Bad Santa To The Yule Cat, Unusual Christmas Celebrations Around The World

The day of making merry is finally here. Yes, we are talking about Christmas. December 25 is when people from all walks of life come together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Many places across the world splurge on the heavenly delight of enjoying with their family, friends, and close ones, along with indulging in a grand feast that comprises delicious roasted turkey, a variety of cakes, and of course a sip of wine. Keeping aside all the traditional Christmas rituals, some places around the globe are known for their unusual X-mas day practices. Check them out below.

Austria – Bad Santa:

You might have heard adults telling their kids to behave well during Christmas, otherwise, they will not be rewarded with presents by Santa Clause. This childish story takes a more gory turn in Austria where it is believed that Santa’s malicious accomplice – a terrifying ghoul known as Krampus, wanders the streets during Christmas to scare and harm misbehaved children. It is a common sight to witness people in Austria putting on sinister-looking masks during December and frightening adults and kids by pulling pranks on them.

Ukraine – Cobweb decor:

Ukraine’s Christmas celebrations are a different ballgame. Instead of decorating the streets and one’s own home with the usual lights, wreaths, and mistletoes, Ukrainians, during Christmas, beautify their surroundings with cobweb illustrations using strings and other fabric. As per a legend, there once lived a poor widow who was unable to decorate a Christmas tree for her children. To help her, spiders spun cobwebs on the trees and surprised the children. The practice is still followed today.

Caracas – Roller Skate:

In Venezuela’s Caracas, people attend the morning mass at churches on roller skates. Every year during Christmas, the city-dweller takes out roller skates and is seen skating on the streets heading toward the church. The tradition is so popular in the Venezuelan capital that the streets are closed to traffic from 8 in the morning.

Norway – Flying witches:

In many folklore, witches are presented to come out at night and fly in the air while sitting on a broom. The people of Norway seem to have taken the belief a tad too seriously. Every year on Christmas eve, the residents of Norway make sure to hide their brooms and sticks so that witches do not find their preferred mode of transport and cause any mischief.

Iceland – Yule Cat:

One of the most interesting and generous Christmas traditions is followed in Yule. It is believed that a massive cat wanders on the streets during Christmas. Earlier, farmers used to take the Yule cat as a method of incentive to reward their workers with new clothes. However, these gifts would only be given to those laborers who worked hard, and those who did not were said to be devoured by the gigantic Yule cat. The ritual of gifting and buying new clothes during Christmas still prevails in Yule today.

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