Santa Claus, Papai Noel, Babbo Natale Are Coming to Town: 5 Christmas Traditions from Around the World

Jordana Weiss | December 21, 2018

3. Austria

In Austria, Christmas is still a deeply religious festival, and although there are many fun traditions, the most closely held are still the ones that center around church life.

The Christmas season begins with the start of Advent. As such, many Austrian families purchase evergreen wreaths set with four candle-holders, then light a candle every Sunday until Christmas. Another advent tradition is St. Nicholas’s Day, which is December 6. Children are given presents by St. Nicholas if they’ve behaved themselves during the year, but if they haven’t, they may get a visit from a terrifying horned monster called Krampus.

Austria is famous for their Christmas markets as every large city and even the smaller towns have them, and people flock to the market to purchase gifts, sweets, and other festive foods.

Like many European cultures, Austria celebrates the primary holiday on Christmas Eve. That’s when the tree is lit for the first time, and a celebratory meal of fried carp or roast goose is eaten.

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