[Pagoda One] Let's talk about Christmas in South Africa, America and England

Hello everyone!
Today we talked about how we celebrate Christmas in our own countries.
Is it very different from how you guys celebrate Christmas?
Please tell us in the comments below :)
Thank you for watching Pagoda One
www.pagodaone.com/main
Instagram
American John: / lifeofjohntc
British Sam: / sam.hugg1
South African Chantelle: / living_as_chantelle

[@Fortune_Masha]

Not everyone in SA has the privilege of getting "presents" on Christmas Day, so most "Brown-African" families buy new clothes instead of toys or whatever. Only well-off mense do the present exchange thing... They take advantage of the December sales that go on in a lot of the South African stores during the holiday season and purchase new clothing for the Children. The clothes are usually first worn on Christmas day, And Children get to show off their clothes at church and around their neighborhood, ending off the day with a big braai and music. baked food is also a thing, not so much cakes, biscuits, scones, custards, puddings, fruit etc. The same thing is done on New-years day, but at another family member's home...

[@servingcant]

Yep that I can relate to..

[@Lethabo_home]

Now this is south african Christmas

[@ce666isa3]

😂😂lets be honnest Christmas in SA is an excute to get drunk n blow ur budget for the youth

[@erinhildebrand3284]

That's cool, pretty similar with the braai part and music😅 but I think that the clothes idea is really cool

[@vaarbz6764]

It sucks when you're too old for Christmas clothes😂😂😂😂 this is exactly how most black South African families celebrate Christmas and New Year's day

[@a5tro25]

Wanted to hear Walter's aussie xmas traditions. Seafood summer xmas lunch/dinner etc

[@stargaze17]

Walter decided to focus more on his own channel and isn't going to be on here anymore. 🙁

[@a5tro25]

@@stargaze17 thanks for the reply. Will check it out

[@stargaze17]

@a5tro25 no problem. I was sad when I found out. I enjoy all of them on the videos.

[@leilawall8614]

Aussie Xmas is Hot, but weirdly can have thunderstorms depending where in Australia you are. Typically presents in the morning then BBQ lunch and seafood is very popular. Dinner is Turkey, cold cuts of ham etc and lots of salads. Then dessert is pavlova, heavy on cream and fruit salad. Then the next day is boxing day and Xmas leftovers which is the highlight cause nobody is worries about travelling to see relatives or preping food cause it was all done yesterday!!!

[@themoviehobbit355]

Plus 40+ degree days so that means water fights/beaches/the Murray river !! 😍😍🙏🏻

[@tebogopodile]

Any Black South African whose family doesn't do presents on Christmas or even decorate the house with lights or trees? But Church on Christmas morning, followed by Christmas lunch with braai and good house music playing in the background and kids running around with water guns and the fact that we wear new clothes on Christmas and always have home-baked cookies with ginger-flavored drink

[@FlamingInkjet]

Don’t forget the Choice Assorted

[@xyz-vx6jo]

This is it.

[@xyz-vx6jo]

A must in every South African household during Christmas.

[@suzandinahmadutlela7842]

As a South African I just realized how dull my family's Christmas is compared to other South Africans. 1. We wake up and prepare seven colours. 2. Go take a bath and wear "Christmas" clothes 3. no presents 4.Eat seven colours. 5.no braai ( we usually only reserve braais for new year's) 5.Then baker's choice Assorted 6. Festivities are finished then we play music and burn in the sun for the rest of the day

[@muse5633]

I believe we grew up in the same family

[@androiddev9953]

7 color lunch hahahahaha!!!!!!! XMas Clothes Pressies Braai Dop Beach This was std for me for many years.....

[@zetzeeful]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣To the choice assorted.... Ja ne nothing like mzansi

[@xyz-vx6jo]

This is literally my family

[@slashbat2375]

I prefer the way Chantelle spends Christmas after lunch on Christmas day, just going off and vibing. I feel like that's mostly a white thing of course, because typically coloured people have lunch and then we all spend a few hours at the house we had lunch at, then you drive around for the rest of the night going around to everyone's parties to wish everyone 😅very exhausting

[@RedLorryYellowLorry_]

LOL so true, going around to visit family or family friends for cake and tea after lunch is the thing in coloured community otherwise its the "nap"

[@bensenzo]

Very exhausting? You don't have to do it🤣🤣

[@slashbat2375]

@@bensenzo would be great if you didn't insert yourself into traditions and cultures that you don't understand! The coloured community (cape coloureds especially) has certain dynamics that outsiders frankly don't need to insert themselves in. You don't just tell a Chinese family not to go to a tea ceremony before a wedding, no matter how exhausting they might find all the interactions.

[@SherriLyle80s]

@@slashbat2375 "coloured"... Yikes. Thats a word I havent seen like ever. The US used that word 50 years ago. Not the most PC word to use.

