The Most Quirky Christmas Customs in the World

Watching Donald Duck cartoons, roller skating to church… are some of the strange Christmas customs around the world.

Collecting Wood for Candy (Catalonia)

This custom originates from Catalonia, Spain, and is still celebrated today. Caga Tio is the name of a log that symbolizes the Christmas season. People draw a face and attach legs to the log, anthropomorphizing it. During the first two weeks of December, the host feeds this wooden figure candy and nuts daily through a hole in the middle, covering it with a red blanket. On Christmas Eve, they place the log in front of the fireplace and hit it with sticks until it releases the candy and nuts that had been fed to it, all while singing traditional Christmas songs.

Watching Donald Duck Cartoons (Sweden)

For Swedes, Christmas is a special time for family and close friends. Every year at 3 PM on Christmas Day, families gather around the TV to watch “Donald Duck and Friends” and other delightful cartoons. This TV program, known locally as Kalle Anka, has been aired on a channel at exactly 3 PM on December 24 since 1959. Swedes watch this show year after year without ever getting bored, eagerly looking forward to it. Whenever the station plans to stop airing it, they face fierce public outcry.

Krampus Scaring Children (Austria, Germany)

These two countries have a tradition of scaring children by dressing up as the Krampus devil, who lurks around the streets to frighten those children on Santa Claus’s naughty list. Krampus is the dark counterpart of Santa Claus, tasked with “kidnapping” naughty children and “eating” them on Christmas Eve. Those dressed as Krampus run around town with whips to chase and frighten the kids. This quirky tradition originated in the Alpine regions of Germany and spread throughout Hungary, Bavaria, Slovenia, and is particularly popular in Austria.

Roller Skating to Church (Venezuela)

Venezuela begins Christmas celebrations on December 16 with an early morning ceremony called Misa de Aguinaldo, which people attend by roller skating. Streets are closed until 8 AM to ensure the safety of skaters. Additionally, the children in the town tie a string to their big toe and attach the other end to their window before going to bed the night before. Those returning from church will tug the string to wake the children.

Black Pete (Netherlands)

Traditionally in the Netherlands, for three weeks leading up to December 5, children place wooden shoes in front of the fireplace each evening. Sinterklaus’s assistant, Black Pete (Zwarte Piet), climbs down the chimney to fill these wooden shoes with candy and toys for well-behaved children while Sinterklaus waits on the roof with his white horse. Additionally, it is believed that naughty children will be taken to Spain for punishment. On this day, children and adults dress up and paint their faces black as Black Pete, roaming the streets to distribute candy.

The Pooping Figurine (Spain)

Caganer is a figurine of a man wearing a red hat like Santa Claus, pulling down his pants, with a pile of “products” underneath his feet. This symbolizes fertility and equality among the people. Every Christmas, people buy Caganer figurines, hide money inside them, and place them in the feed troughs for pets for children to find. Caganer has also been adapted into caricatures of famous figures from various fields.

Sleeping on the Floor in Finland

Finns believe that on Christmas Eve, the beds in the house are reserved for the dead, so they choose to sleep on the floor.

Additionally, in Finland, Christmas is also a time for people to visit graves to remember the deceased. They often prepare meals for the departed and light small candles at the graves of their ancestors, creating a sparkling scene in the cemetery.

Single Women’s Shoe-Throwing Tradition in Czech Republic

Christmas is a special occasion for single women in the Czech Republic. They turn their backs to the front door and throw their shoes over their shoulders. If the toe of the shoe points towards the door, it means they will find a partner in the coming year. If the heel points towards the door, these women will continue to live alone.

Eating KFC in Japan

Instead of eating turkey like in Western countries, the Japanese have a rather unusual Christmas tradition of eating Kentucky Fried Chicken. On this day, KFC outlets across Japan operate at full capacity, with many people ordering entire buckets of fried chicken to share with their families during Christmas. Christmas cakes are also very popular in Japan. These are not fruitcakes but round cakes with two layers, decorated with chocolate or white whipped cream and featuring Santa Claus on top.

Additionally, people in the Land of the Rising Sun send each other white greeting cards representing purity during Christmas, rather than red cards like in other countries. They believe that the color red is only used for writing obituaries.

Decorating Christmas Trees with Spider Webs in Ukraine

The people of Ukraine use spider webs to decorate their Christmas trees, believing that whoever sees the spider web on the tree first on Christmas morning will have good luck for the whole year.

This tradition stems from a folk tale about a poor Ukrainian family that could not afford decorations for their Christmas tree. Unexpectedly, the children woke up the next morning to find the tree covered in golden and silver spider webs. Since then, Ukrainians believe that covering the Christmas tree with spider webs will bring prosperity and success to the family.

Hiding Brooms in Norway

During Christmas, the people of Norway are particularly fearful of the appearance of witches and evil spirits. They often hide all brooms so that the witches cannot find and use them. Women stay indoors while men go out and shoot into the air to scare away the spirits.

Santa Claus and Machine Guns in the USA

The USA is known for its relaxed gun laws, but it is particularly unique when gun culture is intertwined with Christmas festivities. In Arizona, USA, every Christmas, the Scottsville Gun Club organizes an event called “Santa Claus and Machine Guns.”

