Christmas Traditions You Haven't Heard Of

Here are ten unique Christmas traditions:

FESTIVAL OF BONFIRES

Every year on Christmas Eve in Lutcher, Louisiana, tree-shaped bonfires are lit on the levees of the Mississippi River. This Cajun tradition is said to point Santa Claus in the direction of homes on dark Christmas Eve nights.

TUMBLEWEED CHRISTMAS TREE

This tradition started in Chandler, Arizona in 1957 when resident Earl Barnum was inspired by a tree made from cone-shaped chicken wire and pine boughs in Indiana. He came up with the idea to collect what Arizona has a plethora of- tumbleweeds. He spray-painted them white, constructed them into a Christmas tree shape, and topped it with a star. This tree requires 1,200 tumbleweeds and 20 gallons of fire retardant!

FEAST OF SEVEN FISHES

Many Italian American families practice the tradition of the Feast of Seven Fishes. It originated in Southern Italy, where Roman Catholics abstain from meat on holidays. Shrimp, flounder, sea bass, and calamari are the most popular choices.

KFC

For many people in Japan, Kentucky Fried Chicken is their traditional Christmas dinner. It gets so busy that reservations are needed in advance. It stems from a clever marketing campaign that convinced the Japanese people that fried chicken is a traditional American feast.

PICKLE ORNAMENTS

Have you ever heard of the old German pickle tradition? It consists of hiding a pickle ornament somewhere on the Christmas tree and the first child who finds it gets an extra gift. It turns out, this is most likely a myth, as many German people have never heard of this tradition. The most likely theory is that an ornament salesman had a lot of extra pickle ornaments to sell and created the legend of the Christmas pickle!

KRAMPUS

In Austria, Santa Claus has an evil counterpart named Krampus. He’s a demon-like creature who wants to punish bad children before Christmas. He punishes with more than just coal- he carries chains and a basket so he can abduct naughty children and bring them to hell (Oh my!).

ROLLER SKATING

In the week leading up to Christmas, it is customary for churchgoers in Caracas, Venezuela to travel to Misa de Aguinaldo (Early Morning Mass) in roller skates! Many roads are closed until 8 am so Christmas worshippers can travel safely.

SPIDER WEBS

In the US, we associate spider web decorations with Halloween. In Ukraine, spider webs are a common Christmas decoration! This tradition stems from an old tale of a poor woman who couldn’t afford to decorate her Christmas tree. She awoke on Christmas morning to find that a spider covered her tree in a beautiful, sparkling web. These spider webs are believed to be good luck.

BROOM HIDING

Much like Halloween in the US, Norwegian folklore claims that Christmas Eve brings the arrival of spirits and witches. This started the tradition of hiding all the brooms in their houses before they go to bed so no witches wreak havoc!

SHOE TOSSING

On Christmas Eve in the Czech Republic, unmarried women practice this tradition. They face the opposite side of their door and toss one of their shoes over their shoulder. The future of their love life depends on the direction in which the shoe lands. If the toe lands facing the door, it means they will get married within a year. If the toe lands away from the door, the woman will remain single.