I think the best time to visit St Petersburg is in June, during the white nights. It stays light until nearly midnight and the streets and bars are full of life as everyone tries to make the most of this time. Flights to St Peterburg are expensive and a much cheaper way of getting there is to take a cheap flight to Tallinn in Estonia and then take the Eurolines bus to St Petersburg. It takes eight hours and although the roads can be bumpy, it’s an exciting way of entering Russia. A wonderful place to stay is the Katyusha Guest House (312 6919; hotelkatyusha.com), in the Admiralty buildings, a short walk from the Neva River and the Hermitage. It is small and very welcoming.

Most people in Spain go to Midnight Mass or 'La Misa Del Gallo' (The Mass of the Rooster). It is called this because a rooster is supposed to have crowed the night that Jesus was born. Most families eat their main Christmas meal on Christmas Eve before the service. The traditional Spanish Christmas dinner is 'Pavo Trufado de Navidad' which is Turkey stuffed with truffles (the mushrooms, not the chocolate ones!) In Galicia (a region in north-west Spain, surrounded by water) the most popular meal for Christmas Eve and for Christmas Day is seafood. This can all kinds of different seafood, from shellfish and mollusks, to lobster and small edible crabs. After the midnight service, people walk through the streets carrying torches, playing guitars and beating on tambourines and drums. One Spanish saying is 'Esta noche es Noche-Buena, Y no Es noche de dormir' which means 'Tonight is the good night and it is not meant for sleeping!' A few different languages are spoken in different regions in Spain. In Spanish Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Feliz Navidad'; in Catalan it's 'Bon Nadal'; and in Galician 'Bo Nadal'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

This is a collection of historical Christmas celebrations for many different countries. The celebration or activity is the earliest history for each country and may not represent the current Christmas celebrations of today. Visit over 30 different countries and see how they celebrated Christmas! If you wish to add a country's historical Christmas tradition to this section or have any comments, please contact us.

Christmas in Mexico is celebrated during a season that begins in early December to January 6, with one other related event on February 2. During this entire time, one can see nativity scenes, poinsettias and even Christmas trees. The season begin with celebrations related to the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patroness of Mexico, followed by traditions such as Las Posadas, pastorelas, a mass and feast on Christmas Eve, the arrival of the Three Wise Men on January 6 ending with Candlemas and the presentation of Child Jesus images at churches. These traditions are a mixture of remnants from the pre Hispanic period, Spanish traditions, traditions created during Mexico’s colonial period and later adaptations from German and U.S. Christmas traditions. Contents