[WATCH] Some of the weirdest Christmas traditions around the world

About 30 per cent of the world’s population is Christian. However, this doesn’t stop the rest of the world from celebrating the Christmas holiday. It is even celebrated by other religions in almost every corner of the globe.

Here are some of the strangest variations on Christmas:

• In the early 70s, Japan went through a poultry crisis. One of the only places to have turkey at Christmas was the KFC. Since then, it has become somewhat of a Japanese Christmas tradition to eat there, so much so that the KFC now recommends placing orders in advance.

• In Catalonia, the Christmas Log has an entirely different meaning. The ‘Caga Tio’ or ‘P***ing Log’ is placed on the table prior to Christmas and is ‘fed’ fruit and sweets. On Christmas Eve, the family then beats the log with sticks while singing traditional songs, in order for it to ‘defecate’ the candy. Catalonian’s have even included defecation in their nativity scenes.

• A popular tradition in Norway is Julebukk, a decorative straw goat. Apparently the custom has origins in the worship of Thor, who rode a chariot pulled by two goats. It is also customary on Christmas Eve to hide all the brooms. This date coincides with the fabled arrival of evil spirits and witches.

• In some rural areas of Wales, a villager is chosen each year to perform the Mari Lwyd ritual. This involves parading the streets with a mare’s skull on a pole, while the other villagers sing traditional spooky songs.

• Some people have Brussels sprouts at Christmas. They don’t have them in Greenland, however. They have Mattak – raw whaleskin with mouthfuls of blubber still attached. Another festive delicacy is Kiviak – a dead sea-bird wrapped in sealskin and buried for a few months.

• During the traditional Christmas feast, or “Consoada” it is tradition in some regions of Portugal to also set a place at the festive table for the deceased family members. Perhaps a reminder of the ghosts of Christmas past?

• You’re probably familiar with Santa Claus filling your stocking with presents if you’ve been a good boy. Sure. However, in Germany, it’s shoes that Santa fills, not with presents, but with a branch with sweets attached. If you’ve been naughty however, he might just leave you a bare branch.

• In Oaxaca, Mexico, every year thousands of locals flock to the main plaza to contemplate the yule-time nativity scenes. Nothing different there, however everything is made entirely out of radishes…

• Are you sick of seeing a jolly fat man dressed in red every winter? Then head over to Italy where instead of Santa they have La Befana, a kindly witch who hands out presents at Christmas.

Watch a video of some of these traditions, here: