Christmas is celebrated by more than 2 billion people around the world, and each country has its own traditions that make the holiday unique. From special food and family customs to celebrations passed down for generations, exploring how Christmas is celebrated around the world offers a meaningful look into culture, history, and daily life.

In the United States, children hang stockings and wait for Santa. In Iceland, kids leave shoes by the window and hope the Yule Lads bring candy instead of rotten potatoes. In Finland, one person each year finds an almond hidden in Christmas porridge. In Japan, fried chicken from KFC has become an unlikely but beloved holiday tradition since 1974. Across continents and cultures, these customs differ, but they serve the same purpose: bringing people together.

One tradition that appears in nearly every Christmas-celebrating culture is the Christmas cookie. From family kitchens to local bakeries, December is filled with holiday treats that reflect the flavors and traditions of each region.

Below, we’re exploring some of the most popular Christmas cookies from around the world and the stories behind them. For students who travel internationally, discovering cultural traditions through food creates lasting connections they can bring home and share long after the trip ends.

Christmas Cookies in North America

Christmas cookies in North America reflect a blend of European influence, regional flavor, and family tradition. From decorated sugar cookies in the United States to nut-filled treats in Mexico, baking plays a central role in holiday celebrations across the continent.

Peppermint Bark Cookies

Inspired by the popular holiday candy, peppermint bark cookies combine chocolate and mint into one festive bite. Most recipes start with a rich chocolate cookie base and are topped with melted white chocolate and crushed candy canes. The result is a cookie that looks just as festive as it tastes, with bright red and white topping that feels instantly seasonal.

If you want to try these at home, Sally’s Baking offers a well-loved peppermint bark cookie recipe that’s easy for beginners and always a hit during the holidays.

Traditional Iced Sugar Cookies

In many American homes, iced sugar cookies are the heart of holiday baking. Rolled out and cut into shapes like snowmen, trees, stars, and reindeer, these cookies act as a creative canvas for icing, sprinkles, and color.

For many families, decorating sugar cookies is an event all on its own. Some go all out with intricate piping and detailed patterns, while others prefer the charm of frosting-covered hands and mismatched designs. Either way, the process is just as meaningful as the finished product.

If you’re looking for a reliable sugar cookie recipe to start with, this classic version is a great place to begin.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Despite their name, Mexican wedding cookies are a Christmas favorite in many households. Known as polvorones or Russian tea cakes, these soft, crumbly cookies were introduced to Mexico through Spanish influence and have remained a holiday staple ever since.

They are made with finely chopped pecans or almonds and coated generously in powdered sugar while still warm, creating their signature snow-dusted finish. The texture is delicate and buttery, and they practically melt the moment you take a bite.

In Mexican and Mexican-American households, these cookies often appear at posadas and other December celebrations. Making them is a tradition that rewards patience and care, as the cookies are fragile and require a gentle touch.

Want to try baking them yourself? This recipe from Food.com is a great place to start.

Christmas Cookies in Africa

Christmas cookies in Africa reflect the continent’s rich diversity of culture, history, and flavor. While Christmas is celebrated in many different ways across African countries, one tradition is widely shared: coming together with family and community over special holiday food.

Across the continent, Christmas treats often feature warm spices and locally sourced ingredients that have been part of regional cooking for generations. In some areas, recipes show influence from Dutch, Portuguese, and British traditions. In others, they are uniquely African and tied closely to local culture. These cookies and sweets are commonly enjoyed at church gatherings, family meals, and community celebrations throughout the holiday season.

South African Chocolate Pepper Cookies

In South Africa, chocolate pepper cookies combine bold flavor with holiday tradition. Adding black pepper to a classic chocolate cookie creates a gentle warmth that enhances the cocoa rather than overpowering it.

The result is a cookie that feels both familiar and surprising. Many families bake these cookies during the summer Christmas season, since December falls during the warmest months in the Southern Hemisphere. They are often served with tea or coffee at family gatherings and holiday celebrations.

If you’d like to try this unique flavor combination, this recipe is a great place to start.

Soetkoekies

Another popular South African Christmas cookie is soetkoekies, which translates to “sweet cookies” in Afrikaans. These spiced treats are similar to ginger cookies and are known for their rich color and deep flavor, thanks to spices like ginger, cinnamon, and sometimes anise.

