Merry Christmas?
Do you put up a tree in your house every Christmas, decorate it with lights and ornaments, and then leave out milk and cookies for Santa Clause? Sounds pretty normal right? Well, what is "normal" to some might sound "weird" to others. Check out these Christmas traditions and decide for yourself.
Japan: KFC
Years ago, Kentucky Fried Chicken started a marketing campaign hyping up their food as traditional Christmas fare—and it worked. KFC at Christmas is now big in Japan. So much so that one needs to make reservations for Christmas—and they've even set up an online service that lets people order in advance and get their buckets of fried goodness delivered on the day.
Iceland: The Yule Lads
If one Santa is cool, is 13 cooler? In Iceland they think so. The 13 ‘jólasveinar’ (Yule Lads) roam about the country in the days leading up to Christmas, looking for children who leave their shoes in the window. For the good kids, the lads leave presents. For the bad kids, they leave rotting potatoes.
Oh, and each of the lads has their own "personality," such as: Doorway-Sniffer, Spoon-Licker, Sausage-Swiper, Candle-Stealer, Curd-Gobbler, and Window-Peeper.
Norway: Hide Brooms
Believing that the arrival of Christmas also means the arrival of witches and evil spirits, it is a Norwegian tradition to hide all the brooms in one's house before going to bed on Christmas eve.
Catalonia: The Pooper
The pooper is a little statue of a man with his pants down taking a number two. It sounds like a prank designed by a six-year-old—but Catalans get a traditional laugh from placing "the pooper" in nativity scenes next to Mary and Joseph.
But they aren't done yet...
The Pooping Log
Sticking with the theme, it is also tradition to have "caga tió" (aka the "pooping log") on one's dining room table for the month of December. It's basically a small log with a smiley face on it that is covered with a blanket and fed nuts every day. Then, on Christmas Eve, the kids go out to pray for presents while the parents put presents under the blanket that caga tió has "pooped" out.
Austria: Krampus
Yup, the 2015 film Krampus was based on classic Austro-Bavarian folklore. You see, while Santa is jolly and kind, his evil counterpart Krampus is a demon that punishes the truly bad children before Christmas. In Austria, they celebrate (that's probably not the right word) Krampus by having men dressed up like demons walk the streets with baskets and chains—looking to "abduct" the bad kids.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Ukraine: Spider Webs
There is an old story in Ukraine that tells of a woman who was so poor she couldn't afford to decorate her tree. Well, when she woke up the next morning, a spider had covered her tree with a beautiful, sparkling web. Thus, the good luck tradition of placing a fake spider and web on one's Christmas tree.
Slovakia: Throw Pudding
We were always told not to play with our food. But at Christmas time in Slovakia, an exception is made for the eldest member of the family. It is tradition that this person throws some pudding at the ceiling—the amount that sticks is indicative of how much luck everyone will have in the coming year.
Latvia: Disguised Mummers
In Latvia, mummers (street actors) dress up in macabre and animal masks and go from house to house singing and performing to drive away evil spirits. To thank them, the residents give them food and drink. But wait there's more... The mummers (who are generally folks from the town) disguise themselves completely, and even hide their voices so as not to be recognized.
When they are recognized, they then remove their masks and sit and socialize with the host before re-masking and heading off to the next house.
Caracas, Venezuela: Roller Skates
In Venezuela, many people attend Misa de Aguinaldo (Early Morning Mass) daily, for the week leading up to Christmas. In the capital city of Caracas, the tradition is to travel to the church on roller skates. Many roads in the city are even closed down until 8am to give the skaters a safe space to roll.
Wales: Mari Lwyd
In South Wales, they celebrate the holiday season with a horse skull on a pole covered with a white sheet. A group of folks carry it around, knocking on doors and singing. The people in the houses are supposed to sing back and then give them some food or drink.
Sweden: Giant Goat
Dating back to the 11th Century there was talk of a ‘man-sized’ goat figure with St Nick. Well, the "man-sized" goat has only gotten bigger since then as towns all across Sweden construct huge "Yule Goats" for the holiday season, the most famous one being a straw goat in Gävle that has been known to reach 40 feet tall. It's also been burned down by people 36 times since 1966.
And from giant goats to Donald Duck....
