Mexico

Mexico is known for its vibrant colours and joyous celebrations. So it’s no surprise that a Mexican Christmas is filled with fantastical festivities lasting well over a month. Elaborate nativity scenes, or nacimientos, are the decoration of choice in Mexican households. Families proudly display beautiful nativity scenes featuring the birth of Jesus in their homes and gardens throughout the Christmas season, while artists and craftspeople create scenes on a grander scale for public areas. Characters are added throughout the Christmas countdown, with baby Jesus being added on 24 December and the three kings arriving on 5 January.

On 6 January, the country celebrates the Día de Los Reyes – Three Kings Day – with more feasting and even more gifts. The Christmas season doesn’t officially end until Candlemas on 2 February, so if you’re in need of an excuse to extend the holidays and leave your Christmas decorations up a little longer, this Mexican tradition is perfect for the home.

Have a Mexican fiesta
Make your own Hong Kong nativity scenes with quirky ornaments from Lion Rock Press , such as mahjong tiles and Star Ferries. Failing that, get into the Feliz Navidad spirit at one of Hong Kong’s favourite Mexican restaurants, such as Taqueria Super Macho .

Australia

There’s tinsel, lights, holly wreaths and decorations, but as Christmas falls in Australia’s summertime, things look a little different Down Under. Surfing Santas aren’t unusual; nor are carol singers in sunglasses instead of scarves. Never ones to shy away from a boozy shindig, Aussies celebrate the season with neighbourhood street carnivals, pool parties and the standard Christmas Eve pub crawl. But perhaps our favourite Southern Hemisphere festive tradition is the classic Christmas Day barbeque on the beach, when locals load up esky coolers, don their bathers and head into the sizzling sunshine to celebrate the opposite of a White Christmas – all washed down with that Aussie classic, a bottle of sparkling Shiraz.

Grill up an Aussie Christmas
Rather than feasting on turkey this year, head to the wet market to pick up some juicy prawns to throw on the barbie – the true Australian Christmas dish of choice. Then head to the beach with friends and family at one of our recommended BBQ spots around town

Norway

Christmas in Norway is a magical time, thanks in large part to its winter wonderland-style beauty and rich legacy of pagan traditions. While most of us celebrate Christmas on 25 December, Norwegians host their main festivities on Christmas Eve instead. One fun ancient tradition is to hide all broomsticks in the house, as it’s said witches and evil spirits come out to wreak havoc on Christmas Eve and must be prevented from flying around.

A sweeter tradition is the comforting Christmas dish risengrynsgrøt: a creamy rice porridge sprinkled with cinnamon, sugar and vanilla. A boiled almond will often be hidden somewhere in the batch, with the person who finds this almond in their bowl receiving a small prize (usually a little marzipan pig) and good luck.

Get hygge in Hong Kong
Nothing is more hygge than enjoying comforting Nordic food – perfect for keeping you warm as the weather starts to cool. Hjem  is offering a unique festive menu throughout December, while Frantzén’s Kitchen  will also be serving up Norwegian classics. Prefer to keep the festivities at home? Sverige Shoppen  in Tsim Sha Tsui sells all your traditional Nordic foods.

United Kingdom

From moreish mince pies to kisses under mistletoe, Britain has many festive traditions that are worth replicating. No Christmas dinner table in the UK is fully dressed without Christmas crackers, and the story of their creation also originates with a cunning marketing ploy. Said to be invented by London-based confectioner Tom Smith in the 1840s, the cracker’s shape was designed to resemble the popular French bonbon sweet, wrapped in a twist of paper. Smith supposedly added the pop after being inspired by hearing logs crackling on the fire. After rival merchants copied Smith’s product, he started to add small gifts, jokes and paper crowns to distinguish his crackers. These have now become staple elements of a traditional British Christmas – as has falling asleep wearing your paper crown in a comatose post-turkey fugue.

Have a cracking British Christmas
You’ll find Christmas crackers at many of Hong Kong’s international grocery stores this year. Keep an eye out for crackers in Bookazine , or head to Selfridges for a premium selection to grace the classiest of Christmas tables.

Russia

Russia has its fair share of quirky Christmas traditions, including swapping Santa Claus for Father Frost (Ded Moroz), fasting on Christmas Eve and decorating the table with hay. However, none are more fascinating than the country’s highjinks approach to celebrating Christmastide. Considered ‘the most unholy time of year’, ‘Svyatki’, as the Russians refer to it, runs from 7 January (Orthodox Christmas Eve) to 19 January (Epiphany). During this time, spirits and the devil are said to run wild – as does everyone else. This pagan tradition involves playing practical jokes on one another, visiting fortune tellers and watching theatrical performances, alongside more traditional feasts and festive music.

Have a Slavic seasonal celebration
Feasting is a huge part of Russian Christmas celebrations, with tables straining under the weight of delicacies such as meat pies and pickled apples. Enjoy your own festive Russian feast at Dacha , offering some of the best Eastern European cuisine in Hong Kong, such as authentic borscht and pierogi dumplings. Or to really get into the festive spirit, catch a performance of Tchaikovsky’s great Russian ballet The Nutcracker  – a Christmas classic and a Hong Kong institution.

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