🎄 Christmas Traditions from Around the World: Fun & Festive Customs You Won’t Believe

Christmas may be celebrated around the globe, but not everyone celebrates it with Santa Claus, stockings, and sugar cookies! From quirky customs to downright strange rituals, these Christmas traditions from around the world show just how creative and joyful the holiday season can be — no matter where you live. 🌍✨

🎅 1. Japan – Fried Chicken for Christmas Dinner

In Japan, Christmas isn’t a national holiday — but that hasn’t stopped one unique tradition from taking off. Thanks to a wildly successful 1970s KFC marketing campaign, families across Japan celebrate Christmas by enjoying Kentucky Fried Chicken together! You’ll even find special Christmas buckets and festive packaging during the season. 🍗

🧹 2. Norway – Hiding the Brooms

In Norway, people believe that evil spirits and witches come out on Christmas

Eve looking for brooms to ride. To keep them away, Norwegians hide all the household brooms before going to bed — a spooky but fun Scandinavian Christmas tradition that’s been passed down for generations!

🐴 3. Wales – The Creepy Mari Lwyd

Wales takes a turn for the weird with the Mari Lwyd, a centuries-old custom featuring a horse’s skull draped in a white sheet, carried door-to-door while people sing and challenge each other in rhyming contests. It’s eerie, festive, and totally unforgettable — a true odd Christmas tradition from the UK. 🐴🎶

🎁 4. Spain – The “Pooping Log”

In Catalonia, Spain, kids celebrate with a log called Tió de Nadal or the “pooping

log.” Decorated with a smiling face and red hat, children “feed” the log in the days before Christmas, then beat it with sticks while singing songs until it “poops” out presents and candy. 💩🎄

🥦 5. Greenland – Raw Whale Skin and Kiviak

Greenland’s Christmas feasts are not for the faint-hearted. Locals enjoy mattak (whale skin with blubber) and kiviak, a dish made by fermenting small seabirds inside a seal skin for several months. It’s a centuries-old Inuit Christmas tradition — one that’s both cultural and courageous!

👠 6. Czech Republic – The Shoe Toss

In the Czech Republic, single women perform a fun Christmas Eve ritual to predict their love life. They stand with their back to the door and toss a shoe over their shoulder — if the toe points toward the door, it means they’ll be married soon! 💍

🎆 7. Venezuela – Rollerblading to Church

In Caracas, Venezuela, people rollerblade to early morning Christmas Mass between December 16–24. Streets are closed off so everyone can safely skate together — a joyful, community-driven way to celebrate the season. 🛼✨

🌍 Why These Traditions Matter

Even though these customs may seem odd to outsiders, each one reflects a deep sense of community, creativity, and joy. They remind us that Christmas isn’t just about gifts and decorations — it’s about togetherness, fun, and celebrating culture in all its unique forms.

So whether you’re eating KFC in Tokyo or hiding brooms in Oslo, remember: there’s no wrong way to celebrate Christmas!

See see some Cheeky and fun ways to decorate for Christmas see our PINTEREST PAGE.

Happy Holidays