From bringing trees indoors and decorating them to making people eat Brussels sprouts, Christmas often seems like one wacky tradition after another.
The UK is rather set in its ways when it comes to celebrating Christmas, but compared to other countries throughout the world, Britain’s Christmas traditions – whether decorations, cuisine or present giving – are rather tame.
Other countries don’t waste time arguing over trivial matters like which day to begin decorating the house, or what food is traditionally included in a Christmas dinner. Instead, they’re off throwing around their shoes, hiding cleaning equipment, decorating their trees with spider’s webs or goats, and dining out on KFC.
From Catalonia to Caracas, the world has a slew of Christmas traditions that Brits might consider a little strange. Some date back hundreds of years, some barely decades, but they have all become an intrinsic part of local Christmas tradition.
In celebration of these festive eccentricities, we’ve rounded up 12 of the most unusual customs from across the globe.
The Krampus: Germany and Austria
Krampusnacht revellers in the town of Bad Tolz in Germany
(Getty Images)
In Austro-Bavarian Alpine folklore, the Krampus is Father Christmas’s scary friend, a devilish creature who punishes naughty children throughout the festive period. The mythical beast, who is hairy, with hooves and large horns, is ‘celebrated’ every year on 5 December in many cities throughout Germany and Austria in a festival named Krampusnacht, often marked with a parade in which hundreds dress up as Krampus and chase each other through the streets.
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Defecating logs: Catalonia
Caganers can be found in Christmas markets throughout Catalonia
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There are a couple of strange Catalonian traditions, one of which is the caga tio or “defecating log”. In the fortnight leading up to Christmas, a grinning creature is created out of a small log and placed on the dining room table. The log must be fed every day with fruit, nuts, and sweets, before – on Christmas Eve – it’s beaten with sticks, excreting its goodies. Another fecal-themed Catalonian custom is a caganer, a small defecating figurine, which traditionally appears in nativity scenes. In more recent years, caganers that are sold in stores and Christmas markets throughout…
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