7 Weird & Wonderful Christmas traditions from around the world
Published on Wed Dec 20 2017 in Community
The end of the year is a time of celebration, with festivals and holidays bringing joy to people worldwide. In New Zealand, the most observed December holiday is Christmas. Every year, millions of Kiwis exchange gifts, sing carols and spend time with their loved ones.
But how do other countries and cultures observe Christmas? Here are seven wonderful and unique traditions from around the world!
Beware of Krumpus
Children in parts of Europe, including Austria and Slovenia, fear a visit from Krumpus. This half-goat, half-demon punishes naughty children, and is said to take the worst away in his basket. Krumpus’ inclusion in Christmas celebrations is somewhat controversial, with recent public debate in Austria about whether he is appropriate for children.
Christmas with the Colonel
For many in Japan, Christmas dinner is pre-ordered weeks in advance from the American fast food restaurant KFC. The tradition started in the 1970s, when the manager of the first KFC in the country overheard foreigners reminiscing about turkey dinners. Thanks to clever marketing, dinner packages took off, and now account for about a third of KFC’s yearly sales in Japan!
H0 H0 H0!
Approximately one million letters are sent to Santa Claus each year! To help ensure this important mail does not go undelivered, Canada Post gave Saint Nick his own postal code in 1982. Children around the world can write to Santa and receive a reply in their native language. So what’s Kris Kringle’s address?
Santa Claus
North Pole H0H 0H0
Canada
December bonus
Workers in Brazil receive a Christmas bonus from their employer each year. Known as the “13th salary,” employees collect a payment equivalent to one month’s salary. Half of this bonus is paid in mid-December—perfect timing for gifts, goodies and Christmas travel!
Itsy bitsy spiders
Christmas trees in Ukraine are commonly decorated with ornaments shaped like spiders, known as pavuchky, and sometimes artificial cobwebs. The origin of these unique decorations comes from the Legend of the Christmas Spider, a popular folk tale. It’s also considered good luck to find a real spider’s web on a Christmas tree.
A Christmas witch
Italian children are familiar with Santa Claus now, but traditionally they’ve received gifts from La Befana. According to folklore, Befana is a witch who visits children before the Feast of the Epiphany in January. She fills their socks with candy and presents if they’re good, or a lump of coal or a stick if they’ve been bad. La Befana is said to be a good housekeeper, sweeping the floor before she leaves your house!
How do you like these apples?
Christmas isn’t an official holiday in China, but the day is becoming more popular and even sparking its own traditions. “Peace apples” are popular gifts, exchanged on Christmas Eve rather than 25 December. This trend started because the Chinese word for apple, pingguo, sounds similar to the word for Christmas Eve, pinganye. These special fruits are individually packaged in a box or wrapped in colourful paper. Some even have messages stenciled on them!
What unique tradition does your family celebrate at Christmastime? Share your holiday spirit with our community on Facebook!
About Author: Momentum Life is a leading provider of Life insurance and Funeral insurance in New Zealand.
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