15 Unique Christmas Traditions in the World That Will Surprise You

From eating at KFC on Christmas Day in Japan to hiding your mops and brooms in Norway, unique Christmas traditions in the world are just one of the many things that make the festive season enjoyable. No matter where you go, you’ll find weird and wonderful things that make Christmas more unique.

Christmas isn’t all about carving turkeys, Christmas markets, opening presents, and eating your body weight in chocolate; it’s also about creating memories, following traditions, and spending time with family and friends. To learn more about how people worldwide spend Christmas, here are 12 unique traditions you can experience in other countries during the festive period.

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Eating KFC on Christmas Day, Japan

One of the world’s most unusual Christmas Day traditions occurs in Japan, where thousands flock to Kentucky Fried Chicken for Christmas dinner. Christmas isn’t a national holiday in Japan, so everyday life continues. However, those celebrating the festive season don’t do it with a traditional roast dinner.

Instead of sitting with their families to tuck into roast potatoes, turkey, and stuffing, many Japanese people stop by KFC for a bucket of fried chicken. This unique tradition started in the 1970s when Japan’s first KFC restaurant started promoting a ‘Party Barrel’ to celebrate the festive season. Christmas is one of the busiest times of year for KFC in Japan.

Hiding Brooms and Mops on Christmas Eve, Norway

12 Unique Christmas Traditions in Europe Hide Your Brooms and Mops, Norway — © Dmitry Pistrov / Adobe Stock

In Norway, the world’s most unique Christmas traditions are elevated to a new level. Families across the country hide their brooms and mops on Christmas Eve to ward off evil spirits and witches. It’s believed that on the night of Christmas Eve, witches and evil spirits awake, looking for brooms and mops to ride.

If you don’t hide your broom or mop away by the time you go to sleep on Christmas Eve, there’s a chance a witch could steal it. Honestly, if the witches don’t mind doing some tidying up first, I’m perfectly okay with them stealing my broom and mop. Interestingly, besides this quirky tradition, Christmas in Norway is pretty standard, with kids opening presents and families sitting down for a meal.

Shoe Throwing, Czech Republic

While most people turn to Tinder and Hinge to find the love of their life, single women in the Czech Republic resort to shoe-throwing, one of the most bizarre Christmas traditions. During the festivities, single women in the Czech Republic predict their love life for the next 12 months by throwing their shoes.

They stand with their backs to the open front door and toss the shoes over their shoulders. If the shoe/s land with the toe pointing in the direction of the door, they won’t be singleton for much longer, as that means they’ll be getting married within 12 months. If only it were that easy, right?

Leaving a Carrot, Mince Pie, and Sherry for Santa and His Reindeer, United Kingdom & Australia

In the United Kingdom and Australia, it’s tradition on Christmas Eve to leave a glass of sherry or milk, a mince pie, and a carrot out for Santa and his reindeer. For obvious reasons, the mince pie and sherry/milk are left out for Santa, and the carrots are left out for his reindeer.

This fun tradition varies from family to family, with many people putting their own spin on it, but it’s been common to leave snacks out for as long as we can all remember. I’m from the United Kingdom, and we still follow this tradition, even though I’m nearly 30. Don’t judge me! However, my family also leaves cookies out for Santa.

Remembering the Dead, Portugal

Perhaps one of the world’s most thoughtful Christmas traditions is how Portuguese families recognize the dead at Christmas. In Portugal, it’s tradition for families to set extra places at dinner tables on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to remember and honor their deceased relatives. In some areas, people leave crumbs for relatives.

This tradition is called consoda, and the act of setting extra plates for deceased relatives is called alminhas a penar, which translates to ‘the souls of the dead’ in English. This tradition allows families to celebrate Christmas and remember their relatives, and it’s also said to bring them good luck. The meal itself usually consists of salted cod, potatoes, and various desserts.

Spider Web Decorations, Ukraine

One of Ukraine’s most unique Christmas traditions involves decorating your Christmas tree with fake spider webs instead of the usual decorations. Across the Ukraine, families decorate their trees with fake spider webs instead of bright lights and tinsel for good luck during the holiday season. Many people use decorations and spider webs.

Some families even take things a step further by purchasing luxurious spider web decorations. It’s believed that this tradition started in the late 1800s or early 1900s and stems from an old wives’ tale about a woman who couldn’t afford to decorate her tree. Luckily, when she woke up on Christmas morning, a spider had decorated her tree with a sparkling web.

Skating to Church, Caracas, Venezuela

If you like roller skating, Caracas might be the perfect Christmas destination for you, as its unique Christmas tradition sees thousands of people ride roller skates down the streets at Christmas. Every year, between December 16th and 24th, roads in the Venezuelan capital are closed to traffic to allow residents to ride their skates to church.

Every morning, you’ll see people racing down the roads on their way to Christmas mass. It’s not uncommon for people riding their roller skates to wear festive attire. While this is a religious tradition in many ways, there’s no reason you can’t join in the celebrations by riding your roller skates through the streets of Caracas.

