Christmas around the world has a number of different holiday traditions and Christmas stories that are told and celebrated. The practices and cultures are as various as the activities and cultures of the lands the holiday is celebrated in.
Let's start with how Christmas is celebrated in the United States. The US version of Christmas is primarily based on European cultures and traditions. Of course there are some other influences as well since Americans are a melting pot of cultures and ethnic backgrounds.
Santa Claus is heavily celebrated in the USA. Parents take their children to malls all over the country where the kids have the opportunity to meet Santa Claus. The kids get to tell Santa what they want for Christmas and the parents get to use the experience as a photo opportunity.
In Australia, December is the beginning of the summer season. As a result, Christmas is as much of an outdoor activity as it is an indoor activity. While the Australians do the traditional indoor stuff, like open Christmas presents and eat a big family dinner, outdoor activities like backyard fun and picnics are incorporated as well.
Australians also have a huge population of traditional Roman-Catholic and Protestant worshipers. Many people attend Mass at midnight on Christmas day. When mass is completed, everyone goes home, gets some sleep and wakes up in the morning to open Christmas presents.
Japan is a country that celebrates Christmas despite the religious beliefs of its citizens. Since less than 1% of the population is Christian, Christmas is considered more of a commercial holiday as oppose to a spiritual celebration. In fact it's not even an official holiday in Japan where people get the day off.
Although people still have to work on Christmas day, the Japanese still find time to celebrate the holiday anyway. One of the most unique experiences of the Japanese approach to Christmas is their Christmas dinner activities. Most places of the world have a large, home-cooked dinner in the home. In Japan, it is common for people to order a special Christmas Chicken dinner from Kentucky Friend Chicken, or KFC.
China also celebrates Christmas more for its commercial aspects as opposed to its religious aspects. In China, the Chinese word for Santa literally means "Christmas Old Man" in English. The Chinese do a lot of shopping and other Christmas activities as well.
In China, Christmas is more of a prelude to their major celebration, which is the Chinese New Year. However, the Chinese still appreciate the commercial aspects of the holiday and engage in many of the same activities that other countries do, like decorating their homes and sending out Christmas cards with Christmas symbols.
The people of France celebrate Christmas very similar to the Americans. One thing they do not do though is decorate Christmas trees. Instead, they spend more of their time creating Christmas stories out of their yards by creating massive displays of characters and ornaments.
What's interesting with the French displays is that they not only incorporate Christmas themes but they also incorporate modern themes as well. It's not uncommon to see a scene with Mary standing next to a modern day French dignitary.
As you can see, holiday traditions and Christmas around the world is as diverse as many of the Christmas activities and traditions of the various nations of the world. Despite the differences, one theme that remains consistent is the value of family and the joy of the holiday season.