The Strangest Christmas Customs in the World

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

Collecting Firewood for Candy (Catalonia)

This tradition originates from Catalonia, Spain, and is still observed today. Caga Tio is the name of a log that symbolizes the Christmas season. People paint a face and attach feet to a log with its bark intact to personify it. During the first two weeks of December, the host provides this wooden figure with “food” in the form of candy and nuts through a hollow 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 “poops” out the treats they have fed it, singing traditional Christmas songs while doing so.

Watching Donald Duck Cartoons (Sweden)

For Swedes, Christmas is a special time for family and close friends, similar to many other countries. Every year at 3 PM on Christmas Day, families gather in front of the TV to watch “Donald Duck and Friends” along with other delightful cartoons. This television program, known as “From All of Us to All of You” or locally referred to as Kalle Anka, has been aired on a specific channel at exactly 3 PM on December 24 since 1959. Swedes rewatch this program every year, never growing tired of it, eagerly awaiting its return. When the station proposes to stop airing it, they face fierce public opposition.

Krampus Scaring Children (Austria, Germany)

These two countries have a tradition of frightening children by dressing up as the Krampus demon, who roams the streets to scare those on Santa Claus’s naughty list. The Krampus demon is considered the opposite twin of Santa Claus, tasked with “kidnapping” naughty children and “eating them” on Christmas Eve. Those who transform into Krampus carry whips to chase and scare children. This peculiar tradition originates from the mountainous regions of the German Alps and has spread across 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 ritual called Misa de Aguinaldo, where people attend by roller skating. The streets are blocked until 8 AM to ensure the safety of the skaters. Additionally, before going to bed the night before, the children in town tie a string to their big toe and attach the other end to the window. Those returning from church tug on the strings to wake the sleeping children.

Black Pete (Netherlands)

Traditionally in the Netherlands, for three weeks leading up to December 5, children place wooden shoes by the fireplace every evening. Sinterklaus‘s assistant, Black Pete (Zwarte Piet), descends the chimney to fill the wooden shoes with candy and toys for the well-behaved children, while Sinterklaus waits on the roof with his white horse. Furthermore, it is believed that naughty children will be taken to Spain for punishment. On this day, children and adults dress up as the Black Pete dwarf, painting their faces black to go around the streets distributing candy.

The Pooping Man Statue (Spain)

Caganer is a statue of a man wearing a red cap similar to Santa Claus, with his pants pulled down past his knees, and a pile of “waste” beneath his feet. This symbolizes fertility and equality among the people. Every year, during Christmas, people often buy Caganer statues, hide money inside them, and place them in the animal feeding troughs for children to search for. Caganer has also been adapted into caricature statues of famous figures from various fields.

Sleeping on the Floor in Finland

Finnish people believe that on Christmas Eve, beds in the house should be reserved for the deceased, so they choose to sleep on the floor.

Additionally, in Finland, Christmas is also a time when the people visit graves to remember their departed loved ones. They often prepare meals for the deceased 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 stand with their backs to the house gate and throw a shoe over their shoulder. If the shoe lands with the toe facing the door, they will find a partner in the coming year. However, if the heel faces the door, these women will continue to live alone.

Eating KFC Fried Chicken in Japan

Instead of eating turkey like in Western countries, the Japanese have a rather unusual tradition during Christmas: they eat Kentucky Fried Chicken. On this day, KFC outlets across Japan operate at full capacity, and families often order buckets of fried chicken to enjoy together on Christmas. Christmas cakes are also very popular in Japan. These are not fruitcakes but round cakes with two layers, topped with chocolate or whipped cream and decorated with Santa Claus.

Additionally, people in the Land of the Rising Sun send each other white cards symbolizing purity during Christmas, instead of red, which is used in other countries. They believe that red is reserved for writing funeral notices.

Decorating Christmas Trees with Spider Webs in Ukraine

The people of Ukraine decorate their Christmas trees with spider webs and believe that whoever is the first to see a spider web on the tree on Christmas morning will have good luck for the entire year.

This tradition stems from a folk tale about a poor Ukrainian family that could not afford decorations for their Christmas tree. Surprisingly, the next morning, the children woke up to find the tree covered in golden and silver spider webs. Since then, Ukrainians have believed that decorating their Christmas trees with spider webs will bring prosperity and good fortune to their families.

