Unusual Christmas traditions in different countries

Forget about cute Christmas traditions, a cheerful elderly fat man with a bag of gifts and witty elves - miniature generators of kindness and endless zeal. Today, we will look at the Christmas windows in different countries of the world and understand how many strange rituals and extravagant traditions exist in the world.

We will be helped by the “Rating of the most unusual traditions” compiled by experts of the British portal The Independent, which we ourselves will add.

Christmas is supposed to be a time of fabulous mysteries, beautiful legends and happy children's laughter. No matter how wrong! Among the peculiar Christmas characters, the demon Krapmus was singled out from Austrian and German tales, who hunts for naughty children from November to January.

On the night of Krampus, December 5, those who want to have fun dress up in eerie costumes and wander around the streets, looking like heroes of a Hollywood horror movie (low-budget). The appearance of the monster can scare anyone except Freddy Krueger. Although I am far behind 10, but a behavioral failure when meeting this beast is guaranteed. Children, instead of the desire to behave, provided years of therapy. Both the Catholic Church and the Austrian government sought to curb the tradition, but among the people it is ineradicable.

Icelandic folklore has its own "babey" used to scare children - the ugly giantess Grýla, whose favorite Christmas dish is a roast of pranksters.

The words “Christmas cat” evoke very specific associations - something fluffy and graceful, an extravaganza of charm, or fat, cozily murmuring by the fireplace, a purring cat bringing gifts, a soft belly cat, Mark Twain’s “If a man is crossed with a cat, how would it improved the man, but made the cat worse.”

Forget about it! Gríla's pet Icelandic Christmas cat is a huge, angry monster and a strict fashion consultant. Beware those who have not acquired new woolen clothes for the holiday. Once upon a time, a cat began its career as a means of stimulating hard work: the production of cloth from sheep’s wool was a family trade, and on Christmastide, children who helped their parents were sewn new clothes from unsold leftovers, while the lazy were frightened by a visit from a scary cat.

The horror story of South Africa - gluttonous Danny, who ate cookies intended for Santa Claus, the “kind” grandmother rashly killed her granddaughter and now his spirit wanders from house to house, either looking for grandmother, or cookies... I would also include the Japanese in the category of frightening characters Santa Claus named Santa Kurosu, who has a second pair of eyes on the back of his head to keep an eye on naughty children (Harry Potter's Professor Quirrell with Voldemort on the back of his head!).

In Wales, the old Welsh custom of caroling with Sulfur Horse is revived - an elegant skull of an animal and a sheet attached to it. Nice, but not for everybody.

If you're a fan of unusual Christmas rituals plus Hispanic beauty, go to Caracas! Pretty beauties from Venezuela have become Miss Universe, Miss International Beauty and Miss World many times. Imagine a picture - this beauty recognized by the planet and the future beauty, still of school age, rises on rollers and rolls to church. Yes, yes, the whole pre-Christmas week under the fireworks and the joyful shouts of “Jesus was born!” Venezuelans go to the morning church service on roller skates.

How do you imagine a miniature Christmas nativity scene - biblical scenes? Newborn baby Jesus with Mary and Joseph, an angel or two, shepherd sheep, three wise men, perhaps a donkey in the background? That's right. But if you are in the city of culture and art, Barcelona, ​​a surprise awaits you, and not just a simple one, but a surprise. A fundamental part of a serious Catholic tradition is the strange fecal-themed Christmas custom of the Catalans to include in the decoration of the nativity scene a painted figurine of a “caganer” - a small man relieving himself of great need. Finding it, pushed into a corner, brings great joy to children and adults. The finder is guaranteed good luck for a year.

Why are there nativity scene! Nothing shouts “Christmas!” As loudly as a figure of Pope Noel, celebrity, football stars or politicians enjoying a private moment. And who would you like to present in the role of "kaganer"?

Brussels, Ghent, Colmar and even the town of Alexandrov have their own peeing boy, and Brussels also has a peeing girl and a peeing dog. Why shouldn't Catalonia have a pooping man? But, imagine, this is not the only originality of local Christmas and tradition associated, so to speak, with the process of relief. The custom of Tió de Nadal is peculiar. A “kaga tio” - a “pooping log” - is placed on the table, which must first be taken care of - covered with a blanket, songs sung, “fed” with fruits and sweets, and on Christmas Eve, beaten with a stick to literally knock out the “pooped out” toys and sweets . Watching this tradition, I got a certain feeling of being in a madhouse. Mexican "piñatas" are just relaxing.

