Kateryna Iakymenko

Ukraine

Iakymenko said the Christmas season in her home country of Ukraine actually begins in early December when St. Nicholas Day is celebrated. St. Nicholas gives small gifts for well-behaved children under their pillows. It’s traditionally Dec. 6.

“He’s not in a red suit like Santa Claus,” she said “It’s a blue suit.”

Joos Langkjear

Ukrainian Christmas used to be celebrated on Jan. 6 and Jan. 7 following the Julian Calendar, but in recent years, the country has aligned with a more Western calendar and celebrates on Dec. 24 and Dec. 25.

Iakymenko said her family celebrates mostly on Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day is reserved for just resting and spending time with family.

“On Dec. 24, we all go caroling and some people dress up in traditional Ukrainian clothing,” she said. “Or there is an older tradition where people dress up like an angel or the devil.

“When you go caroling you must have a star. It’s a tradition that you are allowed to start your dinner when the first star appears in the night sky,” she added.

Iakymenko said she and her friends carry out the tradition of throwing wheat at people’s homes when they stop to sing. It’s said to bring good luck for the coming year.

Filippa Thornwall

The dinner concludes a day of fasting, which ends when the first star appears in the sky, which symbolizes the Star or Bethlehem.

Iakymenko said one of the main dishes families eat is Kutia, which is a sweet grain pudding made from boiled wheat berries, poppy seeds and honey. It’s the first dish served and a spoonful is left on the table overnight for the spirits of deceased ancestors who are believed to visit on Christmas Eve.

The meal includes 12 meatless dishes representing the 12 apostles. None of the dishes contain meat, animal fat, milk or eggs.

Iakymenko said she will probably try to make one of her country’s traditional dishes for her host family, but maybe not until after Christmas.

“I will try to make varenyky, which is dumplings filled with potatoes or you can put cherries in it,” she said. “It’s really good. That’s one thing that I will miss.”

She said typically no presents are exchanged on Christmas. She said sometimes godparents will leave presents for children.

However, Iakymenko said people do receive presents on New Year’s Eve. They have “Grandpa Frost” who comes on New Year’s Eve and leaves presents at midnight.

Joos Langkjear

Denmark

The main celebration in Langkjear’s home country of Denmark also happens on Christmas Eve.

The main event is a lavish meal served in the evening. The dinner includes roast duck or pork with boiled potatoes and cabbage.

It concludes with dessert and the Almond Game. The dessert is a cold rice pudding with vanilla, whipped cream and chopped almonds. But a single whole almond is hidden in the pudding and the person who finds it wins a prize.

Langkjear said the night includes singing and dancing around the Christmas tree. Family members hold hands and sing Christmas carols and hymns. The tree is often decorated with woven paper hearts and real candles.

“My mom would cook a large meal and after we ate we would hold hands and dance around the tree,” he said. “After you dance, we would sit down and begin opening gifts. Then after opening presents we would go to church at midnight.”

It’s a tradition, too, to open presents one by one so each person knows what everyone received.

He said on Christmas Day his entire family would come over and they would just spend the day relaxing.

Many families also light a special candle each day from Dec. 1 to Dec. 24. Children often receive a small calendar as well with small gifts or chocolates for each of the days leading up to Dec. 24.

Langkjear said he’s looking forward to Christmas morning with his host family since it will be his first American Christmas.

“I am looking forward to waking up early and sitting with my host family,” he said. “I am a morning person so that’s when I have a lot of energy.”

Filippa Thornwall

Sweden

Like Denmark and Ukraine, Thornwall said the main celebration for Christmas in Sweden happens on Dec. 24. However, she said the celebration starts when advent begins in December and officially lasts until St. Knut’s Day on Jan. 13.

A big day in the celebration is St. Lucia Day on Dec. 13 when processionals are held in schools, workplaces and churches.

“We usually have a parade at school and dress up and sing, and we go to nursing homes to sing,” she said. “We usually get a little gift each of the advent days.”

Sweden also has some interesting traditions. Thornwall said on Dec. 23 most of the country plays a national game of bingo. It’s broadcast on national television with a promise of some nice prizes.

“They say you can win a car or you can win a million dollars, but you never do,” Thornwall said. “It starts around 9 p.m. and ends around 11 p.m. After that we go to bed and Santa comes and puts Christmas presents in your stocking.”

Usually people open just the presents in their stocking on Dec. 24.

Thornwall said another national tradition is watching “Donald Duck and his friends wish you a Merry Christmas,” a show that first aired in 1958, on Dec. 24.

“It’s good, and my parents and grandparents all watch it. But I’ve seen it 17 times,” she said. “That’s usually when people start to make food and it’s on in the background.”

She said after the cartoon is over, there is traditionally a trailer for a movie that will be released in the coming year.

“That’s fun,” she said, “and that’s the only thing that is different each year.”

After all that, her family eats dinner and then waits for Santa to arrive.

She said she’s not sure if she will like opening presents on Christmas morning with her host family because she’s done them at night all her life.

“When you open them all in the morning, it’s like Christmas is over,” she said.

She also said traditionally her family will open presents one at a time so everyone can see what each person received.

She hopes to FaceTime with her family in Sweden on Dec. 24 and open some of her presents before having Christmas on Dec. 25 with her host family.