When do different countries open Christmas presents?
Gift days from December to January
The gift season runs from Sinterklaas on December 5 to Three Kings Day on January 6.
- December 5, eveningthe Netherlands, for Sinterklaas.
- December 6, morningGermany and nearby countries, where Saint Nicholas fills boots with small treats.
- December 24, Christmas EveGermany, Austria, Sweden, Poland and Iceland, among others.
- December 25, Christmas morningthe United States, the UK, Ireland, Canada and Australia.
- January 6, Three Kings DaySpain and much of Latin America. In Italy, La Befana comes the night before.
What are Christmas traditions in Germany?
Gifts arrive: a small one in a boot on December 6, the main ones on Christmas Eve. Gift ideas in German.
German families count down with an Advent calendar, and many calendars begin on December 1. On the night of December 5, children put a boot outside the door, and by morning Saint Nicholas has filled it with sweets and small gifts.
The main gifts come on Christmas Eve. In southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the Christkind brings them, and nobody ever sees it arrive. In some homes, a small bell rings to say the gifts are ready.
What is Sinterklaas in the Netherlands?
Gifts arrive: the evening of December 5. Give one small gift in a funny homemade disguise, with a short poem. Gift ideas in Dutch.
Before bedtime, children leave a shoe by the fireplace with a carrot or some hay for Sinterklaas's horse. On the evening of December 5, family and friends give presents "from Sinterklaas". The disguise is called a surprise.
How do Sweden and Iceland celebrate Christmas?
Gifts arrive: Christmas Eve. In Iceland, give a book. Gift ideas in Swedish.
In Sweden, December 13 is Lucia Day, with candlelit processions at schools and offices. Swedish gifts come on Christmas Eve, often handed out in person by someone dressed as the tomte, a Christmas gnome.
Iceland has the book flood. A free catalog of new books reaches every home, books are given on Christmas Eve, and many people read them that night. From December 12, the 13 Yule Lads leave small gifts in shoes on windowsills, or a rotten potato for anyone who misbehaved.
What happens at Wigilia in Poland?
Gifts arrive: Christmas Eve, after supper. Gift ideas in Polish.
Wigilia is the Polish Christmas Eve supper. It starts only when the first star shows in the sky, so children watch the windows. Some families serve 12 dishes and set one empty place for an unexpected guest. Gifts are opened after supper, around the tree.
How do Spain and Latin America celebrate Christmas?
Gifts arrive: the morning of January 6, Three Kings Day. Gift ideas in Spanish for Spain and for Latin America.
On the evening of January 5, towns hold parades where the Kings throw sweets to the crowd. Children leave their shoes out that night and wake up to presents. The day ends with roscón de reyes, a ring shaped cake with a small figure baked inside.
In Catalonia, children tap a small log called the Tió de Nadal with sticks while they sing, and it "gives" sweets and small gifts.
Who is La Befana in Italy?
Gifts arrive: La Befana fills stockings with sweets on the night of January 5. Gift ideas in Italian.
La Befana is an old woman who flies on a broomstick on the night of January 5. She fills stockings with sweets for good children, and most children also find a lump of "coal", which is really black rock candy.
What are Christmas traditions in the UK, Ireland and Australia?
Gifts arrive: Christmas morning, December 25. Christmas gifts for kids by age.
In the UK and Ireland, Christmas dinner comes with crackers. 2 people pull a paper tube until it snaps with a bang, and inside is a paper crown, a joke and a small gift. In Australia, Christmas falls in summer, so families head to the beach and eat prawns and other seafood outdoors.