Hiding Brooms in Norway

During the Christmas season, people in Norway are especially fearful of the appearance of witches and evil spirits. They often hide all brooms so that witches cannot discover and use them. Women stay inside while men go out and shoot guns in the air to scare off the spirits.

Santa Claus and Machine Guns in the USA

The United States is known for its lenient gun laws, but it is even more unique when gun culture is intertwined with Christmas celebrations. In Arizona, the Scottsville gun club holds an event called “Santa and Machine Guns.”

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

Chasing Santa Claus in Switzerland

In the city of Kussnacht, Switzerland, during Christmas, there is a fascinating festival called Chasing Santa Claus. For two hours, locals use sticks longer than 2 meters to chase after Santa.

After this, about 200 people don gigantic, brightly colored hats and parade through the streets. Following the hat parade, over 1,000 others march through the streets, carrying bells, horns, or anything that can make loud noises. The people of Kussnacht believe that the louder the noise, the more evil spirits are driven away. Approximately 20,000 people flock to this unique festival each year.

Remembering Loved Ones 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 at the dining table for the deceased, hoping they will bring good luck to the living family members.

Unique Christmas Trees in India

India has about 2.3% of its population following Christianity, which translates to approximately 25 million people in this populous country. During Christmas, people indulge in feasts and exchange meaningful gifts. However, they use banana or mango trees as decorations instead of Christmas trees to celebrate the holiday.

The banana trees are also adorned with lights and other decorative items, placed both indoors and displayed on the streets. They even use banana leaves to decorate their homes. Indians believe that the “banana Christmas tree” will bring them good luck in the New Year.

Giving Apples in China

As the most populous nation in the world, the Chinese know very little about Christmas and have no traditional celebrations for it, as only 1% of the population identifies as Christian. Interestingly, China is the largest producer of Christmas trees and decorations for the entire world.

Despite this, Christmas is still widely celebrated in China, especially in major cities, as it is considered a fun holiday. On this day, people often give each other apples. This is because the pronunciation of “Christmas Eve” in Chinese, Ping An Ye, sounds quite similar to the word for “apple,” Ping Guo.

Eating Mopane Worms in Some Southern African Countries

In some Southern African countries, mopane worms are considered a delicacy and are usually eaten during significant occasions like Christmas. The worms are prepared by boiling in salted water and then sun-dried or smoked to enhance the flavor.

Mopane worms are canned and sold in markets throughout Southern Africa. They are so popular and nutritious 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 town with a large piece of cloth or paper draped over them, topped with a horse skull that has eye holes. These skulls are adorned with colorful ribbons and jingly bells. However, this image is not as charming as what we typically associate with Christmas.

Using Popcorn as Decoration in the USA

If Christmas trees originated in Germany in the 16th century, then decorating with popcorn originated in the United States. Christmas decorations depend on individual creativity, but people often adorn Christmas trees and wreaths with various fruits, nuts, and popcorn.

Visiting Graves during Christmas in Finland

While most people around the world do not visit graves during Christmas, this is a custom in Finland. It is a time for them to visit their loved ones who have passed away. People gather at cemeteries to light candles. Therefore, cemeteries in Finland during this time are always aglow with the colors of candles and lights.

The use of popcorn, a snack commonly found in movie theaters, to decorate Christmas trees confuses many.

The Christmas Witch in Italy

In Italy, the Befana holiday is considered the second Christmas, celebrated on January 5-6 each year. On this day, people dress up as the witch Befana, wearing black clothes and boots, with a large bag on their shoulder, riding a broomstick to deliver Christmas gifts to children. The Befana witch also uses her broom to sweep away the misfortunes of the past year.

New Zealand: Instead of using a Christmas tree, New Zealanders decorate with the Pohutukawa tree on Christmas Day.

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

Bavaria: In Bavaria, Christmas is welcomed quite “noisily.” In traditional shorts, the mountain folk shoot mortars into the sky.

Slovakia: In Slovakia, the loudest man in the house will throw 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 the cookies meant for Santa Claus. Because of this, his grandmother… killed him, and the boy’s ghost haunts homes on Christmas Day.

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

Ethiopia: Ethiopians celebrate Christmas on January 7. People wear white outfits while men play ganna, a game with a wooden ball and stick.

Kiviak

Greenland: Greenland has some very unusual Christmas dishes like Mattak or Kiviak. Mattak is the skin of a whale with a layer of blubber inside, while Kiviak is made from the remains of a seabird wrapped in seal skin and left to decompose for seven months.

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