Pooping logs and spider webs are just two of the unique ways people mark the holidays around the world.
Christmas is one of the most well-loved traditions in the world. Its popularity partly derives from it being familiar and comforting, evoking feelings of nostalgia of those times when all we have to worry about is whether or not Santa will give us the right gift.
And because Christmas is celebrated by millions, from winter wonderlands to the humid tropics, it is also celebrated in many different ways. If you thought the season is only about Christmas trees, candy canes, and Santa merchandise, then I’m afraid you’re gravely mistaken. Sure, they are beloved timeless icons, but the Yuletide season is so much more than these well-known symbols.
The POST rounds up some of the most unique holiday traditions around the world, from one where a goat burns to another where a log poops out treats, and everything else that’s weird and unfamiliar in between.
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1. Catalonia’s ‘defecating log’
A pooping log? What on earth! Especially on Christmas? In Catalonia, Spain, families celebrate Christmas with this unique tradition involving a “defecating log” known as Caga Tió or Tio de Nadal.
It starts with a wooden log painted on with a smiley face and with stick legs attached. This contraption is used to “poop” out presents for children. The tradition involves “feeding” the log with sweets, candies, and nuts over the days leading up to Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. On the big day, the children repeatedly hit the log with a stick while singing a funny song, and the parents then reveal the presents hidden behind the log.
This tradition traces its roots to pagan and rural rituals, likely related to winter solstice celebrations, and represents the log that was burned as a source of heat and light in the past. While the tradition has evolved over time, it remains an important part of Catalan Christmas celebrations.
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2. Venezuelan roller skating
If we have our Simbang Gabi with all the delightful food that comes with it like puto bumbong and bibingka, Venezuela has something similar, although with more adrenaline rush. In the capital Caracas, residents have kept a delightful Christmas tradition alive—that of roller-skating to early morning church services called Misa de Gallo (some Filipinos still use that term which translates literally to “mass of the rooster”) during the nine days leading up to Christmas.
Called las patinatas, it involves people of all ages gathering in parks and skating around while belting out Christmas songs. The tradition is a family-friendly affair with no alcohol, just hot chocolate and coffee. The tradition is believed to have started in the 1950s, possibly influenced by the popularity of roller skating in the US at the time. While it seems very secular, it is tied to broader Advent and Marian devotional practices in Venezuela, where people prepare their homes and accompany Mary and Joseph in search of a place for Jesus to be born.
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3. Japan’s KFC Christmas
If we have lechon, lumpiang shanghai, jamon de bola, and pancit as some of our favorite noche buena staples, Japan has KFC. Yes, you read that right. A country known for its legendary culinary heritage keeps a holiday tradition alive that has for decades been closely intertwined with an American fast food joint.
Christmas is not traditionally celebrated in Japan, where less than 1% of the population identifies as Christian. But in 1974, KFC launched its “Kentucky for Christmas” marketing campaign in the country with the first iteration of its still popular party buckets. That initial marketing campaign, which was hinged on celebrating the holidays in an “elegant, authentic, true American style,” has become so popular that the tradition stuck and remains popular to this day.
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4. Sweden’s Gävle goat
Each year in Gävle, Sweden, a giant straw goat is erected to mark the beginning of the holiday festivities. However, unlike Christmas trees or parol that we don’t take down until after the holidays are over (which is usually after the first week of January here at home), the locals of Gävle wait — and sometimes bet — on whether the goat will make it to Christmas. Why, you may ask. Because someone always tries to burn down the goat, with many attempts to burn it down every Yuletide season.
The tradition dates back to 1966, when town officials wanted something fun for the town square, so they thought of building a giant Yule goat made of straw. The first Gävle goat actually made it all the way to New Year’s Eve before being burned down, but succeeding ones haven’t been so lucky. In the past 56 years, the Gävle Yule goat has been razed at least 35 times!
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5. Poland’s Wigilia
On Christmas Eve, known as Wigilia in Poland, Polish families share a meatless feast (noooo!) that begins when the first star appears in the sky. In place of indulgent meat dishes, they serve fish, usually carp. Despite being a meat-free affair, Wigilia includes many traditional dishes and desserts, that you won’t be craving your favorite protein.
Specifically, the feast consists of 12 courses, one for each of Jesus’ apostle. An extra seat is often left at the table for an unexpected guest, symbolizing hospitality and remembrance of loved ones who may be absent.
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6. Oaxaca’s Night of the Radishes
In Oaxaca, Mexico, December 23 is celebrated with the La Noche de Rabanos or Night of the Radishes, where participants carve intricate nativity scenes into large radishes. These creations are displayed at a market, a showcase of local artistry and creativity as much as it is a religious observance.
The radishes grown for the event aren’t the usual ones you’d find in the market. The truth is, most of the giant, overfertilized radishes harvested in the days leading up to Christmas aren’t edible. They are also unnaturally large and heavy that put together they can all weigh a total of as much as 20 tons.
The annual event, which is celebrating its 127th iteration this year, traces its history to the late 19th century, when Oaxaca’s market vendors would fiercely compete for buyer attention in the Zocalo, the city’s main plaza, by creatively exhibiting their seasonal produce to Christmas shoppers. They’d cut their fruits and vegetables into eye-catching displays in the hope of boosting their sales.
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7. Ukraine’s spider webs
Instead of shooing these eight-limbed arachnids away, Ukrainians welcome spiders with open arms during Christmas—well, sort of. These nocturnal creatures and their webs represent good luck, so they decorate their Christmas trees with artificial spiders and webs to usher in good fortune in the coming year. Spiders aren’t only for Halloween after all!
This tradition stems from a folktale about a poor widow who lives in a cramped hut with her children. One day, a pinecone dropped from the tree outside and took root. The kids, excited by the idea of finally having their own Christmas tree, nurtured the seedling until it grew. But they were so poor, and come Christmas Eve, they resigned to the fact that they wouldn’t be able to decorate the tree. The household’s spiders heard the little ones’ cries and spun sparkly webs on the tree to make them smile. This miracle is remembered by Ukrainians to this day and explains their unique choice of Christmas tree decorations.
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8. Australia’s Christmas by the beach
Mention of Christmas usually conjures images of snow gently falling from the sky or a cozy home decked in holiday regalia. The beach isn’t among the first things that comes to mind. Not in the Land Down Under. Since Christmas falls during summer in Australia, many families celebrate by heading to the beach for some good ol’ barbecue and picnic, with Santa Claus often depicted as a surfer. So if you love the beach and Christmas, maybe you can include Australia in your travel plans around the holidays.
