How to Celebrate Christmas Around the World in Your Homeschool

I love learning about Christmas traditions in other countries. I have seen more incredible ways to celebrate Christmas than I have any other holiday, and learning about them brings us together in wonderful ways. I’ve gathered many different ways you can add Christmas traditions from other countries to your homeschool this year. If you’d like to go deeper into learning about Christmas traditions in these countries, they are the same countries featured in my Christmas Around the World resources. Here are some fun links to Christmas crafts and Christmas recipes from all over the globe. Which ones will you try? Which ones would you add to the list (for these or from any country)? Let me know in the comments!

Titles include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Croatia, Egypt, England, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Vietnam, Wales, and Zambia!

*Please note: I am not able to explore each of these sites in full, so please use caution and view them first before sharing them with your children. I am not affiliated with these sites in any way and do not endorse them. I include them only as a way to help you save time when looking for activities related to my titles that you can do with your family. 

Christmas Traditions in Argentina

To celebrate Christmas Eve Argentinian style, you might grill some meat flavored with chimichurri seasoning. But meat isn’t limited to the main dish. It is part of appetizers and side dishes, too. You could have niños envuettas, matambre relleno, or vitel toné. You can serve tomates rellenos as a side dish. Don’t forget budín de pan, pan dulce, or ensalada de fruta con helado (fruit salad with ice cream) for dessert! You can add local flowers like the ceibo to your decorations, and when you set out the family Nativity, don’t forget to include local animals like the alpaca in your display!

Christmas Traditions in Australia

Though both Australia and New Zealand claim to be the birthplace of the delicious meringue dessert called pavlova, the dessert is an important part of Christmas traditions in Australia.

Christmas Traditions in Brazil

Brazil has many tasty dishes to choose from! You can try a breakfast or brunch dish such as rabanada (or have it as a dessert!), a main dish such as bacalhau, a tasty side dish like Brazilian Christmas rice, or a delicious dessert such as Brazil nut pie, panettone fruit cake, or Brazilian pave.

Christmas Traditions in Canada

In Canada, you might make a French Canadian tourtière (meat pie) on Christmas Eve. And don’t forget the bûche de Noël and chicken bones candy for dessert!

Christmas traditions in China

To add a Chinese tradition to your Christmas celebrations, you could try making a paper lantern. There are many different styles you can choose from! To add some Chinese flavor to your menu, try eight treasures duck or Chinese spring rolls.

Christmas Traditions in Croatia

In Croatia, you might start getting ready for Christmas by making your own Advent wreath. You can also make licitars, cookies used as decorations that are a tradition that reaches back hundreds of years.  On Christmas Eve, you could have bakalar or brudet for supper. Along with pork or turkey on Christmas Day, you could have sarma and mlinci. Of course, there are lots of sweet treats and desserts to enjoy during the Christmas season such as fritule, ustipci, makovnjaca, krofne, orahnjaca, kuglof, and Ruska Kapa (Russian hat cookies).

Christmas traditions in Egypt

For something a little different, try some fata (Egyptian meat soup) along with your usual traditions this year!

Christmas traditions in England

I think a Christingle is one of the neatest (and simplest) Christmas crafts I’ve ever seen! It only requires a few pieces, and there’s no mess like some crafts. You can make a traditional one or a paper version if you’d like. To add some English dishes to the menu, you could make frumenty for breakfast or as a side dish, have Yorkshire pudding with your main meal, and enjoy English trifle for dessert!

Christmas traditions in Ethiopia

Sistrums are part of the Christmas celebration, and it’s easy to make your own version of this musical instrument at home. You can try some doro wat with injera for a traditional Ethiopian meal this Christmas.

Christmas Traditions in finland

  • Links coming soon!

Christmas traditions in France

The options for French Christmas desserts abound! This year, try some French nougat, bûche de Noël, or Galette des Rois.

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Christmas Traditions in ghana

  • Links coming soon!

Christmas traditions in Germany

I so enjoyed learning about Christmas decoration traditions in Germany! There are so many to explore! A few that I love are strohsterne (straw stars), Froebel stars (Moravian stars), and nutcrackers. Of course, gingerbread is a huge part of German Christmas traditions. And there are many Christmas candies and cookies to try such as lebkuchen, zimtstern, marzipankartoffeln (German potato candy), and springerle.

