Holidays Around The World: New Year's, Christmas, And More

Holidays offer a chance to celebrate, come together with loved ones, and honor cultural traditions. Some holidays are popular worldwide, whereas others may be unique to a specific region or country. Learn about traditional festivities and holidays around the world. While the exact date varies when it comes to each public holiday, traditional celebrations can offer the opportunity to enjoy time with loved ones and the broader community. If you struggle with your mental health around the holidays, online therapy may be a beneficial resource.

Holidays around the world

Learning more about holidays from outside your own culture may offer eye-opening insights into what others value and what life may be like in another part of the world. Below, we’ll explore some of the most popular holidays around the globe. 

The Chinese New Year and spring festivals 

Chinese New Year traditions: Holidays around the world

Traditions tend to be a significant part of Chinese New Year celebrations. The following are some traditions that people may follow: 

• Buying new clothes for the new year 
• Giving red envelopes with money to children for luck, health, and growth 
• Having a family reunion dinner 
• Setting off fireworks
• Dancing 
• Attending a Lunar New Year parade 
• Watching the CCTV New Year’s Gala 
• Eating sticky rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves
• Celebrating New Year’s Eve in family gatherings before the Lunar New Year

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (worldwide) 

Christmas is a major holiday among the most highly celebrated seasonal holidays worldwide, celebrated by over two billion people. To many people, this holiday is considered religious, as it celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ in the Christian faith. However, many non-Christians celebrate Christmas and other global holidays in a secular way. On Christmas Eve, the day before Christmas, people worldwide often attend church, have a special meal, and get ready for the festivities of the coming day. 

In many countries, people celebrate Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day by opening presents and spending time with family. The 25th of December may be reserved for church services and quiet family time. In the U.S., families often leave out presents for children from “Santa Claus,” fill stockings, and open gifts with loved ones as Christmas traditions. Many people enjoy traditional celebrations on this holiday, such as lighting candles, eating a huge feast with traditional food and special foods the family enjoys, and taking time to exchange gifts.

Boxing Day

Boxing Day is a holiday in Great Britain, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand on December 26th. As part of the Christmas season, this day was traditionally meant to be a time to give presents to servants, tradespeople, and people experiencing poverty. However, it has become a holiday associated with shopping and sporting events. In the Northern Hemisphere, Boxing Day events might include foxhunting and horse races. In New Zealand, the Boxing Day rugby events are highly treasured, especially because the holiday falls near the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Kwanzaa (United States) 

Kwanzaa is a holiday in the United States celebrated by some Black Americans, primarily to celebrate African American history and African culture. The holiday was created in the 1960s by Maulana Karenga. The word “Kwanzaa” comes from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” in Swahili, which means “first fruits.” This holiday is celebrated from December 26th to January 1st.  

The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa celebrations are often centered on the following seven principles:

1. Umoja (unity) 
2. Ujima (collective work) 
3. Ujamaa (cooperative economics) 
4. Nia (purpose) 
5. Imani (faith) 
6. Kujichagulia (self-determination) 
7. Kuumba (creativity) 

Some people who celebrate this holiday light the seven Kwanzaa candles on the kinara. 

Brazilian Carnival (Brazil) 

Carnival in Brazil occurs on different dates each year, based on the lunar calendar. The festival usually begins on the Friday afternoon before Ash Wednesday, a Catholic holiday. In 2025, Carnival will be held from February 28th to March 8th. Carnival often involves an extensive celebration, with parades full of bright colors and floats, sports celebrations, parties, and family events. Since many Brazilians get time off work for Carnival, the events are usually full of people, and the whole country may seem to stop to celebrate.  

What is the history of Carnival? 

The tradition of Carnival in Brazil is thought to have originated in Greece. However, the Roman Catholic church picked up the holiday, which was soon celebrated in Portugal. When Portugal colonized Brazil, the holiday was brought along. Now, the festivities have been adapted to Brazilian culture, with a significant focus on Samba and other traditional forms of Brazilian dance, such as Carimbó in the north of Brazil. The largest Carnival celebration in Brazil is held in Rio de Janeiro each year, and it involves a huge parade that lasts the entire day. 

Hanukkah: The Jewish Festival of Lights

Hanukkah, sometimes called the Festival of Lights, is one of the winter holidays primarily celebrated by those of the Jewish faith or culture. It celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple after the recovery of Jerusalem.In Hebrew, the holiday is called Chanukkah. Hanukkah starts on the 25th day of Kislev, a month in the Jewish calendar. However, the day doesn’t align with the Gregorian calendar, so the holiday is celebrated on different days yearly and lasts for eight nights. 

