欧洲过圣诞
北欧
在瑞典，传统上公司会在圣诞节前一星期邀请员工参加一个圣诞午餐(julbord或jullu nch)。为了防止圣诞节期间可能导致的食物中毒，瑞典报纸传统上每年都要不遗余力的作一些实验室试验有关的报道，警告市民冷肉和蛋黄酱这些东西不要放在室温条件下以防变质。圣诞节在瑞典任何一个地方都是享受美食时节，圣诞节盛宴上的重点还是以烘烤火腿为主，但是哪一天享用它在不同的地方却也不同。不过在瑞典有一个约定俗成的惯例，那就是圣诞前夜这一天也就是12月24日下午3点准时收看迪士尼的特别节目。
挪威的圣诞大餐会在12月24日举行，挪威各个地区都有自己特定的食物做为圣诞晚餐，然后"Julenissen"(jule是圣诞的意思,nissen是挪威传说中的精灵)会带礼物给表现好的小朋友。经过安静的与家人团聚的12月25日，节礼日后会有另一场大型庆祝，儿童们会在此时在邻居中挨家挨户接受款待。Joulupukki(或圣诞山羊)是芬兰版的圣诞老人。他坐在驯鹿拉的雪橇里给表现好的小朋友发送礼物。
南欧
希腊的圣诞船装饰意大利人的圣诞节柔合了现代传统及罗马祖先遗留下、庆祝Natale(译者注：圣诞节的意大利文)的习俗。圣诞的降临节同日从古罗马的神农节(Saturnalia)中的异教徒庆典由来的可能性，而她们的假期就从这天开始一直到显现节。食物、宗教仪式、圣诞摆设和送礼都是重点项目。在某些地区，礼物是由La Befana(译者注：意大利传说送礼物给小朋友的老妇)于显现节时送出的，其他的地区则由小耶稣于圣诞节或平安夜送出。而近年，他们的位置渐渐被Babbo Natale——一个像圣诞老人的人物——取代。
在希腊，纵然树木是要进口的，但船是圣诞的传统像征。
中欧
在捷克，人们主要是在12月24日或圣诞夜(?tědrý den意思为慷慨的一天)庆祝圣诞节，这天晚上大家会相互赠送礼物.虽在12月25号和26号也可以.根据传统,礼物是由Je?í?ek(“小耶稣”)或带来的.为了使节日更丰富有趣，很多古老的圣诞传统保存了下来.人们被告戒在正式的晚宴准备好前,圣诞夜里不能吃任何东西，为了能看见闪闪发亮的烤猪.礼物被安置在圣诞树下(通常是云杉或松树).人们将会在晚餐后开启自己的礼物.
另外捷克的圣诞传统习俗还包括对来年的预测.他们将苹果切开,如果第一下能看见苹果核就预示来年具有好运气，如果没有就表示来年的不顺.女孩们将她们的鞋子从肩头抛过,如果鞋尖指向门的方向，就预示着着女孩来年将会出嫁.另一个传统是将一点熔铅倒入水中,根据铅在水中形成的形状来猜测来年的运式.
在波兰，圣诞夜是宴会的第一天.宴会是从圣诞夜第一颗星星出现时开始的,然后大家开始互赠礼物.在第二天人们会走访亲戚朋友们.
在斯洛伐克,圣诞节是一个大型的家庭，食物,宗教庆典.2001年，一个大型的耶稣诞生场景在布拉迪斯拉发造建并展出,还计划将它封装以在其他城市展出.
圣诞节英语短文
It is interesting to see how different countries celebrate Christmas.We asked some of our friends and this is what they told us about their Christmas celebrations：
Belgium On Christmas Eve,it starts with a drink and “nibbles1)”,followed by a “starter” course such as seafood,and then stuffed turkey.The dessert is a kind of cake made with cream.Father Christmas is called “Saint Nicholas” and he brings presents to children on Dec ember 6th,“St.Nicholas Day,” a long time before Christmas.
Brazil Father Christmas is called Papai Noel.Many Christmas customs are similar to those in the USA or UK.For those who have enough money,a special Christmas meal will be chicken,turkey,ham,rice,salad,pork,fresh and dried fruits,often with beer.Poorer people will just have chicken and rice.
Finland Finnish people believe that Father Christmas(Santa Claus)lives in the north part of Finland called Korvatunturi,north of the Arctic Circle.People from all over the world send letters to Santa Claus in Finland.There is a even big tourist theme park called “Christmas Land” in the north of Finland,near to where they say that Father Christmas lives.Everyone cleans their houses ready for the three holy days of Christmas--Christmas Eve,Christmas Day,and Boxing Day2).Christmas Eve is very special,when people eat rice porridge3) and plum4) fruit juice in the morning.They will then decorate a spruce5) tree in the home.Many families will visit cemeteries and graveyards to place a candle onto the burial graves of family members.Cemeteries are very beautiful at Christmas-time.
France In France,everyone has a Christmas tree,sometimes decorated in the old way with red ribbons and real white wax candles.Fir6) trees in the garden are often decorated too,with lights on all night.Father Christmas is called Père Noel.The Christmas meal is an important family gathering with good meat and the best wine.Not everyone sends Christmas cards.
Germany Germans love to decorate their house sat Christmas.Many houses will have little wooden frames holding electric candles in their windows,and coloured pictures of paper or plastic which look beautiful from the outside at night.Father Christmas brings presents in the late afternoon of Christmas Eve(December 24th),after people have been to a church meeting.The presents are then found under the Christmas tree.One person in the family will ring a bell and call everyone to come to the room.On Christmas Day,fish(carp7))or goose will be cooked.
Latvia Latvians believe that Father Christmas brings presents on each of the 12days of Christmas starting on Christmas Eve.Usually the presents are put under the family Christmas tree.The special Latvian Christmas Day meal is cooked brown peas with bacon(pork)sauce,small pies,cabbage and sausage.
Portugal People pretend that Father Christmas brings presents to children on Christmas Eve.The presents are left under the Christmas tree or in shoes by the fireplace.A special Christmas meal of salted dry cod-fish8) with boiled potatoes is eaten at midnight on Christmas Eve.
Russia In the days of the Soviet Union,Christmas was not celebrated very much.New Year was the important time--when “Father Frost” brought presents to children.Now Christmas can be openly celebrated--either on December25th;or more often on January 7th.This unusual date is because the Russian Orthodox church uses the old“Julian”calendar9) for religious celebration days.Special Christmas food includes cakes,pies and “meat dumplings.”
Sweden The most important day is Christmas Eve.A special Christmas meal is eaten on Christmas Eve--ham(pork),herring10) fish,and brown beans--and this is the time when families give presents to each other.Many people attend a church meeting early on Christmas Day.