10 really weird Christmas traditions

It’s that time of the year again! Christmas is here and people everywhere are getting into the Christmas spirit with their own traditions.

Usually, this involves some mistletoe, a tree with ornaments, and a happy family dinner. However, some interesting traditions have sprung up around the world for this period of joy.

With this in mind, we went hunting for our top 10 strangest and wackiest Christmas pastimes from all over the world:

 

10. Let The Goat Live Until Christmas: Gavle, Sweden

Sweden is famous for Vikings, Pewdiepie and some amazing sweets. They are not famous for burning goats.

But in 1966, residents of the Swedish town of Gavle constructed a 13-metre tall goat of straw in the Town Square. At the stroke of midnight of Christmas Eve, the goat went up in flames. Every year since, residents construct the effigy once more and vandals continuously try to burn it down. The most recent count showed that the goat had been burnt down more than 25 times. It has become so popular in fact, that bookmakers began taking bets on whether the goat would be burnt down or not since the late 1980’s.

 

9. Santa Claus World Championships: Samnaun, Switzerland

This is not so much weird as it is funny. Basically during the Christmas period, hundreds of St Nicks compete against each other at a ski-resort in Samnaun, Switzerland for the coveted title of Santa Claus World Champion.

The event has grown massively since its inception, and now attracts a global audience. Events the Claus’s compete in include a chimney climb, snow shoe relay races, sledge races and loads more.

Its ever increasing popularity could be attributed to the fact that it is extremely hilarious to watch teams of Santa’s slipping and sliding while completing their tasks, their bright red jump suits a stark contrast to the milky white snow surrounding them.

 

8. Zwart Piet-Black elf: Netherlands

Criticised as a tradition in real bad taste, the Zwart Piet is a Spanish Moor character who precedes Santa, and travels through the streets spreading joy. In English the term is translated into ‘Black Peter’ and has caused quite the controversy as human rights groups globally blasted the tradition for being racist.

The Netherlands remain mum on the issue, standing strong to its defence that the tradition stretches back to the late 1800’s and the character is meant to represent a Spanish Moor, which is why black face paint is used.

Controversially the character also sports an afro and thick full lips.

 

7. Santa and Machine Guns: Arizona, USA

Americans are infamous for their love of guns.

This tradition really allows the American people to show their love for gunpowder, as residents are allowed to line-up in malls to take family photos with Santa while holding guns and weapons of different sorts.

From fully automatic rifles to grenades and the smallest of handguns, you could have it all with you in that family photo next to a gushing Santa.

I mean who wouldn’t want to have a photo to remember the first Christmas their two-year-old handled a gun?

 

6. Night of the Radishes: Oaxaca, Mexico

This began when missionaries visiting the region noticed the locals’ love for radishes and their ability to carve images out of massive or tiny radishes.

In an attempt to strengthen bonds with the people the missionaries began carving the images of the nativity into radishes.

Today, the event has turned into a competition. With farmers competing to farm the biggest radish, and artists competing to create the best depiction of the nativity within the radish. The event has in fact attracted a lot of international attention and the radish-filled streets now have to deal with an influx of tourists every year.

 

5. Krampus: Austria and other Alpine European countries.

We all know the way the story goes. Santa knows whether you’ve been good or bad. If you have been naughty you get a lump of coal.

In Austria they changed things up a bit. They have introduced Krampus. He is the bad cop to St Nick’s good cop.

Carrying a wicker basket very similar to Santa’s sack of presents, Krampus kidnaps naughty children and supposedly takes them straight to the depths of hell.

Many men dress up as the demon-like Krampus and patrol the streets. Guess they figured this would be a sure-fire way of keeping the children off the streets.

Although Krampus’ origins are based in ancient pagan customs, the Christians came in and made him a useful part of their holiday tradition. Since the 1600’s he has accompanied St. Nicholas on his feast day.

There’s no need for St. Nick to deliver lumps of coal when Krampus is ready to whip a child with the menacing lash that he carries at all times. In recent years the tradition has started spreading to many areas of the United States.

 

4. All I want for Christmas is… KFC! Japan

Japan has been noticed globally for its slightly weird customs and events. From crazy commercials, to game shows involving old men crawling across oiled half-naked women, the country is really a cultural explosion of weirdness.

When you are the creators of sushi and have a heritage draped in eating healthy foods, the one time you are allowed to let yourself go should be Christmas. Except Japanese people, rather than splurging on a lavish meal at home they visit their local KFC. Seriously. It has become a tradition in Japan to have their lunch at KFC on Christmas day.

In fact, this is by far one of the busiest days for KFC branches in Japan all year-round.

 

3. The Tio da nadal- Spain

Okay, so this one is really weird. It literally involves a pooping log.

Yes, you read that right.

In Spain, a log is hollowed out and a faced is painted on it. Toys, sweets and other goodies are stuffed inside of it and a blanket is thrown over its side.

Children and elders of all ages then beat the log until it ‘poops’ out the goodies.
This is not just a family affair to be enjoyed in the comfort of you own home. In fact, the Spaniards host festivals and have the ‘log-beating competition’ as the main attractions in some places.

Everyone basically faces off against each other to see who can make the log ‘defecate’.

 

2. Kiviak – Dig Up the Dead Bird- Greenland

Greenland is famous for eating some really weird things, but we think this one takes the pot.

Do not complain about eating your gran’s famous beetroot, because it Greenland they have two delicacies on Christmas.

One is Matak. This is raw whale skin, with a dash of blubber. Yes, a dash of blubber. We wondered if this is Greenland’s equivalent of biltong.

Matak may not seem that bad, but Kiviak definitely will make your stomach wretch.

Kiviak is created by wrapping a small arctic bird, called an Auk in sealskin, before burying it and letting it decompose for a few months.

The decomposing flesh is then eaten.

 

1. El Caganer- Spain

We think the Spanish have a real obsession with poop. No, seriously, because the Caganer is a depiction of a man mid-defecation.

What’s even weirder, is that he is included in the nativity scene.

Unlike English speaking countries, in which the nativity models only depict the manger scene, these Spanish models include the entire city of Bethlehem.

These models are regarded as Catalayan models, due to the region of Spain they originated from, and are common in parts of many European countries including Italy.

The model depicts the manger scene, the sheep, cows, a women washing clothes, even a river, and the three wise-men approaching in the distance with the star guiding their way. But tucked away in the model is a man with his pants down and brown log mid-fall.

El Caganer literally translates into ‘The shitter’, and it has become a tradition amongst the Spaniards to hide El Caganer somewhere within the nativity scene.

Children are tasked with having to search for El Caganer and this tradition is growing in popularity.

Thankfully though, El Caganer, is never placed too close to the manger scene.