Winter Holiday Coffee Traditions Around the Globe

At Crimson Cup, we believe coffee is more than a beverage. It’s a connection to people, places, and cultures around the world. During the winter months, that connection feels especially meaningful, as communities gather to celebrate holidays, reflect, and share moments of warmth.

We love discovering how coffee shows up in traditions across cultures, and we thought you might enjoy a few of our favorites from around the globe.

Coffee in Winter: A Warm Embrace Across Cultures

Coffee comforts all year long, but in winter, it becomes something more. As days shorten and cold settles in, coffee evolves from habit to ritual. It offers warmth, connection, and a reason to gather. Across cultures and traditions, coffee anchors celebrations, both sacred and secular, bringing light to the darkest season.

In Scandinavia, coffee is woven into winter’s fabric. Danes call it hygge. Norwegians know it as koselig. Both embrace coziness, presence, and simplicity.

During Christmas, families brew strong filter coffee or seasonal julekaffe—often with fruity or spiced notes—and sip it slowly in candlelit rooms. Coffee is typically served in simple cups, sometimes with a small gold-toned spoon resting on the saucer, adding a quiet touch of warmth and tradition to the moment.

Plates of kringle, gingerbread, or almond pastries invite lingering conversations. In cafés, warm lighting and winter blends invite visitors to stay a while.

During Mexico’s Las Posadas, café de olla warms hands and spirits. Brewed in clay pots with cinnamon, cloves, and piloncillo, this spiced coffee complements candlelit processions and neighborhood gatherings. It’s bold, flavorful, and rooted in tradition.

While Hanukkah lacks a formal coffee tradition, many Jewish households brew strong coffee or espresso to enjoy with sufganiyot—jelly-filled doughnuts.

Coffee often joins late-night candle lighting and games. Meanwhile, holiday-inspired lattes with cinnamon or chocolate capture the season’s spirit.

On January 1, Greek families observe the Feast of St. Basil with briki-brewed coffee served alongside vasilopita, a citrus-scented cake with a hidden coin for luck. Coffee marks both celebration and new beginnings.

Austria and Germany stand out for their Advent coffee culture. Cafés and Christmas markets serve spiced cappuccinos, Viennese Melange, and even iced brews. Coffeehouses offer refuge from the cold—a place for pastries, warmth, and conversation.

In Ethiopia and Eritrea, where coffee was born, Orthodox Christians celebrate Gena—Christmas—on January 7.

Ethiopian coffee ceremonies, called jebena buna, include roasting, grinding, and brewing beans in front of guests. Three rounds are served: abol, tona, and baraka, each symbolizing blessing and connection. Coffee here is not only a drink—it’s an expression of community.

In the Philippines, a series of morning masses called Simbang Gabi requires early rising. Bold kape barako, a Liberica variety, keeps worshippers alert and is served with traditional rice cakes like bibingka and puto bumbong. Faith and flavor go hand in hand.

Across Central and South America, Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) brings families together for festive meals and sweet coffee. In Colombia, hosts serve a strong black brew called tinto late into the night, helping guests celebrate long past midnight.

Though Kwanzaa does not include a specific coffee ritual, many families choose African-origin beans for the Karamu feast. Ethiopian or Rwandan coffees reflect heritage, unity, and shared values. Some adapt elements of the Ethiopian ceremony as a cultural tribute. Supporting Black-owned roasters aligns with Kwanzaa’s principles of cooperative economics and pride.

In Italy, coffee punctuates the holiday season. A moka pot bubbles on the stove throughout the day, espresso follows meals, and caffè corretto—espresso with grappa or sambuca—adds a festive note during winter gatherings. Each cup blends familiarity with celebration, often paired with slices of panettone or pandoro.

Coffee marks the natural pauses between courses and conversations, extending time at the table and turning simple moments into shared rituals. Even late in the evening, a small cup invites one more story, one more laugh, and a few moments longer together before the night ends.

Islamic holidays like Mawlid al-Nabi shift with the lunar calendar. When they fall in winter, Arabic qahwa, brewed with cardamom, is often served at gatherings. While not religiously required, coffee remains a symbol of hospitality.

In Turkey and throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkish coffee is closely associated with winter gatherings and New Year celebrations.

Finely ground coffee is brewed slowly in a cezve and served unfiltered in small cups, often alongside a glass of water and something sweet.

During the colder months, families linger over coffee after meals, using the time for conversation, reflection, and connection.

Nature-based and Pagan traditions mark the Winter Solstice with rituals of light and reflection. Warm drinks—often spiced coffee with honey or citrus—accompany poetry readings and quiet gatherings.

In Persian culture, Yalda Night (Dec. 20 or 21) honors the triumph of light over darkness. Families stay up reading poetry and sharing fruit. While tea is traditional, coffee is increasingly joining the table, especially among younger and diaspora communities.

In North America, modern café culture has created new rituals. Peppermint mochas, gingerbread lattes, eggnog cappuccinos, and holiday charity blends define the season.

Whether brewed at home or sipped at a neighborhood café, coffee brings comfort and marks meaningful pauses during a busy time. Across continents, coffee connects winter traditions. It warms, grounds, and gathers us.

From all of us at Crimson Cup, we wish you a joyful holiday season and many shared cups ahead. As you pause to enjoy the holiday season with your own coffee communities in meaningful and unique ways, we’re grateful to be a part of those moments.