One of my favorite Christmas holiday features at Disney World is the ‘Holidays Around the World’ at the World Showcase in Epcot.  I didn’t expect it when we went during Christmastime so it was quite an exciting surprise.  In college I majored in International Business and French, so I’ve always had an interest in other cultures and I think that is probably why Epcot is my favorite park (along with the food and drinks!)  So when I saw that each pavilion in the World Showcase had a short performance about that country’s holiday traditions, I wanted to see them all!  Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to the performance in every country because of the scheduling, but the ones we saw were perfect for getting in the Christmas spirit!  For a listing of the different holidays-around-the-world events, check out Disney’s website here.

In Germany, Helga tells a Christmas story about her first nutcracker, which *spoiler alert* comes to life during the show!

Holiday story with Helga in Germany pavilion at Epcot

Holiday story with Helga in Germany pavilion at Epcot

In Norway, there was a completely amazing performance that we came back to see a second time!  It’s the story of Sigrid and the Mischievous Christmas Gnome, Julenissen.

Holiday tale of Julenissen in the Norway Pavilion at Epcot

Holiday tale of Julenissen in the Norway Pavilion at Epcot

During the performance, Julenissen puts a spell on Sigrid so that he can break out of his invisible shell and speak to the crowd without Sigrid knowing.  It’s really funny and I would highly recommend seeing this show.

We also saw the story of Pere Noel in France and the traditions of Ramadan in Morocco.  I wish we could have seen every country’s traditions, but we didn’t have the time on this trip.  I guess we’ll just have to get back to Epcot soon to see the other holidays around the world!

God Jul – Merry Christmas!

Tagged: Christmas at Disney World, Epcot, Holidays at Disney, Walt Disney World, World Showcase