The Finnish people celebrate three holy days at Christmas: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day (St. Stephen’s day – the day after Christmas) Father Christmas brings presents are exchanged on Christmas Eve. 

In France it is very popular to decorate Christmas trees with white candles and red ribbons.  The French also decorate the trees in their yards with lights.

Nativity scenes and Advent wreathes are very popular in Germany. An Advent wreath has four candles.  The first candle is lit the fourth Sunday before Christmas with an additional candle lit each succeeding Sunday.

In Russia Christmas is celebrated on either December 25^th or sometimes the Julian calendar is used placing the Christmas celebration on January 7^th.

Mexico – Christmas is very much a religious holiday for the Mexicans.  They start celebrating the birth of Christ on the 16^th of December.  Most homes have a nativity scene.   Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve is very popular followed by a family meal. 

In Spain it is not Santa who brings the presents but the Three Wise Men.  The Spanish also have decorated with Nativity scenes and Christmas trees.  The Spanish are also fond of attending Midnight Mass, they are called to Midnight mass by the ringing of church bells and midnight mass is followed by a family holiday meal. 

In Spain the Christmas celebration continues until the Eve of the Epiphany on January 5^th.  On this day children leave their shoes on their doorsteps to receive a gift from the Three Wise Men.

Nollaig Shona Duit – Happy Christmas in Irish.  In Ireland candles are lit and placed in windows to show that Mary and the Christ child are welcome. 

On Boxer’s Day pantomime plays are performed with men and women switching gender roles in such popular stories as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. 

On New Year’s Eve the Irish light a candle and open their front doors at the stoke of midnight to welcome the New Year.  It is considered very good luck for the first person to enter a home to be a dark haired man.

In Sweden the Christmas season begins with the Feast Day of Santa Lucia on December 13^th.  Legend states that St. Lucia wore a crown of candles to light her way as she brought food to the Christians hiding in tunnels to escape persecution. 

On this day each year the eldest daughter of the family dresses in white with a red sash and brings saffron buns and coffee to her parents in bed to celebrate the generosity of St. Lucia.

In Poland Christmas Eve is celebrated by giving a wafer embossed with the Nativity scene.   Children watch outside for the first star in the evening sky – this signals the start of the Christmas Eve Supper.  A spot is left at the table to welcome the Christ child.

In Israel a Tree Planting Ritual is celebrated on the 15^th day of Shvat.  This is the day that Jews throughout the world celebrate the end of the rainy season.  Trees, plant and flowers are planted followed by a Seder.