World's Greatest

(bright music) - [Narrator] This is the first light of Christmas Day rising over the International Dateline in the vast blue Pacific Ocean.

From Australia's sunny shores to Asia's neon-lit streets, Lapland's snowy peaks to Europe's ancient cathedrals, with each passing hour, Christmas dawns on all of us again and again as it unwraps around the globe, carried not just by time zones, but by peoples and cultures preparing to mark the day in ways reflected by their faith, history, and tradition, and beneath it all, something we all share: the desire to pause, come together, and be grateful for each other.

But why do we create such traditions in the first place, and why can't we seem to quit them?

- What makes us humans is our ability to create meaning from things that seem to be intrinsically meaningless.

If you ask people around the world what it is that makes a good life, the kinds of things that matter to them, there are things like art and religion and group identity.

- [Narrator] So what does Christmas look like around the world?

How does local history, food, decorations, religious traditions, and unique cultures shape this special day in different places?

Join us as we journey through dawn and daylight, through cultures and continents to see how this single day brings so many people together, because Christmas is truly one of the world's greatest holiday celebrations.

(bright music) (Santa Claus and children laughing) - Now, if we hurry, we can get back in time for Christmas Eve.

- [Children] Yay.

- Shall we get going?

- [All] Yay.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] With the flicker of first light bathing the Southern Hemisphere, one of the first countries to awaken is Australia with a resounding "Good day" to Christmas Day.

(gentle music) But by the time Christmas morning hits Australian shores, well-honed plans are already in place for a day of bikinis- Feliz Navidad - [Narrator] Bondi Beach, and a barbecue feast of festive proportions.

- [Group] Merry Christmas!

- [Narrator] Being down under seems to have given Australians permission to go up and over in their summer fun, (magical music) because Christmas Day in Australia is all about being a world away from the rest of the world and celebrate like no one's watching.

- Christmas in Australia is having to come to terms with a winter holiday set in the middle of summer.

So they have changed Christmas in that regard.

- [Narrator] Here on the iconic sands of Bondi Beach before lunch, it's whatever takes your festive fancy.

Bondi even staged a world-record-breaking event for the largest Santa surf lesson ever, with hundreds taking to the waves.

(bright music) And it's proof that when it comes to celebrating Christmas, Australians will quite literally put a Santa hat on anything that moves and even a few things that don't.

- You guys have Santa Claus statues with board shorts on and flip-flops?

That's the craziest thing I ever heard!

You got to send one my way because I gotta put that on my porch.

That's so funny.

I only associate Christmas time with snow.

- [Group] Merry Christmas!

- [Narrator] Thankfully, after having worked up a mighty appetite, Christmas down under brings not just good cheer, but also an abundance of tasty lunch treats that would have any elf lining up for seconds.

(magical music) (bright music) One food in particular, the humble prawn, has gained such popularity that every year, a mammoth 36-hour seafood marathon takes Sydney by storm right up to Christmas Eve.

And the result?

Over 100,000 Sydneysiders descend on the market, desperate to get their hands on these curvy crustaceans.

- Seafood is a huge part of the Australian Christmas feast, and this doesn't come from Britain; in fact, it's much later.

It probably comes from migrants from the Mediterranean in the 1980s and 1990s, who do come from traditionally Catholic countries and who therefore had a lot of seafood in their Christmas Eve feasting.

(bright music) (magical music) - [Narrator] But other festive favourites imported from Britain's cooler climate may finally be losing their appeal after decades under the unforgiving Antipodean sun.

- The stodgy Victorian turkey and plum pudding and mashed potatoes are on the way out.

- [Narrator] And replaced by fresh barramundi, cold cuts, and crisp summer salads that actually make sense in 30-degree heat.

And whilst other cultures may take the opportunity to have a little nap after lunch, Aussies do what they do best and head back to the beach, this time, for more sunny shenanigans, possibly egged on by a liquid lunch.

(bright music) (magical music) Across Sydney, one of the most heartwarming Christmas traditions is in full swing, with grassroots charities stepping in as Santa to put on festive events for local communities.

