Christmas traditions
Holiday curiosities from other countries
Surfing Santa Clauses can be seen in Brazil, among other places. There, Christmas marks the beginning of summer.
© imago sports photo service
Some Christmas traditions from other cultures seem familiar, others seem more bizarre. The most famous Christmas traditions worldwide.
A look at Christmas traditions around the globe reveals a wealth of curiosities. Because in different countries there are many different traditions at Christmas: In Japan, for example, fast food menus are served instead of holiday dumplings. In countries like Spain, Iceland and others, there is hope of winning big in the lottery or scaring children with trolls, among other things.
Milk, cookies and pickles in the USA
A typically American custom that is also very popular in Europe is putting out milk and cookies for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve (December 24th). On Christmas Day – one day after Christmas Eve in Germany – it is then checked whether Santa Claus has drunk the milk and eaten the cookies provided. A pickle is also part of the US Christmas celebration. The so-called “Christmas Pickle” tradition. A gherkin ball is hidden on the Christmas tree. The child who finds them first gets to open the presents first. This idea is said to have originally come from Germany.
Spain: Two days before and twelve days after Christmas Eve
In Spain, friends, entire families and villages are excitedly looking forward to the annual drawing of the Christmas lottery “El Gordo”, which promises millions in winnings. It is considered the oldest lottery in the world and is becoming increasingly popular in Germany. The winning numbers are usually announced before the actual Christmas celebrations, on December 22nd. The drawing lasts more than three hours. Unlike many countries, there is no Santa Claus in Spain. Instead, children receive the gifts on January 6th from the Reyes Magos, the Three Wise Men. In Spain, children and adults have to wait twelve days longer for their gifts.
Norway: Hidden brooms against evil spirits
Witches and brooms just go together. In Norway, however, they don’t want that at Christmas: all the brooms in the house are hidden so that witches and ghosts can’t fly around on the brooms and cause chaos. By hiding the brooms, Norwegians protect their homes from possible unwanted visitors from the spirit world during the festive season. This custom goes back to Norwegian folklore and belief in supernatural beings.
Long lines at fast food restaurant in Japan
Not for health freaks is a tradition that has spread in Japan: there you can see particularly long queues in front of the branches of the fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) on Christmas Eve. This KFC feast tradition is said to have started around 1974, with the introduction of Christmas menus. These have long since developed into a nationwide phenomenon, the traditional food “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakki” in Japan at Christmas time. It is even recommended to order the Christmas menus in advance to avoid long waiting times.
Czech Republic: A look into the future
In the Czech Republic, the meal continues with an apple. But it doesn’t come to the table in the form of a baked apple dessert, but rather fresh and unprocessed. After the festive Christmas dinner, the apples are cut open and a look inside is taken. For example, if you find a five-pointed star, it brings luck and health for the coming year. A cross, on the other hand, is considered a bad omen and indicates an impending illness. This tradition reflects the desire for positive omens, but for most people today it is just an entertaining custom.
In Italy a witch brings gifts
The night of January 5th to 6th is magical in Italy: thanks to the visits of the flying witch Befana. Because instead of traveling in a sleigh like Santa Claus, Befana flies from house to house on a broom looking for the baby Jesus. This tradition gives the Italian Christmas a special charm and a mysterious touch. Children in particular look forward to the witch’s visit to find sweets and gifts that Befana leaves behind in her boots.
Icelandic trolls spread terror
In Iceland things are sometimes not so heavenly during the holidays. The reason for this are the 13 Jólasveinar, essentially the Icelandic Santa Clauses. These will come to the cities from December 12th and steal food. The mythical story goes that naughty children used to be taken to their mother’s cave and thrown into the cooking pot. To this day, trolls are meant to remind children to be good. In total, the trolls are up to mischief for thirteen days, but they disappear again after December 24th. By the way, the trolls were named after their favorite food. This is also the case with Bjugnakraekir (the sausage stealer): He comes on December 20th and steals smoked sausages from the hook.
Father Frost: The Julian calendar in Russia
In Russia, Christmas traditions differ due to the Julian calendar. Because Christmas is celebrated on January 7th, and the New Year doesn’t begin until January 11th. However, the children receive their presents on the night of December 31st to January 1st, when Father Frost appears in his red coat with white fur. Children greet Father Frost by dressing up as snowflakes and snow girls.
Christmas Eve in a bikini? This is possible in Brazil
Wrong world? Probably only for Europeans: Christmas marks the beginning of summer in Brazil, with temperatures around 35 °C. Although the heat does not exude winter charm, people decorate their houses, palm trees and artificial Christmas trees with colorful fairy lights. On Christmas Eve, Papa Noël brings the presents for the little ones and uses unusual tools such as ladders, trampolines and even helicopters. A lavish feast should not be missed either: this traditionally consists of a mixture of Creole and European cuisine.
Philippines: Four months of Christmas
The Philippines has a particularly enduring Christmas tradition. The entire country is in a festive mood for about four months. The Christmas season in the Philippines lasts from September to January. Because the population is predominantly Christian, the festival is celebrated so widely and takes up a third of the year. The celebrations culminate on December 24th with midnight mass and the Noche Buena festival. Before and after the mass, families enjoy traditional Christmas foods such as ham with a crust of brown sugar or syrup or the “Queso de Bola” – a round Edam cheese with a layer of red wax.