The celebrations of Christmas in the Philippines have deep influences of Catholicism, tracing their roots back to Spanish colonial rule from 1521 to 1898. Currently, the Philippines holds the longest running festivity of the Christmas season in the world, which begins on September 1.
Puerto Rico takes pride in having the longest holiday season in the world. On the Island, la Navidad lasts around 45 days, starting right after Thanksgiving Day in November, extending through mid-January, and culminating with the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián, also known as la SanSe.
Those differences begin with the Christmas calendar. Rather than the 12 days of Christmas celebrated elsewhere, Icelandic Christmas has 13 days. And traditionally, that's because of the Yule Lads.
Finland is the perfect setting and best place to celebrate Christmas, with its Christmas traditions, snowy landscape, and Santa and his elves. Finland is said to be home to Santa Claus. Thus, Christmas in Finland is celebrated differently than in other countries.
Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cambodia, China, Comoros has, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and, Vietnam do not recognize Christmas as a public holiday, but the holiday is given observance.
Vietnam, Somalia, Laos, Cambodia, Kuwait, Uzbekistan, Iraq, China, Congo, Algeria, Yemen, Kazakhstan, United Arab Emirates, Libya, Iran, Azerbaijan, Comoros, Oman, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, Bhutan, Nepal, North Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, Tajikistan, Bahrain, Tunisia and Afghanistan.
Many people in the Netherlands observe the second day of Christmas, which falls on December 26. It is a continuation of the Christmas holiday or a chance to spend time outdoors or with family or friends.
Although it is an Australian territory, Christmas Island's nearest neighbour is Indonesia, which lies about 350 km to the north.
Australians often celebrate Christmas Day by enjoying a Christmas lunch or dinner with their closest family and friends. The meal usually consists of a selection of hot and cold dishes, including fresh seafood.
Spain has the shortest winter break, going just 11 days without football - an amazing 50 per cent shorter than Germany.
The first recorded Christmas celebration was in Rome on December 25, AD 336. In the 3rd century, the date of the nativity was the subject of great interest.
The Philippines is said to celebrate Christmas for the longest duration in the world, a result of the country's history, religion and proclivity to party.
Schools are closed during major public holidays. Winter vacation will approximately start mid-December to the end of January, while spring vacation starts late February.
Iran offers the highest number of paid public holidays in the world with a total 27 days per year including the Islamic Republic Day. It is followed by Bangladesh (24), Azerbaijan (21), and Cambodia (21). On the other extreme, Libya has no paid public holidays, while Lebanon has only two paid public holidays per year.
This is because of the tilt of the earth. Australia is situated in the southern hemisphere and during the month of December, there will be the summer season in the southern hemisphere and the winter season in the northern hemisphere.
But did you know that we Australians celebrate Christmas in July? It's pretty confusing if you really think about it, but Australians get to celebrate Christmas twice a year. Once on the traditional December 25th, and then once again in July.
In Japan, Christmas is the time for friends and couples to have parties, make plans to meet up for dinner and celebrate as much as they can. And New Year is the time of the year when all members of the family come together, visit the temple, and usher-in January 1st, with food and drinks.
Because of the first two facts, Christmas is not an official holiday in China and you may be asked to report to work on this day. Students also don't get to take the day off! But in Hong Kong and Macau where British and Portuguese influence is heavy, people enjoy a two-day public holiday every year.
The date of birth of Jesus is not stated in the gospels or in any historical sources, but most biblical scholars generally accept a date of birth between 6 BC and 4 BC, the year in which King Herod died.
Most religions like Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism don't recognize Christmas and Easter as they are ancient Christian festivals so the only religion to celebrate Christmas and Easter is Christianity. To the Jews, it is easy to understand why they do not celebrate Christmas.
Mongolia. The overwhelmingly Buddhist nation of Mongolia does not observe any public holidays around Christmas, and few Christians live here. 1 January is a public holiday, but citizens also hold a three-day celebration for the Mongolian Lunar New Year, known as Tsagaan Sar, at the start of the first lunar month.
1. Switzerland. Switzerland, a mountainous Central European country, home to numerous lakes, villages and the high peaks of the Alps is top on the list of countries with the least number of public holiday. It has a total number of 7-15 public holidays depending on the canton/region.