Merry Christmas - all over the world

Christmas is just around the corner. So we took a closer look at how KUKA colleagues around the world are celebrating these holidays.

Teresa Scheunert

20 December 2022

Society

Reading Time: 5 min.

South Korea

South Korea has many wonderful festivals, such as Chuseok (a harvest festival), Seollal (Lunar New Year) or - one of my favorites - the Danoje Festival (a spring-time festival). In South Korea, Christmas is not one of the major annual holidays, but often, in December you'll see lights strung in the shape of an evergreen tree. My family and I would often get together with a handful other international families who lived in our town and celebrate an imported, multi-cultural Christmas. (Gavin Hudson)

Sweden

Here in Sweden, Christmas Eve is often celebrated with Santa Claus. He hands out all the Christmas presents during the night leading up to Christmas Eve, alternatively he appears in the late afternoon in homes to handout the gifts personally, often in the form of a costumed member of the family. We celebrate Christmas with socializing and cooking. We eat a lot of Christmas ham and different types of herring and much more. For many families, the television program "Donald Duck and his friends wish you a Merry Christmas" is a must. Sweden just stopps, and we drink mulled wine, called Glögg. (Carola Andersson)

Brazil

Our traditions are based on Christmas traditions from around the world that have been adapted: the decorations, the turkey, the lights and much more. Santa Claus, Papai Noel for Brazilians, is present everywhere. Children love to sit on his lap, take pictures and pull his beard. This time of the year is summer in Brazil. That means our Santa wears shorts, flip-flops and sunglasses. The traditional Brazilian Christmas dinner includes turkey, tender (a type of Brazilian ham), cod, farofa (corn or cassava flour), salpicão (salad), French toast and panettone (Italian dessert). Many families decorate the table with a cheerful tablecloth and put down lots of fruit, in keeping with the super-tropical climate felt in Brazil at this time of year. (Jonathan Mathias)

Malaysia

In Malaysia, Christmas is celebrated by the Christian community, also with church service. On Christmas eve, families will gather for dinner, followed by gift giving activities for the children. Non-Christians enjoy the public holiday by going for year-end holidays, visiting shopping malls to enjoy Christmas decorations, or having a good rest at home. (Chris Tan)

USA

In the U.S., family and friends celebrate Christmas on both Christmas Eve and Christmas day. On Christmas morning, children will wake up early to see what presents Santa has left them under the Christmas tree which is decorated with ornaments and lights. Afterwards, families and their relatives will come together for dinner and typically a smaller gift exchange. There are two types of gift exchange that are popular in the U.S.: “Secret Santa or “White Elephant”, in which you will have the option to steal someone else’s gift that they have already opened or pick a new, unopened gift that is still under the tree. (Paige Bierkamp)

Germany

In Germany, December 24 is the most important day. In the morning, it is usually still hectic - last preparations and shopping are done, and the stores and Christmas markets are still open. In the evening, things get festive, and then the family gets together. For dinner there are traditional dishes, such as duck or roast goose, in some regions also carp, trout or potato salad with sausages. Afterwards, presents are opened in front of the decorated Christmas tree lit with candles. Many people also attend a church service or sing Christmas carols together. (Teresa Fischer)

HUNGARY

In Hungary, we have rather similar Christmas habits and traditions as in Germany. Maybe one additional thing: we have a traditional Christmas cake and it’s called bejgli. (Patricia Ladanyi)

Australia

Christmas in Australia is traditionally celebrated on Christmas day. Children will wake up early to the excitement and joy of discovering what Santa brought then during the night, carefully placed in their Christmas stocking on the fireplace mantle or under the Christmas tree. Christmas is typically themed around a winter wonderland with snow and reindeers. This may seem very normal in the northern Hemisphere, but in Australia we are heading into summer and temperatures can be well above 30 degrees. I often think about how hot our Santas must be in their attire. Christmas day is mainly spent with extended family enjoying a large lunch. After lunch families will often participate in a game of backyard cricket, a swim in a pool or at the beach. Christmas is a wonderful time in Australia as it marks our Summer Holidays and a time where we can relax and enjoy the warmer weather and longer hours of sunlight. (Cameron Fisher)

No matter where and how you celebrate Christmas, dear readers of our iiMagazine: we wish you and your loved ones a relaxing and wonderful holiday season!