Soetkoekies have Dutch roots but have become an important part of South African holiday baking. One reason they are so flavorful is because the dough is often left to rest overnight before baking, allowing the spices to develop fully. Many families still use recipes that have been passed down for generations.

If you’d like to step back in time and bake a historic version, this 200-year-old recipe offers a glimpse into early South African baking traditions.

Chin Chin (Nigerian Christmas Cookies)

In Nigeria, one of the most popular Christmas treats is chin chin. These small, crunchy cookies are made from a simple dough that is cut into pieces and fried until golden brown.

Chin chin is a staple at Christmas gatherings, parties, and celebrations across the country. Some versions are lightly sweet, while others include nutmeg or other spices for added flavor. Because they are easy to snack on and loved by all ages, chin chin is usually made in large batches.

If you want to try making chin chin at home, here are two recipes to get started.

Christmas Cookies in South America

Christmas cookies in South America bring warmth, spice, and sweetness to a holiday season celebrated in the summer. While North America bundles up for winter, countries like Argentina, Brazil, and Chile enjoy Christmas in warm weather, often celebrating outdoors with family and friends. Even with the seasonal difference, the tradition of baking special holiday treats remains an important part of Christmas across the continent.

South American Christmas cookies reflect the region’s blend of indigenous, European, and African influences. Many recipes highlight familiar ingredients like cinnamon, dulce de leche, and chocolate, creating treats that feel both comforting and distinctive to the region.

Polvorones de Canela (Cinnamon Cookies)

Polvorones de canela are crumbly cinnamon cookies enjoyed throughout parts of South America. The name polvorón comes from the Spanish word polvo, meaning “powder,” which perfectly describes their soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

These cookies are related to the Mexican wedding cookies described earlier, but this version is flavored heavily with cinnamon, giving it a warm, spiced taste that suits the holiday season. The dough should be handled gently to keep the cookies tender. When baked correctly, they nearly dissolve with each bite.

Polvorones are often served with coffee or hot chocolate during Christmas gatherings. If you’d like to try a cinnamon-forward version at home, this recipe is a great place to start.

Brigadeiro

Brigadeiro is one of Brazil’s most beloved desserts, and it frequently appears on Christmas tables. Traditionally shaped into small truffle-like balls, brigadeiros are also baked into cookies during the holiday season.

They are made from just three main ingredients: sweetened condensed milk, cocoa powder, and butter. Despite the simple recipe, the result is rich, smooth, and deeply chocolatey. While the classic version is rolled in chocolate sprinkles, Christmas variations often use festive colors or holiday shapes.

The treat is named after a Brazilian brigadier and has been a favorite at celebrations since the 1940s. Making brigadeiros is simple, but shaping them takes patience. If you’d like to try making them at home, this recipe is a great starting point.

Cinnamon Palmiers

Cinnamon palmiers are flaky, golden cookies shaped like butterflies or palm leaves. Made from puff pastry rolled with cinnamon and sugar, they bake into crisp, caramelized layers with a delicate crunch.

Although palmiers originated in France, they have found a place in South American holiday baking due to their elegance and simplicity. They are light but rich, making them a favorite addition to Christmas dessert tables.

Learn how to make them at home with this recipe from Sally’s Baking.

Christmas Cookies in Asia

Christmas cookies in Asia reflect the continent’s incredible cultural variety and culinary creativity. In countries like the Philippines and South Korea, Christmas is widely celebrated with decorations, music, and special foods. In other regions, the holiday is observed within Christian communities or enjoyed as a cultural tradition with local twists, such as Japan’s famous Christmas fried-chicken tradition.

Across Asia, holiday baking highlights regional flavors that are difficult to find anywhere else in the world. Ingredients like ube, matcha, coconut, and warm spices shape Christmas cookies in Asia, turning traditional desserts into something entirely unique to the region.

Ube Crinkle Cookies

Ube crinkle cookies are one of the most eye-catching Christmas treats in the Philippines. Made with ube, a purple yam widely used in Filipino desserts, these cookies are known for their rich color and delicate, slightly nutty flavor.

Their soft texture and crackled powdered-sugar coating make them just as beautiful as they are delicious. Many bakers also add vanilla or coconut to enhance the flavor and add depth.

To make these ube crinkle cookies, ube halaya is needed. If you cannot find these ingredients at your local grocery store, check an Asian or Filipino market for the best results.