Tony Nordin, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sweden: Donald Duck
Back in the 1960s, when Swedish homes were just being introduced to television, there were only two channels to choose from—one of which played Disney cartoons. And one of the most popular was a 1958 cartoon called Kalle Anka och Hans vänner önskar God Jul (Donald Duck and his friends wish you a Merry Christmas). Well, it's now tradition that many Swedish families will gather around in the afternoon on the day before Christmas and watch Donald Duck together.
Walt Disney, Toy Tinkers (1949)
Guatemala: Burning The Devil
Believing that evil spirits hide in the dark and dirty corners of your home, Guatemalans spend the days leading up to Christmas cleaning and dusting and sweeping up their houses. They collect the dirt and the junk and pile it outside, throw a Devil effigy on top and set it ablaze—burning away all the bad from the previous year, setting up a clean slate for the next one. It's called La Quema del Diablo (Burning of the Devil).
Czech Republic: Throwing Shoes
Austin Powers once asked, "Who throws a shoe?" Well, the answer is unmarried women in the Czech Republic. They do so on Christmas Day, over their back towards the front door. If the shoe lands with the toe pointing towards the door then superstition has it that they will get married in the next year. Should the toe be facing away from the door—they will remain single.
Czech Republic: Carp
Also in the Czech Republic is the traditional fried carp meal served on Christmas Eve. In fact, many people will purchase the carp live weeks prior to Christmas and keep it alive in their bathtubs until it's cooking time—although, some will decide to release it into a river on Christmas Eve rather than cook it up.
Italy: La Befana
The story goes that Befana was a witch who didn't give a gift to baby Jesus in the manger—Oops! Well, to repent for that huge mistake she now goes around on January 5th (the eve of the Epiphany) and gives presents to all the kids who put out some wine and food for her.
Tiguliano, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Philippines: Giant Lantern Festival
Every year, on the Saturday before Christmas in the city of San Fernando, Philippines, they put on the Giant Lantern Festival. What began as a small tradition with origami lanterns and candles has become a spectacle that people come from all over the world to witness in person. Towns compete to put on the best show with electric bulbs and lanterns reaching 20 feet long.
Ramon FVelasquez, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Finland: Christmas Eve Saunas
No one loves saunas more than the people of Finland. Many homes in the country have saunas—and the Finnish are famous for their use of them and their belief in the health benefits they provide. But on Christmas Eve, it isn't about being healthy—it's about connecting with long-gone ancestors. It's a tradition many Finnish families follow prior to heading out to celebrate.
Portugal: Dinner With Long-Gone Relatives
The traditional Christmas feast in Portugal is called consoda—and it is a tradition at this feast to set extra places for relatives who have passed, to bring good fortune to the family.
Mexico: Night Of The Radishes
In December, in the Mexican city of Oaxaca, people celebrate La Noche de Rábanos (the Night of the Radishes)—a celebration that features amazing sculptures built from carved radishes. The competition begins on the morning of the 23rd and the completed sculptures are unveiled that evening.
AlejandroLinaresGarcia, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Columbia: Little Candles’ Day
The candles may be little—but there are a whole lot of them. Día de las Velitas, or Little Candles’ Day, is a tradition that celebrates the Virgin Mary and the Immaculate Conception. On December 7th, people across the country place lanterns and candles in their windows, on their balconies and in their yards. This is truly the start of the Christmas season in Columbia.
Jdvillalobos, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
United Kingdom: Christmas Crackers
No, not edible crackers. These are cardboard tubes with treats inside that are wrapped in colorful twisted paper. Two people grab either end of the cracker and pull. Whoever is holding the bigger end when it cracks open gets everything inside the tube.
Juliescribbles, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Greenland: Whale Skin
What do you eat at Christmas dinner? If you live in Greenland, there's a chance the answer to that question is Mattak (raw whale skin with blubber).
Lisa Risager, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
India: Mango Trees
They don't have a lot of fir or pine trees in India. So, the Christians in the country will often decorate Mango or Banana trees at Christmas time.
Amartyabag, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Germany: Pickles
It is tradition in many German households to hide a pickle ornament somewhere on the Christmas tree—and the first child to find it gets a special present.
Christbaumschmuck, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Germany: Filled Shoes
If you're a child in Germany and you weren't the first one to spot the pickle ornament—there's still a chance to get some extra goodies. On the night of December 5th, before they go to bed, German children leave a shoe or boot outside their bedroom door.
If they've been good, when they wake up they will find it filled with treats. If they've been bad they'll find it filled with a branch.