During this event, all club members bring out their impressive firearms, including rifles, shotguns, and machine guns, to gather around Santa Claus for photos. Each year, hundreds of people line up to participate in this event.

Chasing Santa Claus in Switzerland

In the city of Kussnacht, Switzerland, a fascinating festival called Chasing Santa Claus takes place during Christmas. For two hours, locals use long whips over 2 meters to chase Santa Claus.

Following this, around 200 people don gigantic, brightly colored hats and parade through the streets. After the hat parade, over 1,000 others march through the streets carrying bells, horns, or anything that can make loud sounds. The people of Kussnacht believe that the louder the noise, the more malevolent spirits they can drive away. It is estimated that more than 20,000 people come to witness this unique festival each year.

Remembering the Departed in Portugal

In Portugal, Christmas is not only a time for family reunions but also an occasion to remember deceased loved ones. Families always set an extra place setting at the dining table for their departed relatives, hoping that they will bring good fortune to the family members.

Unique Christmas Trees in India

India has only about 2.3% of its population practicing Christianity, but in this populous country that ranks among the top in the world, this still amounts to approximately 25 million people. During Christmas, people indulge in extravagant meals and exchange meaningful gifts. However, here, they use banana or mango trees for decoration instead of traditional Christmas trees.

Banana trees are adorned with lights and various decorations, placed both indoors and displayed in the streets. They even use banana leaves to decorate their homes. Indians believe that the “Christmas banana tree” will bring them much luck in the new year.

Giving Apples in China

As the most populous nation in the world, the Chinese people know very little about Christmas, and there is virtually no tradition of celebrating the holiday, as only 1% of the population is Christian. Interestingly, China is the largest producer of Christmas trees and decorations for the entire world.

Despite this, Christmas is still celebrated widely in China, particularly in major cities. On this day, people often gift each other apples. The reason is that the pronunciation of “Christmas Eve” in Chinese, Ping An Ye, is quite similar to the word for “apple,” Ping Guo.

Eating Mopane Worms in Southern Africa

In some Southern African countries, mopane worms are considered a delicacy and are often only eaten on special occasions such as Christmas. Mopane worms are prepared by boiling in salted water and then sun-drying or smoking them to enhance their flavor.

Mopane worms are canned and sold at markets throughout Southern Africa. They are so popular and nutritionally valuable that the trade of this food has become a multi-million dollar industry in the region.

Parading with Horse Skulls in Wales

Mari Lwyd is a tradition in South Wales, where a villager parades around the town covered in a large piece of fabric or paper with a horse’s skull that has a clear view through it on their head. These skulls are decorated with colorful ribbons and jingling bells. However, this image is not as charming as one might typically associate with Christmas.

Using Popcorn as Decoration in the USA

If Christmas trees originated in Germany in the 16th century, then the tradition of decorating with popcorn comes from America. Christmas decorations depend on individual creativity, but people often adorn Christmas trees and wreaths with fruits, nuts, and popcorn…

Visiting Graves During Christmas in Finland

Most people around the world do not visit graves during Christmas, but Finns have this custom. It is a time for them to pay respects to their deceased loved ones. Families gather at cemeteries to light candles, creating a bright display of candlelight and warmth during this season.

The use of popcorn—typically a snack in movie theaters—to decorate Christmas trees puzzles many.

Christmas Witch in Italy

Italians celebrate Befana Day, considered the second Christmas, every year on January 5-6. On this day, people dress up as the witch Befana, wearing black clothes and boots, carrying a large sack on their shoulder, riding a broomstick, and delivering Christmas gifts to children. The witch Befana also uses her broom to sweep away the bad luck of the past year.

New Zealand: Instead of using Christmas trees, New Zealanders decorate with the Pohutukawa tree during Christmas.

Guatemala: In this country, people clean their homes on Christmas Day. Afterwards, neighbors create piles of trash when visiting by placing a straw effigy of a devil and burning it.

Bavaria: In Bavaria, Christmas is welcomed quite “loudly.” Dressed in traditional shorts, mountain residents shoot fireworks into the sky.

Slovakia: In Slovakia, the loudest man in the household throws a spoonful of loksa cake at the ceiling. The longer the cake sticks, the more luck the family will have.

Iceland: Icelanders believe that the Yule Cat lurks on the hills. Those who do not receive new clothes on Christmas Eve will be torn apart by this fierce monster.

South Africa: Children in South Africa hear the story of Danny, a boy who disobeyed his grandmother and ate cookies meant for Santa Claus. As a result, his grandmother… killed him, and his ghost haunts homes on Christmas Day.

Estonia: On Christmas Eve, families in Estonia often enjoy a communal sauna together.

Ethiopia: Ethiopians celebrate Christmas on January 7. People wear white clothing, and men play a game called ganna, which involves a wooden ball and stick.

Greenland: Greenland has some very unusual Christmas foods, such as Mattak and Kiviak. Mattak is whale skin with a layer of blubber inside, while Kiviak is made from the carcass of a seabird wrapped in seal skin and allowed to ferment for seven months.

Japan: In many countries, red is the dominant color associated with Christmas. However, for the Japanese, red is the color reserved for obituaries. Therefore, their Christmas cards are often white, symbolizing purity.

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