Unusual, Weird Christmas Traditions From Around The World

Everyone has some Christmas traditions that they treasure and is commonly known to all. However, in some parts of the world, people follow few wacky traditions to celebrate the festival. Here are 10 such unusual and weird traditions from across the world.

1. Austria – In Central European folklore, Krampus — an evil accomplice of St. Nicholas who is said to punish naughty children during the Christmas season — wanders the streets of Austria in December. The mythical beast often described as half-goat, half-demon, is hairy with large horns and hooves. He is also armed with rusty chains and bells.

2. Venezuela - In Caracas, the capital of the country, pretty much the entire city makes its way to the Christmas mass on roller skates. The roads are closed for traffic from 8 a.m. local time (7 a.m. EST) on Christmas day to ensure that people get to the church safely.

3. Iceland – Icelanders are threatened by the killer cat called Jólakötturinn, or Yule Cat, which is said to lurk around in the snow and eat people who wear dirty clothes on Christmas. Traditionally, farmers used the cat as an incentive for workers who worked hard. Hardworking workers would be given new clothes and those who didn’t would risk the wrath of the feline.

4. Czech Republic - In order to predict their love life, unmarried women stand with their backs towards the front door and throw the shoes over the shoulders. If it falls with the toe pointing toward the toe, the woman will tie the knot in the next 12 months.

5. Japan – Although Christmas is not a national holiday in Japan, families from across the country go to the nearest KFC store for a special Christmas meal. This tradition was started in 1974 when the company released a festive marketing campaign in the country with the slogan "Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!" (Kentucky for Christmas!), and now the festival is incomplete without the KFC bargain buckets.

6. Germany – "Hide the pickle" is an old Christmas Eve tradition in which pickles are hidden within the branches of the Christmas tree. On Christmas Day, the child in the household who finds it first is given a special gift from Santa. The adult who finds it first is blessed with good luck in the coming year.

7. South Africa – While people around the world look forward to cake and turkey during Christmas season, those in South Africa choose to snack on fried caterpillars, which are not the usual garden caterpillars. The creatures are deep-fried and covered in very festive hues.

8. Norway - Norwegian folklore states that Christmas Eve coincides with the arrival of witches who take to the skies for mischief. Since brooms are known to be a preferred mode of transport for the evil spirit, people in Norway hide the brooms and cleaning supplies attached with sticks before they go to bed.

9. Ukraine - Christmas trees in Ukraine are decorated with fake spiders and webs. This custom is based on a tale in which a poor woman could not afford to decorate the Christmas tree and when she woke up the following morning, a spider had decorated it with a glittering web.

10. Catalonia – There are a few weird Christmas traditions followed in Catalonia. Caganer, a small defecating figurine appears during the nativity scene. Another tradition involves people creating a "defecating log" out of a small log and placing it on the dining room table. On Christmas Eve, the log is beaten with sticks, excreting its goodies.