Volunteers roll up their sleeves and serve up turkey dishes with all the trimmings for anyone after a Christmas feast.

- Merry Christmas!

- But it's not just about the food.

There's gift-giving and singing and dancing led by some colourful experts.

Jingle bell, jingle bell Jingle all the way - [Narrator] And even a helping hand or two from the Prime Minister of Australia himself.

When it all comes together, it's Sydney's way of wrapping its arms around everyone to make sure nobody spends Christmas hungry or alone.

(magical music) (bright music) Meanwhile, down south in the coffee and cultural heart of Australia, Melbourne's climate may be more tempered, but the Christmas Eve magic is just as electric, albeit in a more melodic way.

(magical music) Each year, Melburnians eagerly succumb to the uplifting chorus of carols at the iconic Sidney Myer Music Bowl concert, where candlelight meets starlight in Australia's most beloved Yuletide tradition.

- So many kids on shoulders, people with light-up hats and Santa-themed stuff.

It was so sweet.

That draws people from literally all over the world at this time, all these people together and enjoying each other at Christmas time.

- [Narrator] As families spread their picnic rugs across the amphitheater's grassy slopes in the afternoon haze, some of Australia's biggest stars take to the stage as the event broadcasts live across Australia.

(bright music) (crowd cheering) But as night falls, thousands of flickering candles transform this Christmas Eve into a twinkling galaxy, while the summer evening carries the voices of a city united in song, proving that Melbourne not only does great coffee, it also does a fantastic side of joy.

(crowd cheering) (magical music) Leaving the relaxed rhythms of Australia, the Christmas dawn is racing across the Pacific at over 1,600 kilometres per hour near the equator, and here at the foot of Mount Fuji, Japan, the land of the rising sun welcomes Christmas Day just like any other day.

(gentle music) Here, Christmas isn't a public holiday; it's business as usual, with most offices and schools running as normal.

And yet Japan has made Christmas its own, because here Christmas is less about faith and more about fun.

- Japan just adopted Christmas.

They put their own spin on it and just made it their own.

It's not a religious observation at all.

It is a purely public, secular cultural spectacle.

- [Narrator] In terms of Christmas, nothing tops the land of the cherry blossom for its unique ability in combining Western influences with ancient Japanese customs and a dash of Comic-Con chaos to boot.

But this rich tapestry didn't happen overnight.

(magical music) It all began with a major makeover after World War II when American soldiers and Christian missionaries brought their holiday traditions with them.

- You can see it become much more popular in Japan.

The iconography starts becoming something that is part of branding in Japan, and you can get Santa Claus costumes, and that becomes more popular over time.

This sort of embrace of these Western icons and traditions really grows out of that 1950s era.

- [Narrator] What should have been a culture clash turned into a cultural smash, and spending money on Christmas decorations became the way to show off.

It was a cultural exchange programme that didn't just succeed, it absolutely slayed.

(magical music) And the cultural nip-and-tucks were just starting.

Exhibit A: the humble strawberry shortcake, an all-American baked good tiered with strawberries and cream.

It was first created in the 1850s to take advantage of an abundance of the tasty treat growing in the heartland, but then fate stepped in and swept it off to, of all places, Japan.

- It came about when the owner of a now-famous confectionery store called Fujiya went and travelled and studied in America in the early 20th century and wanted to bring back the shortcakes that he had seen there.

- [Narrator] And boom, or should we say swoon, when the gooey cream and fruit concoction caught the savvy businessman's eye.

Now, as a cherished cornerstone of Japanese culture, it symbolises love, friendship, and family, the very essence of Christmas.

(magical music) (bright music) However, by no means did Japan take on a wholesale approach to a Western-style Christmas.

- Japan was adopting ideas from outside of its own culture to become a more modern country.

They adopted Christmas, but not in the same way that it had been adopted in the Western world.

- [Narrator] Instead of experiencing Christmas through a traditionally family-centered Western lens, Christmas Eve became a spectacularly different event instead.

- In Japan, they have traded "Silent Night" for date night.