Whale Blubber for Christmas Dinner, Greenland

If you thought sprouts and parsnips were terrible, you definitely don’t want to visit Greenland at Christmas because it’s tradition to eat mattak for the feast. In what can only be described as one of the world’s most unusual Christmas traditions, mattak is whale skin with blubber still attached.

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Whale skin is supposed to be chewed, but many people swallow it because it can be pretty tough. As if things couldn’t get any more unusual, it’s also tradition for people in Greenland to eat kiviak. For context, kiviak is a dish that consists of a small seabird fermented in seal skin. I’ll stick with mashed potatoes, turkey, and carrots for now. What about you?

Befana, Italy

In Italian folklore, Befana is an old witch-like woman who delivers gifts and candies to children across Italy on Epiphany Eve (January 5th). In many ways, this Christmas tradition is similar to Santa Claus gifting toys to good children. Befana rides through the skies on her broomstick to deliver gifts to deserving children, while naughty children can expect coal.

According to Italian folklore, Befana was an old woman who got lost on her way to give baby Jesus gifts and never made it to the manger. On the night of January 5th, Italian families celebrate La Befana by hanging their socks along the chimney, hoping she’ll fill them with sweets and treats. Meanwhile, effigies of La Befana are burnt in some parts of Italy.

The Gävle Goat, Gävle, Sweden

In Gävle, a city in Sweden, what was once a quirky advertising gimmick thought up by the advertisement consultant Stig Gavlén is now one of the world’s most entertaining and unique Christmas traditions. The Gävle Goat is a traditional Christmas display erected yearly at Slottstorget, Gävle.

The display features a giant version of a traditional Swedish Yule goat made of hay. However, this goat-shaped structure is called the Gävle Goat. The goat has been constructed annually in the center of Gävle on the first Sunday of Advent since 1966. The size of the Gävle Goat varies every year. However, it usually stands 43 feet (13 meters) tall, making it the world’s biggest straw goat.

The Christmas Pickle, United States

12 Unique Christmas Traditions in Europe The Christmas Pickle Ornament, Germany — © Roxane Bay / Adobe Stock

If you love Christmas and pickles, you’re in luck in the United States, because one of the most unique Christmas traditions in the USA involves both. This amusing American tradition involves hiding a pickle ornament on the Christmas tree as one of the decorations. This decoration is typically hung on the tree on Christmas Eve.

Then, on Christmas morning, whoever finds the pickle on the tree first receives an extra present from Santa and good luck for the whole year. As you can imagine, this hilarious tradition adds an element of fun and surprise to Christmas Day. Honestly, though, I can’t quite believe there is a market out there for pickle-shaped Christmas decorations.

Find the Almond, Finland

Another unique food-related Christmas tradition occurs in Finland, where families spend their morning hunting through their breakfast for the missing almond. In Finland, it’s tradition to eat rice and milk porridge topped with cinnamon for breakfast at Christmas. However, breakfast is turned into a game to make things more interesting.

Inside one of the puddings is a hidden almond. Whoever finds the almond in their pudding wins the game. As a reward, the person who found the almond is granted good luck until next Christmas. Some families also give the winner an extra Christmas present. We don’t know about you, but any tradition involving rice pudding sounds like a lot of fun.

Krampus, Austria and Germany

If you’re not familiar with Krampus, you’re in for a fright. This is one of the most unique traditions in Austria and parts of Germany. Krampus is the scary counterpart of jolly old Saint Nicholas. While Saint Nick rewards well-behaved children, Krampus is said to punish the naughty ones.

Krampus is a beastly figure with a long tongue, horns, and hooves, who roams the streets during the festive season. On December 5th, known as Krampusnacht, or “Krampus night,” people dress up as Krampus with terrifying masks and costumes and take part in parades and festivities. This creepy tradition is a part of Alpine folklore, where locals play the part of Krampus to scare children into behaving well before Christmas.

Sinterklaas, The Netherlands and Belgium

In the Netherlands and Flanders, the northern part of Belgium, the festive season kicks off early with the celebration of Sinterklaas. Sinterklaas is a figure that resembles Santa Claus and is based on Saint Nicholaos. His official celebration is on December 6th, and children leave their shoes out to receive gifts the night before, known as Sinterklaasavond.

The tradition goes that well-behaved kids will find presents in their shoes, such as chocolate, mandarins, and speculoos, a traditional biscuit. On the other hand, naughty children might find twigs. His helpers often accompany Sinterklaas, known as Pieten.

Advent Calendars, Germany

One of the most beloved Christmas traditions is the Advent calendar. These originate in Germany and are now a part of worldwide celebrations. Traditionally, Advent calendars count down the days leading up to Christmas. Starting on December 1st, each day, a little door is opened to reveal a small treat or surprise. It makes the wait for Christmas even more exciting.

Early versions of the Advent calendar were simple, with religious images and verses. In Germany, the practice of lighting candles led to the creation of the first printed Advent calendars. Today, Advent calendars include chocolate, toys, and even beauty products. They come in all shapes and sizes, with many families creating their own DIY versions.