12 Unique Christmas Traditions in Europe That Will Add Magic to Your Holidays

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Have you ever wondered what unique Christmas traditions in Europe look like? If the answer is yes, you’ve come to the perfect place. Christmas is the season of fun, games, great food, and movie marathons. However, it’s also a time to create memories that’ll last and uphold family traditions.

Millions of people across Europe celebrate Christmas in their unique ways every year. For example, did you know the British leave mince pies and carrots out for Santa and his reindeer or that German families decorate their Christmas tree with a pickle-shaped ornament? To learn more, here are 12 fascinating European Christmas traditions to get you in the festive spirit.

Leaving Mince Pies and Carrots Out for Santa Claus, United Kingdom

12 Unique Christmas Traditions in Europe Leaving Mince Pies and Carrots for Santa Claus, UK — © Wirestock Creators / Shutterstock

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One of the most popular Christmas traditions in the United Kingdom is leaving a mince pie, glass of sherry or milk, and carrots out for Santa Claus and his reindeer on Christmas Eve night. I’m from the UK, and I can tell you we take this tradition super seriously.

We leave these treats out for Santa and his reindeer on Christmas Eve to say thank you and hope he will exchange the snacks for presents. According to the Metro, one theory is that this tradition is linked to the feast day of Saint Nicholas, which takes place on December 6th. I think it was a way for our parents to enjoy a midnight snack when we were children.

The Christmas Pickle Ornament, Germany

In Germany, one of the weirdest but most entertaining Christmas traditions is decorating your Christmas tree with a pickle-shaped ornament. While this may seem like a bizarre thing to do, it creates a lot of fun on Christmas Day morning. Families across Germany hide the pickle on their Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.

In the morning, the rest of the family race to see who can find the pickle. Whoever finds the pickle first is given an extra present from Santa Claus. Better yet, they’re also in for a year of good luck. Honestly, this hilarious German Christmas tradition is definitely something I could get on board with. What about you?

The Great Almond Hunt, Finland

Like the Germans, families in Finland start Christmas Day with a unique treasure hunt Christmas tradition. In Finland, it’s tradition for families to eat rice and milk porridge topped with cinnamon for Christmas breakfast. However, it’s also tradition for families to play a game of hunting the almond while they eat.

To bring some festive fun to the breakfast table, it’s tradition for one rice pudding to contain an almond. Whoever finds the almond in their breakfast is the winner. The prize for finding the almond is a year of good luck, although some families also give the winner an extra Christmas present. However, this isn’t the best game for someone with a nut allergy. It’ll quickly turn into Russian roulette.

Watching Disney Cartoons, Sweden

If there’s only one unique Christmas tradition we can support, it’s the annual Swedish tradition of sitting in front of the TV to watch a Disney Cartoon. Quite brilliantly, millions of Swedish families, no matter how young or old, sit down to watch Disney’s “From All of Us to All of You” at 3:00 pm on December 24th every year.

Most Swedish people call it Kalle Anka. Everybody in the family has to watch the 1958 Walt Disney cartoon. That means no recording it for later, playing games, or preparing dinner. Slate reports that the movie has been aired without commercial interruption at the same time on Swedish public TV on Christmas Eve since 1959.

The 12 Pubs of Christmas, Ireland

Okay, so I might take back my previous statement about following the Swedish Disney Christmas tradition because it’s a tradition in Ireland to visit 12 pubs in one day in the build-up to Christmas. Usually occurring in the week before Christmas, this social tradition sees groups of friends and families head out on a pub crawl in Christmas attire.

Playing festive games along the way, the challenge is to visit 12 individual pubs for 12 drinks. As you can imagine, things can get messy, but you’ll have a seriously good time. Most groups change the rules to make the game more personal to them, but one of the most commonly followed rules is that you can only drink Guinness.

Hide Your Brooms and Mops, Norway

If you want to experience one of the world’s most unique Christmas traditions, head to Norway, where it’s tradition to hide all your brooms and mops on Christmas Eve. In Norway, many people believe witches and evil spirits awaken on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, household brooms and mops are the prime target.

