A Sampling of Worldwide Winter Holiday Traditions

As the end of another year arrives, many cultures around the globe come together to celebrate the joys of the holidays. From feasts to festivals, each tradition is a reflection of the region’s unique history, beliefs, and customs. This holiday season, take a look at some fascinating winter traditions from around the world. And then think about which ones you might like to experience in person!

Mexico: Las Posadas

From December 16 to December 24, Mexicans celebrate Las Posadas, a reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter in Bethlehem. The event involves nightly processions where participants, led by children playing the roles of Mary and Joseph, go from house to house asking for “posada” (shelter). The procession culminates in a joyous celebration with singing, dancing, and, of course, piñatas filled with sweets. If you live in an area with a concentration of Mexican-Americans or Mexican immigrants, you can often find posadas organized by local churches or cultural centers.

Colombia: Día de las Velitas (Day of Little Candles)

In Colombia, the holiday season begins with the Día de las Velitas on December 7. On this night, families light thousands of candles and lanterns in honor of the Virgin Mary. The streets, homes, and parks are beautifully illuminated, creating a magical atmosphere. This tradition marks the start of the Christmas season, leading into celebrations that last until early January. While we’ll miss these festivities on our Colombia trip in late January 2026, we’ll be well into Carnival season and that’s bound to be fun. Check out the Magdalena River cruise here and contact me for specific availability and pricing. The ship is almost sold out even though the trip is over a year away!

Sweden: St. Lucia Day

On December 13, Sweden celebrates St. Lucia Day, a festive tradition that marks the beginning of the Christmas season. The holiday honors St. Lucia, the patron saint of light, in a celebration of light during the darkest time of the year. Young girls, often dressed in white robes and wearing wreaths of candles on their heads, lead processions singing traditional songs. It’s a magical moment that brings warmth and brightness to the winter months. We’ve been invited to St. Lucia Day festivities at a private home in Dallas, and the festivities began well before sunrise.

Germany: Advent Calendars and Christmas Markets

Germany’s winter traditions are famous worldwide, especially the concept of the Advent calendar. Starting on December 1st, children open a small door on the calendar each day, leading up to Christmas Eve. These calendars often reveal small toys or chocolates, creating a sense of anticipation. Another key tradition is the Christmas market (Weihnachtsmarkt), where vendors sell handcrafted goods, warm drinks, and festive foods like mulled wine (Glühwein) and gingerbread cookies. Christmas markets are held all over Central Europe and make for extremely popular and festive cruising along the Rhine, Main, Moselle, and Danube rivers. These cruises sell out early, so make your plans now for Christmas 2026 (or 2027). Or should I take a group? Check out a few of these "Connections" for a peek into special holiday sailings.

Finland: Christmas Sauna and Santa Claus

In Finland, Christmas is a time for family, warmth, and reflection. We observed sauna culture on our recent trip to Finland, but didn’t realize that a sauna visit with the family on Christmas Eve was a thing. Often accented by lanterns or candlelight, this practice is meant to purify both the body and the spirit, offering a peaceful start to the holiday celebrations. Finland is also the official home of Santa Claus, who resides in Lapland, where families can visit him in his village and experience the magic of the season firsthand. It’s looking like we may offer a Small Group Trip to Finland in 2026, so perhaps we will be visiting Santa at home. We’ll definitely see some of his reindeer.

Iceland: Jólasveinar, aka The Yule Lads

Icelandic folklore introduces the 13 Yule Lads, mischievous figures who visit children during the 13 days leading up to Christmas. These characters each have a unique personality, from the “Spoon Licker” to "Meat Hook" to the "Window Peeper" to the “Door Slammer,” and they leave small gifts for well-behaved children--or rotten potatoes for the others. The Yule Lads add an element of fun and surprise to the holiday season, and their stories are passed down through generations. Those ancestors several centuries ago tormented their children with a much creepier version of Yule Lads lore. In fact, parents were officially banned from scaring the pants off their kids with the Yule Lads way back in 1746. Is today's tamer version better? Hmmm....

Italy: La Befana

In Italy, Christmas festivities extend to January 6, when “La Befana” arrives. According to legend, La Befana is a kind old witch who delivers sweets and gifts to children on Epiphany Eve. Unlike Santa, she rides a broomstick, but she does leave presents in stockings left by the fireplace. For children who have been naughty, La Befana may leave a lump of coal. The tradition is especially beloved in central and southern Italy, where parades and festivals mark her visit. 

What’s her connection to Epiphany? Well, after seeing a bright star in the night sky, La Befana returned to her housekeeping when the Magi appeared on her doorstep, needing to make a pit stop for the night. La Befana put them up, and after her superb hospitality they invited her to join them on their journey to Bethlehem. She declined, being too busy cleaning. She changed her mind soon after and ran after them with her broom and gifts for the baby, but, alas, could not catch up with them.

