Christmas and Hanukkah are the most well known December holidays, but around the world there are many different holiday traditions, and some of them are quite interesting. From Japan to Mexico, these different traditions from around the world can bring even more festivity in your life.
One of the most bizarre traditions I have come across is Japan’s KFC Christmas. In Japan, KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is viewed as a Christmas food. Millions of people who live in Japan buy a giant, Christmas themed KFC bucket. The tradition started in 1970 when the first KFC opened in Japan. The manager of that location Takeshi Okawara thought of selling a Christmas “party barrel” after being inspired by foreigners. Following his ideas, it became Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakki, or Kentucky for Christmas.This celebration came to fruition because of marketing, however, many Japanese people believe that Americans eat KFC for Christmas, and so it is viewed as an American tradition that they partake in.
Every year in Gävle (“yeah-vleh”), Sweden, a goat statue made out of straw is erected to celebrate the holiday season. The tradition started in 1966 when the advertising consultant Stig Gavlén came up with the idea to create a giant statue of the Yule goat, a Scandinavian Christmas symbol, and place it in the square of the city. Ever since the goat was first erected, it has been the victim of arson and vandalism each year. Despite many efforts to reduce the vandalism, it has been damaged/destroyed a total 38 times. Additionally, there is a livestream of the goat each year.
In South Africa, they celebrate Christmas with church services, and they hang stockings for Santa, known as Sinterklaas in South Africa. Then they have a barbeque, a braai, and eat turkey and Christmas pudding.
The Legend of the Christmas Spider is a European folktale that is prevalent in Ukraine. They typically decorate their trees with spider ornaments celebrating the story. The story starts with a poor widow who lives with her children in a small hut. On a summer day, a pine cone fell on the floor of the hut and took root. The widow’s children took care of the tree, hoping for a beautiful Christmas tree by the winter. However, by the time Christmas Eve came around, they were too poor to decorate the tree. The next day, they woke up to find the tree decorated with cobwebs. They opened the window and the first ray of sunlight touched the webs and turned them into gold and silver. From then on, the widow and her children no longer lived in poverty.
In Mexico, there is a tradition called La Rosca de Reyes, or Three Kings Bread. It is a Christian holiday that celebrates when the three wise men arrived in Bethlehem to meet baby Jesus. A custom of this holiday is to cut the rosca, the traditional bread of the holiday. Inside the bread are plastic figurines that represent baby Jesus.The person who finds the baby has to host a party on February 2nd, the Dia de la Candelaria.
While traditions vary across the world, they also vary here in the U.S. However your family chooses to celebrate, we wish you happy holidays and hope you can spend time with your loved ones and enjoy winter break.