[@slashbat2375]

@@SherriLyle80s ok, good thing I'm not in the US and that I'm literally a cape coloured.

[@sheenakaleb642]

As a South African, my family spends the 24th preparing for the next day. We also decorate the tree and place the gifts under the tree. Then Christmas morning we'll open the gifts, then get ready to go to church. After lunch we play a few games :)

[@thiagodias7825]

As a Brazilian, we have a Summer Christmas also, but my family's tradition is quite a mix between northern and southern hemisphere, we eat turkey and lasagna on christmas eve (the most important day), all family together to celebrate (probably until 11 pm or 1 am to open the gifts) . We don't do anything special in the 25th, but I know that some families do that in a different way, as Brazil is also a rainbow nation as SA !

[@raegansnaddon]

I celebrate both South African and British Christmas due to my heritage so a bit of both cultures leek into mine

[@eideanbotha8655]

I'm South African as well, and we are quite religious in my family. So we start celebrating Christmas at the beginning of December, with the season of Advent. We open one present each with our close family on Christmas Eve, and then we attend Midnight Mass. On Christmas Day itself, we open the rest of the presents and we spend the whole day with the whole family (cousins and second cousins). Cold meats, braai, salads, pampoen koekies (pumkin fritters? soaked in syrup - closest description), ice-cream, fruit, Christmas Cake that we started making in November. Best part for me is playing Watermelon Polo in the pool, and then eating the watermelon in the pool. Doesn't matter if it gets messy, and it's lekker cool. My family is also Afrikaans, so we share some jams that we made during the season, mampoer (almost like moonshine) and lots and lots of stories. We don't really watch any films, unless it's Christmas Eve, because everyone has come from all over the country to hangout with each other. I love Christmas.

[@rayt.3143]

Reside here on the NW side of New Mexico, Christmas here are cold, but rarely have a white Christmas. Turkey, Ham, Mash Potatoes n gravy, pumpkin pie and Mexican food are the main dishes around here.

[@TitosVlogWorld]

Greetings from Florida! For as long as I can remember, our big day was always held on Christmas Eve... well actually Christmas (12:01am). We had a good dinner (since I'm Hispanic, our meal of choice was Pasteles, Rice & Beans, and Baked Honey Ham... yum), spend good quality time with the family, and waited for that clock to strike past midnight. On Christmas Day, we slept late, played with our gifts we got earlier in the wee hours, and got to visit friends and family; which meant more gifts! :)

[@racheljones1634]

The only thing my family ever did/ does on Christmas eve is go to church. Everything else is done Christmas day.

[@liukin95]

Another thing that Sam didn't mention is in the UK at 3pm every Christmas day the Queen does her Christmas speech which is broadcast on all platforms and a lot of people tune in for that (not everyone, especially staunch republicans). My family are huge monarchists so it's one of the highlights of our Christmas Day!

[@4624Denise]

With John (our son) we would have a Christmas Eve candlelight service at church then come home (many times in the snow) and open one gift, like John said. On Christmas morning we had homemade cinnamon rolls, bacon, eggs and then before we opened the rest of the gifts we would put baby Jesus in the manger. Many times we would have ham but many times we had more of an Italian Christmas with lasagna and the fixings around that. And we almost always had a birthday cake for Jesus. We lived apart from our extended family most of the time John was growing up so our gatherings were small with dad, mom and John's three brothers.

[@davids6898]

I live near Los Angeles which has a Mediterranean similar to Cape Town except the seasons are flipped. So Christmas is cool and can be rainy instead of dry and hot. Because of this traditions tend to lean more “traditionally” to the US and UK. One advantage is that it does snow in the mountains surrounding Los Angeles so people can get their “snow fix” during Christmas if they want to simply by taking a couple of hour drive away from the city.

[@cullumkille2372]

Christmas eve was spent at my grandma's house with family and close friends. We would all have dinner, exchange gifts, and play games. Christmas day was wake up and open the gifts at home. Then breakfast, games, movies, and we would go outside to play in the snow.

[@pootii_a1380]

We can get turkey here in South Africa, it is really hard to find, but Food lovers Market has it around December and Checkers is starting to see it now. My family and I aren't religious but usually, it is just my immediate family (4 people) so my mother and I will make something nice, could be anything really. One year I made a Basil Pasta dish and that's what we ate. Although, honey mustard turkey is amazing. we usually eat it because it ha more meat than a chicken.

[@erinhildebrand3284]

Food lovers is pretty expensive these days especially with their avo

[@pootii_a1380]

@@erinhildebrand3284 Smaller Spar's usually sell them pretty cheap or look at Asain Supermarkets. That's were I get mine

[@erinhildebrand3284]

@@pootii_a1380 oh ya

[@escapetherealm2594]

Gammon is a must on Christmas as well as that morning church depending on which family is hosting Christmas that year. Children only get presents From their parents only. That is my South Africa 🇿🇦 Christmas Day

[@SherriLyle80s]

A Christmas Story is my husband's favorite movie to watch around the holidays 💙 His family is from Indiana.

