Christmas has always been the most exhilarating holiday among people of every age group. There is the thrill of enjoying Christmas by decorating your house with Christmas trees, string lights, Christmas wreaths, and many other amazing decorations. Moreover, there is the thrill of preparing mouth-watering meals with lots of baked goods, singing Christmas carols, and not to forget the fun part of all this, gift giving.
Apart from all these exhilarating Christmas activities, there are also certain traditions that families have of their own that they always include each Christmas, from holding hands, dancing, and singing around the Christmas tree to making traditional almond porridge. Every country has a unique history that gave birth to some of the most extraordinary Christmas traditions.
While some traditions have gotten lost through time, others have made sure to pass them on to the coming generation so that they are remembered and cherished throughout life.
So, this Christmas, if you are looking to participate in the Christmas traditions of other countries to make the holiday more exciting and to learn the intriguing reasons behind those traditions, then here are some of the most out-of-the-box Christmas traditions that will help you make precious memories with your friends and family.
1. Kentucky for Christmas, Japan
Japan celebrates Christmas in the most extraordinary way that one may find intriguing. Until the 1970s, Christmas was just a plain holiday overlooked by the Japanese. Then entered Takeshi Okawara, who opened the first KFC outlet in Nagyoga in 1970. Four years later, in 1974, KFC launched their campaign that took over the country called “Kentucky for Christmas.“
This campaign was a success, and the advertisements for these chicken buckets during Christmas featured the song “My Old Kentucky Home” by a well-known composer, Stephen Foster.
So, instead of participating in the usual Christmas celebration of decorating houses and preparing meals like turkey and Christmas cookies, the Japanese decided to have a celebration of their own that was not linked to Christmas but became a tradition somehow since the iconic campaign by ordering themselves a bucket of fried chicken.
2. Cobweb, Ukraine
A Christmas tree decorated with a cobweb is quite an unusual tradition in Ukraine; it has become a tradition where, every Christmas, families decorate their tree with artificial cobwebs and other items. The tradition goes way back to folklore, where a widow who could not afford anything lived in a cramped hut with her children and could not afford to decorate the Christmas tree with them.
It is said that the spiders in the house heard everything, and they took pity on her and decided to spin beautiful and intricate webs around the tree. The following day, the children woke up to a lovely Christmas tree and were surprised.
Moreover, spider webs hold a special symbol in the Ukrainian household that symbolizes good fortune for the coming year, which is why they are also used as a form of decoration. Although this tradition has become less followed, some families still do not miss adding cobwebs to their Christmas trees and maintaining the tradition.
3. Yule Goat, Sweden
Sweden has its own way of celebrating Christmas, incorporating various traditions, such as watching the iconic Disney cartoon of Donal Duck from 1958, “All of Us to All of You,” or making rice pudding. One tradition with unique folklore behind it is the yule goat.
Every year, towns and cities in Sweden put up a gigantic straw statue of a goat because it is believed that Santa rode the yule goats to deliver gifts instead of a sleigh. The yule goat was first built in Gävle, a town in Sweden.
A month before every Christmas, the Yule goat is built in the town square, and people bet on whether the goat will survive because, somehow, someone always tries to burn it before Christmas arrives.
The people still don’t give up and decide to make the goat again the following Christmas. There are also Christmas ornaments of the Yule goats, which you may find hanging from the branches of the Christmas tree in many households.
4. Krampus, Germany
Christmas in Germany is celebrated with an evil twist. If you want to know if you made it to the good list or the bad list, a creature that is half goat and half-demon called Krampus will let you know. Krampus is said to be the evil twin of Saint Nicholas, a well-known character from Eastern and Central European folklore who is used to discipline children and teach a lesson to the misbehaved ones.
While Saint Nicholas brings sweets and gifts for the good children, Krampus is said to throw the naughty children in their sacks and whisk them away. They appeared on 5th December and kept reappearing until Christmas through parades in different parts of Germany.
This tradition is traced back to the Middle Ages as Krampusaluf or the Krampus run. People would dress up as the Krampus with a mask and outfits similar to the character and chase children down the streets, threatening to beat them if they did not behave. This folklore is well-known in countries other than Germany, like Austria, Hungary, and Slovenia.
