Christmas traditions around the world: water and snow

Polish Christmas conjures up images of a 12-dish dinner, beautiful carols, the scent of a Christmas tree, and hay under the tablecloth. In some cultures, however, Christmas traditions demand greater resilience. Cold water and snow have become integral parts of December celebrations, inspiring and uniting local communities.

Cold baths

Cold water swimming on New Year’s Day is a tradition firmly rooted in many countries, including Poland. However, taking a dip in icy waters also occurs during Christmas, though the motivations vary. In Norway, the ritual Julebad dates back to the 19th century and is tied to… the need to bathe before Christmas! According to Norwegian sociologist Eilert Sundt, the spread of Christianity in the Middle Ages led to a decline in the popularity of saunas, which were considered pagan. For cleanliness-obsessed Scandinavians, a plunge into icy waters was the only way to tidy up before the holidays.

Cleansing the soul is the aim of the Christmas tradition tied to Orthodox Christmas celebrations. In Russia, Bulgaria, and Romania, bathing in usually frozen bodies of water is believed to wash away sins and protect against evil. In 2020, two million Russians celebrated January holidays with a refreshing dip. In Balkan countries, priests encourage participation by throwing wooden crucifixes into the water—retrieving one is said to bring luck and protection for the year.

Group cold baths without religious undertones are also practiced during Christmas in the UK and Ireland—in Wales, even small children dive into freezing waves. Islanders rightly believe that cold exposure promotes health and offers better prospects for the coming year. Since 1864, Hyde Park’s Serpentine Lake in London has hosted an annual Christmas swimming race over a distance of 100 yards.

Other water-based christmas traditions

Water, in a more controlled form, also features in Christmas traditions in other countries. In the Czech Republic, fortune-telling involves making boats from walnut shells with a candle placed in the center. After lighting the wick, the shell is floated in a bowl of water and observed. If it drifts to the center, the person can expect significant travels; if it stays near the edge, they should prepare for a quiet year at home. A circle of boats brushing against one another predicts harmony, while… sinking is considered a bad omen.

In Serbia, women traditionally leave the house on Christmas morning with a sprig of basil to collect water from a bucket or stream. This “strong water” is used for washing faces, drinking, and bathing infants. The ritual is believed to ensure robust health for the year ahead.

Greek Christmas traditions spare no one—not even St. Nicholas, who, as the patron of sailors, is constantly drenched in seawater. In homes, a wooden bowl of water with a cross wrapped in a sprig of basil is placed. This setup is used to sprinkle interiors, keeping mischievous goblins known as Killantzaroi at bay.

The magic of white christmas

An inseparable part of Christmas symbolism, even in the era of global warming, is snow, which we wish for each year. According to Lucinda Hawksley, biographer of Charles Dickens, the British author is to blame for this fascination. During the early years of his life, Dickens enjoyed snowy London thanks to the Little Ice Age. As an adult, he likely longed for snow and sold the public beautiful winter visions in his two popular works, The Pickwick Papers and A Christmas Carol.

In Scandinavia, building snow lanterns has been part of Christmas traditions for centuries, visually warming the frozen landscape. In our latitudes, however, we increasingly have to settle for artificial snow on the Christmas tree or snow globes that require shaking to see falling flakes. Not everywhere can or must Christmas be white, though. In Hawaii, where Christmas has been celebrated for over 200 years, Santa arrives with gifts on a kayak pulled by dolphins!