[@tomzito2585]

I'd add, as someone who has lived in several states, that Christmas traditions in the U.S. can vary by climate. There are often warm(er) weather Christmases in places like Arizona, south Texas, Florida, and the ones in the southwest are sometimes influenced by Mexican tradition (especially homemade tamales). Some homes do have more religious celebrations, including going to midnight-mass on Christmas Eve, and others have a more secular celebration. There is a funny (but true!) tradition among many Jewish families (especially in New York and the northeast) to go out for Chinese food on Christmas.

[@tomzito2585]

@Evan Moyer Florida is not in the southwest. It's in the southeast, below Georgia.

[@lifeofjohn3993]

I really miss American-Chinese food...

[@TTUGStudios]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/anqpep17n9d2hqM This is what Christmas is like in South Africa

[@angiehowie9149]

I love reading and hearing about the different cultures. I’m from Utah in the US. I have a HUGE extended family on both sides of my family. The weekend before Christmas, my moms side of the family would get together and have a Christmas party and on Christmas Eve, my dad side would. SO MUCH FOOD. We do a gift exchange and then go home. My dad side is a little Christmas program done by the younger kids. Christmas Day is opening presents just with my siblings and then we’d go back to my grandma’s on my moms side and we’d eat again. Sometimes we’d go sledding or do a movie on Christmas Day. Now we rent a church for the party because there is way too many people. It’s insane.

[@quinncohen3643]

My dad is Jewish and my mom is Catholic, so we celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah. Midnight mass and opening our presents in the morning for Christmas, lighting about a dozen menorahs for Hanukkah.

[@verissimus3008]

I can hear your dad’s mother right now, “why don’t you bring home a nice Jewish girl?”

[@Robob0027]

A teacher was giving a lesson about the meaning of Xmas. She then asked wee Jimmy what his family did at Christmas. He said in Scotland we leave a class of port and some mince pies in the hearth for Santa then we go to church at midnight. Come home and open our presents. Next she asked Mary O'Shea who answered that her family did a similar thing. They left a bottle of port for Santa with some Christmas pudding and then went to Christmas Mass but did not open their presents until Christmas morning. The teacher did not wish to leave out the one little Jewish boy in the class so posed the same question to Sammy. Well, he said, on Christmas Eve we all go to my dad's toy factory, look at the empty shelves, sing "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" then jet off to Barbados.

[@gloriabaquera5434]

I'm from North Dakota, and my Christmas's are very similar to John's with one big difference. Christmas Eve is the bigger day with the big meal and such, and Christmas day is the day for relaxing, presents, watching christmas movies and playing games in your jammies and robes, maybe even going out to play in the snow if you're in the mood. And because our family is hispanic, not only do we have ham and pies, we also make tamales and Mexican wedding cookies. We sometimes go a bit overboard with all the food, and often make too much lol.

[@LJBSullivan]

From Minnesota same here, but no hispanic food.

[@hayleyfortune9587]

I'm South African. We would be wrapping our final presents Christmas Eve. Early Christmas morning we could open one gift. Thereafter go to church to celebrate the birth of Christ (that's why we actually have CHRISTmas):). Family will all get together for a big lunch (not only cold meats, there are hot dishes too) and open the rest of the gifts. Lots of food, lots of desserts (like trifles, peppermint tarts, etc) and lots of fun. We avoid the beaches now as they are too overcrowded on Christmas Day unless you drive to a beach outside of the main cities.

[@nomfihlomutale3329]

When I was a kid we would get up early in the morning before sunrise to watch the sun rise from the mountains, we believed it was exceptionally beautiful on Christmas day. As it radiates, just before the rays were strong, it seemed like it was dancing. Then we would put on new cloths and go to church. All presents were sent to the church. After service the pastor would hand out the present and read out the cards. After service we would go for lunch then go out to parties around the village. Christians would have gospel concerts in church halls, the local hall was for party goers. There would also be an event for divorced people or people of age who never got married, in those events they would dance the cha cha dances, watze and things like that, that was my favorite gig. As kids up to 12yrs were allowed to attend until 5pm then off we go for supper. That was in the Eastern Cape South Africa, I loved that kind of Christmas.

[@livingaschantelle2997]

This sounds lovely!

[@deanmcmanis4862]

Thanks for sharing your Christmas traditions. Growing up we always split the festivities and had a full Xmas Eve meal with our relatives, and a separate Christmas Day celebration at home, eating tasty leftovers. But then our relatives who hosted Christmas dinner retired and moved away. So the Christmas tradition was modified where we did a "Christmas in July" celebration where we had a traditional Christmas celebration with ham, turkey, pies, and everything that you would expect, with a Christmas tree, presents, and Christmas music. But in the middle of July, so there weren't any Christmas Eve/Day scheduling conflicts. My aunt (who generously hosted) lived by the beach, so we would walk down to the sunny beach between the main dinner and dessert. I got used to Christmas just being a summertime thing, but it was funny when I'd later be at work singing Christmas songs, getting puzzled looks from my co-workers.

