New Year traditions from different nations of the world can sometimes be quite strange and even a little scary. In this list, we have collected 10 of the most unusual Christmas and New Year customs from different countries of the world.
10. Chickens for Christmas, Japan
Christmas is not the most important holiday in Japan (and it is not religious at all), but the Japanese would not be Japanese if they did not come up with their own strange alternative to the classic Christmas traditions. And it consists of eating at Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).
According to KFC, in 1974, one of the visitors to their restaurant in Japan tried the delicious chicken and admiringly declared: “This is the best thing you can eat in a country that doesn’t serve turkey for Christmas dinner!” After that, KFC marketers decided to decorate Japanese cities with advertisements for their restaurants, accompanying it with the slogan: “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” (“Kentucky for Christmas!”).
What started as a marketing ploy in the 1970s is now part of the annual Christmas celebrations in the Land of the Rising Sun.
9. A book as the best New Year's gift, Iceland
Import restrictions and high inflation during the Great Depression led to shortages of many products in the country.
However, printed matter could be easily imported to Iceland even during difficult times. As a result, the book became the most popular gift for New Year and Christmas. And it remains so to this day.
Most book sales occur between September and November. This is known as the Jólabókaflóð or "Christmas book flood".
8. Apples and Santa's Sisters, China
In China, books and chickens are not the most popular New Year's goods. Another thing is apples wrapped in colored paper. Usually, Santa Claus is depicted on the wrapper and good wishes are written. Probably, many would not refuse to receive the best New Year's gift in the form of a smartphone from Apple instead of the traditional apple.
In addition, you will not see "Santa's elves" that are popular in the West in Chinese shopping malls during the New Year period. Instead, the Chinese Santa Claus has sisters who help him distribute gifts. They can be found not only in shopping malls, but also in parks and other public places.
7. Catalan pooping log, Spain
If you are not from Catalonia, you are unlikely to have heard of Caga Tió (kagatío, or literally "pooping log"). This log, dressed in a bright red Catalan beret, with a painted smiling face and two legs, appears in houses from December 8 - the Day of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. Children take care of it in every possible way, cover it with a blanket, feed it sweets and fruits, and "eat" Caga Tió at night, when no one sees it. And who eats well, what is good? That's right, he poops.
And so the New Year's log does this, only once, during Christmas. Beforehand, it is beaten heartily with a stick (so that it does not get greedy and gives more gifts) and a traditional song about defecation is sung. Then the blanket is removed from Caga Tió, under which are treats - small trinkets and sweets.
However, Tio is unable to “give out” large gifts; they are brought by Papa Noel, the Spanish equivalent of Santa Claus, or the Christmas Magi.
6. Hide your brooms from the witches, Norway
Christmas celebrations are very popular in Norway. And in some parts of the country the old tradition of hiding brooms on Christmas Eve is still alive.
It is believed that it is at this time that witches and other evil spirits come out of their hiding places in search of a broom (or, at worst, a besom) to go and harm good people and ruin their holiday.
5. Christmas Sauna, Finland
On New Year's Eve, Russians traditionally watch "The Irony of Fate", in which the main character and his friends go to the bathhouse. But the Finns go to the bathhouse, or rather to the sauna, on Christmas Eve to enjoy some well-deserved peace and quiet before the noisy and merry Christmas begins.
To create a festive atmosphere, the sauna is decorated with candles and lanterns. By the way, if you don’t have your own sauna, no problem. Many public Finnish saunas have special Christmas hours for those visitors who want to cleanse their body and soul before the bright holiday.
4. Watching Donald Duck cartoons, Sweden
Every year at Christmas, many Swedish families gather together in front of their television to watch the TV special "Donald Duck and his friends wish you a merry Christmas".
It includes Disney cartoons released between the 1930s and 1960s. This episode is not shown on other days. Funny thing is that not all the cartoons in this selection are Christmas-related.
This tradition dates back to 1958, when Sweden had only two TV channels and only one of them had access to Disney content.
3. The squabble with the grey nag, Wales
The Welsh have an old tradition called the "Rite of Mari Luid". To see out the old year, the Welsh make a kind of zombie horse: they put a horse skull on a stick and decorate it with a white sheet and colored ribbons, inserting pieces of glass or buttons into the eye sockets. A special person controls the skull, forcing it to open its mouth and giving it the appearance of life.
With such a frightening companion, the company of mummers travels from house to house, singing about how hard it is to live on the street and asking for drinks and pies.
The one of the mummers who plays the role of Marie Louise must persuade the owner of the house to let them in, and the latter tries to convince the honest company of his poverty. Moreover, the persuasion from both sides must be humorous and in verse. This is called "quarreling with a gray nag."
If the mummers win this humorous poetry competition, the owner of the house feeds and drinks them at his own expense. Otherwise, they leave with nothing.
2. Christmas Witch, Italy
An Italian witch named La Befana is the subject of one of the scariest Christmas stories. But only if you've been naughty all year.
If you have been a good boy or girl (and live in sunny Italy), then La Befana will not take you away with her, but will give you something good, like a local equivalent of Santa Claus.
There is also a belief that for the sake of good, kind hosts Befana will try hard, and not only leave gifts, but also sweep the floor before leaving. For this, she is also entitled to a reward: on the night of January 5-6, you need to leave a small glass of wine and some food on the fireplace.
1. In Search of Love and Gifts, Czech Republic
We decided to end the selection of interesting and unusual New Year and Christmas traditions on a touching note. And what could be cuter than giving gifts to children and hoping to find a betrothed?
Contrary to the traditions of other countries, in the Czech Republic it is not Santa Claus who gives gifts, but the baby Jesus himself – Ježíšek. Children write him letters with wishes and hang them out the window. And when the ringing of bells is heard on Christmas Eve, it means that Ježíšek has read the letter and brought the long-awaited present.
Unmarried ladies have other concerns on Christmas Eve. They need to throw a shoe over their shoulder, so that it lands with its toe toward the door. This is a good sign, then the girl will definitely get married.
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