Christmas will be here before you know it. While everyone has their favorite Christmas traditions, the holiday can look very different depending on your location. Here in the United States tradition changes not only family to family, but by state and region as well. Naturally, the same can be said for Christmases in other countries.
What follows is a list of traditions from around the world that I find interesting. From cute, to cool, to creepy, here’s a quick look into how Christmas is done throughout the globe.
-In Oaxaca, Mexico, December 23rd is celebrated as Noche de Los Rábanos, or “Night Of The Radishes”, which sounds like an awesome B-grade science fiction movie from the 1950’s, but it’s not. This tradition began hundreds of years ago when merchants would carve radishes into different designs as a way to sell their wares to shoppers on their way to Christmas church services. The most attractive and imaginative pieces were bought to be centerpieces for the holiday dinner table.
The holiday was made official in 1897, and it is now a huge festival, attracting tourists and artisans from near and far. Cash prizes are given out for the best radish carvings each year. This is followed by a parade on December 24th for Christmas Eve, and a large, city wide fiesta on Christmas Day.
-Have you heard about the the Christmas Spider in Ukraine? No, no, it’s actually kind of sweet, in an eww kind of way. According to local folklore, there was once a poor widow with children who watched a pine tree outside their home grow into a Christmas tree. This brought them happiness, yet they were sad that they couldn’t afford to decorate it. The widow hung fruit and nuts on the tree in hopes of making her children happy in the morning. Overnight, the local spiders decided to pitch in by weaving silver and gold webs all around the tree to decorate for the family. The next day, the widow and her family were amazed and delighted.
This whole thing reminds me of Charlotte’s Web without Templeton who, let’s face it, was the best part of that cartoon version from my childhood. Anyway…
While I’ll take a pass on this particular tradition, Ukrainians decorate their trees with ornaments that look like spiders and their webs, which are meant to bring good fortune. This year, the story and tradition are that much more important.
-In Japan it is estimated that at least 3.6 million families treat themselves to a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken for their Christmas dinner. While Japan is not a Christian country, KFC ran a (somewhat dubious) campaign advertising the idea that KFC for Christmas was a time honored Western tradition. It isn’t, of course, but since when does truth interfere with profits? Anyway, the whole thing took off, and it is now a time honored tradition in Japan. It is so popular that many families place their orders days in advance so as not to be left out.
I see you, Japan, and I’m here for this fine tradition. Save me a drumstick.
-Many people in the United States are familiar with the German tradition of hiding a pickle shaped ornament in the Christmas tree. The idea is that the green pickle ornament is buried deep within the branches and, being green, is difficult to find. The children are set the task of finding the pickle, and whoever finds the pickle first gets either a bonus present, or gets to be the first to open a present. Cute tradition, right?
Here’s the thing, though. This tradition is not German. Most Germans have never heard of it. No one seems to know exactly where this came from, but somebody came up with the Germany idea, and it just stuck.
-Most of the beloved Christmas characters in the U.S. are the positive, happy, loving kind. Even most of our villains have a little good in them, usually brought out by the end of the story. Mr. Grinch would be a case in point. Some European countries, especially in Central Europe, are a little different.
Sure, many countries have a version of Santa Claus, but many have his opposite as well. The most famous is Krampus, a half demon/half goat creature that goes around punishing naughty children around Christmastime by beating them with branches and sticks, or stuffing them into his sack to take them away to Hell. He often arrives in early December with St. Nicholas, who of course, rewards the good kids with candy. Obviously this is a story invented to scare kids into being good, but it doesn’t stop there. Krampusnacht (Krampus Night) is celebrated in many cities with grown men running through the streets dressed as Krampus, terrorizing the townsfolk in the name of tradition and, um, family fun (?). This gives me nightmares just thinking about it, I can’t imagine being a kid during that time. Although I suppose it’s probably no worse than what goes on in some neighborhoods for Halloween here in the States.
There are other evil or mischievous Christmastime characters throughout the world, such as goblins, witches, gnomes, etc. One I have just recently learned about that I am fascinated by is the Yule cat. In Iceland, the Yule cat is a huge, viscous cat that hides in the countryside and preys on people who don’t receive new clothes to wear before Christmas Eve. That’s right folks, if you don’t have some new duds to get you through the winter, the Yule cat will straight up eat you alive! Wow, and here I thought that the Grumpy Cat Christmas Special was the worst thing a cat could do to me during the holidays. Remind me to donate some parkas to the poor in Iceland this year-they’re going to need some!
-And finally, let’s talk about Christmas decorations, especially those found in Catalunya, Spain. Like most others who celebrate Christmas, the Catalonians decorate with Nativity scenes. All the usual figures are there of course, with Mary and Joseph, Baby Jesus, Shepherds, Wise Men, etc. However, there is one character that we don’t have-a caganer.
What’s a caganer? Well. I’m pretty sure he’s not biblical. A caganer is a character that is stuck in a Nativity scene, usually hidden in the back or a corner, who is caught quite literally with his pants down, answering nature’s call. Yup. It’s a pooping statue. Google it. Even I can’t make this up!
The caganer has traditionally been depicted wearing a white shirt and a traditional Catalan hat, but in modern times has been made to match the likeness of fictional characters like Darth Vader, or politicians like Vladimir Putin, and many other famous celebrities. The tradition of the caganer has been traced back to the 18th century, but historians aren’t quite sure of its meaning. Some claim the caganer to represent fertility and the fertilization of the Earth. Others say these little characters to be a reminder that God is coming on his own time table-whether we are ready or not! Still others believe he is in the Nativity scenes to represent the mischief and evil tendencies in mankind, balancing out the purity and wholesomeness of the traditional Nativity-and thereby proving the point as to why Jesus came in the first place.
Maybe it is a symbolic character, or maybe the Catalonians just have a top tier sense of humor. There have been multiple attempts to remove the character from public Nativity scenes in recent years, but they have been unsuccessful since most people see the caganer as part of their heritage. Well, whatever you think about all this, one thing is clear. The Catalonians absolutely win at Christmas decorating. Game, set, and match.
Well, that’s quite enough for this week, I think. Maybe you’ve learned about a Christmas tradition or two you hadn’t heard of before. Perhaps you’re inspired to seek out new traditions of your own…or maybe not. Wherever we are and however we celebrate, the traditions we hold dear are always a big part of every Christmas.
See you next week!
MonDAVEs with Dave Brink 