[@mhlave2440]

We also have Boxing day, the day after Christmas, in South Africa which is an official holiday in our calendar. It is now known as "Day of Goodwill". For as long as I can remember people have been asking why it is called Boxing day as the is no Boxing 🥊 taking place 🤦‍♂️. I remember the older folks however having a special greeting around that time, "Khisimusi bokisi " because they would expect an exchange of goodies in a box, different from the Christmas presents 🎁 🤷‍♂️.

[@claudettelewis8808]

Yep, Chantal you forgot SA celebrates boxing day and most South Africans attend mid night mass and kids attend Christmas day mass. Oh and you forgot South African kids get new clothes especially in the traditional African homes. This culture emanated from black South Africans being able to buy clothes once a year ie. Coloured and Africans and the tradition just kept on going even though times have changed.

[@livingaschantelle2997]

@@claudettelewis8808 that’s interesting! None of my friends or family back home attended midnight mass, so I didn’t think or know it’s common thing 🤔

[@britbc4461]

American Brittany... I agree with John. Generally my extended family met on Christmas Eve or in the week before to celebrate. Presents for the kids only and lots of food. Then my immediate family would do presents on Christmas morning.

[@erinhildebrand3284]

I'm from SA and my Christmas goes like this: we go to evening church on Christmas eve and we have a small dinner and we get everything ready and we dont open any presents, then we go to bed. Then on Christmas day we all wake up early and open all the presents and we all have turns. Then once the presents are done we start preparing Christmas lunch which usually involves a braai somewhere in there and the entire family come over. While the food is cooking the kids have a swim either in a pool at home or in the sea if we're on holiday at the beach for Christmas which is a nice treat and then we eat and its gammon, baked potato, salads, braai, cool drinks etc and theres music and then we basically eat then either swim again/ play with gifts/play games or sport(rugby for the guys usually or just soccer in the garden)/ have a nap(for the kiddies and sometimes the older people too😂) and then everyone leaves at the end of the day and we have a small, quick and easy dinner or leftovers.

[@divarachelenvy]

Christmas in Australia sure sounds a lot like SA... BTW I think Chantelle is lekker...

[@Jprager]

Everything south of the equator is hot. But I couldn’t imagine not having a white snowy Christmas 🎄 ❄️

[@ChristoAbrie]

i live in Johannesburg, so when it's Christmas time, usually there is a lot of people that go down to the coast for a week or two because it lines up with the end of the school year, most people stay at the coast till after New Years Day, but a large chunk of the holiday-goers return home before the 24th, but in recent years when travelling became too costly, a "staycation" has become popular during Christmas. But for me personally, I usually spend time with my family at home on the 24th, then go to church on the 25th and either chill with my friend and have a lazy day or go to my uncles lodge with my family on the 26th and have a big lunch. New Years Eve we usually go up to Northcliff Koppie to watch the fireworks

[@VivaCohen]

I'm in TN, U.S. We always do the big extended family stuff on Christmas Eve with lots of food buffet style (I know a lot of people open one gift, but I never did), then we have Christmas morning (okay, mid-morning) with just the close family. Christmas morning is the whole opening presents thing, X-mas breakfast, watching movies, nap time lol, then recently we've started having a Christmas dinner (which we never really did before)

[@Icefiend55]

Growing up in Florida it was overall like John's but I definitely understand Chantelle with the concept of a summer Christmas. It was on average 80-90F for the temperature and going to the beach was common for people.

[@fexreddinquliyev3598]

I love Christmas,it's my most favourite holiday,than others.Thank you🎄

[@user-tq9vs6fc9u]

Also US- we celebrate two days because we do my close family and then my extended family the day after because we live four hours away from them. We also do the one present on Christmas Eve deal, and either turkey or ham for Christmas dinner. Some people have it on Christmas Eve, because I know my grandparents do with the rest of the family the day before.

[@jennanieminen2342]

In Finland the main celebration day is Christmas Eve. We eat well and open all presents in the evening and usually Santa comes for a visit especially if there's small children (before going to visit rest of world). :D On Christmas Day we just relax, play games, watch movies and eat well again. Of course there can be different kind of ways celebrating Christmas, but this is how my family celebrates and other families too that I know.

[@zinzi4831]

For me it was a cultural shock in England when the xmass trees were dress on the begining of december. Im from Hungary and here the little Jesus is that who brings the tree and the gifts on xmas eve.

[@lifeofjohn3993]

You have to wait all the way to Christmas Eve for a tree?