Especially on Christmas Eve, it is not uncommon to see couples out strolling to look at the Christmas lights, making reservations for the fanciest restaurants in town, and even having these very elaborate, fancy strawberry shortcakes.

- [Narrator] Suddenly, kissing under the mistletoe took on a whole new meaning.

Only the Japanese could pull off the impossible, making Christmas go from "ho-ho-ho" to "ooh-la-la" without missing a beat.

(magical music) (bright music) But perhaps one of the most extraordinary cultural metamorphoses occurred when Japan adopted an American fast food staple and elevated it from the mundane to the magnificent.

- When KFC first opens a franchise in 1970 in Nagoya, they very quickly realised that there isn't turkey available for local people.

They came up with this idea of kind of selling Kentucky for Christmas, and the campaign very quickly takes root.

- [Narrator] Japan had pulled off the ultimate; it had taken KFC's secret 11 herbs and spices and made them the Christmas ingredient.

(magical music) (gentle music) Farewelling Japan's contemporary Christmas remix, we sweep over China's vast mountainous terrain, through the Middle East's sun-scorched deserts, reaching the very birthplace of Christianity: Bethlehem.

(gentle music) The spiritual, symbolic core at the heart of Christmas for millions worldwide traces back to this ancient ground where the Nativity journey unfolded.

- The real meaning is the birth of the baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

The original story is compelling because it's so touching.

It's a young family without a home, forced to give birth in an animal shelter.

It's a story of magic and family and fragility and tenderness, and that has leaked out into every other manifestation of Christmas.

- Another thing about Christmas that I really love is that whether or not you observe it for religious reasons, I know so many folks who celebrate Christmas, and they celebrate it for their own reasons.

Beyond, you know, the religious background of the holiday, they're celebrating it because they love their family.

It's such a great time to be with friends.

(magical music) (gentle music) - [Narrator] A story that continues to unfurl as daybreak brings locals to sunny, bustling Manger Square, queuing to worship at the sacred grotto at the Church of the Nativity.

Here, Christmas traditions are deeply rooted in Palestinian Christian culture, in particular, a procession that travels from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.

- It's patriotic, an affirmation of the presence of Palestinian Christians.

So it's extremely important and fraught with political tension, because the procession has to go through Israeli checkpoints to get to the Palestinian territories.

- [Narrator] Culminating in a heart-stirring welcome at Manger Square.

It's a pilgrimage that brings the Christmas story alive in the most moving way imaginable in this most revered city.

(magical music) (dramatic music) Departing Bethlehem's sacred stillness, soaring north over limestone hills to where the Lebanese coast meets the mountains sits Beirut.

(dramatic music) In this vibrant cultural crossroads, Christmas morning welcomes worship and festivity, with the occasional camel adding Middle Eastern flair.

Unique in the region for embracing Christmas as a national holiday, Lebanese hospitality runs so deep on this day that even Santa's schedule takes a back seat.

(magical music) (bright music) So let's begin with that most delicious of Christmas delicacies: Meghli.

- So Meghli is this delicious rice pudding.

It was actually served for other people's birthdays, and because Christmas celebrates Christ's birthday, over time it became incorporated into the Christmas tradition.

- [Narrator] And what's better than putting a spicy rice delight at the centre of all this revelry, spooning up the best of Lebanese love, surrounded by friends and family?

But as far as who has the cutest Yuletide custom out there, Lebanon may be the front-runner.

That's because Lebanon has a Christmas camel.

No, not carol, camel.

- A Christmas camel is a legend that says that one of the little camels in the caravan of the three kings fell as he approached the baby Jesus, and the baby Jesus smiled on him and granted him eternal life.

And so the Christmas camel is very often the Christmas gift-bringer, the local version of Santa Claus.

- It's a natural biblical connection to gift-giving more broadly, where there'll be a parade where you'll see folks dressed up like the three wise men, and then gifts are given to children and left overnight.

- [Narrator] Yes, a dromedary who's been camouflaging as Santa for over 2,000 years.

Desert delivery guaranteed.

