It is a time when billions of people across the globe embrace chances to be a little more festive and spend additional time with family and friends over the final month of the year.
From lighting the menorah, to putting up Christmas trees, attending midnight mass, wearing matching pajamas, and opening gifts on Christmas, all are special moments people participate in to make this time year special and full of joy.
There are some traditions across the world that embrace different, spiritual, adventurous and perhaps troublesome ways of celebrating the Christmas and holiday season, of which you may have never heard.
The Yule Lads, Iceland
In a tradition that might call to mind the seven dwarfs who welcomed Snow White into their home in the classic fairy tale, the Yule Lads of Iceland are said to leave a small gift for children who leave a shoe on their windowsills before going to bed beginning on the night of December 11.
The tradition continues through Christmas Day, with each night featuring a visit from a different Yule Lad.
Hiding Brooms, Norway
Norwegian folklore suggested evil spirits and witches awoke on Christmas Eve, and this unique tradition is rooted in efforts to keep those unwelcome holiday guests grounded and avoid lost brooms. On the night of Julaften (Christmas Eve), Norwegians hide their brooms in closets inside their homes to keep them from being stolen by ill-intentioned witches.
Night of the Radishes, Oaxaca, Mexico
Held annually on December 23, the Night of the Radishes is a local celebration in Oaxaca, Mexico. This unique event celebrates oversized radishes, which certainly merits the celebration’s inclusion on any list of unusual holiday season celebrations. The event involves the carving of large radishes into figures, a tradition that began as a way to attract more customers to Oaxaca’s Christmas market. A formal radish-carving competition was instituted in the late nineteenth century, and the Night of the Radishes continues to draw visitors today.
Krampus Parades, Austria The holiday season might be a heartwarming time of year in many locales, but the various Krampus parades throughout Austria turn that notion on its head. Krampus is a horned anthropomorphic figure in central and eastern Alpine folklore. Krampus is something akin to Santa Claus’s alter ego who’s said to punish bad children rather than reward good ones with gifts. Legend says Krampus and his band of less-than-jovial elves roamed an area of the Alps and delighted in causing mayhem.
Austrian Krampus parades take place at night and feature revelers dressed in scary costumes, making this a unique and perhaps not as jovial holiday season tradition.
Tradition contributes to the special feelings of awe, joy and wonder felt in many communities each December.
Holiday celebrants who can’t get enough seasonal magic can take note of some of the many unique traditions across the globe that help make the month of December such a celebratory time of year. ✲