[@miciravenpaw]

I'm hungarian too but live in England everyone is always so surprised when I say we celebrate on the 24th and stuff like that

[@TTUGStudios]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/anqpep17n9d2hqM This is what Christmas is like in South Africa

[@crazymusicchick]

l relate to a summer Christmas but with British influence im an Aussie with British heritage. we have a roast lunch if my nan cooks but if it's my mums or aunties they seam to do cold roasts meats (turkey and ham) and salads potato and pumpkin salads, as a kid id always get two one with my dads family and one with my mums family now I'm older i kinda get 3 i also have inlaws. presents same as UK one present the night before the rest on Xmas day or day that I see my family sometimes wed see some family the weekend before or after. my mum's side we would do a kinda secret Santa. for the afternoon wed swim if we had a pool at that person's place as it normally 35c plus and food was eaten either outside under a patio or inside under aircon.

[@sjamesou]

In South Africa my family wake up on 25th and do presents and then go to church and then do a huge family lunch and pool day with all extended family and then trade presents with extended family and then play sports of all sorts outside in the garden and have a bunch of beers

[@eduardgoldschagg1791]

that's the thing I love about our southern Hemisphere. it falls in line with summer.. so Christmas ,new years all fall in our holiday month. unlike the north that have their large "off" time in june-july

[@careyqueen3606]

That's beach time baby 👏

[@braiansosa7950]

Here in Argentina it's quite different from your countries. It's also a summer Christmas, but the most "important" celebration is on Christmas Eve, we've got a huge meal (probably the common ones are "asado" "vitel tone" but mostly meat cooked in different ways and "cold salads". Gifts are opened after the toast at 00.00 and it's really common having big parties in towns, so people from 18-35 go out to dance. The day after consists of keep eating all day😂 and maybe visiting other relatives

[@xippyx]

I live in America but I’m Italian so on Christmas Eve it’s very common for Italian-Americans to have a seven fish dinner and we go to midnight mass so no church in the morning but we open present on Christmas and then have a big family dinner for the rest of our family and exchange the rest of the gifts

[@sarahmoellenberg]

I’ve never really thought about a summer Christmas so that was interesting to learn about! As part of an interfaith family, our winter holidays look a bit different. As far as Christmas is concerned, Santa only brings food items and dinner only has turkey. These days, presents are minimal and there is a focus on donations to charity in honor of the family and then maybe a bigger family Christmas present (e.g., a trip, theatre experience, or replacing a tv).

[@sophdixon8013]

Ok as a South African this is how my family does it, so for us Christmas Eve is when we watch a Christmas movie then on Christmas we will usually open the presents pretty early with like Christmas music playing and then we spend the whole day by the pool

[@kaligrace2245]

I love watching your videos! They make my day! You guys are the funniest people ever. 🤗

[@lemueltabutol4454]

In the Philippines, Christmas season starts in September. During this time, you can already see Christmas decorations in malls and hear them play Christmas songs

[@lifeofjohn3993]

Way. Too. Early. But my brother would love that

[@lemueltabutol4454]

@@lifeofjohn3993 well, Filipinos love to celebrate hahaha though not much is happening for that span of time, just decorations and music. But one of the traditions is the ‘Simbang Gabi’ or Misa de Gallo. It is 9 consecutive masses/Eucharist starting on the 16th to the 24th of december (around 3 or 4 in the morning every day for that nine days) and if you complete that nine days plus the eucharistic celebration on the Christmas eve, your wish will come true.

[@rineaamphu6002]

Love from South Africa

[@alyssamartinez1300]

Most Mexican families do this (to my knowledge) we stay up till midnight so it’s technically Christmas Day and we open all of our presents and enjoy them and gts orrrr we eat a lot like green spaghetti and tamales or pósele and we party till midnight and open presents and the party always goes on even if the kids are a sleep

[@marnie4054]

I'm from Thailand. I get about the summer Christmas cause the weather is also hot here. Since Majority of people here is Buddhist, we do not celebrate the "actual Christmas" but we do celebrate the theme. For me, I used to go to catholic school (which is the reason why I love Christmas although I'm not Christian). Christmas is the biggest fair in my school. We've got the game and photo boots and Christmas musical after the mass in the morning, each student brings one kind of food to school and shares them with the others instead of school food on Christmas eve. The best thing is from Christmas to the new year, we have no school. We call it a Christmas holiday which non-Christian schools don't do(They usually take exams on Christmas). You'll see lights and Christmas trees everywhere since November. Restaurants and cafes are decorated in Christmas theme, some of them might have seasonal menus.

[@lstclaire2]

I think for may Hispanic-American families it is flipped from what John said. The big day is Christmas Eve in terms of visiting relatives, the big dinner etc. Christmas Day is staying at home in your pajamas and relaxing/opening presents. You might have a special dinner (or leftovers) but it's smaller scale with just the immediate family. Edit: We did not open a present for Christmas Eve unless we were in someone elses house and we were opening whatever present they had given us.