Chinese Christmas Cookies

Although Christmas is not a traditional holiday in China, it is celebrated in major cities and Christian communities throughout the country. In Chinese-American communities, Christmas baking has become its own tradition, including almond-ginger cookies that blend familiar holiday spices with classic Asian flavors.

Around the holidays, many Chinese bakeries prepare decorative cookie boxes filled with pastries and festive treats, making baked goods a popular gift for friends, family, and colleagues during the season.

If you want to try this style of cookie at home, almond-ginger cookies are an easy way to bring Asian holiday flavors into your own kitchen.

Christmas Cookies in Europe

Christmas cookies in Europe shaped many of the traditions we enjoy today in the United States. From Germany’s spiced treats to Scandinavia’s buttery classics, European Christmas cookies reflect centuries of baking history and regional specialties.

Across the continent, each country, and often each region within a country, has its own signature holiday recipes. Many families bake the same cookies every year using recipes that have been passed down through generations, making baking an important part of preserving culture as well as celebrating the season.

German Pfeffernüsse Cookies

These small, round spice cookies are a German Christmas classic. The name translates to “pepper nuts,” though they don’t actually contain nuts, and the “pepper” refers to the blend of warming spices rather than actual black pepper. (Although, some bakers will use a little bit of black pepper!) Pfeffernüsse are traditionally flavored with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, and sometimes a hint of anise.

These cookies have a firm, almost crunchy exterior and a slightly softer interior. Many recipes call for aging the cookies for a week or more after baking, which allows the flavors to meld and the texture to soften slightly. They’re often glazed with a simple powdered sugar icing or dusted with powdered sugar.

Learn to make Pfeffernüsse cookies through this recipe. 

Butter Vanilla Cookies

Butter vanilla cookies are a staple across many European countries during Christmas. Simple and elegant, these cookies rely on rich butter and pure vanilla for flavor rather than extra spices or decorations.

They are commonly shaped into crescents, rings, or rounds and lightly dusted with powdered sugar or vanilla sugar. Because the recipe is simple, ingredient quality is especially important. European bakers place a strong emphasis on good butter and real vanilla, both of which make a noticeable difference.

These cookies are often served with tea or coffee during the holidays and are enjoyed alongside more elaborate desserts on Christmas tables across Europe.

Christmas Cookies in Australia

Christmas cookies in Australia reflect a holiday season unlike anywhere else in the world. Celebrated during summer, Christmas includes warm weather, outdoor gatherings, and familiar traditions adapted to the season.

Despite the climate difference, baking remains an important part of the celebration. Many Australian Christmas cookies are inspired by British recipes while incorporating local preferences and ingredients.

Anzac Biscuits

Anzac biscuits are one of the most meaningful cookies in Australian history. These oat-based biscuits were originally baked and sent to Australian and New Zealand soldiers during World War I because they were sturdy enough to survive long journeys.

Today, Anzac biscuits are enjoyed year-round, but many families also bake them during the Christmas season as a way to honor tradition and history alongside celebration. Although they are most closely associated with Anzac Day in April, they remain a powerful cultural symbol in Australia.

The name “Anzac biscuits” is protected by law, meaning they cannot be sold under names like “Anzac cookies” or “Anzac cakes.” That protection reflects the importance of their role in Australian culture.

If you’d like to try baking them at home, this recipe offers an authentic introduction to this historic treat.

Gingerbread Cookies

Even during the Australian summer, gingerbread cookies remain a Christmas favorite. Loved across Europe, the United States, and Australia, gingerbread is a tradition that travels easily across climates.

Australian families still build gingerbread houses and decorate gingerbread figures just like families in colder parts of the world. Some bakers adjust their recipes for warmer weather by making thinner, crispier cookies that hold up better in summer heat.

If you’d like to bake an Australian-style gingerbread at home, this recipe is a great place to start.

Food: A Global Connector

Food connects people in powerful ways, and Christmas cookies from around the world bring family, history, and tradition together on one table. Holiday recipes are often passed down through generations, carrying stories and memories with every batch.

At NationsClassroom, we believe students learn best through real experiences. When students travel on our educational programs, both domestic and abroad, they experience new places, explore regional foods, and take part in local traditions. These moments create connections that stay with them far beyond the trip itself.

This holiday season, we invite families to explore global cookie traditions at home and imagine what it might be like to experience those cultures in person. NationsClassroom helps students discover the world through educational travel that builds understanding, confidence, and curiosity.

Because the most meaningful learning happens when it’s lived, and yes, one cookie at a time!

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