Seven Revels
Feast of Saint Ambrose • La Quema del Diablo
Christmas Traditions from Around the World
About Seven Revels
Seven Revels is a celebration of the extraordinary diversity of Christmas rituals and traditions from around the world, an important theme throughout this Almanac. Across continents and cultures, unique and sometimes bizarre customs have flourished, each reflecting the history and spirit of its community. On this day, we spotlight seven special traditions. Consider adopting one, if it speaks to your heart (the Catalonian pooping log, Tió de Nadal, is hard to resist), or use it as inspiration for a new tradition of your own. Researching and trying out seasonal traditions is a fun way to honor the universal joy of Christmas. Hyvää Joulua! Kalá Christoúgenna! Maligayang Pasko! (Finnish, Greek, Tagalog.)
Ways to observe
(A) Low effort
Read about Christmas traditions from a country you’re unfamiliar with. Share one surprising or inspiring fact with friends or family.
(B) Recommended
Choose one tradition from the list of Seven Revels and incorporate it into your day. Whether it’s eating a special food or creating a craft, let this small act connect you with the global Christmas spirit.
(C) High effort
Host a Seven Revels Party where each guest brings a dish, decoration, or story inspired by a specific Christmas tradition from around the world. Decorate the space with elements from different cultures, play music from various regions, and exchange small gifts that reflect the traditions you’ve explored.
Inspiration
I’m a big believer in the power of made-up traditions (see: this entire book). But for a tradition to really stick, to become something more than a one-off gag, it needs time. In year one, Dress- Your-Dog-Like-Batman Day is just a novelty; by year three, assuming a few others have joined in and someone’s made matching capes, it starts to feel real. Christmas is a magnificent collage of cultural practices. It holds thousands of overlapping, sometimes contradictory traditions, full of cheer, warmth, and pockets of weirdness. Some of the most enduring customs are quiet and sincere: lighting a candle, making the same meal every year, calling someone at the exact same time on Christmas morning. Whatever you invent, don’t stress about being original. The best new traditions wear their influences proudly.
Cite your sources with pride. Borrow Japan’s KFC Christmas Dinner wholesale if it makes you happy. Sample widely and keep what connects you to the season, to others, to yourself. Seven Revels (Inspiring Christmas Customs) » Gävle Goat (Sweden): A giant straw goat erected in Gävle, Sweden, every Advent season, often targeted by pranksters attempting to burn it down. » Tió de Nadal (Catalonia): A ‘pooping log’ tradition where children care for a hollowed log, then ‘feed’ it presents by beating it with sticks while singing. » KFC Christmas Dinner (Japan): Fried chicken is a holiday staple in Japan, thanks to a wildly successful marketing campaign in the 1970s. » Spider Web Decorations (Ukraine): Inspired by folklore, Ukrainians adorn their trees with spider web ornaments for good luck. » Krampuslauf (Austria and Germany): A procession where participants dress as Krampus, St. Nicholas’s sinister companion, spreading festive fear and fun. » Singing Gaita (Venezuela): A lively tradition of street music performed with maracas, cuatro guitars, and gaita drums, often involving roller-skating to early-morning services. » Radish Carving (Mexico): Oaxaca’s Noche de Rábanos (Night of the Radishes) sees artisans create intricate nativity scenes and other figures out of radishes.
Adornments
Watch
Three Wishes for Cinderella (1973)
A Czech–German fairy-tale film that has become a Christmas TV ritual across Europe, retelling Cinderella with three magical hazelnuts in place of a fairy godmother.
From All of Us to All of You (1958)
In Sweden, this vintage Disney Christmas special—featuring Donald Duck and friends—is an immovable part of Christmas Eve. Known locally as Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul, it airs at 3:00 PM sharp and has done so since 1959, with entire families gathering to watch in reverent silence.
Listen
Betelehemu by Babatunde Olatunji
A Nigerian carol in Yoruba by Babatunde Olatunji, arranged for choir with percussion and call-and-response that brings West African joy to the Nativity story.
Read
Tinsel, Traditions & Travel by Carl Sanford
A tour of Christmas traditions in over 20 countries, from Austrian Krampus runs to Filipino lantern parades, blending folklore, food, and travel to showcase the season’s global diversity.