New Year traditions of different nations of the world are sometimes very strange and even slightly frightening. In this list, we have collected 10 of the most unusual Christmas and New Year customs from around the world.
10. Chickens for Christmas, Japan
Christmas is not the most significant holiday in Japan (and not religious at all), but the Japanese would not be Japanese if they did not come up with their own strange alternative to the classic Christmas traditions. And it consists in dine at Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).
According to KFC, in 1974 one of the visitors to their restaurant in Japan tasted a delicious chicken and said with delight: "This is the best thing to eat in a country that doesn't serve turkey for Christmas dinner!" After that, KFC marketers decided to decorate Japanese cities with advertisements for their restaurants, accompanied by the slogan: "Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!" ("Kentucky for Christmas!").
What began as a marketing ploy in the 70s is now part of the annual Christmas celebrations in the Land of the Rising Sun.
9. Book as the best New Year's gift, Iceland
Import restrictions and high inflation during the Great Depression led to shortages of many products in the country.
However, printed materials could be easily imported into Iceland, even in difficult times for the country. As a result, the book became the most popular gift for New Year and Christmas. And it remains to this day.
Most of the book sales take place between September and November. This is known as Jólabókaflóð or the "Christmas flood of books".
8. Apples and Santa's Sisters, China
In China, books and chickens are not the most popular New Year products. Apples wrapped in colored paper are another matter. Usually Santa Claus is depicted on the wrapper and good wishes are written. Probably, many will not refuse to receive instead of the traditional apple the best New Year's gift in the form of a smartphone from Apple.
In addition, in Chinese shopping malls during the New Year period, you will not see the “Santa elves” that are popular in the West. Instead, the Chinese Grandfather Frost acquired sisters who help him with the distribution of gifts. They can be found not only in shopping malls, but also in parks and other public places.
7. Catalan pooping log, Spain
If you are not originally from Catalonia, then you have hardly heard of Caga Tió (kagatio, or literally "pooping log"). This log, dressed in a bright red Catalan beret, with a painted smiling face and two supporting legs, appears in homes from December 8 - the Day of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. Children take care of him in every possible way, cover him with a blanket, feed him with sweets and fruits, while “eating” Caga Tió at night when no one sees him. And who eats well, what is good? That's right, pooping.
So the New Year's log does this, only once, during Christmas.Previously, they beat him heartily with a stick (so that he would not be greedy and give more gifts) and sing a traditional song about defecation. Then the blanket is removed from Caga Tió, under which there are gifts - small trinkets and sweets.
At the same time, Tio's large gifts cannot be “given out”, they are brought by Pope Noel - the Spanish analogue of Santa Claus, or the Christmas Magi.
6. Hide brooms from witches, Norway
Christmas holidays are very popular in Norway. And in some parts of the country, the old tradition of hiding brooms on Christmas Eve is still alive.
It is believed that it was at this time that witches and other evil spirits come out of their hiding places in search of a broom (or, at worst, a broom) in order to go to harm good people and ruin their holiday.
5. Christmas sauna, Finland
On New Year's Eve, Russians traditionally watch The Irony of Fate, in which the main character and his friends go to the bathhouse. But the Finns go to the bathhouse, or rather to the sauna, on Christmas Eve to enjoy the well-deserved peace and quiet before the start of a noisy and merry Christmas.
To create a festive atmosphere, the sauna is decorated with candles and lanterns. By the way, if you don't have your own sauna, it doesn't matter. Many public Finnish saunas set aside special Christmas hours for those visitors who wish to cleanse their body and soul before a bright holiday.
4. Watching cartoons with Donald Duck, Sweden
Every Christmas, many Swedish families gather to watch together in front of their TV to watch the special TV episode "Donald Duck and Friends Wish You a Merry Christmas."
It includes cartoons of the Disney studio, released in the period from the 30s to the 60s of the last century. This issue is not shown on other days. It's funny that not all of the cartoons in this cut are related to Christmas.
This tradition is associated with the distant 1958, when there were only two television channels in Sweden and only one of them had access to Disney content.
3. A hassle with a gray nag, Wales
The Welsh have a long tradition called the Marie Louis Rite. Seeing off the old year, the people of Wales make a kind of zombie horse: they put a horse skull on a stick and decorate it with a white sheet and colored ribbons, insert pieces of glass or buttons into the eye sockets. A special person controls the skull, forcing the mouth to open and giving the appearance of life.
With such a frightening companion, a group of mummers travels from house to house, singing about how hard it is to live on the street, and asking them to treat them with booze and pies.
The one of the mummers who plays the role of Marie Luid must persuade the owner of the house to let them in, and the latter tries to convince the honest company of his poverty. Moreover, persuasion from both sides should be both humor and in verse. This is called the "squabble with the gray nag."
If the victory in this playful poetic competition remains with the mummers, then the owner of the house gives them water and feeds at his own expense. Otherwise, they leave with nothing.
2. Christmas witch, Italy
An Italian witch named La Befana is associated with one of scary Christmas stories... But only if you misbehaved all year.
If you were a good boy or girl (and live in sunny Italy), then La Befana will not take you with it, but will give you something good, like a local analogue of Santa Claus.
There is also a belief that for the sake of good, kind owners, Befana will do her best, and will not only leave gifts, but will also sweep the floor before leaving. For this, she also has a reward: on the night of January 5-6, she needs to leave a small glass of wine and some food on the fireplace.
1. Looking for love and gifts, Czech Republic
We decided to end the selection of interesting and unusual New Year and Christmas traditions on a touching note. And what could be nicer than giving gifts to children and the hope of finding a betrothed?
Contrary to the traditions of other countries, in the Czech Republic it is not Santa Claus who is giving gifts, but the baby Jesus himself - Jezhishek. Children write letters to him with wishes and hang them out of the window.And when bells ringing on Christmas Eve, it means that Jezyshek read the letter and brought the long-awaited present.
Unmarried ladies have other concerns on Christmas Eve. They need to throw a shoe over their shoulder, so that it falls toe to the door. This is a good omen, then the girl will certainly get married.