Office Christmas Traditions Around the World: How to Adapt Them in Your Workplace
Adding festive traditions at work is a great way to break routine, boost team spirit, and create a warm, collaborative atmosphere. This article explores holiday office traditions worldwide and how to adapt them so your season is joyful and stress-free.
Think of this article as a travel guide across countries, offices, and the Christmas and New Year’s traditions that bring colleagues together. You can read top to bottom, skip around, or pick the country that inspires you most.
Spain: La Noche Vieja
For Spaniards, Christmas is a family holiday, while New Year’s Eve is a time for fun and lively gatherings with friends and colleagues. La Noche Vieja (Old Night) begins long before the evening. People start with grand dinners, then move on to bars, and by midnight many head to clubs to dance until sunrise.
How to adapt it: Host a Spanish-style holiday evening at work, dividing it into two stages. Begin with a formal dinner where everyone gathers around a large table, tries paella, gazpacho, seafood, and Spanish wine, while reflecting on the year together. Then encourage colleagues to split into smaller groups and continue the celebration at local bars or clubs.
Germany: Christmas Markets
In Germany, the holiday season is inseparable from Christmas markets. Streets fill with stalls selling decorations, sweets, mulled wine, and handmade crafts. Many German companies even join the markets directly, either by running their own booths or by participating alongside local vendors to soak up the festive atmosphere.
How to adapt it: Organize a Christmas mini-market at your office or during an off-site team-building event. Invite employees to bring favorite holiday dishes and sweets, and set up large insulated kettles or dispensers for hot drinks like mulled cider or cocoa. If some colleagues create crafts or artwork, give them space to showcase or sell their pieces. The experience will turn your workplace into a festive fair, complete with laughter, aromas, and a sense of shared holiday spirit.
France: Bonuses in Envelopes
At the end of the year, French managers often reward employees with monetary bonuses. But they don’t just hand them out casually — many companies turn the moment into a small ceremony. Employees receive their envelopes in person, with words of gratitude and recognition for their work throughout the year.
How to adapt it: If your company already offers year-end bonuses, make the process more memorable by presenting them face-to-face in a festive setting instead of simply sending a bank transfer. Accompany the gift with personal, heartfelt words. In larger organizations, department heads can carry out this tradition with their teams.
United States: Secret Santa
In American offices, employees love exchanging gifts through Secret Santa. The tradition even appeared in the TV show The Office, which made it familiar worldwide.
The rules are simple: each person writes their name on a slip of paper and puts it into a box. Everyone draws a name and becomes a Secret Santa for that person. Gifts are exchanged, but identities remain hidden until the very end.
Secret Santa is a budget-friendly way to manage workplace gift-giving and spread cheer long before Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
How to adapt it: Many companies outside the U.S. now organize Secret Santa games every year. Using a digital service like MySanta makes it even easier:
- No slips of paper — assignments happen automatically, and participants receive their recipient by email or message.
- Play remotely — colleagues don’t need to be in the same office, city, or even country. Gifts can be mailed or delivered by courier.
- Wishlists included — employees can list what they actually want, preventing unwanted or wasteful gifts.
- Organizer tools — features allow you to set exclusions, manage participants, monitor who hasn’t sent their gift, and track everything in real time.
- Anonymous chats — Santas can message recipients to ask for preferences or delivery details while staying secret.
- Mobile-friendly — employees can even organize and play via a Telegram bot in just a couple of clicks.
Australia: Themed Office Days
In Australia, some offices celebrate the season with themed days that break the routine. For example, a “Red Nose Day” where everyone dresses in red, or a “Pajama Day” where employees swap business attire for cozy loungewear. These playful events lighten the mood and reduce year-end stress.
How to adapt it: Make the last workday of the year informal by picking a theme that suits your team. Give advance notice so colleagues can prepare, and plan a group activity during lunch. Here are a few ideas:
| Theme | What to Do | Interactive Twist |
|---|---|---|
| Ugly Sweater Day | Everyone comes in a funny or over-the-top holiday sweater | At lunch, the team makes hot cocoa together and holds a contest for the best sweater |
| Favorite Book Day | Each employee brings their favorite book | During breaks, everyone shares about their books, then a book swap ends the day |
| Art Day | Employees dress in outfits inspired by art | A drawing or art workshop runs during the day, and the creations are displayed in office |
| Board Game Day | Everyone brings their favorite board games to play during breaks | A tournament wraps up the day with prizes for winners |
China: Red Lanterns and Tangerines
In the weeks before Lunar New Year, Chinese offices are decorated with red lanterns, calligraphy for good luck, and other traditional symbols. Colleagues often exchange tangerines, as the fruit’s name sounds similar to “gold” in Chinese and symbolizes wealth. Many companies also host large banquets to celebrate achievements and honor employees’ contributions.
How to adapt it: Host a Chinese-themed evening on the last workday of the year. Decorate with red lanterns, order Chinese food, and give each colleague a tangerine with a short fortune note attached. It’s a lighthearted way to embrace another culture while celebrating your own team.
Japan: Nengajo Cards
In Japan, colleagues exchange nengajo — traditional New Year postcards filled with good wishes. These cards aren’t just for close coworkers but are often shared with all professional contacts. Offices may also hold cleansing ceremonies to symbolically begin the year with a fresh start.
How to adapt it: Encourage employees to exchange thoughtful cards before the holiday break. They could be thank-you notes, compliments, or wishes for the year ahead. To make it easy, set up an “office mail station” where cards can be dropped off and distributed.
What to Write in a Holiday Card
Personal words always mean the most, but if someone is stuck, here are some ideas.
Thank-You Cards
- Thank you for your collaboration and support this year. Your professionalism always inspires me to reach new goals.
- I appreciate your contribution to our shared work. Thanks to you, we were able to achieve such high results.
- Your help and involvement have been invaluable this year. I’m so grateful to have you on our team.
- From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your partnership and understanding. You are a true professional at what you do.
- Thank you for your dedication and commitment. Together, we are strong!
Compliment Cards
- You’re a generator of brilliant ideas! I’m sure the new year will bring even more.
- I admire your ability to find creative solutions! May the coming year be filled with as many ideas as stars in the sky.
- You have a beautiful smile — show it more often!
- Your imagination knows no bounds! May the new year unlock its full potential and bring the world countless amazing things.
- You always surprise and inspire! May your creativity continue to grow and bring joy to those around you in the coming year.
Wish Cards
- May the new year bring you health, prosperity, and plenty of delightful surprises!
- Wishing you new achievements, strong health, and inner harmony in the year ahead.
- May the coming year be full of exciting events, successful projects, and joyful moments.
- Wishing you happiness, good luck, and the fulfillment of all your boldest plans in the new year!
- May the new year give you strength for new accomplishments and many reasons to feel proud.
Final Thoughts
Exploring holiday traditions from around the world can spark fresh ideas to strengthen your company culture. A cheerful office atmosphere not only lifts spirits but also boosts motivation and productivity.
Choose the traditions that resonate with your team, adapt them with care, and make them part of your workplace. This holiday season, let your office be a place of laughter, gratitude, and shared memories — the kind that last long after the decorations come down.
