How Many Languages Can You Say Merry Christmas In?

In Germany, Christmas trees have a long tradition dating back to the Middle Ages! Families typically put up their Christmas trees on Christmas Eve. And popular carols include "O Tannenbaum" and "Stille Nacht."

This one is easy if you can remember the song "Mele Kalikimaka" popularized by Bing Crosby in 1950. Missionaries brought Christmas traditions to Hawaii in the early 1800s, and today celebrations include surfing!

Because Turkey is a Muslim-majority country, it doesn't recognize Christmas as an official holiday. Still, some stores decorate with Christmas trees and Santas. People save their celebrating for New Year's Eve.

Christmas became an official holiday in Scotland in 1958, and starting in the 1980s, it became more widely celebrated. Today, people enjoy Christmas markets, shopping, Christmas displays and ice skating.

Families in Switzerland typically buy and decorate their Christmas trees on Christmas Eve, often lighting the trees with real candles! They light the trees again on New Year's Eve for good luck.

Although Christmas isn't a public holiday in Vietnam, crowds of young people gather in Ho Chi Minh City on Christmas Eve to view the Christmas decorations in stores. Christians attend Midnight Mass, too.

In Arabic, "Eid Milad Majid" literally means "Glorious Birth Feast." In Egypt, Christians are the minority, but they still enjoy Christmas traditions. Kids, for instance, leave "kahk," sweet biscuits, for Baba Noël.

In Kenya, where Swahili is spoken, people traditionally attend church at midnight on Christmas Eve and then party the rest of the night! They decorate their houses and churches with balloons, flowers and ribbons.

Children in France await the arrival of Père Noël (Father Christmas), who brings them gifts. Families also traditionally enjoy a bûche de Noël, or a chocolate sponge cake. Bon appetit!

St. Francis of Assisi helped make the Nativity scene a popular Christmas tradition in Italy. Italian families usually set up their Nativity cribs on Dec. 8 and save baby Jesus for Christmas Eve.

Tagalog is one of the languages spoken in the Philippines. Because about 80% of Filipinos are Catholic, Christmas is a major holiday in the country. The parol, which represents the Star of Bethlehem, is a popular decoration.

In Portugal, Pai Natal (Father Christmas) leaves gifts for children on Christmas Eve, either placing them under the tree or in shoes left by the hearth. At Mass, everyone lines up to kiss a picture of baby Jesus.

Although Albania was an atheist state under Communism, a number of people still celebrate Christmas. Christians in Albania attend Christmas Eve Mass, and children receive presents from Babagjyshi i Vitit te Ri.

People celebrate Christmas in Japan, but in a secular way. Christmas Eve is particularly popular with young Japanese couples, who give each other gifts and go out for a romantic evening!

Families in Hungary traditionally decorate the Christmas Tree on Christmas Eve, which is called Szent-este. Some parents surprise their children by decorating the tree secretly. They also enjoy Beigli, a poppy cake.

A Christmastime tradition in Sweden is a festival honoring St. Lucia, a Christian martyr. Towns choose a girl to play this young saint, and she wears a white dress and a crown of candles.

Much of Israel's Christian population lives in Nazareth, Jesus' hometown. People decorate the city with lights in celebration of both Christmas and Hanukkah. Nazareth also has a parade and fireworks.

Romanians call St. Nicholas Sfantul Nicolae, and children leave out their shoes for him to fill with gifts. They also go out caroling, and someone will dress as the "Capra," or goat, and dance to the songs!

In the Czech Republic, people also celebrate St. Nicholas Eve on Dec. 5. St. Nicholas gives children a basket of goodies (or a lump of coal if they've been bad). Also, fish soup is a popular Christmas Eve meal.

Santa Claus lives near, according to the Finnish! They believe he lives in Korvatunturi, an area of Finland north of the Arctic Circle. They even have a theme park called Christmas Land!

"Felicem Diem Nativitatis" literally means "Merry Day of the Nativity" in Latin. This phrase would be handy to pick up if you wanted to impress your old Latin teacher. Just don't ask us to conjugate it!

Traditionally, Christmas, or Yule, was not a major celebration in Scotland. It only became an official public holiday in 1871. However, in recent years Scotland has developed new festivities for the holiday!

Since Greenland in winter doesn't see much sunlight, people traditionally place illuminated "poinsettia stars" in their windows to give the towns some light. They also enjoy "mattak," whale skin and blubber.

Because Christmas in New Zealand falls in summer, people celebrate by surfing and enjoying the beach. Even Santa wears sandals in the heat! And children leave him pineapple chunks instead of cookies.

In South Africa, Christmas comes in the summer, so many families go camping for their Christmas break! People also enjoy their Christmas dinner out in the sun, often with a barbecue!

People in Croatia traditionally celebrate with an Advent wreath with four candles. Children stay on their best behavior lest Krampus, Santa's helper, leave them twigs instead of presents.

The famous Welsh poet Dylan Thomas recorded his fond Christmas memories in "A Child's Christmas in Wales." In this work, he recalls the wonder and excitement he felt at Christmas as a child. Pretty universal feelings!

During Advent, the period leading up to Christmas, people in Poland reflect on the meaning of the holiday and go to Mass frequently. At school, kids put on Nativity plays, called Jasełka.

Many Navajo celebrate Christmas by gathering with family, exchanging gifts and eating nice meals together. Those who attend church services sing traditional Christmas songs like "Silent Night" ⁠— in Navajo!

Spain has different regions that speak different languages. In Catalan, for instance, people wish each other "Bon Nadal." Also, children receive presents on both Christmas and the Epiphany (Jan. 6).

Greek children have the long-standing tradition of going caroling on Christmas Eve, playing drums and triangles and often carrying toy boats. People give them candy and money for their songs.

In the Arctic, churches hold Mass in both English and Inuktitut, the Inuit language. In some areas so far north, Christmas trees have to be imported because they can't grow there!

In Haiti, children place their shoes, filled with straw, under the Christmas tree in hopes that Tonton Nwèl (Santa) will replace the straw with presents! As in France, Haitians enjoy a meal called "reveillon" on Christmas.

Many families in Spain attend La Misa Del Gallo, the Mass of the Rooster, or Midnight Mass. In the days leading up to Nochebuena (Christmas Eve), children often go caroling and collect some money.

Children in Belgium leave treats for Sinterklaas (Santa Claus) and his assistant, Zwarte Piet, on St. Nicholas' Eve. Kids know better than to misbehave, or Zwarte Piet will take them away in a sack!