In 2024, Hanukkah starts on December 25th and ends on January 2nd, 2025. On each day of Hanukkah, a candle on the menorah is lit. Lighting candles tends to be one of the most prominent traditions associated with the holiday.Some Jewish families give each other gifts for each day, while others might provide gifts only on the last day. Other traditions for Jewish people during Hanukkah include eating donuts, fried foods like potato cakes, and other traditional food options.

Día de los Muertos (Latin America) 

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead in English) is a holiday that originated in Mexico but is celebrated in many Latin American countries. The holiday occurs over two days on November 1st and 2nd, and can sometimes include November 6th in some places. On this day, families create ofrendas (offerings) to honor deceased family members. The holiday celebrates the connection between the living and the dead and remembers the lives of important people from generations past. 

The Catholic Church celebrates these days as All Saints’ Day, which occurs on November 1st, and All Souls’ Day, which occurs on November 2nd. Some people in Latin America, primarily Catholics, also celebrate these holidays. During this day, they may celebrate the Patron Saint of Life and other patron saints.  

How to avoid cultural appropriation on the Day of the Dead

Because Dia de los Muertos is primarily a cultural holiday, it may be best to exercise caution when celebrating to avoid inappropriately using the designs, ideas, and cultural symbols of the Day of the Dead, as many of these traditions come from Indigenous Mexican culture. To avoid potentially offensive celebrations, it may help to do research on this holiday and avoid dressing up or painting your face in a way that is not respectful of Mexican heritage. You can learn more about cultural appropriation from the official Day of the Dead website. 

Holi and Diwali: Festivals of color and light

The Holi (Festival of Colors) holiday commemorates the last full moon day of the Hindu luni-solar calendar month. This festival celebrates the end of winter and the start of spring, often falling in late February or early March on the Gregorian calendar. To celebrate, large pyres are often burned in big cities to signify the burning of evil spirits, allowing individuals to throw in wood and twigs to symbolize letting go of evil. People also tend to throw colored powders into the air and at each other in the streets, each with its own meaning. They may also have water balloon fights and end the day with meals with family or friends. 

The date varies for Diwali (the Festival of Light), but it is also accompanied by many traditional celebrations, such as lighting candles, wearing colorful costumes, viewing fireworks, and eating special foods. Many people also exchange gifts with friends and family.

Other Indian holidays 

Many holidays are explicitly celebrated in India, including the following: 

• Republic Day: Celebration of the adoption of the Constitution of India
• Eid al-Fitr: A Muslim holiday celebrating the end of Ramadan 
• Lohri: A festival to celebrate the end of the winter solstice

Eid al-Adha and Islamic celebrations 

Eid al-Adha is an Islamic holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that follows the completion of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. The date varies for this public holiday. Typically, an animal is slaughtered, and its meat is split between family, friends, and those in need. Many people enjoy a huge feast with special foods as well. Those celebrating tend to wear their best clothing and exchange gifts.

Midsummer and seasonal celebrations 

Midsummer celebrations can constitute a public holiday across Europe each June. People may wear colorful costumes and eat traditional food, as well as spend time lighting bonfires and singing songs.

St. Patrick’s Day and Celtic traditions

On the public holiday of St. Patrick’s Day, which commemorates the death of Ireland’s patron saint, people may enjoy traditional festivities like wearing colorful costumes, particularly in the color green. They may also enjoy a huge feast and spend time singing songs.

Halloween and autumn celebrations

Halloween originally began as an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain. Traditional festivities include trick-or-treating, wearing colorful costumes, lighting bonfires, and enjoying special foods, especially various forms of candy.

Japan’s Constitution Day and cultural observances 

Japan’s current constitution was instituted on May 3, 1947, and Constitution Day has been celebrated as a public holiday on May 3 since 1948. Rather than traditional celebrations, this day is a time to reflect on the country’s history.

How to find support for mental health challenges over the holidays 

The holidays can be a time of joy and celebration. However, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that 24% of people living with a mental illness report that the holidays make their mental illness significantly worse. If you are worried about an upcoming holiday season, regardless of where you are in the world, you might benefit from speaking with a licensed therapist. If you can’t see a therapist in person, you might consider online therapy.  

Through an online therapy platform, you can attend sessions with your therapist at a time that works for you, which may be helpful over the holidays. In addition, online therapy can be more affordable than in-person therapy. Studies have found that online therapy is highly effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression, which may be common over the holidays.