Christmas has traveled around the world – and along the way, it’s picked up local flavors, traditions and folklore. You may have traveled to sip gluhwein at Germany’s Christmas markets, attend midnight Mass at the Vatican, or even been to Bethlehem at Christmas, but you haven’t really experienced Christmas as a global phenomenon until you’ve explored some of the twists and turns the holiday has taken as it's traveled far and wide.
There may be no place like home for the holidays, but traditions like these inspire us to find new ways - and new places - to celebrate the festive season.
Japan’s ‘Christmas Cake’ and KFC
Yes, that KFC. Thanks to a 1970s marketing campaign, “Kentucky for Christmas” has become a national ritual. Families order buckets weeks in advance. It’s quirky in a way that only Japanese pop culture can be. And they serve it up with another Japanese staple: ‘Christmas cake,’ a layered sponge cake filled with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. In North America, that’s a summer favorite, but in Japan, its festive red and white (also colors of the Japanese flag) make it part of the Japanese adaptation of Western Christmas.
South Africa’s Christmas Worm
Christmas KFC is nothing compared to South Africa’s holiday protein twist. In some places, fried Mopane worms (really, large caterpillars) are considered a festive delicacy. They’re often dried and then crisped up with spices, creating a surprisingly savory, almost nutty holiday snack. It’s a tradition rooted in Indigenous culinary heritage, and a new flavor for you to try for the holidays, if you dare. Would cranberry sauce help them go down?
Iceland’s 13 Yule Lads
Forget one jolly man in a red suit — Iceland’s folklore describes 13 mischievous trolls who show up one by one in the days before Christmas. Their names say it all: Spoon-Licker, Door-Slammer, Sausage-Swiper. They leave small gifts in children’s shoes, provided the kids behave on an island believed to be home to countless trolls and elves or “Hidden People” inhabiting the rocks and hills of the Land of Fire and Ice.
Spain’s Pooping Christmas Log
In Catalonia, Spain, children nurture a wooden log — complete with a painted face and jaunty hat — by feeding it sweets in early December. On Christmas Eve, they beat the log with sticks while singing songs, encouraging it to “poop” presents. Yes, really. And the parents encourage this! It’s bizarre, joyful, and somehow heartwarming, proving that festive magic comes in all forms.
Norway’s Christmas Eve Broom Hiding
Norwegians have a charmingly spooky habit on Christmas Eve: they hide all the household brooms. The tradition goes back centuries to a belief that witches and mischievous spirits might roam on the night before Christmas — and a good broom was basically a getaway vehicle. Even today, families tuck them away “just in case,” adding a fun dash of folklore to the holiday.
Portugal’s Festive Feast with the Departed
In parts of rural Portugal, families set an extra place at the Christmas table for loved ones who have passed away. Bread or small treats are often left out overnight, in the belief that welcoming the departed brings good fortune for the year ahead. It’s a custom that emphasizes family across the generations during one of the most family focused holy days of the year.
Czech Republic’s Christmas Shoe Toss
In the Czech Republic, single women have a delightfully old-fashioned way to predict their romantic future for the coming year. On Christmas Eve, they stand with their backs to the door and toss a shoe over their shoulder. If the toe points toward the door when it lands, wedding bells might be on the horizon. If not… well, there’s always next Christmas. It’s more fun than swiping left!
Australia’s Beach Barbecues
When it’s 30°C and sunny on December 25, the festive season shifts outdoors. Across Australia, families head to the beach for prawns, cold drinks, and sand-between-the-toes celebrations. Santa might show up on a surfboard. And nobody bats an eye. It’s Christmas… Down Under.
Wherever you travel or gather this holiday season, Christmas proves one delightful truth: the world and its cultures may be vast, but we all love to get together to celebrate.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Images: Getty
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