Non-Christian Christmas Traditions
Around the World
- Central and Eastern Europe - Krampus
- Sweden - The Gävle Goat
- India - Banana Tree
- Japan - KFC
- Australia - Summer Santa
- Greece - Kallikantzaroi Spirits
- America - Elf on the Shelf
A lot of the Christmas traditions you find around the world, have literally NOTHING to do with Jesus. A lot of them aren’t even hiding the fact that they are completely demonic. We need to ask the question, “Does this glorify Jesus?”
Christian Christmas Traditions
Around the World
Turkey
St. Nicholas was a Greek bishop in the 3rd century in Myra, Greece (modern day Turkey). He grew up in a very wealthy home and his parents died in an epidemic and left him with everything.
Luke 12: 33-34
33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
St. Nicholas took that to heart, and he sold his property and possessions, and gave to those who had need. He was so in love with Jesus, that he took Jesus word to heart and was willing to sacrifice everything to do what Jesus said.
England
My favorite thing about English Christmas is the day after Christmas, they have a thing called Boxing Day. Boxing day is where you pack up toys and gifts for the poor,
and you find people to give them to.
Acts 20:35
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
Belgium
They separate what we call “Christmas” into 2 holidays. On December 6th, they celebrate St. Nicholas day, where they give gifts to each other in honor of Sinterklaas and they serve the poor. On December 25th, it’s a strictly religious holiday, and they take that day not to give gifts, but to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Mark 12:17
“Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
Congo
Every year they have an annual Christmas Pageant where they walk throughout their entire village, singing Christmas carols and inviting people to join them for church. In that service, they have a love offering where they give a gift in honor of Jesus. After the service, everyone goes back to their homes and they have a meal outside in front of their house where they share the food with friends and anyone walking by.
I think the Congolese people so awesomely mirror the cry of Mary from
Luke 1:47-48
“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
China
In February of 2018, the Chinese Communist Party instituted the Religious Affairs Regulations which tried to do away with all house churches and made only an edited version of the Bible legal. Since then, only state-run churches can have Christmas caroling services and they legally can’t be seen from the street.
The underground church is still going stronger than ever, and many of those churches have resorted to celebrating Christmas in caroling services over Zoom through a Virtual Private Network.
Psalm 96:1-3
Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