By the way, since we mentioned Mexico, we cannot help but add Noche de Rabanos (Night of the Radishes) to the list of strange customs. If your mother told you as a child: “Eat salad, don’t play around with food,” then your mother was not Mexican from Oaxaca. What can be made from radishes? Do you think it's just salad? Piece of art! On December 23, a harmless and meek vegetable turns into material for creating Christmas nativity scenes and various figures. Like any decent party, the celebration lasts a couple of days. The best radish creations are displayed in the square and receive prizes. Radishes are specially grown for this day, left in the ground until they grow to incredible sizes, which can be surprising - 50 cm and weighing 3 kg.

Guess which country celebrates Christmas with Christmas buckets - chicken from the KFC fast food chain? If you don't know, it's hard to believe. This is Japan, where in 70 last century, they began to promote fried chicken as an excellent Christmas dish, served with... cake and champagne. Japan has rightfully taken its place on the list of countries that celebrate Christmas in an unconventional way.

Less than 1% of Japanese believe in Christ, but many love the Kurisumasu holiday (of course, from Christmas). It seems to be celebrated traditionally, but at the same time... There is Santa Claus, even two - and both, to put it mildly, are non-standard. There are Christmas trees, but not just trees, but any artificial ones, including green, red, white and blue. Several months in advance, places are reserved at a prestigious restaurant - KFC - for a festive dinner. A Christmas cake of traditional colors (white sponge cake with strawberries) must be bought and sold to confectioners, certainly on December 25th. Also, a girl of marriageable age is called “Christmas cake” - it is much more problematic for a Japanese woman over 25 to get married. Greeting cards should not be red to avoid associations with a card announcing a funeral. Among the Christmas decorations are many, many hearts and cupids. Why? Yes, because Christmas in Japan is a holiday for all lovers, young and old!

The world in general is inclined to borrow and rework aspects of foreign culture in its own way. Ethiopia is Orthodox, but adheres to the Old Testament commandments (circumcision of infant boys), and Christmas is celebrated quite unusually: the black country puts on white clothes, prays in churches - men separately from women, then - a festive dinner with an African menu, a coffee ceremony, a game, reminiscent of field hockey. Christmas is celebrated, like the Orthodox Slavs, on January 7, but the Ethiopian calendar is complex and does not correspond to the Julian, as well as the Gregorian calendar, for example, the New Year is celebrated on September 11.

Everything was mixed up in the Russian holiday traditions: the Christmas tree is a Christmas symbol, Father Frost is a New Year character, a former religious (Nikolai Ugodnik), Berendeev the Snow Maiden is pagan.

Attention old maids who want to know their destiny! You - to the Czech Republic, taking with you an old shoe. There, throw it over your shoulder with your back to the front door, and if it lands with its toe towards the door, get ready for the wedding after Christmas. It is not clear why this procedure was included in the list of unusual ones. Young ladies all over the world are eager to get married and are naturally curious, and Christmas fortune telling is a classic form of satisfying this curiosity.

A long-standing British Christmas tradition dictates that every family member be sure to take part in the stirring of the Christmas pudding. It is necessary to do this in a clockwise direction, making a wish along the way. I do not see anything particularly strange in this either - joint work for the common benefit has always been welcomed, and it’s probably more culinary to mix pudding in one direction.

But the second pudding-related custom that got into the rating is really bizarre. In Slovakia, the eldest of the men sitting at the table picks up the pudding in a spoon and throws it up to the ceiling: the more it sticks, the better for the house (you’re wondering if our children are slovies throwing porridge?) Honestly, I’m not quite sure that this ceremony is performed often. Maybe someone from knowledgeable readers will respond and tell me, do Slovaks really whiten the ceilings every year?

Having lived 10 for years in Scandinavia, I doubted the Norwegian tradition included in the British list and replicated on the Internet: “Norway believes that evil spirits come along with Christmas, so the Norwegians hide their brooms before going to sleep, so that the witches won't hesitate to steal them ". A Norwegian friend, to whom I turned for advice, hotly protested information about the hijacking by witches of this type of transport. But, on the other hand, he is from Oslo, and where can you find a decent broom?)

All December, Icelandic parents sneak around the house every week to put sweets and small gifts into the shoes left by the children on the windowsill. The 13 are supposed to be doing Christmas creatures, but not elves, not Santa Clauses, not Scandinavian house gnomes Nisse and Tomptenov.

