Discover Holiday Traditions Around the World
What does Christmas smell like? For one family, it might be ginger and cloves drifting from the oven. For another, it is a pot of warm fruit punch waiting for visitors. The sounds change, too: a candlelit choir, neighbors singing at the door, or laughter around a table where everyone has helped prepare the meal.
Rooted in the Christian celebration of Jesus’s birth, Christmas has taken on different customs wherever it is celebrated. Food, folklore and local history shape the season, and traditions vary between regions and households – even within the same country. Exploring a few of them can give children a glimpse of how other families spend this time of year.
That curiosity is the starting point for eat2explore‘s Christmas Around the World Advent Bundle. Six mystery country cooking boxes, a scratch-off reveal card and digital Christmas guides invite families to discover a different destination every four days. Here is a small peek at two of those destinations – and the traditions, flavors and activities that make each one worth exploring.
In Mexico the celebration begins at the door
From December 16 through 24, Las Posadas commemorates Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter in Bethlehem. In many communities, processions and songs bring neighbors together, with hosts welcoming participants inside. The gathering can include a brightly decorated piñata and food to share.
The table is part of the welcome. Tamales are made with masa dough and savory or sweet fillings, wrapped and steamed. Buñuelos bring a crisp, sweet finish. Warm ponche navideño, a Christmas fruit punch, fills mugs with fruit and cinnamon; ingredients and recipes differ from place to place.
For a family afternoon inspired by these traditions, let an adult tend a pot of fruit punch while children help choose the fruit and notice the spices. Look up how Las Posadas is celebrated, then talk about what it means to welcome someone into your home. What food would your family share with a visitor?
A colorful star decoration can carry the conversation to the craft table. Children can cut paper stars and decorate them with fringed tissue paper. It is a simple project inspired by the star-shaped piñatas associated with the celebrations, with room to learn about their meaning as well as enjoy their colors.
In Sweden light and spice fill December
On December 13, Lucia celebrations bring singing and candlelight to Sweden’s winter season. Processions often feature white robes and a candle crown worn by Lucia. It is a chance for children to discover a holiday celebration that takes place before Christmas Eve, and to think about why light feels so welcoming during dark winter days.
Pepparkakor, thin ginger cookies, are another taste of the season. Ginger, cinnamon and cloves give them their familiar warmth. Glögg is a spiced winter drink; families can make a cozy version with grape or cranberry juice. An adult can warm the juice with orange and spices while the cookies bake.
For a small craft, make a tomte-inspired Christmas gnome with a pine cone, a felt hat, a cotton beard and a little bead nose. Read about the tomte’s place in Swedish folklore before making your own decoration. Listen to a Lucia song while you work, and notice how the music compares with the Christmas songs your family knows.
These are the kinds of connections explored in the Christmas Around the World Advent Bundle‘s digital Christmas guides: a recipe leads to a story, a story inspires a craft, and a song brings a little of that celebration into your home. Each reveal leaves a few days to linger with the destination before discovering the next one.
Bring the discoveries back to your own table
You don’t need to recreate an entire celebration in one evening. Pick one food, learn the story behind it and leave time for questions. Children might mark the country on a map, practice a holiday greeting or draw their favorite discovery. Ask relatives and friends about their own traditions, too; Christmas can look different in neighboring homes as well as across oceans.
With eat2explore’s Family Edition, each country cooking box offers local recipes and pre-measured spice and sauce mixes, while the accompanying digital guide explores its Christmas celebrations. Families can cook one night and return to a craft or festive drink another day. The digital Christmas recipes supplement the country cooking kits; fresh ingredients and craft supplies are purchased separately. And when the holidays are over, a cooking subscription gift keeps the adventure going all year.
The other destinations can stay a surprise. For now, there is plenty to wonder about over a mug of something warm: Which Christmas customs feel familiar? Which are new? And which story will your children want to hear again?
Ready for your own passport to Christmas? Your first reveal is waiting.
