Christmas Traditions from Around the World

Around the world, fruits, flowers, and vegetables play their part in helping communities celebrate the festive season. Check out some of these traditions below – you might even decide to embrace one or two yourself!

Ring in the radishes

In the Mexican city of Oaxaca, Christmas radish carving is all the rage, and has been for over a hundred years! Large red radishes, specially grown for the purpose, are carved into the shape of cathedrals, saints, animals, flowers, and people, and are displayed in the centre of the city for the population to admire, and even purchase. There’s even a prize for the best carving. The special radishes grown for the purpose aren’t designed to be eaten. In fact, they start wilting and shrinking just a few hours after they go on display.

Silent Night – with a crunch!

Christmas Eve in China as known as ‘ping an ye’ or ‘Peaceful and Calm Night.’ The Mandarin word sounds similar to apple which may be why Christmas has become a popular time for gifting red apples (which are also known as ‘peace fruit.’) Apples in China, during the festive period, can be pricey which makes them even more special as a way of expressing love and good will towards those who are gifted them. The special Christmas apples sometimes bear festive greetings in gold writing on their skin.

Breaking the pomegranate

Pomegranates are one of our most beautiful fruits, and are in season in both summer and autumn. What’s more, they can be dried to create stunning natural Christmas decorations. However, it’s not how dried pomegranates are used in Greece. At Christmas, it’s a tradition to break a dry, brittle pomegranate on the doorstep of your home. The more seeds that spill and scatter from it, the better the luck of the household will be in the coming year. This tradition highlights the connection of the Greek people to their land where pomegranates grow, even in the wild.

Welcoming in Christmas with wheat

In Croatia, wheat is given a special place on the festive dinner table. Tied with a red and blue ribbon (the colours of the Croatian flag), a bunch of wheat (often grown in the family garden) takes centre stage.  Around Christmas time, small bags of wheat grain is sold in shops. Families take it home and plant it in decorative containers as a living display. The lusher the blades of wheat, the more luck a Croatian home will have in the coming year. Why not start this tradition in your own home, by sowing the wheat in a Christmas themed container!

Poinsettia with a difference!

When you’re enjoying your potted poinsettia this Christmas, think of the Guatemalan city of Antigua. At Christmas, the city’s streets come alive with ‘alfombras’ (flower carpets). These works of art depict scenes from nature, religion, and history, and are created from natural materials including bright poinsettia leaves. Designed to last only for a short time, the works of art are then destroyed as celebratory processions walk over them!

Say it with roses

It wouldn’t be Christmas in Germany without an advent wreath, a circle of pine foliage decorated with four candles (one for each of the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas) and red and white roses. Fresh flowers are often renewed as the advent period advances, and the roses may be replaced with dried fruits and cones, and winter berries. An advent wreath is the perfect tradition to introduce to your own home, especially when so many fresh, colourful flowers are available to us over summer.

Christmas is a time for celebrating – and there’s no better way to do it than with fresh produce and flowers!