Traditional Christmas Greeting: "Joyeux Noel" (French), "Buon Natale" (Italian), "Froehliche Weinachten" (Swiss-German), "Bellas Festas" (Romansh)
Location: Western Europe
Tree Type: Traditional

Decorations:
- The crystal globes represent the simplicity of light.
- The snowflakes represent the four distinct regions of Switzerland.
- The stars represent not only the light from heaven but also the guiding light and the joy of light.
- The white candles made of traditional wax represent the pure white season of light.
- Only real candles decorate the tree not electric ones.
- The star treetop represents the star of Bethlehem.

Traditions:
Though Christmas celebrations vary widely by region in Switzerland, the French, German and Italian speaking parts all unite in having lavish festivities for Saint Nicholas' Day on December 6. In some towns, scores of men parade through the streets wearing 5-foot tall mitres like the hats worn by bishops, ringing bells as they process. In other places, bachelors march together with sooty rags for any too-clean single female face they encounter. Some villages have children join in the fun, letting them dress in white robes and distribute cake and cookies. All of these parades involve plenty of noisy and revelry.

Christmas Eve arrives on the 24th to find some families decorating their trees together. Others don't allow children to see the decoration, but rather let them enter the room only when it's all set up with presents beneath it. They're told that it's Christkindl, the Christ child or his angel representative, or Samichlaus, the Swiss-German form of Santa, who has brought the beautiful tree. Still others receive and give presents only on Christmas Day, while some wait until Epiphany and Three Kings Day.

Most people in Switzerland eat ringli, homemade doughnuts, and hot chocolate as a family after the church service concludes on Christmas Eve.