Christmas traditions around the world
Across the world, Christmas is celebrated through traditions shaped by history, folklore, and local culture. In Sweden, the 43-foot-tall Gävle Goat raised every year traces back to Norse mythology, where goats symbolise strength, provision, and divine power. Venezuela offers a joyful twist by combining faith and festivity as communities roller-skate through the streets towards early-morning Mass. In the Philippines, colourful handmade lanterns light up the season, symbolising hope and the Star of Bethlehem on warm tropical nights. Catalonia’s playful Tió de Nadal (a wooden log with four legs which must be looked after so that it ‘defecates’ presents on Christmas Day) reflects a homely, humorous approach to generosity. In Ukrainian folklore a spider is said to have decorated a poor family’s Christmas tree with beautiful cobwebs, so a spider ornament is often found on a tree today. In Italy, a good witch called Le Befana, for ever chasing after Christmas on her broomstick, visits homes on 5 January with gifts. Together, these customs remind us that Christmas traditions often carry layers of meaning - some ancient, some playful, some spiritual - inviting reflection on how the story of Christ has been received, reimagined, and celebrated across cultures and generations.
Australia: shock and grief after mass shooting on Bondi Beach
Australia is mourning and in shock after a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach on 14 December left 15 people dead and dozens wounded. Police have charged 24-year-old Naveed Akram with 59 offences, including fifteen counts of murder and a terrorism charge; he is said to have carried out the attack alongside his father, Sajid Akram, who was killed at the scene by police. The shooting targeted a Jewish community event on the beach marking the start of Hanukkah. As funerals and vigils were held, grief-stricken families remembered victims, including Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who organised the event, and ten-year-old Matilda, whose name has become a symbol of innocent loss. Authorities say the attackers had recently travelled to Davao City in the Philippines, an area associated with extremist Islamic ideology. The government is under pressure because the men were legally able to acquire the high-powered weapons used in the attack; prime minister Anthony Albanese has vowed to toughen the country’s gun laws, and to work with the Jewish community to ‘stamp out and eradicate antisemitism’.
Gaza: infant dies of hypothermia in terrible weather
A humanitarian tragedy is unfolding in Gaza as a Palestinian infant has died from hypothermia amid severe winter conditions and ongoing restrictions on aid. Local health officials reported that two-week-old Mohammed Khalil Abu al-Khair succumbed to extreme cold after families were left without adequate shelter, heating, clothing, or fuel. Israel’s prolonged military campaign has destroyed much of Gaza’s infrastructure, forcing hundreds of thousands to live in tents or damaged buildings unable to withstand storms and freezing temperatures. Recent severe weather has flooded shelters, collapsed structures, and caused further deaths. Humanitarian agencies warn that Israeli restrictions on aid deliveries, including limits placed on UNRWA, are preventing lifesaving supplies from reaching civilians at scale. The child’s death underscores how the denial of basic necessities has turned winter itself into a lethal threat, particularly for children and other vulnerable civilians.
Afghanistan: hunger crisis deepens as aid funding falls short
Afghanistan is facing an escalating humanitarian emergency, as the World Food Programme has warned it cannot mount an effective winter response for the first time in decades. International aid has sharply declined since 2021, following the Taliban’s return to power, and has been further strained by earthquakes and other natural disasters. As a result, WFP estimates that it needs more than $460 million extra in order to assist six million of the most vulnerable people. Hunger is rising rapidly, with an estimated 17 million Afghans now food insecure, including millions recently deported from Iran and Pakistan. Children are bearing the heaviest burden: 3.7 million are acutely malnourished, one million severely so, and deaths are expected to increase during the harsh winter months when food access is lowest. Clinics and nutrition programmes are shrinking as funding dries up, leaving families with little support. Aid agencies warn that without urgent international action, preventable suffering and child mortality will continue to worsen.
