Christmas Cultures
Argentina 
Armenia 
Australia 
Belgium 
Brazil 
Canada 
China 
Costa Rica 
Czech Rep. 
Democratic Republic of the Congo 
Denmark 
Egypt 
Ethiopia 
Finland 
France 
Germany 
Ghana 
Greece 
Greenland 
Guatemala 
Holland 
Hong Kong 
Hungary 
Iceland 
India 
Ireland 
Italy 
Jamaica 
Japan 
Latvia 
Lebanon 
Madagascar 
Mali 
Malta 
Mexico 
New Zealand 
Nigeria 
Norway 
Pakistan 
Palestine 
Philippines 
Poland 
Portugal 
Romania 
Russia 
Serbia 
Slovakia 
South Africa 
South Korea 
Spain 
Sri Lanka 
Sweden 
Taiwan 
Trinidad and Tobago 
U.K. 
U.S.A. 
Venezuela 
Vietnam 
Zambia 
Zimbabwe
Christmas in Hungary
In Hungary, Christmas Eve is very important and is called 'Szent-este' which means Holy Evening. People spend the evening with their family and decorate the Christmas Tree. Sometimes only the adults decorate the tree (without the children there), so when children come in and see the tree, it's a great surprise and they are told that angels brought the tree for them.
The main Christmas meal, which is also eaten on Christmas eve, consists of fish and cabbage and a special kind of poppy bread/cake called 'Beigli'.
The Midnight Mass service is very popular in Hungary. Most people go to Church after their Christmas meal.
On Christmas Day people visit their close family.
St Nicholas also visits Hungary on the 6th December. In Hungary he is known as 'Mikulás'. Children leave out shoes or boots on a windowsill to be filled with goodies! Presents might also be brought by Télapó (Old Man Winter)