(magical music) (majestic music) From Beirut's architectural tapestry spanning centuries, the morning light reaches over the Mediterranean Sea, discovering Greece's rugged coastline (majestic music) and the ancient hills of Athens with its iconic Acropolis.

Here the sun shines on Greek customs that stretch back centuries.

(magical music) (bright music) Services of worship are conducted in the streets for all to see.

Cosy, candlelit processions, priests in high regalia, and soaring hymns transform the city into an open-air cathedral.

(magical music) (bright music) After the ceremonies, the celebration moves indoors, where generations of families gather around tables groaning under the weight of a much-loved baked good.

- Christopsomo is this amazing elaborate bread, and it actually means Christ's bread.

It's got lots of wonderful spices in it, also, of course, some olive oil.

And it's decorated with a cross out of the dough on top, the cross representing, of course, Christ's cross, but also the X for Christ in the Greek language.

- [Narrator] Beyond its religious meaning, food creates bonds.

- If we're cooking together, if we share the meal together, then we feel like family.

Cooking is a very intimate act.

Typically, cooking together and sharing a meal is reserved for a close circle of friends, associates, or family.

- [Narrator] And when Greeks break their sacred bread, it becomes a beautiful ritual of connection, linking them to their ancestors, their faith, and one another in the most delicious way possible.

Pull up a chair and pass the Christopsomo.

(magical music) (majestic music) Setting out from Athens and its gleaming crown at the Parthenon, heading westward over the Aegean Sea, toward the famous boot-shaped peninsula and its eternal capital of Rome, (majestic music) here, the breaking Christmas Day unfolds on family-focused events.

(magical music) But it's the Vatican City and St.

Peter's Basilica that take centre stage for over a billion Christian believers worldwide.

When we talk mass appeal, this is the daddy of them all, especially when it comes to the most famous vigil in the world.

- The Midnight Mass rings in Christmas right at the stroke of midnight.

People from Italy gather to hear the first liturgical reading of Christmas.

It sets the tone, it kicks things off.

It's Christmas.

- [Narrator] However, if you are after something with a more homely appeal, the beloved nativity scene tradition is surely your go, dating back to the brilliantly inspired St.

Francis of Assisi when he created the first one in 1223.

- Much of the historical records there is shows that that was sort of an early creation of the nativity as a means to remind the faithful of the reason for the season and celebrating the story of Jesus being born in the manger.

- [Narrator] For ordinary people, nativity scenes were like accessible theatre without the formality of church services.

Now it's become the absolute cornerstone of Christmas decorations worldwide, charming its way into people's hearts one miniature donkey at a time.

(magical music) (bright music) But before Christmas Day caps off its celebrations, Italians always make sure to save space for some sweetness.

Most likely the sublime Panettone, Pandoro, or Panforte.

Even their origin stories are indulgent to the core.

- Three famous Italian Christmas breads, all from different parts of Italy.

Panettone is from Naples.

It is supposedly the product of a kitchen boy named Tony, who saved the day after a burnt Christmas dinner at a noble household by whipping up this delicious fruit cake.

And then there's Pandoro, golden bread.

This is a lighter yellow-colored bread, often with icing at the top and contains no fruit.

The last is a much heavier one, really loaded with fruit and nuts, a bit like American or British Christmas cake.

- [Narrator] The tasty trio play an important festive role, with over 100 million Panettone and Pandoro cakes baked annually, and multiples of all three bought or received by households right across Italy.

Thank goodness Christmas calories don't count.

(magical music) (lively music) But before we get too comfortable in Italy's warm embrace, the Yuletide sun is beckoning from a land where life is lived out loud.

(lively music) On this festive day in Spain, it's like stepping from a profound Italian cathedral straight into a vibrant carnival, because the Spanish Yuletide period is wilder than running with the bulls in Pamplona.

(magical music) (lively music) Case in point: the spectacularly extravagant El Gordo Lottery, or "the Fat Lottery".

Almost 200 years old, this tubby tradition goes far beyond the simple raffle.

