During the winter holiday season, households across the United States display their heritage and religious beliefs through vibrant decorations, uplifting music, and (arguably, most importantly) an excess of delicious food. We are exposed to a wide array of holiday celebrations in this country - from Christmas parades to Hanukkah television specials, as well as families that decorate trees and exchange presents simply in the spirit of holiday joy. Various countries across the world celebrate the holidays that we see in America, and do so with an added flavor of their individual cultures. Here are five holiday traditions from across the world:

Members of a small Mexican town huddle near the doorway of a family's home during one evening of Las Posadas. (Creative Commons/Google Images)

1. Las Posadas - Mexico

Mexico cannot seem to get enough of Christmas - the country's yearly celebration lasts nine full days. Originally an exclusively Spanish tradition, Las Posadas (Spanish for "the inn") is currently a Mexican festival that occurs in the nine evenings preceding Christmas day. 

A symbolic portrayal of the nine months of the Virgin Mary's pregnancy, Las Posadas features a procession of community members through the streets. The procession carries images of Mary and Joseph riding a donkey, in addition to a doll meant to represent baby Jesus. Each evening, the group parades through town streets and entrusts the doll to members of a designated household. The following night, the doll is retrieved and the processional begins. This tradition is executed in commemoration of the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The festivities culminate on Christmas Eve - la Nochebuena - during which Mexican families attend a late mass followed by a celebratory family meal. 

2. Hanukkah - Israel

Servicemen in the Israel Defense Force (IDF) engage in an intimate celebration of Hanukkah as they light the first candle of the menorah. (Creative Commons/Google Images)

People often assume the celebration of Hanukkah in Israel to be more flamboyant than its observance in the United States.

However, in truth, Israel interprets Hanukkah as a much more intimate, personal holiday than do many American households that commemorate the eight days with large displays and an abundance of gifts. Although Israeli households are decorated with menorahs (as they are in the United States), children are usually given small trinkets such as chocolate coins and dreidels during each of eight evenings. Because the majority of Israeli schools are afforded a week-long break during Hanukkah, many families travel to Jerusalem in order to pay respects to the land in which the Jewish rebellion over the Greeks - the victory that Hanukkah commemorates -  occurred. 

3. St. Lucia Day - Sweden

Widely popularized American Girl Doll, Kirsten, dons traditional Swedish garb in honor of St. Lucia Day. (Creative Commons/Google Images)

On December 13, young Swedish girls display an impressive balancing act in honor of Saint Lucy. Traditionally, the eldest girl in each household dresses in a white robe and places a wreath of candles above her head as she serves a meal to her family. Girls practice this demonstration in reverence to the Winter Equinox, which has historically been the longest day of the year in Scandinavia. The girls of the town enter a procession through the community, usually with the leader adorning a wreath of candles, and the subsequent girls holding lit candles in their hands. The festive clothing has become somewhat of a spectacle in western culture; even the doll company, American Girl, has attempted to imitate the Swedish costume. 

4. Révellion - Brazil

Fireworks light up the sky over the Copacabana coast during Rio's Revellion festival. (Creative Commons/Flickr)

Americans pride themselves on the annual ostentatious, chaotic, New Year's Eve celebration in New York City's Times Square. However, the Brazilians have a grand celebration of their own to commemorate the new year, and it seems like Time Square's wild after-party. Occurring in Rio de Janeiro, the site of the week-long festival, Carnival, the New Year's Eve Révellion is characterized by a full day of music and dancing along Rio's scenic beach, Copacabana. The Brazilians launch the new year with a group appreciation for the city's renowned nightlife. 

5. Kwanzaa - United States

Traditionally, Kwanzaa decorations are full of an array of colors and a variety of food. (Creative Commons/Flickr)

One of our nation's youngest holidays, Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration that honors African heritage in African-American culture. The holiday was first celebrated in December of 1966, and lasts from December 26 until January 1 each winter. 

Its name has roots in the Swahili phrase meaning "first fruits of the harvest," and is appropriately celebrated by feasts and gift exchanges. Although Kwanzaa is often perceived as an alternative to the Christmas holiday, it is established as a largely nonsecular commemoration of heritage and cultural belief that is meant to unify a group of people, rather than practice a specific religion. The majority of individuals that practice Kwanzaa also celebrate Christmas. 

Reach Staff Reporter Emily Mae Czachor here.