Christmas Traditions in greece

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Christmas Traditions in iceland

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Christmas Traditions in india

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Christmas traditions in Ireland

Christmas food options are plentiful in Ireland! This year, try some Irish mince pie, Christmas pudding, or Christmas cake!

Christmas traditions in Italy

Italy is a land known for its world-famous cuisine, and it has many different Christmas recipes to try. You can make panforte (Italian fruit cake); Christmas breads like panpepato, pandoro, or panettone; a sweet treat such as torrone; or a traditional antipasto.

Christmas Traditions in jamaica

In Jamaica, you can hang Christmas lights (called pepper lights) and use balloons for fun decorations. You could enjoy johnnycakes for breakfast. You can make jerk chicken and boiled corn, brown stew chicken, or escoveitch fish for your main meal. You can serve bammies or callaloo as a side dish. For dessert, you might enjoy sweet potato pone.

Christmas traditions in Japan

For a traditional Japanese Christmas craft, try a kirigami snowflake. Then celebrate your masterpieces with a kurisumasu keki (Christmas cake)!

Christmas traditions in Kenya

Taking pictures is a big part of Kenyan Christmas traditions, so explore some ways your kids can have fun with photography (and some gifts they can make with their photographs!). As in most countries, food is a big part of Kenyan Christmas traditions, so this year, try some nyama choma and ugali, chapati, or Kenyan sukuma.

Christmas Traditions in madagascar

  • Links coming soon!

Christmas traditions in Mexico

Christmas crafts to celebrate Christmas and Las Posadas include making luminarias or piñata ornaments. For main dishes and sides, try some bacalao (dried cod dish), ensalada Nochebuena (Christmas salad), pozole (soup), or tamales. Wash it down with some Mexican Christmas punch. And for some sweet treats, try buñuelos, churros, or conchas! (You might even make a churro log cabin instead of a gingerbread house this year!)

Christmas traditions in the Netherlands

If you’re looking for a Christmas craft to do this year, why not try kerstkransjes (which can double as a tasty treat!). You can also make kerstol (Dutch Christmas bread); oliebollen (Dutch doughnuts), or try some Dutch Christmas cookies such as pepernoot (pepernoten) or speculaas.

Christmas Traditions in new zealand

  • Links coming soon!

Christmas Traditions in norway

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Christmas Traditions in peru

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Christmas Traditions in poland

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Christmas traditions in the Philippines

I love Christmas parols and was excited to find both a simple version and a harder one you can try. Carolers often carry handmade instruments, so check out these ways to make do-it-yourself musical instruments. For some Filipino recipes to try, you can make pancit or embutido. For snacks and desserts, try your hand at making bibingka, puto bumbong, pandesal, or kalamay.

Christmas Traditions in romania

  • Links coming soon!

Christmas traditions in Russia

Matryoshkas are famous all over the world. To add some Russian style to your Christmas tree, try a matryoshka paper craft. You could try some Russian main dishes and side dishes such as kutya, pagach, borsch, solyanka, or pelmeni. Wash it all down with some vzvar!

Christmas Traditions in scotland

  • Links coming soon!

Christmas traditions in South Africa

For a sweet South African treat this year, try adding some malva pudding to your menu!

Christmas traditions in Spain

You can try different kinds of tapas for a delicious appetizer and Spanish turron for a sweet Christmas treat that is hard to beat!

Christmas traditions in Sweden

There are so many wonderful Swedish Christmas crafts you can make! You can try Swedish paper star ornaments and Swedish heart baskets (these two are my favorites!), a tulip-themed craft, a pomander, a St. Lucia Day crown, or a Dala horse-inspired craft. For some Swedish treats, try lussekatts or pepparkakor.

Christmas Traditions in switzerland

  • Links coming soon!

Christmas Traditions in turkey

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Christmas Traditions in vietnam

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Christmas Traditions in wales

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Christmas Traditions in zambia

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Christmas traditions in Many Countries

Many traditions are popular in multiple places around the world. Try some poinsettia-themed crafts, have fun making an Advent calendar, or try your own Christmas crackers!

I’ll continue to add to these resources as I find more that might be helpful! Do you have other Christmas around the world ideas to share? Leave a comment below or send me an email. 

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