But plenty of places have traditions that are far less familiar in the United States, and some of them can sound pretty surprising if you did not grow up with them.
Think half of Sweden sitting down for the same Donald Duck special, Japan treating KFC like a Christmas Eve must-have, or Austria’s “bad Santa,” Krampus making the rounds.
Here is a quick trip through some of the more unusual Christmas traditions from around the world.
Sweden: Watching Donald Duck on Television
Every year at 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve, around half of Sweden sits down to watch the 1958 Walt Disney TV special From All of Us to All of You. In Swedish, it is known as Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul, which translates to “Donald Duck and His Friends Wish You a Merry Christmas.” Most people simply call it Kalle Anka. Since 1959, the broadcast has aired at the same time every December 24 on TV1, Sweden’s main public television channel, and it runs without commercial interruption. According to Slate, it is consistently one of the three most-watched TV events in the country each year, and some lines from the show have become familiar phrases people repeat in everyday life.
Slate’s Jeremy Stahl, who remembers his first Christmas in Sweden with his soon-to-be wife, wrote, “I was taken aback not only by the datedness of the clips (and the somewhat random dubbing) but also by how seriously my adoptive Swedish family took the show. Nobody talked, except to recite favorite lines along with the characters.”
Stahl also pointed out that many families plan the rest of Christmas Eve around the broadcast, including when they eat their holiday meal. He added that while it may sound odd to outsiders, there is also something easy to understand about it: “For many Swedes, there is something comforting about knowing that every year there is one hour, on one day, when you sit down with everyone in your family and just be together.”
Venezuela: Roller Skating to Christmas Eve Mass
In Caracas, Venezuela, it has long been a tradition to put on roller skates and head out to early morning Christmas mass that way. According to Metro.co.uk, local legend says kids sometimes go to bed with a string tied around a toe, with the other end hanging out the window. When skaters pass by in the morning, they tug the strings to help wake the children up so they can get ready and join in. Add in church bells ringing and the sound of firecrackers, and the streets start to feel like a moving holiday parade. Once mass ends, people gather for food, music, and dancing, and the tradition still continues today.
Japan: Eating KFC on Christmas Eve
Christmas is not widely celebrated in Japan—only about 1 percent of the population is estimated to be Christian—but a bucket of KFC “Christmas Chicken” has become a popular Christmas Eve meal on December 24. According to the BBC, 3.6 million families celebrated that way in 2016.
The tradition traces back to a 1974 marketing campaign: “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii” (Kentucky for Christmas). Smithsonian says the story goes that a group of foreigners could not find turkey and chose KFC instead, and the company recognized an opportunity and ran with it. KFC promoted a Christmas set meal—chicken and wine—for the equivalent of $10, which Smithsonian notes was not cheap for the mid-1970s. These days, many people place orders far ahead of time to avoid the lines, and if you wait too long, you might end up standing around for as long as two hours.
Ukraine: Decorating the Tree With Fake Spiders and Webs
Ukrainian folklore tells a story about a poor family led by a widowed mother who could not afford decorations for their Christmas tree. During the night, while the family slept, a “Christmas spider” spun a beautiful web across the branches. When sunlight hit the web the next morning, the strands shimmered like silver and gold, and the family’s luck changed from that point on. To honor the tale, some Ukrainian families decorate their trees with glittering spider ornaments and web-like garlands, turning a spooky idea into something bright and festive.
Guatemala: La Quema del Diablo, “Burning the Devil”
Every December 7, starting at 6 p.m. on the dot, many Guatemalans light bonfires to “burn the devil” and kick off the Christmas season. National Geographic notes the tradition is especially significant in Guatemala City because it ties in with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which honors the city’s patron saint. What began as colonial-era bonfires gradually evolved into burning devil figures, a symbolic way of clearing out darkness before celebrating the Virgin Mary. In recent years, devil piñatas have also become part of the event. Today, an estimated 500,000 bonfires burn over the course of an hour, while fireworks light up the smoky sky.
Catalonia: Caganer, the Pooping Christmas Figurine
A common figure in Catalonian nativity scenes, the caganer is exactly what it sounds like: a bare-bottomed man with his pants around his knees, crouched down as he poops. He is often shown wearing a white shirt and a barretina, which is a traditional Catalan hat.
The caganer likely first appeared in nativity scenes in the early 18th century, when many displays also included everyday rural life alongside the biblical story. You will often find the caganer tucked behind a tree or a building, placed off in a corner like a hidden joke. Caganer literally means “pooper” in Catalan, and nobody fully agrees on what the figure is meant to represent. One theory says it stands for good luck and a prosperous new year, since the act can be seen as “fertilizing” the earth. Another theory is that it reflects the mischievous side people carry, while another suggests it is about humility and being human. Either way, the point is clear: everyone poops.
Wales: Mari Lwyd, or “Gray Mare”
Mari Lwyd, or “Gray Mare,” is the name for a spooky-looking horse figure that can be brought door-to-door in Wales between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. It is usually made from a horse skull covered by a white sheet, then decorated with ribbons and bells. Groups carry it through town while singing, and they challenge people they meet to a playful battle of wits through poetry and wordplay. Atlas Obscura notes that while Mari Lwyd is often linked to Christmas today, it is actually a pre-Christian tradition, and some communities bring it out on other dates, such as Halloween or May Day. Still, the Christmas season remains the most common time for it, and the tradition often includes wassailing, which involves drinking a sweetened, spiced ale.
Austria and the German-Speaking Alpine Region: Krampus, the Christmas Devil
In Austria and other Alpine areas, well-behaved children look forward to St. Nicholas bringing treats and small gifts, but kids on the naughty list are warned about Krampus. Part demon and part goat, Krampus is a “bad Santa” devil-like figure with roots in pagan winter-solstice traditions.
Later, Krampus became folded into Christian holiday customs alongside celebrations for St. Nicholas. On Krampusnacht, or “Krampus night,” which takes place right before St. Nicholas Day, adults dress up as Krampus and roam the streets. You can also see Krampus on a Krampuslauf—literally a “Krampus run.” He shows up on holiday cards across Austria and remains a familiar part of seasonal traditions in other German-speaking regions near the Alps.
Iceland: The Yule Cat
Iceland has its own scary Christmas character: the Yule cat. The story says it lurks in the snow and waits to devour anyone who has not received new clothes to wear for Christmas. In rural Icelandic communities, employers used to reward household members with new clothes and sheepskin shoes near the holidays as a way to encourage everyone to work hard in the lead-up to Christmas. In simple terms, the Yule cat “punishes” the lazy by eating them, which is a pretty intense way to motivate people to finish their chores.
Greenland: Whale Blubber Dinner
In many places, women have traditionally prepared the Christmas meal, but in Greenland, men serve the women. A main dish is mattak, which is strips of whale blubber, along with kiviak, made from auks packed into sealskin for months and then eaten once it begins to ferment. The dessert is a little more familiar: Christmas porridge topped with butter, cinnamon, and sugar.
Italy: Befana, the Christmas Witch
Italy has its own spooky holiday figure too: Befana, the Christmas witch. She has the warts and sharp nose people usually picture when they think of a classic witch, but on January 5 she leaves gifts and sweets for good children. For the naughty ones, she leaves coal. Legend also says she sometimes scoops up especially bad children and brings them home to her child-eating husband. According to Vice, Italy celebrates Befana with festivals that include market stalls, raffles, games, and prizes, and children write letters to her the same way they write to Santa Claus.