5. Day of the Little Candles, Colombia
One of Colombia‘s most famous Christmas traditions celebrated on 7th December is called Día de las Velitas, also known as ” Day of the Little Candles.” In this tradition, people lit the streets with candles, paper lanterns, windows, balconies, and front yards. This mesmerizing tradition of lighting the candles honours the Virgin Mary and the immaculate conception.
According to Catholic doctrine, the Virgin Mary was free from the sins of Adam from her first conception. This tradition has become so popular that every town and city starts its holiday season by glowing their streets and houses with thousands of candles and paper lanterns.
6. Roller-Skates, Venezuela
Roller skates to the church, or you can drive there or bicycle. However, roller skating at church or visiting the church of the People of Venezuela. In Venezuela, it is a tradition to grab skates and go to rollerskating mass each Christmas morning from 16th December to 24th December. This tradition is a custom in the capital city of Venezuela, Caracas, to skate to the masses.
Roller skating to the masses became so popular that the government also supported the tradition by closing the streets to cars and other vehicles until 8 a.m. so that people could follow the tradition and safely reach the church and back home without getting injured.
There is no history behind this tradition, but it has become a fun way to add to the Christmas celebration and enjoy with your family.
7. Pastorela, Mexico
Christmas in Mexico is so eventful, with various celebrations to keep the Christmas spirit alive and exciting for everyone, especially the children. Pastorela is one of the celebrations in which religion and faith are celebrated through various plays.
The journey of the shepherds heading to Bethlehem by following a star to find the child of Christ is reenacted. These plays are enacted everywhere, from schools and theatres to public squares or streets.
These plays have a touch of humour, making them even more enjoyable for the children to watch and learn about Christmas. The pastorelas incorporate the devil, the archangel Gabriel, the shepherds, and, lastly, Mary Joseph and the Baby Jesus.
8. Shoe Toss, Czech Republic
This is one of the most unusual Christmas traditions in the Czech Republic that primarily women, especially single women, follow on Christmas Eve. In this tradition, all the single women gather together and perform a ritual where they stand with their back towards the front door and then throw a shoe over their shoulder.
If the toe of the shoe lands towards the door, the woman is believed to marry soon. On the other hand, if the heel of the shoe lands pointing at the front door, the woman will remain single. This is one of those superstitious traditions associated with Christmas for single women.
True or not, this tradition is followed by many single women because you never know if the whole ordeal will be accurate. If not, then it was fun taking part in it anyway.
9. Hanging Christmas Stockings, USA
There are many theories about the reason behind the Christmas stockings. One such theory is that a widowed father lived with three of his daughters in a village. He was so poor that they couldn’t afford anything, let alone Christmas gifts for his daughters.
Saint Nicholas heard of the family’s trouble and decided to help them. He knew the father would not willingly accept gifts, so he used the chimney. When he decided to come down the chimney, he found the family members’ stockings hung out to dry. Saint Nicholas then placed gold coins and other gifts into the stockings so the family could enjoy their Christmas.
Today, hanging Christmas stockings by the chimney has become a custom for children not only in the United States but all across the world. On the morning of Christmas, they wake up to their stockings filled with gifts.
10. The Giant Lantern Festival, Philippines
The Philippines happens to celebrate Christmas in the most splendid and jaw-dropping way through the giant lantern festival. Every year before Christmas, usually from 16th December, a lantern competition is held in San Fernando. Around 8-10 villages compete to create some of the most intriguing and breathtaking lanterns.
It is said that the first lantern competition was held in 1904 in San Fernando, inspired by a small event in Bacolor, a municipality in the Philippines. From then on, tradition gradually evolved, and so did the people’s creative ideas.
During Christmas time, this tradition has allured many tourists to visit the city of San Fernando and witness the mesmerizing sky illuminated with giant and innovative lanterns in different shapes and forms, almost giving the visual of a kaleidoscope.
Final Words
From decorating your tree with cobwebs and hanging Christmas stockings in anticipation of lovely gifts to lighting candles in the street and eating fried chicken.
These Christmas traditions sound unusual but are just as fun to participate in with your friends and family. So, this Christmas, list some of these unique traditions and participate in them with your family to enhance the Christmas spirit and make some of the most beautiful memories to look back to.
Last Updated on by Sathi