The World’s Wackiest Christmas Traditions
Santa, stockings, and caroling are Christmas traditions most of us are accustomed to, but go to other parts of the world and you’ll find witches, ghosts, and shoe-tosses commonly practiced and celebrated during the annual winter holiday. From Slovakia to Spain, below are the eight most interesting—and wackiest!—Christmas traditions.
1. Germany’s Christmas Pickle
Although its origin is shrouded in mystery (some say the practice began in Civil War-era U.S., while others point to Spain), the tradition itself is pretty straight forward. Parents hide a pickle ornament between the branches of the family Christmas tree, and the first child to find it receives an extra present on Christmas morning!
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2. Italy’s Witch
Throughout Italy, children eagerly await the arrival of a broom-riding witch instead of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. According to centuries-old tradition, La Befana, a good-natured witch declined an invitation from the three wise men to accompany them on their quest to find baby Jesus—a decision she later regretted. To this day, she delivers toys, candy, and fruit to good children and coal, onions, or garlic to bad while still searching for the Christ Child.
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3. Ukraine’s Spider Webs
Ukrainians regard spiders and their webs as good luck—especially on Christmas Day. According to legend, a poor widow with nothing to decorate her children’s tree woke up on Christmas morning to find its branches covered in spider webs that turned silver and gold in the sun. To this day, Ukrainians place an artificial spider and webs among standard ornaments for good luck and a more prosperous Christmas.
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4. Spain’s “Fertilizer”
Perhaps the wackiest of all Christmas traditions can be found in Spain’s Catalonia province. There, you’ll find El Caganer (also known as “the pooper”) defecating among the figures in traditional Nativity scenes (yes, really). Although some believe this character symbolizes the equality of men and women, others look to him and his “fertilizer” as good luck for the next year’s harvest.
5. Venuzuela’s Skaters
From December 16th through December 24th, the streets of Caracas, Venuzuela, are closed off before 8 a.m. so that its citizens can attend early morning mass. Nothing strange about that—except that the churchgoers travel on roller skates!
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6. Czech Republic’s Shoe Tossing
On Christmas Eve, single women throughout the republic stand outside their family’s homes and toss a shoe over their shoulders towards their abodes. If the heel points to the front door, the thrower will stay single for another year; if it faces the door, she will marry soon and move out of her parent’s house.
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7. Slovakia’s Food Tossing
Czech’s neighbor Slovakia also has a Christmas “tossing” tradition, except it involves food instead of footwear. This messy custom commences at the Christmas Eve dinner table. The head of the family tosses Loksa (a dish made of bread, poppy seeds, and water) onto the ceiling. The more of it that sticks, the better the harvest will be the following year.
8. Portugal’s Ghosts
In Portugal, the deceased take part in Yuletide festivities alongside their living counterparts! Families set extra place settings at the Christmas dinner table and invite their dead loved ones to join them.
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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
Photo credit: istockphoto.com
