Christmas Traditions Around the World
UK
Christmas crackers-usually pulled prior to meal, Father Christmas-reindeerland- mincepies &sherry, Christmas lists in the fireplace....mincepie and glass of sherry for Father Christmas. Stockings opened the night before (christmas eve)-and left at bottom of bed or mantlepiece, turkey and plum(christmas) puddin The pudding (coins) is traditionally stirred from east to west in honour of the 3 wise men and each family member gives the pudding a stir and makes a secret wish., boxing day-dec 26th charitable boxes emptied and given to poor-give gifts to postmen paper boys and have dinner w/famil, carollers (singers and musicians) collect money usually for charity.
Australia
plum pudding (gold nugget or little prize), Carols by Candlelight is held every year on Christmas Eve, where tens of thousands of people gather in the city of Melbourne to sing their favorite Christmas songs. The evening is lit by as many candles singing under a clean cut night sky. The sky with its Southern Cross stars is like a mirror. Sydney and the other capital cities also enjoy Carols in the weeks leading up to Christmas, christmas bush (poinsetta?), dinner=midday- on (Bondi!?) beach, santa on a surfboard or surf boat-in swimming gear-striped neck to knee- w/cool drink (it is hot in australia at this time!), Boxing day test match (cricket game), mistleto, holly (drive away evil), fir trees.
Europe
Italy: La Befana--fills stockings, most gifts given 12th dec. (Epiphany) day wise men gave jesus gifts, precepe (nativity), christmas eve-7 fishes-no meat, christmas meat, midnight mass, 25th dec. first one goes home, 6th of jan. last santa goes home
Sweden: Christmnas eve more important, presents and special meal (ham/pork, herring, beans, Jul cannot come w/o julklap (christmas knocking) where people go around in the house knocking on doors and shoving in anonymous preents, then the family members must fnd which is theirs,or draw numbers to get one of the presents they brought before (grabbag or secret santa-similar).
The Netherlands: Sinterklaas, arrives from spain ona steamer dec 6th (his feast day), kids fill their shoes w/hay and sugar for horses and next morning find them replaced w/nuts and sweets; sometimes the children see him with his assistant black pete and he asks if they have been good/bad.
Iceland: 13 santa clauses for 13 days before christmas, potato bad, sweets good, toys in shoes, 25th of dec.first santa goes home, 6th of jan last santa goes home
Greece & Spain: celebrate on jan 6th (The day of the three kings, in greece presents are for godarents ns godchildren and many people get wet form the water blessings.
France: Christmas=noel. TRaditionally gifts were brought by st nick dec 6th but in modern practices they are brought dec 24 by pere noel (father christmas), the children leave their shoes out instead of stocking for little presents. Buche de Noel (yule log) is the tradiional dessert and event of the day.
The United States/Canada
Many cultures, different traditions....presents under treee, santa comes through chimney after landing wih his eight tiny reindeer (plus rudolph!) on the roof. Santa has a list of good and bad children, good children get presents bad children get coal, santa comes at midnight on dec 25th and leaves presents under the tree and in the stockings on the mantlepiece. cookies are left for hi and sometimes a carrot & sugar for the reindeer. Christmas day dinner usually ham.
Central and South America
Religious, nativity (naciemiento), christmas day: gifts and candies stuffed into pinata, Villancicos, Las Posadas, Novenas Navidades (every country has a diff. way to celebrate the 9 days before christmas eve. Mary's pregnancy, the journey of mary and joseph to bethlehem) & search for shelter to birth the baby, preparation for noche buena-Noche Buena (Christmas eve)
http://www.portharbor.com/santa/xsatrad.php
Africa
www/worldofchristmas.net
Asia
Christian faith 
lights
Santa Claus figures
candy canes
gingerbread houses
reindeer
Christmas trees
candles
Swedish flags
gnomes
banana
mango trees
chick pea seeds
Additional Links- BBC.co.uk: This article describes some of the unique traditions of a European Christmas.
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