This is done by 13 Yule Lads. These are worthy offspring of their mother - the same troll Grila with her pet cat, who likes to take with her those in old clothes. The guys have sonorous names that even those who spent a year training to pronounce the name of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano and succeeded in pronouncing are unable to pronounce. The guys are all hooligans and thieves, with names that clearly indicate this. The first one is called “The Shepherd Bug”, he harasses the sheep. The second, the "Ditch Dunce", waits in the ditch so he can climb into the barn and steal the milk. The next three may well be useful in the household - “Stump” eats everything burnt from frying pans, “Lozhkoliz” licks spoons, and his brother “Miskoliz”, respectively, bowls (which, however, he steals after that). It’s clear how “Door Slam” scares people.

Is it worth continuing? It’s probably worth it so that we can appreciate the scale of the disaster and stop envying the fact that Icelandic children are lucky with the number of Santa Clauses. The “Window Peeper” and the “Dverenyukh”, equipped with an outstanding nose, clearly work together, scouting out what can be stolen. “Sausage Grabber”, “Skyr Eater” (Icelandic curdled milk) and “Meat Hook” clearly work on a tip from the previous two. Finally, the last “Santa Claus” carries and eats candles, traditionally made from lard in Iceland. His name is “Candle Snatcher,” which doesn’t stop him from snatching candlesticks. What these 13 cute guys can give - only one Icelander knows, but everyone understands that everything edible in December must be properly hidden.

Another Christmas tradition is associated with the number 13. This is the French Réveillon - a Christmas (for family) and New Year's (for friends) banquet that ends with... a banquet. In France, partly in Quebec and New Orleans, after a festive feast, exactly 13 desserts are served - according to the number of the 12 Apostles plus Jesus himself. It sounds more like an Easter tradition, but who are we to find fault with the French when it comes to cooking.

Do you want to flourish, feed the dead relatives. According to the Portuguese tradition, it is necessary to put extra chairs for their souls at the table and leave crumbs on the plates. They say that in Bulgaria for the same reason, right after the holiday dinner, they do not remove the table and do not wash the dishes.

Ukraine made it into the top ten countries thanks to an original custom that was born from a legend. The poor widow had no money to decorate the tree, but the spider wove a web around the tree and in the morning, when the children opened the window to the Christmas light, the web turned into shining silver. The British considered decorating the Ukrainian Christmas tree with silver tinsel and the custom of hiding cobwebs on it, promising happiness to the finder, as an extraordinary tradition. For most of us, finding a nasty arthropod on our belongings is a relative joy. However, in some cultures the spider is a symbol of kindness and prosperity. A Polish legend, for example, says that when little Jesus was cold, a spider wove him a web-like blanket. This is probably why it’s most likely worth looking for cobwebs on a Western Ukrainian Christmas tree. In any case, this custom deserves a special prize from those who are too lazy to decorate the Christmas tree themselves.

The British list of Christmas originalities includes two Greenlandic traditional dishes: mattak (frozen raw whale skin with fat, a kind of Eskimo version of lard) and kiviak (seal stuffed with polar birds - guillemots, in a ratio of 1:500, the presentation of the dish is directly in the seal and only after it lies underground for six months and ferments). We do not publish photos of the delicacy for ethical and aesthetic reasons. Here I would also include, not for the table, such boring Christmas delicacies as fried caterpillars (South Africa), lamb's head (western Norway) and jelly-like alkaline fish “lutefisk” (those entertaining Scandinavian cooks).
Christians in India have only 2,3%, but given the total population, this religious minority makes up over 25 million people, and where is there so many trees to find? Therefore, they celebrate by hanging decorations on mango and banana trees. There is a tropical accent on Christmas and other distant hot countries.

Finally, a few words about America. We all, as you know, come from childhood and it is the family that often influences our way of celebrating holidays - either classically, or... uh... atypical. For example, two sisters from Dallas in their childhood were sure that Santa Claus’s favorite drink was not milk at all and therefore, according to their dad’s recommendation, they left him beer next to the cookies. "Bottoms Up, Santa!" And Santa always came to their house. The other child’s grandfather was also an original and annually decorated with garlands and toys…. a pineapple; the boy has grown up long ago, but his grandfather’s “Hawaiian” tradition of Christmas Pineapple continues, living in Alaska. One Houston family said they've been going to Denny's on the North Freeway for Christmas dinner for years. “Such a wonderful crowd gathers there at midnight! Fun to watch!” I wonder if these observers consider themselves part of the funny crowd? “We installed a tall Christmas tree in the living room and went to bed, and at night dad climbed onto the roof and placed a second one right above it, creating the visual effect of a tree growing through the roof overnight” - this is ready-made advice for dads who are aspiring wizards! “When our uncle got drunk, his nose would turn very red and he would declare that he was a relative of Rudolf. All the children were extremely proud of this, because this made us special.”