Ways We Celebrate: Family Traditions That Cross Cultures and Continents
Though our traditions may look different, their meanings often align. Families around the world turn to light, food and community to mark the season.
WORDS Elissa Rose
As the year draws to a close, families everywhere turn to rituals that anchor them; moments that transform ordinary routines into symbols of connection, memory and hope. Though these celebrations vary in form, similar themes that speak to the universal human condition surface again and again: light to guide and uplift, food to gather around, and community to remind us that we belong to one another.
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Wira Bruk in central Sweden with Advent candles in the window. Photo courtesy of Hans Strand/Folio |
Light: Symbols of Comfort, Guidance and Renewal
In Norway, a simple glow in the window carries a surprisingly rich meaning. As the days shorten and darkness stretches across the country, families place illuminated paper stars or electric candles in their windows throughout Advent. This tradition is as much about the people inside the home as passersby. The lights create a soft, steady radiance that breaks the monotony of winter darkness, acting as gentle reminders of togetherness and resilience. At the same time, they shine outward, signaling hospitality and neighborliness. Historically, a candle in the window acted as a beacon for travelers seeking shelter; today it simply says, we are here and you are welcome.
Across Scandinavia, light takes on multiple cultural forms. In Sweden, the feast of Saint Lucia sees young children don white gowns and candle-lit crowns, bringing saffron buns to their families at dawn. The procession honors Lucia as a bringer of light during the darkest part of the year, a ritual that still resonates powerfully in modern life. In Finland, many families visit the Christmas sauna, a tradition that symbolizes spiritual cleansing and renewal. After time in the heat, leaving the dim sauna for the cold outdoors feels like stepping into fresh light, a visceral reminder of transition and hope.
"The lights create a soft, steady radiance that breaks the monotony of winter darkness, acting as gentle reminders of togetherness and resilience. At the same time, they shine outward, signaling hospitality and neighborliness."
In Jewish homes, Hanukkah is often called the Festival of Lights, and its symbolism extends well beyond its religious origins. Each night, families gather to light candles on the menorah, beginning with the shamash – the ‘helper’ candle used to ignite the others. The ritual is widely interpreted as a reminder that every person carries an inner light, and that even a small act of kindness can dispel considerable darkness. The idea of sharing light, and of passing warmth and generosity from one person to the next, resonates universally, making Hanukkah a celebration not only of heritage but of the power of illumination in all its forms.
Elsewhere, traditions of light take on different shapes but signal the same desire to illuminate gathering spaces. In India and Hindu communities around the world, families celebrate Diwali with rows of flickering diyas (clay oil lamps) and intricately colored rangoli patterns at the entrance of the home. Each lamp represents the triumph of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. People come together to place the lamps at thresholds, windows and courtyards, creating warmth that spills out into the street. In the Philippines, families craft parols – bright, star-shaped lanterns inspired by the Star of Bethlehem. Hung outside homes or carried in community parades, they reflect both faith and festivity. For children, making a parol with a parent or grandparent becomes a treasured memory, as meaningful as displaying it.
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An assortment of traditional tamales. Photo courtesy of Freepik |
Japan’s New Year tradition of osechi ryōri. Photo courtesy of mnimage/Adobe |
Food: The Table as a Place of Memory and Meaning
If light comforts, then food unites. Around the world, people celebrate this season with dishes that represent heritage, gratitude or collective effort. Food rituals often begin long before the meal itself. They are tactile, intergenerational and steeped in symbolism.
In Italy and among Italian-American communities, the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve is a deeply rooted event. The menu varies by region and household, but the essence remains the same – multiple seafood dishes prepared with the help of many hands. Children learn to breadcrumb anchovies, grandparents simmer slow sauces and everyone contributes something. The meal is more than a feast, it is a choreography of memory, faith and family stories retold each year.
In Mexico, the tamalada captures this communal spirit. Before Christmas, families gather to make tamales, a laborious yet festive process that can take hours. The magic lies not in the final product alone but in the rhythm of working together, spreading dough, discussing local news and passing techniques from one generation to the next. It is a ritual of belonging as much as nourishment.
Japan’s New Year tradition of osechi ryōri offers a more structured symbolism. Families prepare or purchase lacquered boxes filled with delicately prepared foods, each chosen for the wish it carries. Black soybeans for health, herring roe for prosperity, sweet rolled omelet for knowledge. Presented in beautiful layers, osechi is a reminder that the New Year is a fresh beginning.
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Christmas Market in Aachen, Germany. Photo courtesy of Alexander Schimmeck/Unsplash |
Community: Rituals That Connect Us to One Another
In Germany, the Advent season is marked by the lighting of candles on the Adventskranz or Advent wreath. While the ritual begins at home, its symbolism extends outward. Families may attend Christmas markets together, where local artisans, food vendors and musicians create a shared festive landscape. Children gather around storytellers, neighbors meet over mulled wine and small towns come alive with music and light.
Across Ethiopia, families celebrate Genna (Orthodox Christmas) with church services, community feasts and, in the highlands, an energetic traditional game, also called genna or qarsa, played with sticks and a wooden ball. It is common for extended families to gather, share meals and prepare for the celebration together. The day emphasizes generosity, collective joy and spiritual grounding.
In Colombia, New Year’s Eve brings a series of playful agüeros – rituals believed to influence the year ahead. Families sweep the house together to symbolically clear out negative energy, wear yellow for luck or run around the block with suitcases to invite future travel. Color plays an important role further south on the continent, where millions of Brazilian families take to the shorelines together in white to jump seven waves in celebration of Iemanjá, the sea goddess born from the syncretization of African heritage with Brazil’s contemporary cultural identity.
Even in quieter traditions, community plays a central role. In Ukraine, the didukh – a sheaf of wheat representing ancestors – is placed in the home as a symbolic reminder of lineage and belonging. Families use it to honor those who came before them, acknowledging community not only in the present but across generations.
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Traditional German Christmas cookies. Photo courtesy of Anna Peipina/Unsplash |
Whether expressed through a candle glowing in a Norwegian window, a shared pot of tamales, or a community gathered on the sands at midnight, these traditions speak the same language. They offer comfort in darker months, continuity across generations and a sense of belonging that extends far beyond the home. In celebrating the season, families everywhere reaffirm what truly carries us forward – connection, resilience and shared hope for the future.
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Photo courtesy of Anuja Tilj/Unsplash |
Photo courtesy of Enya/Unsplash |
Feature Image: sonyachny/Adobe
Photography: Hans Strand/Folio, Freepik, mnimage/Adobe, Schimmeck/Unsplash, Peipina/Unsplash, Anna Peipina/Unsplash, Anuja Tilj/Unsplash, Enya/Unsplash
