"Whether you're driving home for the holidays, travelling to far-flung places or staying cosy at home, one of the great joys of Christmas is making memories and indulging in nostalgic traditions. All over the globe, different countries and cultures celebrate the season in different ways, marking the holiday with long-established rites and rituals or merging heritage to create beautiful new traditions. Below, we run through some of our favourite Christmas traditions around the world, and ask the Traveller editors about their own personal festive rituals. From seafood feasts on Christmas day in Australia to surfing Santa's taking to the waves in SoCal, these are the most wholesome traditions for some festive joy this season."
"Despite Christmas not being recognised as a religious holiday in Japan, the festive season is still celebrated - albeit slightly different to how you'd expect. As part of a marketing campaign when KFC first opened in Japan in the '70s, the brand came up with the slogan 'Kentucky for Christmas", and it stuck. On Christmas day, locals tuck into a full feast of fried chicken - a tradition so popular, you have to order weeks in advance to make sure you've got your bucket guaranteed for the big day. Christmas cake is just as surprising in Japan, too - locals eat strawberry shortcake as their festive dessert of choice."
"As you'd expect, food is a big part of the Italian festive season. On 25 December, platters of antipasti are laden on family dinner tables, before the main event of a big roast (and plenty of side dishes). However, what makes Italian Christmas stand out is the tradition of La Befana - a kindly witch who flies through the skies on a broomstick, bringing gifts and filling stockings on the m"
Christmas celebrations take many forms around the world, blending long-established rites with adapted or newly created customs. Festive food features prominently: Japan often features KFC fried chicken on Christmas Day—originating from a 1970s marketing campaign—and strawberry shortcake as the seasonal dessert, with orders placed weeks in advance. Italy centers on family meals of antipasti and roast dinners and keeps the La Befana tradition, a benevolent gift-bringing witch. Other regional rituals include seafood feasts in Australia and Santa-themed surfing events in Southern California. Shared meals and nostalgic rituals create communal joy during the season.
Read at CN Traveller
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