[@beverlywhitehouse]

De Kelders 🤯🎉 I'm from Hermanus. Summer Christmas is the best!!

[@FionaEm]

Summer Christmases are perfectly normal when you grow up in the southern hemisphere 🙂 In Australia, some ppl celebrate on Xmas Eve and others on Xmas Day. After ppl open their presents, there's usually a big lunch with hot or cold meats, roast veg or salad and desserts, depending on the family's traditions. You can still have a hot meal if you have air conditioning! After lunch, ppl usually fall into a food coma before going for a drive or a swim. Then on Boxing Day they often go for a picnic or to the beach and eat all the Xmas leftovers.

[@r9l5k]

Trifle for brekky on Boxing Day is a certified tradition in our house!!

[@FionaEm]

@@r9l5k Trifle for brekkky? That's hardcore 😂

[@livrose3567]

I’m British & we don’t actually open any presents on Christmas Eve and we open our stockings in the morning but don’t open the presents under the tree until after Christmas lunch at around 4pm

[@Mimeniia]

In Cape Town and I speak for area I was from, you go to bed on Christmas eve and "allow" Santa to "come down the chimney" that night to drop off the pressies. Only the next morning you could rip through the whole stack.

[@maryelizabeth1216]

I live in the NE USA and my family's Christmas traditions are actually very opposite to John's haha. My family is Italian-American so: * Christmas Eve is the Big Day, that we would actually gather with extended family, not Christmas Day * We don't eat meat, only seafood on the Eve (it is called the Feast of the Seven Fishes -- which is an Italian-Catholic tradition) * Midnight Mass would be more typical, instead of going to church on the 25th * Christmas Day is just for immediate family and we spend all day in our PJ's relaxing *My mom typically makes a roast, not turkey or ham on Christmas day

[@stargaze17]

Mine is different. It's similar to John, but I'm in California. It can sometimes be like 80° on Christmas. I've been outside skating in shorts and a tank top multiple times on the 25th.

[@leanderinosanto7846]

Every year Filipinos around the world, especially those in the Philippines, mark September 1st as the beginning of the countdown to Christmas. This countdown, which spans from September to December, otherwise known as the "Ber months”, is one of the most important traditions that makes Filipinos unique. It of course upholds the Philippines being the only predominantly Christian nation of Asia, who celebrates Christmas early.

[@pootii_a1380]

As a child, we used to Braai at my uncle's house and open one gift there. We opened most things on the 24th. Unfortunately, I am 24 years old and everything I want I can buy myself anyway and shit is cheaper around this time, so I buy my gifts now or during the year. #cheapashell

[@wren9463]

Texas has a mix of "traditional" Christmas and the warm weather Christmas Chantelle describes....but being texas it might be 80° or 20° (26° to -6° celsius)

[@siphosethumakhanya3025]

Home alone is a definite in south africa 😂😂😂❤️. Watching you guys from 🇿🇦

[@careyqueen3606]

Yaaas Chantelle! We do that too and church the next morning is a must lol.

[@observantsweetie]

I’m from New York City. My family doesn’t do anything special for Christmas food-wise we just eat a meal together (but the dessert is definitely specific like homemade holiday decorated rice krispy treats and cookies, brownies, New York style cheese pies [cheese cakes with pie crust instead of cake... add strawberries or cherries 🤤🤤🤤🤤] sweet potato pies [because pumpkin pies are against anything holy] etc )nothing too big like thanksgiving (the day we go all out on food) we just give each other presents, share a meal and spend time together before the new year.

[@anyname13579]

For me, we do nothing on Christmas eve, except wrap all the presents for everyone at the last minute, lol. After going to bed at like 3 am, we'll wake up around 10, open all the gifts (taking turns going one at a time), and then have a nice dinner of ham or chicken, mashed potatoes, bread, rice and beans maybe (Hispanic household), pies for dessert, etc. Then we'll just enjoy each other's company all day. Also, in Florida we only ever have summer holidays. No white Christmases for us!

[@AmberMarrrie]

I live in Australia and your chrissy sounds so similar to ours 😊 (Minus the rice and beans)

[@willianprudente7079]

Greetings from Brazil, guys! I completely understand Chantelle! Being in the southern hemisphere we, also, have summer Christmas!🎄 🌞 Pretty different from other places, mainly, when related to food. PS: love the channel! (And Chantelle!)

[@emmawiebe5446]

In America, my family always opens all our presents on Christmas Eve. Mainly because my grandpa is impatient and couldn't wait for Christmas Day for all of the kids/grandkids to open gifts. My family is also different in that we eat Chili for our big Christmas meal!

[@nikkiemerson3061]

Love Actually is my favorite Christmas movie. Watched it twice this year.

