Christmas Traditions Around The World (PHOTOS)

For children of all ages, Christmas conjures up enchanting visions of snowflakes, sleigh rides and sugar plums. But while the holidays may be universally thought of as the most wonderful time of the year, not all international yuletide customs are merry and bright.

In Austria as well as elsewhere in central Europe, St. Nicholas is accompanied by Krampus, a truly sinister, demon-like creature who bears a whip and a sack for misbehaved children. In the Czech Republic, the traditional Christmas Eve meal is carp, but buying one means bearing witness to a gruesome ritual of Wes Craven-like proportions, while in the Catalonia region of Spain, you might opt to steer clear of a legendary figure known as El Caganer, who's up to some foul-smelling business -- literally -- in the nativity scene.

Take a look at some of the most spirited Christmas traditions around the world here:

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Austria

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No doubt one of the most terrifying holiday traditions hails from the Austrian Alps, where a figure known as Krampus accompanies St. Nicholas on his travels. The sinister, demon-like figure carries a whipping rod and a sack for misbehaved children.

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No doubt one of the most terrifying holiday traditions hails from the Austrian Alps, where a figure known as Krampus accompanies St. Nicholas on his travels. The sinister, demon-like figure carries a whipping rod and a sack for misbehaved children.

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Most Festive Custom

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Bah humbug! Magical

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Global Christmas Customs

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Global Christmas Customs

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Comments

[seted]

11:40 AM on 12/23/2010

Wow, the GOP got its start in Austria? Who woulda thunk it?

[Vanessa Belle]

10:34 AM on 12/23/2010

In the Czech Republic, isn't the carp brought home alive and kept alive in a bathtub for awhile before the ax drops?

[totaldisbelief]

10:16 AM on 12/22/2010

the English one being placed right after the Spanish one is very unappetising

[totaldisbelief]

10:12 AM on 12/22/2010

The Carp's head is Hacked Off in view of the Purchaser....as opposed to The purchaser buy's a live Carp which is then dressed out while thepurchaser waits for their fresh fish.

[Matt Thorn]

06:03 PM on 12/21/2010

The so-called Japanese equivalent of Santa Claus, "Hoeiosho," is bunk. I've lived in Japan for 15 years, am fluent in Japanese, was married to a Japanese for 20 years, and I've never once heard of this character. It sounds like some foreign scholar found some legend that happens to resemble that of Santa and wrote in some book that this "Hoeiosho" dude is the equivalent. Find me a single Japanese who has ever even heard of him.

HuffPo, please do some fact-checking before your publish "bizarre" stuff about far-away lands.

[tiredofthesameoldstuff]

02:50 PM on 12/22/2010

How about Hoteiosho instead of Hoeiosho?

[mydoghasfleas]

10:01 AM on 12/20/2010

Is there any significance of the order these countries were put in?

I was wondering about the pooping figures from Spain followed by the Christmas pudding from England....

[Richard Pearce]

06:35 PM on 12/22/2010

Well, at least they picked the Christmas pudding.
 
If they had instead gone with a Yule log http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://blog.craftzine.com/IceboxYuleLog.jpg&imgrefurl=http://pictures.servegame.org/picture-of-yule-log-cake.html&h=294&w=500&sz=118&tbnid=K3TSjwXNE8vu_M:&tbnh=76&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dyule%2Blog&zoom=1&q=yule+log&usg=__o-_C_P-s4K3NFa4yqW928KoQMxU=&sa=X&ei=24oSTauLIoT0tgPLsIWgCg&ved=0CB8Q9QEwAA the juxtiposition of the two would have been even more amusing.

[ihpwamh]

07:32 PM on 12/19/2010

I like the Brazilian Elfs, which Santa gets to live with for the rest of the year....Merry Christmas everyone!

[ManuOB1]

06:17 PM on 12/19/2010

A world without myths would be like Iceland in January.

[isaidit]

12:45 PM on 12/20/2010

Would be a world without myths, is all.

[Richard Pearce]

06:37 PM on 12/22/2010

But think of how many wars and massacres could have been avoided.

[Samantha Monteleone]

02:29 PM on 12/19/2010

Makes me miss elementary school. During Christmas, we would don fake passports and travel to different classrooms to learn about the Christmas traditions of other countries.

This is a very interesting slideshow.

And if I may say so, if I lived in Sweden and had to wear a crown made of candles, I would be awfully scared of catching my hair on fire.

[tiredofthesameoldstuff]

07:52 AM on 12/20/2010

Those crowns made of candles used to be pretty common in some parts of the world. They had to use something before lanterns and if you didn't want a blazing torch it was pretty effective at lighting the area around you. Certain candles are much better then others because the flames don't burn your skin or hair as much as others would.

Certain pirates for example used to put lit candles in their beards because the smoke coming from the beard would scare their foes.

[Samantha Monteleone]

10:26 AM on 12/20/2010

Interesting. I didn't know all of that.

[Angie Tyne 1]

01:39 PM on 12/23/2010

They have battery operated ones. This must be by choice. I was in an Ikea last weekend and they had a small choir of girls singing w/the electric ones on their heads. Very sweet surprise.

[Kitwanga]

09:53 AM on 12/19/2010

They should at least included the Mummers of Newfoundland.
Watch this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8OPy7De3bk

[rbenjamin]

08:34 AM on 12/19/2010

Sweden's tradition is the most beautiful, but requires a fire extinguisher and bucket of sand.

[LolaGetz]

01:54 PM on 12/19/2010

I agree, and don't think it should be included in any list of "bizarre" Christmas traditions.

For that matter, neither should the British Christmas pudding. It tastes wonderful and is a fitting end to the Christmas feast, particularly with some good brandy sauce. It's the only time of year we have it and I'm looking foward to it on Christmas Day.

[SteveDenver]

06:09 PM on 12/20/2010

Careful with that British pudding, I've had a couple of wonderful tastes and many horror shows.

[elpaulo]

08:16 AM on 12/19/2010

Want to talk about bizarre xmas traditions? How about lining up with a mob at 4:30 in the morning, waiting for the doors of a mall to be unlocked, and then stampede over your fellow man to get at one of them new playstation 360's. This includes trampling old women and children so YOU can get the last one available.

See if anyone can guess what country this bizarre tradition comes from......

[Samantha Monteleone]

02:27 PM on 12/19/2010

Aha

[Candide33]

07:32 AM on 12/19/2010

They forgot the Christmas pickle! http://german.about.com/library/blgermyth11.htm

[SaulBloodworth]

08:50 AM on 12/19/2010

The Christmas pickle doesn't actually exist.

[LolaGetz]

01:55 PM on 12/19/2010

Shhh, don't say that!

[Candide33]

07:09 PM on 12/19/2010

Yes it does, I have a glass one lol!

[speeddeeps]

07:03 AM on 12/19/2010

Cuck Fristmas

[isaidit]

12:47 PM on 12/20/2010

Long Live the Magic-Helper!

[PaticaDeGato]

06:36 AM on 12/19/2010

Let us not forget "The Touching of Santa" in the USA, where families take their children to local malls and have their children sit on the lap of a Santa-attired possibly-drunken hobo. Various forms of touching are often part of the ritual

[Candide33]

07:28 AM on 12/19/2010

Hahahahaha and leaving Santa a wet surprise on his leg LOL Chris Kringle gets christened

[isaidit]

12:48 PM on 12/20/2010

Some Santa's create their own wet surprize.