Christmas photos from around the world

Glittering pine trees, Santa Claus and stockings are part of many people’s Christmas ideas, but holidays around the world can be very different.

From Europe to Asia to the depths of Antarctica, here are nine ways to celebrate Christmas in nine places around the world-there is only one place Orbit all around the world.

Croatia’s Christmas celebrations start very early, and some traditions start in November.

Like other Europeans, Croats celebrate St. Nicholas’ Day in early December. Children take off their shoes on this day, hoping that St. Nick will leave them sweets and small gifts. According to the Christmas resource website St. Nicholas Center.

“When I was young, I used to leave a shoe on the window,” said Antonio Zdunic, who was born in Croatia. “Someone will fill it with gifts and candies at night, and I will wake up and be happy,”

He said that many families in Croatia planted wheat on December 13. They believe that if the wheat grows well, they will prosper next year.

Swede Patrik Kerttu said that Swedes decorate Christmas trees and exchange gifts, which is similar to other parts of the world.

They also celebrated with Donald Duck. Last year, more than 4.5 million people— Almost half of the Swedish population — Watching According to The Local, a European English news network, the 1958 Disney special “From all of us to all of you”. The show has been broadcast there every year since 1959.

Popular foods at this time of the year are meatballs, ham, smoked or cured salmon, pickled herring and potato and anchovy casserole Yang Song’s temptation, Kertu said.

“Christmas is a very important celebration for my family, because it is the time of the year when most families get together,” said Isha Meleth, a Christian from Kerala in southern India. “We built a Christmas crib [nativity scene] In front of the house…on Christmas Eve. “

Meleth says that two popular Christmas dishes are kheer (a sweet milk pudding) and kallappam (a coconut rice pancake, more common in southern India).

For most people in Japan, Christmas is a secular thing, not a religious thing.

Many Japanese Celebrate this holiday like Valentine’s DayAccording to JR Pass, a Japanese railway travel company, couples will spend the day together. People usually have dinner with their partners and wander around to watch the Christmas lights.

One of the most discussed traditions—at least outside of Japan—is the cultural obsession with eating fried chicken for Christmas, usually from the American fast food chain KFC.

KFC Japan representative Tatsuya Noguchi stated that a holiday marketing campaign called “Kentucky Christmas” in 1974 initiated a practice that is now celebrated by millions of Japanese.

According to Noguchi, reservations for meals such as “Party Barrel” or “Christmas Pack” start about seven weeks in advance. He said that the restaurant chain’s sales between December 23 and 25 also set an annual record.

“Every year, the busiest day is December 24-which is about 5 to 10 times the average annual peak time,” Noguchi said.

Some 92% of the 110 million people in the Philippines are Christians. Christmas is the most important time of the year in the Philippines. It is said that the country celebrates the holidays longer than any other place—— From September to January.

“Like many Latin cultures, my family in the Philippines celebrates Nochebuena, which is a grand celebration of Christmas Eve,” said Siena Klinzing, a semi-Filipino. “This includes gathering with family members, holding grand banquets and sharing gifts.”

She said her family stayed up all night, just like New Year’s Eve, wishing everyone “Merry Christmas” when the bell strikes at midnight, she added.

Another important tradition is Simbang Gabi, which means “Night Mass”. People wake up before dawn to attend the 9-day Mass from December 16th to 24th. I believe that those who have completed all 9 days can pray for blessings, Clinsing said.

Although the official state religion of the UAE is Islam, Christmas is still celebrated in some parts of the country.

In Abu Dhabi and the Emirate of Dubai, where a large number of expats live, this is a particularly big deal.

Shopping malls and hotels are often heavily decorated According to Visit Dubai, the official tourism website of Dubai, the Christmas tree spans multiple floors.

Christmas markets, performances, and restaurant special festive menus are also common in December.

The symbol of Christmas in Mexico is a large parade with colorful floats and costumes, pinatas filled with candies, and nativity scenes. But one of the most popular customs in the country is Las Posadas, which is a celebration nine days before Christmas.

“Every night, people form a singing team to represent Mary and Joseph on their journey to Bethlehem,” said Mexican food blogger Mely Martinez.

She said these parades usually culminate in someone’s home, where everyone gathers for a party and offers food such as tamales, Christmas punch and sweets. Martinez said other popular Christmas foods include pozole, sweet churros called bunuelos, and a hot chocolate drink called champurrado.

For many people in Kenya, Christmas is a good time to emigrate. As groups of people traveled to their hometowns and villages to reunite with their families, cities including the capital Nairobi experienced an exodus in December.

Shikriti Mandal, who grew up in Kenya, said that most churches hold vigils on Christmas Eve, where people sing carols and hymns for hours.

Mandal said that when Christmas comes, family and friends will host a feast, which usually includes roast goat or lamb called nyama choma.

Currently, Antarctica has 70 permanent research stations representing 29 different countries, According to Oceanwide Expeditions, An Arctic and Antarctic tourism company.

Lacking the usual hustle and bustle of Christmas, the station found a creative way to celebrate with colleagues.

“Each of our five Antarctic research stations celebrated Christmas in its own way, depending on the weather,” said Catherine McLean, a representative of the British Antarctic Survey. She said some people might roast turkey, eat canned food and frozen vegetables, while others might sing carols, watch Christmas movies and play board games.

Despite the celebrations, research continues because “long-term monitoring data still needs to be collected,” McLean said.

This is the spirit of Christmas. Mankind has found a way to celebrate Christmas at 227 nautical miles (420 kilometers) above the earth.

According to NASA’s website, the astronauts International Space Center has celebrated Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year In the past 21 years, some traditions have been formed in the process.

Celebrations on the International Space Station include decorating the station and enjoying plastic bag versions of traditional foods, such as Turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and crackers, And shoot a holiday greeting video sent back to the earth.

Christmas has also appeared twice on the space station because it is January 7 on the Russian Orthodox calendar, and many Russian astronauts follow this day.