“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” –Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States.
Christmas season resonates with the glow of joy and well being, as it is that time of the year when love for one another, kindness, caring, peace and forgiveness is celebrated around the globe.
The customs and traditions connected with this festival of delight are numerous and varies from culture to culture. You will be familiar with customs like Christmas decorations, Christmas trees, exchange of gifts and Christmas cards and Christmas carols as they are observed all around the world.
But in some cultures, Christmas is observed with customs and traditions that are fascinating and even strange. These lesser known Christmas traditions collected from across the globe, can make you feel amazed.
1. A snack for Santa Claus & his reindeer
On the Christmas Eve, children in Ireland leave mince pies and a glass or bottle of alcoholic drinks – or a pint of milk and cookies – as a snack for Santa Claus. Even Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer of Santa, is not forgotten and a special carrot is left for him as a midnight snack.
Another amazing Christmas tradition from Ireland is the annual Christmas Swim, in which hundreds of people swim in the sea on Christmas morning braving chilling weather conditions.
2. Going to the Church on Roller Skates
In Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, from sixteenth December to the Christmas eve, you will see people roller-skating to attend the early morning church services. The roads are often closed to traffic during these early hours considering the safety of these skaters.
3. Toss your shoes and find if you will get married soon
In Czech Republic, it is believed that unmarried women can find whether they will get married soon or not by tossing a shoe over their shoulder on Christmas day. If the shoe lands with the toe end pointing towards the door, it is believed that they will get married soon.
4. Making a huge straw goat
In Gävle, a city in Sweden, a traditional Christmas display of a huge straw goat is annually erected during Christmas time. This straw goat is about 43 feet tall and it was first erected in 1966. The first goat made in 1966 was burnt down and since then the Gävle goat is targeted by troublemakers every year. Since 1966 it has been burnt down or damaged more than 30 times.
5. Christmas trees decorated by spiders!
In Ukraine, it is believed to bring luck if Christmas trees are decorated with artificial spiders and spider web. These small ornamental spiders are called Pavuchky, which means little spiders, and decorating Christmas trees with them is based on an Eastern European folktale.
6. Going crazy on fried chicken
Eating fried chicken from restaurants on Christmas day is a popular custom in Japan. Thanks to a highly successful advertisement campaign by KFC in 1974 promoting their fried chicken, fast food restaurants in Japan make exceptional business on Christmas days.
