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Regional customs and celebrations

Main article: Christmas worldwide

Aplethora of customs with secular, religious, or national aspectssurround Christmas, varying from country to country. Many Christmaspractices originate in Germanic countries, including the Christmastree, the Christmas ham, the Yule log, holly, mistletoe, and the givingof presents to friends and relatives. The prominence of Christmas inGermanic nations may be a form of carryover from the pagan midwinterholiday of Yule.



After the Russian Revolution, Christmas celebrations were banned in the Soviet Union for the next seventy-five years.





Manynations distribute stamps each year to commemorate Christmas. Austria,1999Several Christian denominations, notably the Jehovah's Witnesses,some Puritan groups, and some fundamentalist Christians, view Christmasas a pagan holiday not sanctioned by the Bible and refuse to celebrateor recognize it in any way. Incidentally, this was the practice of thePuritans in 17th and 18th Century England and the American Colonies.Christmas was not widely celebrated in New England until after themiddle of the 19th Century; this may be attributed either to thegeneral relaxation of religious attitudes after the IndustrialRevolution, the influx of Roman Catholic (and henceChristmas-celebrating) Irish immigrants into New England, or both.



InCommonwealth countries in the southern hemisphere, Christmas is stillcelebrated on December 25, despite this being the height of theirsummer season. This clashes with the traditional winter iconography,resulting in anachronisms such as a red fur-coated Santa Claus surfingin for a turkey barbecue on Australia's Bondi Beach. Japan has largelyadopted the western Santa Claus for its secular Christmas celebration,but their New Year's Day is considered the more important holiday.