It's practically a national obsession.

The second-longest continuously running lottery in the world, it's also considered the most colossal prize draw worldwide, with a total prize pool often hitting 2.7 billion euro.

A live draw becomes a magnificent finale to the Christmas season, with the winning numbers sung out in operatic style by schoolchildren.

(children singing in foreign language) - [Narrator] And for those whose lives are forever changed by a windfall, the upcoming present splurge will surely stratospheric.

(lively music) (group cheering) (magical music) (gentle music) And if lottery riches don't materialise, fear not, Spain's got plenty of other charmingly ridiculous Christmas traditions, beginning with a particular piece of wood.

- It is a short little log with four feet and kind of a comical face and the red hat of a peasant.

Parents will put little gifts under it, candies and treats, and children are encouraged to come to it and beat it and cry, "Poop, log, poop!"

And from the fundament of this log comes a flow of treats.

Until finally, a little dried fish comes out, and that's the end of the game.

- [Narrator] Where else can thrashing a log be considered good, clean, fun for the whole family?

Where else but Spain.

(magical music) (lively music) Hold on, the cheeky Spanish traditions don't end there.

Steel yourself for the Caganer, another nearly 200-year-old tradition.

This Christmas figurine is also an acquired taste.

- It is the crouching figure of a little man with his trousers down, usually a red peasant cap on his head, and he is, in the Canadian vernacular, taking a dump.

- [Narrator] The sassy statues are sneakily hidden in public nativity scenes, like a holy game of hide-and-seek, and no one is safe.

- As you can get the peasant looking like Obama or famous soccer players.

And yeah, it's enormously popular.

- Christmas time is for the corny, it's for the cringe, it's for the fun.

So first of all, nothing is overrated.

Enjoy it all.

Just have so much fun.

- [Narrator] Tens of thousands of caganers are sold every year.

You could say it's the ultimate Christmas number two tradition.

(magical music) (bright music) While that might be Spain's most unorthodox holiday custom, their most beloved one involves legendary royalty.

- Many of us are familiar with Santa Claus as the gift-bringer, but in Spain, the real stars of the holidays are the three kings who brought gifts to the baby Jesus.

- [Narrator] Every Christmas, the majestic three kings travel on their trusty camels in a sparkly procession, all the while throwing candy to the crowd.

The three kings perform the same role as Santa Claus.

And on the evening of the parade, children clean their shoes and place them outside their doors in the hope that the kings will fill them with gifts.

In short, good kids get the goods, bad kids get the coal.

The three kings don't mess about.

(magical music) (gentle music) Departing the spiritedness of Spain, crossing high above the majestic Pyrenees into France, Christmas celebrations shift from over the top to a more restrained style.

No pooping logs here, monsieur.

(gentle music) (magical music) (gentle music) But don't mistake restrained for dull.

French Christmas Day gets a serious spiritual upgrade when you venture into sacred destinations like Lourdes.

Lourdes owes its fame to the Marian Apparitions, when the Virgin Mary revealed herself to a young peasant girl.

- She appeared in 1858 to a poor girl named Bernadette, appearing to her maybe about a dozen times, telling more and more of herself.

She asked that a chapel be built in a local grotto.

- [Narrator] This famous event now brings thousands of pilgrims to the miraculous spot.

And Lourdes knows it's impossible not to feel the Christmas spirit.

(magical music) (soft music) But the real showstoppers are the reputed miracles that keep this town in the spiritual spotlight.

- Since then, this site has been a pilgrimage location.

Thousands, millions have come seeking cures.

There are a number of documented cures without any other explanation than a miracle.

- [Narrator] Seventy miraculous healings have been officially recognised by the Catholic Church as genuine, with each miracle undergoing rigorous medical and theological scrutiny involving international committees.

It's the ultimate divine detective work.

CSI: Mysterious Miracles Unit, if you like.

(magical music) (dramatic music) Trading miracles for mistletoe, we press on from Lourdes through France's sprawling forests, hop the Rhine until we cross the great Arctic Circle into Finnish Lapland.