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While it certainly wouldn’t be our priority after awakening from Hell or wherever witches and evil spirits reside, brooms and mops are the first things they look for in Norway. Therefore, if Norwegians don’t hide their brooms and mops away before they go to sleep, there’s a chance a witch could ride off on them. At least you wouldn’t have to clean anymore.

Annual Kayaking Parade, Copenhagen, Denmark

Christmas Cities Around the World Copenhagen, Denmark — © Moofushi / Adobe Stock

In Copenhagen, the Danish capital, people celebrate St. Lucia’s Day by decorating their kayaks with Christmas lights and ornaments and joining a kayaking procession on the canals. For those who don’t know, St. Lucia Day is a festival of light across Scandinavia in honor of St. Lucia, or St. Lucy, one of the earliest Christian martyrs.

The festival occurs annually on December 13th and is a sight to behold in Copenhagen. As if the city’s canals couldn’t get any more impressive, hundreds of brightly decorated kayaks parading down them are spectacular. During the parade, thousands of people line the canals, drinking mulled wine and singing Christmas carols. Sounds like a lot of fun, right?

Shoe Throwing Singles, Czech Republic

If you’ve tried everything you can think of to find love and have had no success, maybe it’s time to head to the Czech Republic and participate in the annual shoe-throwing Christmas tradition. It may be an unconventional way to find your future partner, but it’s more fun than Tinder.

In the Czech Republic, it’s a Christmas tradition for single women to throw shoes to predict their love lives. Participants stand with their backs to the open front door to predict their love lives and throw their shoes over their shoulders. If the shoe lands with the toe pointing toward the door, excellent; they’ll be married within the next 12 months. If not, sadly, the wait goes on.

Shoe Filling on Christmas Eve, Netherlands

In the Netherlands, it’s a Christmas tradition for children to fill one of their shoes with presents for Santa Claus, also known as Sinterklaas. Before going to bed on Christmas Eve, children leave their shoes filled with gifts for Santa Claus and his horse (yes, Santa has a horse in the Netherlands) by the window.

Similar to how the British leave mince pies and carrots out for Santa and his reindeer, children in the Netherlands leave these gifts out for Santa Claus, hoping Santa Claus brings them presents and good luck for the year ahead. Examples of things children might fill their shoes with include poems, drawings, carrots, and hay. Some children also leave a bowl of water out for Sinterklaas’ horse.

Setting an Extra Place To Remember the Deceased, Portugal

12 Unique Christmas Traditions in Europe Remembering the Deceased, Portugal — © Pixel-Shot / Adobe Stock

Not all of Europe’s unique Christmas traditions are about having fun or following superstitions. Some are also about reflection and religion. Take Portugal’s Christmas tradition of honoring the dead, for example. In Portugal, it’s tradition to set an extra place at the dinner table for relatives who have sadly passed away.

This tradition allows families to remember the people they’ve lost and honor the deceased. It’s also said to bring good luck to the family for the following year. Setting an extra place at the table is called alminhas a penar, which translates to ‘the souls of the dead.’ Families in many areas across Portugal also leave some food for their relatives.

Pomegranate Smashing, Greece

If you want to take some anger out this New Year’s Day, follow the unique Greek tradition of smashing pomegranates. In many cultures, the pomegranate is a tasty fruit with a sweet and tart flavor. However, in Greece, the pomegranate is an ancient symbol of good luck and prosperity, especially at Christmas and New Year’s.

Throughout the festive season, a pomegranate is hung above the door. On New Year’s Day, the pomegranates are taken down, the lights are turned off, and the fruit is broken or smashed at the front of the home. The more the seeds scatter, the more luck the household will have. Breaking the pomegranate also ensures happiness, health, and prosperity.

Annual Book Exchange, Iceland

On December 24th of every year, Icelanders follow a unique tradition of swapping books with each other while enjoying a cup of hot chocolate. The recipients open their books as soon as they receive them. This tradition is called Jólabókaflóð (Jolabokaflod), or the Christmas book flood in English.

Besides being a great way to connect with friends and family at Christmas, this tradition gives Icelanders something to do on Christmas Eve, as most people spend the night reading the book they were given. We don’t know about you, but sitting by a roaring fire, reading a book, and drinking hot chocolate on Christmas Eve sounds like the perfect way to wait for Santa Claus to arrive.