Yep, it’s marketing, but it’s interesting! Doors Online (who sell real doors) have put together a list of unusual Christmas traditions worldwide.
Weird Christmas in Poland
According to Polish folklore, any kid born over the twelve days of Christmas could be a werewolf or other half-human, half-demon hybrid. If this occurs, the only available treatment is to collect blood from the infant’s brow.
Weird Christmas in America
According to an old Appalachian belief, an unwed lady who goes to a hog enclosure at midnight on Christmas Eve and hears an elderly hog grunting will marry an older man. But if a young hog grunts first, she might expect a young and gorgeous husband.
Weird Christmas in Greece
You probably don’t picture burning shoes when you think of the aromas associated with Christmas. However, in Greece, it is a Christmastime tradition to burn one’s old shoes, and locals believe the terrible odour will scare away Christmas ghosts called Kallikantzaroi.
Evidently, footwear is a big deal in Greece during the holiday season. They also think it’s unwise to give someone a pair of shoes for the holidays for fear that they might one day abandon you.
Weird Christmas in Latvia
Traditional Latvian Christmas celebrations include carrying the Yule log around the home, an act thought to ward off evil spirits.
In honour of Mithras, the sun god, a Yule log is cut down, dragged through the woods to your house, and finally burned inside your home. Hopefully, the sun will have returned the following year, and the dark days will have vanished thanks to this.
Weird Christmas in Czechia
Whereas many people in Western Europe like to have beef or poultry as the main course at Christmas dinner, carp is more typically served in Eastern Europe.
It is common practise in the Czech Republic for hosts to lay a single fish scale under their guests’ plates as a symbol of good fortune and a reminder of the season’s plenty.
Weird Christmas in the Philippines
There is a significant Christian community in the Philippines, and celebrations start on September 1st for many people. As a result, many age-old customs and beliefs about the holiday season have been passed down.
One such belief among Filipinos is that bathing on Christmas Day is bad luck. Some say that if you do, the gifts of Jesus’ birthday will be lost, and you may develop a mysterious illness.
Weird Christmas in Serbia
The twelve days leading up to Christmas in Serbia are known as the “unbaptized days,” They were traditionally viewed as a time when demonic forces of all kinds would be more active and dangerous than usual.
These demons, known as karakondula, are most active between midnight and dawn, and if they come across an unsuspecting human, they will hop on their back and demand to be carried wherever they choose.
As a result, the victim wouldn’t be freed until the devil heard a cockerel crowing at sunrise.
Weird Christmas in England
You might have been expected to help make the Christmas pudding if you dropped in on an English family on the last Sunday of Advent in the past.
But superstition demands a specific procedure. You need to get up and move from east to west like the Magi did on their way to see Jesus. By doing so, you’ll be granted a wish for the future year and bestowed with good fortune.
Weird Christmas in Portugal
In Portuguese culture, family is extremely important year-round, especially during the holiday season. That’s why it’s common practise in Portugal to arrange an extra seat at the table during the traditional Christmas feast for loved ones who have passed on.
It is a way to honour ancestors who have passed away while bringing good fortune and financial success to the home in the following year.
Weird Christmas in Ukraine
Have you ever been curious about tinsel’s genesis? We may ask, but why do we use this sparkly, fluffy-looking substance to adorn our Christmas trees? It seems this weird Ukrainian ritual could be to blame.
If a spider’s web is discovered in the Christmas tree on the morning of the 25th, it is said to bring prosperity to the home and its inhabitants. Small spider tree ornaments, complete with webs, have become a tradition in Ukraine, where they are said to bring prosperity.
Weird Christmas in Guatemala
It’s lovely to have a spotless home before the holidays anywhere, but in Guatemala, cleanliness truly is next to Godliness. The locals have a superstitious fear of the dark and think evil spirits reside there.
One of the most labour-intensive Christmas traditions occurs on December 7th, when Guatemalans go on a massive cleaning frenzy, piling up trash and undesired goods they’ve collected over the year outside the front door.
An effigy of the devil is burned at the end of the year in a ritual known as La Quema del Diablo (or “Burning of the Devil”) to clear away any negativity from the previous year and make way for a fresh start that the new year brings.
Weird Christmas in Spain
This Christmas superstition could help you if you’re buying a present for someone you don’t particularly care about. If you’re shopping for a loved one, it’s advisable to steer clear of anything pointy.
A superstition in Spain says if you give your friends and family sharp objects like blades or scissors for the holidays, your bond with them will inevitably become strained. Please don’t give them anything wrapped in yellow, as that will bring them nothing but misfortune forever.
In Pure Spirit
Are there any odd Christmas traditions that you, friends or family have?
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