(dramatic music) And while the winter sun does its best impression of breaking through, locals hunker down for long days of mulled wine, fireside philosophising, and cosy get-togethers.

(magical music) (bright music) If you want to step further into a genuine Christmas snow globe, prepare to fall in love with the capital of Lapland, Rovaniemi, the official site of the Santa Claus Village.

- Welcome to the Santa Claus office.

- [Narrator] Yes, he does exist.

Here, Christmas isn't just a season, it's a way of life.

In the 20th century, Rovaniemi earned its designation as Santa Claus's official hometown.

(bright music) (magical music) (gentle music) But the real star is the world's one and only official Santa Claus Post Office, receiving over 15 million letters from kids around the globe since it opened.

Personalised letters can be ordered from St.

Nick himself to arrive the actual night before Christmas.

What better reminder for kids that some things are worth waiting for, especially when it comes with a North Pole postmark?

- Where is it coming from?

- Uh, from Chloe.

- Yeah.

Okay.

And what does Chloe say there?

(magical music) (gentle music) - [Narrator] But it's Christmas traditions like these combined with a challenging environment that tap into something even deeper.

- I think so many of the traditions of Christmas have grown out of the timing.

During the winter season when it was really cold out, folks would get together and have a feast, and that kind of warm feeling has never really left.

- [Narrator] This is especially true in the Arctic, where more traditional Christmas celebrations are preserved by the native Sami people.

Their ancient customs are blended with Christian practises through church ceremonies, cooking hearty stews, and communal gatherings filled with music and gift-giving, while their rich Nordic heritage lives on through unique clothing, reindeer herding, and handicrafts.

(gentle music) But no Finnish festive would be complete without glogi, a beloved mulled wine that has become deeply embedded in the nation's holiday traditions, yet had its origins elsewhere.

- Glogg in Sweden is a kind of spiced mulled wine originally given for messengers and postmen who were travelling around in the cold of the winter to revive them.

- [Narrator] Comprising red wine, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, it's an aromatic beverage, just perfect for cold nights.

And with Finnish glogi now inhabiting its own position on the tradition mantle, it's become as essential to Christmas as reindeer to Rovaniemi.

(magical music) (bright music) From Lapland's snow-covered serenity and the Arctic's endless nights, it's an epic continental trek through Scandinavia, across the Baltic, and finally the English Channel.

(bright music) But once we swing by Big Ben and leap straight into London's electric Christmas energy, what a black cab ride it is.

We plunge into a wonderland of twinkling lights on Georgian terraces, cheerful chaos of Christmas markets, and streets humming with hymns from shopfronts.

(magical music) (bright music) Walk through London during the festive season and you're experiencing Christmas the way the Victorians invented it.

Many of the traditions we consider timeless started in Britain during the Victorian era, brought back by Queen Victoria's German husband Albert.

- To celebrate the Christmas, Prince Albert had brought with him a German tradition, which is the Tannenbaum, the Christmas tree.

Previously, this was a small regional tradition from Germany.

All of a sudden, though, it gets brought to England, and then the image of that gets spread across England.

(magical music) (dramatic music) - [Narrator] This royal Christmas makeover found its perfect literary companion when, around the same time, writer Charles Dickens was busy reshaping how people thought about Christmas itself.

His 1843 book "A Christmas Carol" did more than just tell a good ghost story.

- It's the story of the resurrection of the spirit of Ebenezer Scrooge, who had been turned into a hard-hearted hater not just of humanity, but of Christmas in particular.

And he's visited by a number of ghosts, and they convince him that Christmas is important, that its meaning is sentimental.

It's about forgiveness and family.

- [Narrator] Dickens helped transform a normal working day with shops and schools still open into the warm, family-focused, generous-spirited holiday we recognise today.

(magical music) (bright music) Central to this newly reimagined celebration sits a tradition even older than Dickens himself: the roast turkey.

- So turkey comes from Central America, and so it didn't come over to Britain until the 1520s.

Before then, people would've had various types of meat.

The star of a mediaeval feast would've been the boar's head.

