While South Africans gorge on deep fried caterpillars, in Greenland people eat raw whale skin with blubber. Here are some bizarre Christmas traditions from across the world
In Czech Republic, Slovakia, all those who are looking forward to get hitched wait for Christmas. As per the tradition, one has to stand with one’s back to the door and throw a shoe over his shoulders on Christmas day. If the shoe lands with the toe pointing to the door, then it’s a good news. It signifies that the person will get married soon.
On Christmas day, South Africans gorge on a special delicacy — deep fried caterpillars of the emperor moth.
In Norway, all brooms are safely hidden to prevent them from being stolen by the witches and devils.
In Greenland, people celebrate the festival not just with cake and roasted turkey but raw whale skin served with blubber and kiviak — 500 dead auk birds stuffed into a seal skin and fermented for seven months.
Portuguese remember the dead members of their families in a traditional Christmas morning fest Consoda.
The Catalonian tradition of caga tió (or defecating log) involves creating a character out of a small log — often complete with a grinning face and hat — which sits on the dining room table during the fortnight leading to Christmas. It has to be fed every day with fruit, nuts and sweets and then on Christmas Eve the entire family beats the log with sticks, while singing traditional songs, forcing the log to excrete its treats.
Every year on Christmas eve the city of Remedios in Cuba becomes the site of Parrandas, a religious carnival that began 200 years ago when a priest sent altar boys into the street banging on pots and pans to keep people awake for midnight mass.
In Italy an old witch known as “la Befana” walks through the village streets giving gifts to children.
Bavarian Highlanders fire hand held mortars into the air every year while wearing their traditional dress.
According to Greek folklore subterranean goblins come up to the surface once every year during the 12 days of Christmas. During the rest of the year they stay underground but as Christmas comes around they surface to terrorise humanity. After Christmas though, they return to their underground dwellings.
In Germany the last decoration to go on the tree is a pickle and the first child to find it on Christmas receives an extra present.
In southern louisiana massive bonfires are burned every Christmas Eve to light up the river so that Papa Noel (the south louisiana Santa Claus) can find their houses.
Every December a group of people assemble on the shore of Serpentine lake in london to take part in a 100 yard race through the freezing water.
It is said that whoever makes the Christmas pudding in England should make a wish while stirring clockwise to make the wish come true.
Ukaranians decorate their Christmas tree with artificial spiders and webs.