, with echoes of Uruguay: “We have plenty of Christmas traditions in Spain, as varied as our regions are. For instance, the ‘Caga Tió’ – the ‘Pooping Log’- is a magic log from Catalonia with two or four stick legs, a lovely face, and a big smile. During all of December, one takes care of it, feeding it and keeping it warm with a blanket and the barretina, a traditional Catalan hat. On Christmas Eve, Children sing songs and beat him with a stick or a wooden spoon. And as crazy as it might sound, they receive presents in exchange. But besides our particular celebrations, there is something shared across the country: the 12 grapes on New Year’s Eve – symbolizing the 12 months ahead. Eating them on time during the twelve chimes at midnight will bring good luck to those who succeed.”
🇳🇴 “In Norway, in the holiday season, it’s common to hear a sudden knock on your door and when you open it, you will find a group of children gathered outside, dressed up in costumes, singing carols. When they’ve finished with their song, they ask for candy,” Mirjam Christine Ehl, Communications and Cultural Affairs Counsellor at the Embassy of Norway, told Diplomatica. “This tradition is called ‘gå julebukk,’ or ‘going Christmas goat,’ which historically takes place between Christmas and New Year’s Day. While not as widespread as it once was, this tradition was brought to the United States in the late 1800s, after thousands of Norwegians immigrated here. It’s still practiced in some American towns!”
🇯🇵 “While Japan does not recognize Christmas as a holiday, thanks to some successful marketing campaigns in recent history, it is not unusual to eat cake, usually strawberry shortcake or a simple roll cake, and fried chicken on Christmas Day,” Tomoko Nakamura, a spokesperson for the Embassy of Japan, told Diplomatica. “Those looking for a more traditional food enjoy osechi dishes around the new year. Osechi-ryori are traditional Japanese New Years foods in special stacked boxes called jubako. There are many dishes in these boxes including sweet rolled omelet, broiled fish cake, herring roe, black soybeans, mochi rice cakes, shrimp and many more. Osechi carries meaning of “stacking luck and happiness” which is why these many dishes are served in stackable boxes!” (See a receipe for sweet rolled omelet here.)
🇨🇦 “Canadians look forward to winter activities like skating, snowmobiling, tobogganing and skiing, but a big part of the holidays is also about getting together with family and friends over a meal. Some classic Canadian foods include nanaimo bars and butter tarts, while bûche de Nöel and tortière (meat pie) are common in French-speaking parts of the country,” says Michelle Mahoney, Senior Media Relations Officer at the Embassy of Canada. “Residents in the North might enjoy a feast of ‘country food’ such as arctic char, caribou or bannock, a type of bread that served as a staple in the diets of early settlers and fur traders. Canadians also love maple syrup and a maple syrup lollipop (hot syrup poured into snow and rolled with a popsicle stick) is a must-have winter treat.” Mahoney advises, “Have wipes nearby! It’s sticky.”
🇪🇨 “The preparation in Ecuador for New Year’s Eve is full of rituals. For women the most popular is to use the red underwear if you want to reach love the next year or yellow if you want good fortune! I personally use new shoes and put a dollar (or the highest denomination bill you have) in my right shoe to guarantee to have money all the year, and also we do have dollars in our pockets to guarantee that the new year arrives with money,” Erika Coppa, a spokesperson for the Embassy of Ecuador, told Diplomatica. “But I believe something really unique is that we make like a doll called ‘monigote’ or ‘año viejo’ that can be filled of old newspapers or sawdust. Sometimes this doll has the face and dressing of politicians or is a famous personality of tv or even a cartoon. Its size may vary, but the important thing is that we burn it at 12am of December 31st to burn all the bad things and begin the new year with good vibes.”
🇱🇧 “In Lebanon, no Christmas tree is complete without a Birth Grotto Cave under it and streets, squares, balconies, homes, offices, everything gets decorated in a scene that really transcends religious boundaries,” Rawi Hamdan, First Secretary at the Embassy of Lebanon, told us. “From midnight mass to Christmas morning visits, the exchange of gifts, and festive feasts, there’s no skipping what happens after the main course. Enter Meghli (مغلي), a cinnamon-flavored dessert made to celebrate the newborn and Christmas. It’s almost always homemade, and usually made by the elders and it includes rice flour, water, sugar, cinnamon, caraway, and anise. Together, they form a creamy brown sweet mixture, and you garnish it with almonds, pistachios, pine nuts and coconut flakes. It symbolizes rebirth, as this dessert has a brown color resembling the earth. Savor every bite!” (See a recipe for Meghli here.)
🇬🇷 “In Greece, Christmas is a time of joy, celebration, and deeply rooted traditions, both religious and cultural. One of the most cherished customs is the decorating of ships instead of Christmas trees, symbolizing Greece’s maritime history,” says Christina Fiorentzi, First Secretary for Public Diplomacy, at the Embassy of Greece. “On Christmas and New Year’s Eve, caroling, known as ‘kalanda,’ is a beloved tradition where children and adults visit homes, singing seasonal songs and spreading good cheer. On New Year’s Day, families share Vasilopita (a round-shaped sweet bread) and search for the so-called ‘flouri’ (lucky coin) hidden within it. In everyone’s heart, including mine, there is a special place for the season’s sweets, including melomakarona, kourabiedes, and diples.” (See a receipe for Vasilopita here.)
🇸🇬 “Christmas is a very festive time in Singapore. Many of our buildings, neighbourhoods and streets will be adorned with Christmas lights and ornaments. There is an annual Christmas light-up along our popular shopping belt, Orchard Road, that transforms it into a festive wonderland on a sunny island,” says Faustina Lim, a spokesperson for the Embassy of Singapore. “Other places of interest such as the Gardens by the Bay are similarly illuminated to celebrate Christmas. Strolling among the Christmas lights and decorations with family and friends to soak in the festive atmosphere in these areas has become a popular activity among Singaporeans.”
🇵🇱 “On Christmas Eve, Poles gather with family and friends for the Wigilia feast, which begins after the first star appears in the night sky. In Poland, it’s common for families to craft their ornaments, adding a personal and heartfelt touch to the festive ambiance,” Katarzyna Rybka-Iwańska, Head of Public and Cultural Diplomacy for the Embassy of Poland, told Diplomatica. “Add a taste of Poland to your holiday table with Barszcz z Uszkami, a traditional beetroot soup served with mushroom-filled dumplings. As you embrace these Polish traditions, remember that the true essence lies in the joy of togetherness and the creation of lasting memories. May your home be filled with the warmth and spirit of a Polish Wigilia this holiday season. Wesołych Świąt! (Merry Christmas!)” (See a receipe for Barszcz z Uszkami here.)
🇱🇹 “Christmas Eve in Lithuania is considered the most important day of the whole holiday season. Twelve simple dishes that do not contain any meat, eggs or dairy products should be prepared for Christmas Eve dinner,” Marijus Petrušonis, political counselor at the Embassy of Lithuania, told Diplomatica. “You can find different herring dishes on every Christmas Eve dinner table as well as kūčiukai (small pastries with poppy seeds made from leavened dough), poppy seed milk, grains, different kinds of nuts and dried fruits, kissel drink, kūčia (a dish made from different grains), potato salad, etc. Recently you can find more variety on Christmas Eve dinner table like salmon or even sushi. Those 12 dishes represented 12 months of the year that passed. Everyone had to try all the dishes so all the following months would be successful. One dish for one month.”