Ever heard of a Christmas season that lasts four months?

In the Philippines, that’s a yearly tradition! Once the “ber” months roll in, you’ll find Christmas decorations and hear carols everywhere. Festivities build steadily, culminating in a grand celebration during the last week of December. This includes feasts, family reunions, company parties, and community or church gatherings (the Philippines has a predominantly Christian population). It’s a joyful, vibrant season like no other.

This got me thinking. What unique Christmas traditions do other countries have? Here are some fascinating ones I discovered:

KFC for Japanese Christmas

Even if Christmas is not a big holiday in Japan (only one per cent of the population is Christian), some do celebrate by having a family dinner. A dish you’ll see among Japanese households is Christmas-themed Kentucky Fried Chicken. The Christmas bundle, which comes with salad and cake, is so popular at Christmastime that people order it in advance or stand in two-hour lines just to get their hands on KFC buckets. That’s a finger-lickin’ good tradition!

Roller skating into dawn mass in Venezuela

This event is more like a festival, with crowds enjoying an all-night skating party in the streets. Called Las Patinatas, it is part of the Christmas celebration in Caracas, Venezuela. They skate to religious Christmas songs and eat traditional snacks, like arepas, during breaks. At around 5 or 6:00 am, the skaters troop to church to attend mass, called Misa de Gallo (cockerel’s mass). What a totally cool and fun way to celebrate the season!

A bookish Christmas in Iceland

Here’s a wholesome Christmas tradition anyone can emulate – In Iceland, families exchange books as gifts. Families then spend the rest of the Christmas eve cozied up as they read by the fire (sometimes they read a book aloud) and eat some Christmas treats. This wins the most chill and relaxing Christmas celebration, hands down!

Sharing sweet peace in China

Instead of books, Chinese people exchange apples as gifts during the holidays. Why apples? The Chinese word for peace sounds similar to the Chinese word for apple. Friends, colleagues, and teachers give each other apples as a way to wish each other a safe and peaceful life. Especially packaged apples bearing the Christmas theme are sought after by males who wish to give their girlfriends a gift during the season. So sweet!

The 12-course Ukrainian Christmas dinner

Christmas is a time for feasts, and Ukrainians know how to do it in style! On Christmas eve, most people don’t eat anything all day. They wait for the first star to appear in the night sky before starting the Sviat Vechir, or the Christmas eve meal. Everyone gathers at the table on Christmas eve and partake of 12 special Christmas dishes. These 12 dishes can vary, but they must be lean because Christmas eve falls on the last day of the Christmas fast. It’s indulgent and healthy at the same time!

Halloween on Christmas in Norway?

Norwegian legends say that witches and evil spirits come out on Christmas eve. This is why households hide their brooms and mops on this day – these tools may be used by these supernatural beings for transportation which then allows them to spread mischief. Norwegians also use fireworks and other noisemakers to scare these spirits away during julebord, or the Christmas season.

The Yule Goat

A common Christmas décor in Nordic countries like Sweden, Norway, and Finland is the Yule Goat. It is usually made of straw, tied with red ribbons or tape all over its body. Why a goat of all animals? In Norse mythology, Thor, the god of thunder, rode on a chariot that was led by two large immortal goats. Later on, these magical goats, became a symbol of immortality and became part of the Christian celebration. In Norwegian folk art, you will see the Yule Goat together with Santa carrying gifts. The most popular Yule Goat is the giant effigy in the town of Gävle, Sweden. It is 40-ft tall, with a metal frame covered in straw. In the past, burning down this effigy was part of the Swedish Christmas tradition (many drunk Swedes attempt this despite having guards watching over the effigy). In 2023, it miraculously survived past the New Year.

Arson as a Christmas tradition: The Gävle Goat, Tom Scott

Christmas demon in Germany and Austria

While the Norse has the Yule Goat, Germans and Austrians take it a bit further. They have Krampus, a half goat, half demon creature that punishes naughty children at Christmas. According to lore, Krampus travels with St. Nicholas on the evening of December 5th. While St. Nick delivers gifts to good kids, Krampus leaves branches and sticks to the not-so-good ones. In recent times, Alpine countries have held “Krampus Runs” to preserve this tradition. Participants of this event parade through the streets dressed as the creature, mock-scaring spectators.

Night of the Radishes

Residents of Oaxaca, Mexico, have taken Christmas carving into a whole new level! Every year, on December 23, they hold a competition for carving nativity scenes as well as Oaxacan life using giant radishes. Called Noche de Rábanos (Radish Night), participating carvers gather in the public square in the early morning and work until midday. The artistic radish sculptures are then lit-up and displayed until the evening when the winner is finally announced. Want to see their masterpieces? Go to: Noche de Rabanos 2024: Night of the Radishes Festival Oaxaca.

Do you celebrate unusual Christmas traditions in your home country? Let us know!
 
Sources: 20 Unique Christmas Traditions Around the World That May Surprise You, Caleigh Alleyne, Country Living; The best holiday tradition you’ve never heard of: Venezuelans roller skating to Christmas Mass at sunrise, Jim McDermott, America, The Jesuit Review; and 25 Christmas Traditions Around the World That Will Surprise and Delight You, Micaela Bahn, The Pioneer Woman. Accessed November 21, 2024.