So turkey doesn't really become associated just with Christmas until the Victorian era at the earliest, really, and it becomes cheap enough for most people to have after the Second World War.

- [Narrator] And now it's hard to imagine a proper British Christmas without a bronzed bird taking centre stage on the dining table.

(bright music) (magical music) (bright music) But even the most magnificent turkey must bow to the true monarch of the meal, the Christmas pudding.

This isn't your ordinary dessert.

It's a rich, dense, steamed creation, packed with dried fruits, spices, and often a generous splash of brandy or rum.

All thanks to the brilliant brains of 19th-century society once more.

- This is Victorias again who kind of make it this Christmas pudding rather than plum pudding and who then decide to set it on fire.

- [Narrator] But here's where it gets fun.

There's always a silver coin hidden somewhere inside the pudding.

Finding it in your slice means good luck for the coming year, but tread carefully or you could be dining at your dentist instead.

(dramatic music) (magical music) (lively music) And if there's one thing that captures this collective Christmas spirit even more remarkably, it's Britain's musical obsession.

- This is the goofiest concern that Britons have.

They want to know who is going to be the number one hit during Christmas week.

(lively music) Why this is so?

I don't know, but they've had their eye on it since 1952.

They've made a big deal of it.

- Sometimes they can be very Christmas-y songs like "Do They Know It's Christmas?"

But then you had "Rage Against the Machine*" have won in 2009.

So it really can run the gamut.

- [Narrator] It's become as much a treasured part of British Christmas as mince pies and cracker pulling, one of those special shared moments that perfectly captures what the holiday season is all about.

(magical music) (bright music) From pudding preparations to chart toppers, Britain's Christmas has moved with the times, yet stayed decidedly loyal to its Victorian roots of crackling fires, family feasts, and heartfelt goodwill.

Mr.

Dickens would be proud.

From Britain's cosy Christmas culture and towering traditions, our final festive journey takes us across the Atlantic to New York, where the Statue of Liberty oversees a holiday season bursting with glitter, grandeur, and theatrical flair.

(bright music) Buy your popcorn, grab your seat, because to New Yorkers, Christmas is the Broadway show of the year.

- Come on, it's New York City.

I love New York City.

Okay?

It's New York all the way.

There is no place like New York City at Christmas.

- [Narrator] From Radio City's high-kicking Rockettes to midnight mass at St.

Patrick's Cathedral, the Big Apple delivers the perfect finale to our 24-hour holiday journey around the globe.

(magical music) (bright music) They say if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere.

And one cheerful character certainly proved that to be true.

The Santa we all know and love is actually a classic New York success story from the 1800s.

It all began in 1823 when Clement Clarke Moore wrote the poem "A Visit from St.

Nicholas", featuring the famous opening line "'Twas the night before Christmas."

- His poem really catches fire.

It's a poem about a domestic Christmas, a family Christmas, and a magical Christmas, an element that had been ignored in the adult, alcohol kind of rowdiness.

So Clement Clarke Moore added seven more reindeer, shrank Santa Claus from a normal-sized person to someone able to come down a chimney, and called him Saint Nicholas.

- Merry Christmas to all!

Merry Christmas to all.

- [Narrator] But Santa's glow-up didn't end there.

Fast-forward to the 1900s, and Coca-Cola set about putting their own finishing touches on modern Santa.

- In the 1930s, Coca-Cola hired an artist named Haddon Sundblom, and he started producing a Santa Claus painting every year.

When you think of Santa Claus today, the image that pops into your head is probably some version produced through Haddon Sundblom.

- [Narrator] And just like that, a playful poem and astute advertising created the Santa Claus we know today, one that has enchanted generations.

(magical music) (gentle music) Meanwhile, across the city, another Christmas tradition was about to take root.

In 1931, during the Great Depression, tradesmen building the Rockefeller Centre pooled their resources and bought a modest Christmas tree to plant on the construction site.

- [Host] Two, One!

(crowd cheering) Joy to the world - [Narrator] Fast-forward to today, and that humble gesture has transformed into one of the world's most spectacular holiday landmarks.

