Christmas is a time of celebration and festivity around the world, and there are many vibrant

and unique ways of celebrating the holidays. Of course, every individual family has its own
holiday tradition, but many places have common customs.

The Christmas season in the Philippines lasts for almost half the year. Decorations start going
up in September and the holiday fervor doesn't end until the first Sunday in January. Many
people spruce up their homes with paper lanterns called "parols" and eat a huge family meal
on Noche Buena, or Christmas Eve.

In Japan, Christmas is celebrated in a more secular way than in other predominantly Christian
countries. It's actually considered a romantic day for couples, and many Japanese families
treat themselves to what has become the traditional Japanese Christmas meal: a bucket of
KFC fried chicken.

Christmas in Poland is celebrated with gift-giving, church services, and watching the wildly
popular film, "Home Alone," according to Why Christmas. Carp is usually the main dish of
Christmas Eve dinner in Poland.

Though most people simply buy a cut of fish from the market, it's considered traditional for
the lady of the house to keep a live carp in the bathtub for a few days before Christmas and
kill it herself just before cooking. The scales from the carp are considered good luck.

It's worth noting this tradition is also popular in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria,
Germany, and Croatia, according to NPR.

In Finland, one of the main events of the holiday season is St. Lucia Day on December 13. On
this date, the eldest girl in each family dons a white robe and a crown of candles before
serving her family buns, cookies, coffee, or mulled wine.

On Christmas Eve, many Finnish families visit the sauna to relax or go to cemeteries to
remember loved ones. For Christmas lunch, the traditional meal is a porridge containing a
hidden almond, though it's likely this originated in Sweden, according to the University of
Helsinki. Whoever finds the almond will have good luck for the rest of the year.

Rather than hanging Christmas stockings over the fireplace, families in the UK typically hang
them at the foot of their beds. Paper crowns are typically worn at Christmas dinner and
Christmas crackers – paper tubes that explode with confetti and prizes when pulled – make for
lighthearted fun around the holidays. Boxing Day falls on December 26 and is a bit like Black
Friday in the US.

Many families in Croatia celebrate Christmas with an Advent wreath made of straw or
evergreen. The wreath has four differently colored candles that symbolize hope, peace, joy,
and love. Children in Croatia make sure to clean their boots and place them by the window for
St. Nicholas to fill with treats. However, naughty kids might only receive a few golden twigs
from the Christmas monster, Krampus.

Greece is primarily a Greek Orthodox nation, and people often attend midnight church
services and observe an Advent fast during the holidays. Families might also sprinkle holy
water from a basil-wrapped cross to ward off the "kallikantzaroi," which are evil spirits that
creep into homes via the chimney and cause mischief. Keeping a fire burning for the twelve
days of Christmas is also a good way to prevent the kallikantzaroi from troubling you.

Christmas traditions in Greece also include unwrapping gifts brought by Saint Basil,
munching on treats like baklava and spiced bread, and caroling.

If you're dreaming of a white Christmas in Australia, you might have to wait until winter
weather hits in July – most of the country is bathed in balmy temps during the holidays.
Accordingly, Australians frequently celebrate Christmas with a lunchtime barbecue on the
beach. Friends and family gather to indulge in prawns, lobster, and sweets before playing a
game of cricket or taking a dip.