New Orleans: Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night (January 6th) is the official kickoff of elaborate Carnival season celebrations in New Orleans that last from January 6th until Mardi Gras itself, blending the city’s rich French, Spanish, and African heritage into a joyous, colorful occasion full of music, dancing, and festive spirit. In the Crescent City, Twelfth Night is celebrated with much fanfare and revelry. The Epiphany-adjacent festivities include parades, masked balls, and the traditional serving of king cake, a brightly decorated pastry filled with sweet fillings and containing a hidden figurine (usually a plastic baby, representing Jesus) or a dry bean. The person who finds the figurine is crowned “King” or “Queen” of the celebration and is expected to host the next king cake party or bring the next king cake to their workplace. Cardinal rule of king cake: never eat king cake before January 6th or after Mardi Gras! It's not easy to find a good one in Dallas, so I have taken to making my own whenever I can.

Ethiopia: Genna (Ethiopian Orthodox Christmas)

Ethiopian Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7 with a holiday called Genna. The celebration begins with a midnight church service, followed by a feast and traditional games. One of the highlights is “genna,” a field hockey-like game played by men in colorful costumes. Tradition holds that the game evolved from the joy of the shepherds tending their flocks on the night Jesus was born. Another legend involves the Three Wise Men…murder…and the magi playing with the dead man’s head. I think the former is a much nicer story than the latter!

Russia: New Year and Russian Orthodox Christmas

In Russia, the winter holiday season is a blend of New Year’s and the Russian Orthodox Christmas on January 7. New Year’s is a festive occasion, often celebrated with fireworks, feasts, and a visit from Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost), who brings presents. Russian Orthodox Christmas is a more solemn event, marked by church services and traditional meals, including a dish called “sochivo,” made from wheat, honey, and poppy seeds, symbolizing the sweetness of life. Moscow is at its sparkling peak at this time of year, robed in colorful light displays. Against the almost-inevitable backdrop of accumulated--or falling--snow, it is a veritable winter fairyland. It seemed a little bit crazy to some people that I would take a group of clients to the Moscow Conservatory in January 2017 for Cliburn Competition auditions, but it was a thoroughly enchanting experience. 

Japan: Oshogatsu (New Year’s Celebration)

In Japan, the New Year is the most important holiday of the year, marked by family gatherings, visiting shrines, and feasts. A key part of Oshogatsu is the “osechi-ryori,” a beautiful array of symbolic dishes, each representing wishes for health, happiness, and prosperity. On New Year’s Eve, families also engage in “Joya no Kane,” a Buddhist tradition where bells are rung 108 times to cleanse sins and welcome a fresh start.

Celebrate the World’s Rich Traditions

These are just a few of the many fascinating winter holiday traditions celebrated across the globe. Whether it’s the light-filled processions of Sweden, the gift-bearing Yule Lads of Iceland, or the joyful Las Posadas in Mexico, each tradition brings its own sense of warmth and joy to the season. No matter where you are, the spirit of togetherness and celebration unites us all during this magical time of year. 

FOR 2025

Rhône cruise on Riverside + Ravishing Riviera, late August 2025

This was a spontaneous addition to the 2025 calendar, and it's a fabulous one. Enjoy a weeklong cruise aboard one of the most incredible ships sailing the rivers, with arguable the top cuisine and wine program inm the industry.  Excursions of all kinds, from culinary experiences to kayaking! 

PLUS: Mon Voyage is offering a specially curated follow-up week on the French Riviera, based in the elegant city of Nice. From charming villages to the world's greatest artists to Roman ruins, you must spend time in this area to truly appreciate all it has to offer. Being so close to the Italian border, it has a very interesting back-and-forth history as well.

You may choose either the cruise OR the Riviera component OR BOTH!

However, given the shorter planning time, there are prompt deadlines with this trip. If it doesn't reach its minimum by the end of January, it will not move forward. In addition, promotional discounts begin expiring soon. Read more here.

Gems of Southeast Europe + Hungarian wine tour, late June 2025

In addition, we do still have space for a couple more people on our midsummer  Eastern Europe trip. There's a highly curated wine tour to the Eger and Tokaj regions (we're staying in a castle, just casual-like) as well as several days in Budapest, seeing gems in the city that are often overlooked. This tour actually follows a week sailing the lower Danube to Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Hungary. 

Again, you may book for either week by itself or take advantage of both components with your one plane ticket. Read about the cruise here and the wine tour here.

Last Call on 2026 Opinions

I've reopened the Small Groups survey just for this week after a request from someone who had not had a chance to complete it earlier.

Private planning

Are you ready for your 2025 and 2026 private travel? Don't forget that at least half my time is devoted to your individual trips, be they for you alone, family, or friends. My 2025 book still has space for additional clients, so let me pencil you in before it's too late.

I can’t wait to see where we’ll travel together in 2026 and beyond--or what private trips I'll be able to design for you.

In the meantime, I wish you a blessed, peaceful, joyous, and memorable holiday season.

À la prochaine,