And now you'd be hard-pressed to find a New Yorker without some personal tie to the Rockefeller Centre tree.

- I was Miss New York many moons ago, and they have Miss New York every year come to the Rockefeller tree lighting.

And as I would call out to the crowd, I'm like, "Where are you from?"

These two guys had their arms around each other, and they both said a different country.

And I realised that they did not know each other.

They just had their arms around each other because it's Christmas.

(magical music) (bright music) - [Narrator] While Christmas joy is now accessible to all, it's hard to imagine that there was one inexpensive staple that was once beyond most people's reach.

- In the early days of Christmas lights, they were very expensive.

And besides, you didn't get a lot of Christmas lights on a single string.

As the cost of them came down, we started to see more elaborate and more coordinated Christmas displays.

- [Narrator] Which brings us to Dyker Heights in Brooklyn.

This quiet residential neighbourhood has turned Christmas displays into an art form and beyond.

The residents here don't just decorate.

They create winter wonderlands that have people travelling from across the city.

But beneath all that jaw-dropping spectacle lies a fierce, unspoken battle being waged on every rooftop, around every tree.

- Coloured Christmas lights or white Christmas lights.

You and I both know there's only one correct answer to that question.

I don't need to say it.

I don't need to say it.

(magical music) - [Narrator] But all those sparkling debates fade into the background when the big day finally arrives and the city transforms completely.

While most of the city is either gathered around their dining tables or has completely shut down for the holiday, there's one place in New York that's absolutely buzzing with life, the local Chinese restaurant, which is all due to one of the most unique New York traditions.

- Jewish people began eating at Chinese restaurants on Christmas Day from about the 19th century, our first record being in 1899 on the Lower East Side in New York.

- [Narrator] It made perfect sense.

Jewish families didn't celebrate Christmas, and Chinese restaurant owners were happy to stay open since Christmas wasn't their holiday either.

And one of the best parts about Chinese restaurants: reliability.

- You can always get Chinese takeout.

There could be a tornado ripping across the city and you could find Chinese takeout.

God bless 'em, - [Narrator] Ultimately, two communities at a loose end on Christmas ended up coming together and creating their own tradition, eating amazing food with the people they love.

And you can't get more Christmas-y than that.

(magical music) And with Christmas bringing out the best in communities everywhere, nowhere is that spirit more alive than in Harlem, where something magical happens every December.

Step into any of the historic churches and you'll be swept away by the Black Gospel Christmas tradition, where voices don't just sing, they soar.

- Oh my God.

I mean, I love gospel music.

It is so joyful, it's so jubilant, it's so triumphant.

I don't know, Black people just do music really well at Christmas.

What can I say?

(magical music) (gentle music) - [Narrator] Then just a few subway stops away, the scene shifts completely as you are walking down Fifth Avenue toward the towering spires of St.

Patrick's Cathedral.

The sidewalks are packed with people from every corner of the world, all heading toward the same glowing destination.

Inside, Catholics of every culture gather for a continuing New York tradition that's been going strong since 1879.

But holiday spirit aside, true New Yorkers still need to maintain their place on the social ladder.

- It's the Christmas Mass to go to, very crowded, and if you want to go and be seen, that's the place.

- [Narrator] And why not?

It's the kind of moment that makes you realise Christmas in New York isn't just about the city, it's about the incredible tapestry of people who call it home as well.

(gentle music) (magical music) (gentle music) (crowd cheering) (fireworks booming) And perhaps that mashup is exactly what makes the age-old question so intriguing.

What really is Christmas?

From the varied cultures and countries we've visited on Christmas morning, we've encountered a holy day that's ancient and modern, sacred and secular, global and deeply personal, all at the one time.

Maybe that's why Christmas is one of the world's greatest holiday celebrations.

It's the most adaptable tradition that's still writing its story every year, with every family dinner shared, every song sung at a centuries-old church, and every moment someone's a little kinder to a stranger.

And that's a pretty magical thing, don't you think?

Merry Christmas.

(bright music)