[@deripfina]

Home Alone is a go to for my American Christmas movie list!!!!! Based in New York and has a stereotypically disorganized family 😂

[@kingtut7213]

Can relate to the summer Christmas in Australia

[@AmberMarrrie]

Yes, except 29 degrees would be a dream. 😭 It’s more like 35-40 degrees where I live in Aus. Swimming or sitting in air con are the only options 😅😂😂

[@kirakukush_can_say]

I miss summer Christmas haha!

[@TheMbangel]

My favourite Christmas movie is actually a trilogy: The Santa Clause Trilogy starring Tim Allen! And I have actually never watched Home Alone or Love Actually.... I am also from South Africa and when I was younger we would go to the beach or to a water park place (like Warmbad - or Bella Bella as it is known now). But now we don't celebrate Christmas. We give a gift when we see each other and put a money limit on the gift (usually between R50-R150). *Warmbad - Afrikaans for Warm Bath.

[@ButterflyG673]

Yes! A Christmas Story is a CLASSIC!!!❤️ Elf and Home Alone are other really good ones❤️

[@chrisburbidge9133]

Australia Christmas very Similar to Sorth Africa also Time of giving from England

[@ivandinsmore6217]

I think the South African Christmas would be wonderful.

[@pagodaone_5697]

we think so too ;D

[@mariaheeveelover]

On Christmas Eve we celebrate with my mom side the family and on Christmas Day we celebrate with my sister and her kids and my dad side of the family

[@brandonaston2261]

Here Christmas Eve is just another day. No gifts, no special food. We work in Christmas eve as well.

[@jaimefutter]

I'm from SA, We do everything the same way chantelle does but we open one present on christmas eve, and on christmas day we select a person to handout the rest of presents to everyone with the christmas hat on :D That hat was always itchy. ALSO that Rum Fruit Cake that I hate. I also remembered we had turducken (chicken inside a duck and duck inside a turkey) at one time, we do have turkeys in SA

[@eideanbotha8655]

Dude, the Turducken is legendary XD

[@lifeofjohn3993]

Oh nice there's some turkeys down south too! I've never had the legendary turduckin though ha ha, how was it?!

[@4agudtymlewis157]

I really hate Turducken. Lol. I'm a Saffa too

[@rebeccaleighi.]

My Christmas (I'm a South African white) is usually spent at a family members house. In the morning we open presents and then we get ready to leave to the family members house (we are not Christian, we are spiritualists) and then we eat there and get more presents there and then we come home and chill for the rest of the day

[@sarbar8581]

Its almost 6 am here...good break from the studies 😁

[@x_versus]

Hi! Love your videos guys! Greetings from Mexico

[@riosulysto2068]

We go to church on the 24th and have a dinner afterward, 25th we just usually eat stuff, maybe some family come to visit. Christmas not really a big deal in our family

[@fishfingas119]

I'm from Ghana and we're on the Prime Meridian and really close to the Equator so its Summer every day 😂😂. It does get slightly cooler in the later months in the year after the rainy season, but we are mostly similar to South Africa. One difference though is that if you're a teen or a young adult you'd usually go out clubbing during Christmas Eve and usher in Christmas day while still out. 😂 It's not uncommon to see people in Church the next day still in their clubbing outfit 😅😅😅.

[@alanjakes7317]

My Tennessee family has always done the opposite of John's dealing with gifts. We usually opened presents on Christmas Eve and not Christmas Day. Of course this was due to having such an extremely large family (over 50 people and growing). Christmas day, and the related opening of presents, has always been saved for the families with children still at home. As far as the food we all ate too much just like John's. On a side note, I think you guys are single and it seems that Chantelle is as well or haven't you noticed? Hint! Hint!

[@robertgronewold3326]

I'm from Iowa in the USA, so of course I have always had a very snowy Christmas. My family never has done the one present on Christmas Eve, as that was mainly a big prep day for the next. My mother is a one woman army that time of year, and she pulls out mountains of pies, sweet breads and other baked goods. Christmas day is pretty traditional, though we have never done Church. While my mom is Christian, my dad is firmly agnostic, and I am personally a minor practicing witch, so I celebrate the more ancient aspects of Christmas, which is pretty much everything predating Jesus, which is in fact the entire holiday since it well pre-dates Christianity.

[@cornwall6452]

I,me from England and we have Christmas pretty much the same as you do. we do Christmas movies after dinner because we are all to full to do anything else.

[@tiegz9770]

The problem in South Africa is that we also want to eat and enjoy Christmas food but we're probably at the sea or swimming in swimming pools and you dont want to feel like a bloated whale😪😂

[@elkeannemalin1939]

Lol...Claro que si chica!

