As 25th December is almost here: know the various Christmas traditions from across the globe

Finland: ‘Hyvää Joulua!’

Finns go to the sauna on the Christmas Eve. It is tradition to visit the graves of lost family members.

Germany: ‘Froehliche Weihnachten!’

The tradition of Christmas tree decoration comes from Germany. Embellishing evergreen trees had always been a part of the German tradition.

England: ‘Merry Christmas!’

Christmas cards can be traced to England. John Horsley, an Englishman,  helped to hyped the tradition of sending season’s greeting cards when he began making cards with festive pictures and a holiday greeting.

Mexico: ‘Feliz Navidad!’

Papier-mâché figures called piñatas are made that are filled with candy and coins and hung at a level. Children hit the piñata until it breaks, making all the treats and the goodies inside it to shower down, which children jump to collect.

Italy: ‘Buon Natale!’

In Italian, Natale, means “the birthday”, hence the name.

France: ‘Joyeux Noël!’

Christmas is called Noel, in France. It comes from the phrase “les bonnes nouvelles”, which means “the good news”.

Greece: ‘Kala Christouyenna!’

Many greeks believe in goblins, called kallikantzeri, that appear to cause jeopardy and trouble  during the time-span of the 12 days of Christmas.