You’ll enjoy everything about Christmas: the food, the family, and the friends. What makes the holiday season even more appealing is that countries around the world celebrate traditional Christmas customs in their own unique ways. Let’s explore with MyTravelThru now.
Some Christmas customs around the world
Christmas Chicken – Christmas customs in Japan
Christmas has always been about food, and this food is associated with three words in Japan: KFC. Bring your chopsticks to the American fast food chain KFC and say, “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” or “Christmas Turkey!” The Christmas “chicken (roast)” tradition dates back to a 1974 marketing campaign, and today, KFC holds the record for the most sales each year around Christmas.
Lucky numbers
Since the late nineteenth century, the Spanish National Lottery has offered the year’s largest prize money: “El Gordo,” or “The Fat One.” It has evolved into the largest social event, typically taking place on December 22, with each person receiving dozens of lottery tickets in the hopes of becoming one of the lucky winners.
The songs are traditionally sung by a group of 20 schoolchildren, and the entire country is hoping to win the biggest Christmas present of their lives.
Christmas Log – Christmas customs in Spain
If you don’t like Christmas trees, you might like the Christmas log. To de Nadal or the Christmas Log, is a piece of wood painted with a face and fitted with small pins that are commonly used to deliver gifts in many parts of Spain.
The log, on the other hand, not only brings gifts to families; it is also fed at midnight and kept warm in a small blanket. Isn’t it beautiful? The cuteness, however, ends here: On Christmas Day, the log is placed in the fireplace, where families beat it with sticks until it… shoots out presents and candy.
Christmas Spider – Christmas customs in Ukraine
There is such a thing as a Christmas spider, believe it or not. Christmas trees in Ukraine are decorated with cobwebs—don’t worry, they’re just cobweb-like decorations thought to bring good luck. The story revolves around a poor woman who cannot afford to purchase Christmas tree decorations.
When she awoke the next morning, she was surprised to find her pine tree covered in spider webs that sparkled and sparkled in the sunlight. In other countries, such as Poland or Germany, finding a spider or a web on a Christmas tree is considered lucky.
Santa’s mailbox
We’ve all written letters to Santa Claus, but did you know he has a physical address? Santa’s mailbox is in Canada, and he will respond if you write to him before December 16th in more than 30 languages, including Braille. Simply send a letter to Santa Claus at the North Pole in Canada.
Because Santa Claus is awesome and the country code for the North Pole is equally so, the mail is completely free and does not require a postage stamp.
Some other Christmas customs
Cucumbers should be your favorite Christmas decorations because they represent an extra gift: in many countries, a hidden melon ornament is hidden somewhere on the Christmas tree, and the person who finds it will either receive an extra gift or be extremely lucky. It’s unclear where this tradition originated, but I believe we can accept it as long as we continue to receive more gifts.
In some countries of the world, such as Ukraine and Poland, the proper time to open gifts is written in the stars: the youngest children in the house must observe the night sky and wait for the first star to appear. That is the signal to begin opening the gift.
Christmas, with all of its joy and light, appears to be the time for the monsters to remind the children to be obedient and well-behaved for at least one month of the year. Jólakötturinn, the Icelandic Christmas cat, is one of the “Christmas Police Squad’s” most surprising members.
It sounds cute, but, like a certain piece of wood, it isn’t what it appears to be: Jólakötturinn eats children, specifically children who do not do their chores and thus do not receive new clothes for Christmas.
Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, wins the prize for the coolest Christmas vehicle: here, people don’t just walk to the giant Christmas tree; they roller-skate there. Many city streets are closed to traffic so that people can safely slide to the church.
Pudding, in all of its flavors and textures, is a popular Christmas customs. Pudding not only warms the heart but also predicts the future in Slovakia and many parts of Ukraine: the oldest members of the family will take a spoonful of pudding powder or loksa and throw it on the ceiling. The more cake dough that sticks to the ceiling, the luckier you will be. It’s as simple as that.
The “Special Donald Duck Show” at Christmas is an important Swedish tradition. This hour-long TV show airs at 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and all festival schedules are based on the showtime, so families can watch together.
What are your Christmas traditions and customs?
Some frequently asked questions
What are 5 Christmas traditions?
what are your Christmas traditions?
What are the top 10 Christmas customs and traditions?
What are the 12 Days of Christmas traditions?
Where do Christmas customs come from?
When do Christmas traditions to start?
What are the unconventional Christmas traditions?
What events are Christmas traditions for adults?
What are Christmas traditions around the world?
To learn more about this information, you can visit our Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
