Christmas traditions around the world

Christmas is almost here! Every family has its own special Christmas traditions that they carry out year after year: the delicious punch or the scrumptious ambrosia your mom makes for holiday parties. And while certain aspects of Christmas tend to look very nearly the same all over the globe, many countries have their own unique ways to celebrate that you may not be familiar with. The PioneerWoman.com tells of a few of the interesting traditions from across the globe. Ahead, you’ll learn about some of these. 

Brooms and Mops: Perhaps you’ve hidden your brooms and mops when you’re not in the mood to clean, but in Norway, they do it with a Christmas tradition in mind. Norwegian folklore advises hiding brooms and mops on Christmas night to prevent evil spirits and witches, who return to earth on Christmas, from taking the cleaning tools and using them to fly through the sky. How’s that for a clean sweep?

Fried Chicken: This is a more recently-celebrated tradition that’s become super popular in Japan. While Christmas isn’t exactly a huge holiday there, some people do celebrate it, with Christmas Day feasts consisting of none other than buckets of Kentucky Fried Chicken, making Colonel Sanders synonymous with Santa Claus. 

Christmas Pickle: Here’s a dill-ightful tradition that’s thought to have started in Germany, but the actual origin is pretty much a mystery. Despite that, everyone will relish in this activity. It consists of someone hiding a pickle ornament deep within the tree’s branches, and the person who discovers the pickle sometime during the Christmas season will receive a bonus gift or lots of good fortune for the upcoming year.

Exchanging Books: Iceland has a charming Christmas tradition you may want to start in your own family. On Christmas Eve, Icelandic families exchange books, then spend the rest of the evening cozied up by a fire as they read aloud and eat sweet treats. Sounds like a perfect Christmas Eve! 

Ukraine Christmas Dinner: In Ukraine, as soon as you sit down to the dinner table, get comfortable—because you’ll be there for a while. Ukrainians serve a whopping 12 courses during their traditional Christmas feasts, and each one is dedicated to one of Jesus’ apostles.

The Night of the Radishes: Yes, this is a real night that’s celebrated in Mexico, and it’s considered to be a Christmas tradition. Every December 23, residents of Oaxaca, Mexico witness a competition like no other, in which participants carve nativity scenes into the skin of sizeable radishes. Then they’re put on display at the Christmas market for all to view.

Christmas Orchid : In the United States and in other parts of the world, the Poinsettia is pretty much the official flower of Christmas. But this is not the case in tropical Costa Rica, where the official Christmas flower is the orchid.

Surfing: Cowabunga, Santa! In Australia, Christmas means surfing, and lots of it. It’s when they’re celebrating summer while the rest of us are freezing up here in the Northern Hemisphere. On the beach, Santa arrives by surfboard instead of his sleigh, and after catching some waves, people celebrate with a Christmas barbecue.

Yule Goat: While we may associate Christmas with reindeer, in Sweden, they have a different animal that symbolizes Christmas. Historians say that the tradition of the “Yule Goat” goes all the way back to the 11th century, first appearing in Saint Nicholas lore as a goat figure that could ward off the devil. Nowadays, it’s often seen as an ornament on many Christmas trees. Some people even put giant versions of them in their yard as a holiday decorations.

Christmas Apples: In China, it’s not all cakes and candy when it comes to Christmas—it’s all about apples. People believe that this tradition stems from the similarity of the Chinese word for apple to the Chinese word for Christmas Eve. Gift-givers give entire packages of apples to loved ones for Christmas.

Crackers: No, we’re not talking about saltines. In England, crackers are brightly-hued cardboard tubes that hold mini toys, paper crowns, and jokes. When two people tug at each end, it makes a loud CRACK! sound (hence the name) and whoever is left holding the side that has more of the middle chamber wins the gift.

No matter how one celebrates, there’s one thing we all have in common: Christmas is meant to be enjoyed with those we love.