Christmas may look similar in films, but step into different corners of the world and the celebrations suddenly feel wonderfully unique. Take Japan, where Christmas dinner isn’t turkey, it’s a bucket of KFC, thanks to a 1970s marketing campaign that became a national tradition. Travel to Italy and you’ll meet La Befana, the friendly witch who delivers gifts on 6 January instead of Santa.

Scotland shifts its excitement from Christmas to Hogmanay, with lively street parties and the tradition of “first-footing” to bring luck for the year ahead. Meanwhile, Australia turns the holiday into a sunny seaside affair with cold seafood, pavlova and beach cricket, sometimes even a surfing Santa pops up.

Across Austria, children wait nervously for Krampus, the horned figure who accompanies Saint Nicholas. In Poland, families gather on Christmas Eve for handmade pierogi and hearty soups, while Germany brings humour to the season with Schrottwichteln, a Secret Santa but with absurd, useless gifts.

These playful, heartfelt, and sometimes quirky traditions show one thing: Christmas isn’t just a festival, it’s a feeling, shaped beautifully by culture, climate and creativity.