[@pennytalhelm4378]

Christmas Eve in US from my experience is going to church, smaller parties, prepping, possibly open 1 present. Also baking Christmas cookies is a super popular tradition. Cookies and pies are the most popular desserts. And also surprised decorations weren't mentioned US goes decoration crazy with Christmas trees, lights, wreaths, etc. That being said my Christmas matches John's pretty closely.

[@johannethomson8513]

Like she said people celebrate Christmas different we have a nice braai we don't watch movies tho we party because it is hot... We swim we party hard we don't sit inside and ya we party for the end of the year 😅😂😊😁we also don't do the sweaters and socks thing as well 😂😂😅

[@jlpack62]

In South Florida it's usually warm on Christmas, and this year a few friends and I planned an outdoor social distancing celebration. Of course, it's 2020 and Christmas Eve it's supposed to rain, and Christmas day is supposed to be one of those freak cool/windy days we sometimes get. Thanks 2020 and good riddance.

[@rapturesrevenge]

When my grandparents were still alive, we celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve with my dad's side - his parents (my brother and I knew them as Mama and Papa), *maybe* my aunts, and maybe my two cousins and (eventually) their husbands - to eat dinner at my Mama and Papa's house and open presents from them My presents from my dad's family consisted of clothes and books, Christmas money, and veeeeeery occasionally a toy. As I got older, I still got clothes, but mostly I got money and art supplies, while my brother got money (my dad's parents and siblings didn't buy video games so they gave my brother money, which he then used to buy the latest GameBoy or N64 game, later DS and PS2). My brother and I would open one present each from our parents. The next morning, we would open presents at home, and then my mom, brother, and myself would pile into the car to make the three-hour drive to West Virginia to celebrate with my mom's family - grandparents (Grandma and Granddad), both uncles, aunt, and our cousins. At Grandma and Granddad's, we would eat dinner first once we and my mom's younger brother's family arrived, and then we would open presents. Things changed after my grandparents died. I miss a lot of our old family traditions sometimes.

[@jakranmomin9471]

When Chantelle said South Africa doesn't import Turkey's I feel her 😌cus in India we aslo don't have a turkey during Christmas 😅 all we have is beef , pork n chicken .....

[@Lcngopher]

Growing up, we would have church service on christmas eve and then open our presents and have a big dinner with family on christmas day

[@krystinyocum1382]

When you have parents that are divorced then Christmas is hectic and lasts forever. Christmas eve is usually for my fiance's family and Christmas day I'd for my mom. Christmas night is usually my dad's or the next day. Presents are opened in pajamas Christmas day at home and then it's off to relatives houses.

[@bradleyfynn2326]

Yeyyyyy I'm the first one here today

[@BabeeCocoa249]

I'm curious Chantelle, how the Christmas decorating differs because of the warmer climate, if it does at all? In America, we have our christmas trees and our little trinkets and garlands that we set out inside the house. Then on the outside we string lights and have blow up figures, usually Santas, snowmen and reindeer. Do South Africans also decorate like that?

[@TumiMatheba]

We do the tree, garlands and trinkets but I haven’t really seen much outside decorations in South Africa. We also don’t call him Santa, he’s strictly Father Christmas here. 😂

[@livingaschantelle2997]

I’d say many families definitely do the Christmas tree, garlands and some trinkets here and there. I have seen some homes in my hometown that were decorated outside, but from what I’ve seen online and in the media is that it’s not at all as big a thing as in the US!

[@Lethabo_home]

Christmas tree definately, and father Christmas is at malls in the Christmas weeks

[@naomiherbert8801]

Feel like Sam shoulda unboxed the whole 'Boxing day' part (awful pun intended I'm sorry haha) all my American friends are so confused about that, I guess it's just a british thing that we basically spread Christmas out over two days lol... My house usually has turkey - with just family - on Christmas day & then gammon on Boxing day with family friends :)

[@2WarriorJay8]

I'm American and I don't get any presents until Christmas morning. Not sure I've known people who give one on Christmas Eve.

[@mordeath83]

Biggest SA tradition during the holiday is the cricket testmatch that starts after Christmas on boxing day

[@Lethabo_home]

Black south africans (not All) don't do presents, they rather buy new clothes for the kids. In the olden days our parent couldn't afford pressies. It has become tradition for the kids to want new clothes even though for most families the economics have changed and they can afford presents they still don't buy them because the clothes thing has become traditional.

[@pagodaone_5697]

wow it's good know! Thanks!

[@tebogopodile]

So true, we just don't do presents or even decorate our houses for Christmas. We'd usually go church come back to Christmas lunch and braai and while playing house songs that we hope will win the song of the Year awards

[@angel_t3338]

My fam does Christmas Movies on Christmas Eve just to kind of wind down before the big day

[@renierkleinhans]

@Chantelle I'm from the Gansbaai,Hermanus area myself. Had many parties in De Kelders

[@retajansevanvuuren5173]

It is summer in SA at this time, so No we do not have it the same as the other countries.