(Creepy Bonfire)
Do you think you know how different parts of the world celebrate the holidays? From carrying a horse skull in Wales to eating Kentucky Fried Chicken in Japan, your Christmas tree might seem a little ordinary. In Central Europe, the incentive for children to behave well is the fear of a devil-like creature bringing them to hell, while in India, the end of the year is celebrated with a festival full of lights.
Kentucky Fried Chicken, Japan
(Korn Vitthayanukarun/Dreamstime)
Christmas in Japan isn’t a religious holiday; it’s mostly celebrated for fun. Leading up to Christmas day, it’s common to see KFC buckets as family meals in Japan. People start placing orders early in November and wait in huge lines to pick up their buckets on Christmas day.
This is the result of a marketing campaign by Okawara, the manager of the first KFC in Japan. He decided to sell a party bucket of chicken since he overheard someone saying they missed eating turkey during the holiday and that chicken was the next best thing. Because of that, Okawara made an advertisement saying “Kentucky is Christmas.”
Mari Lwyd, Wales
(Rhinwdd)
In the British Islands, there is a tradition in which people go from door to door singing Christmas carols. This usually happens on January 5th, on the Three Kings' Day. In Wales, this celebration differs occurs differently. During Christmas, people go from door to door with a large horse skull stuck to a stick, with ornaments as eyes and decorative fabric. Some people dress up as the horse, while others just hold it up. The group sings Christmas songs and then asks to enter the house through music, but the house resident continues the music by telling them they cannot come in. Sometimes, this results in a rhyming contest and a back-and-forth between the two.
Krampus, Central Europe
(Wikimedia Commons)
Similar to Santa Claus, St. Nicholas brings presents and treats for children in countries such as Germany, Austria, Czechia, Slovenia, and Hungary in early December. However, his partner Krampus, a half-goat demon figure with horns, visits children who misbehave. Krampus punishes the children by beating and abducting them with a sack to take them back to hell.
To keep the tradition alive, there are several Krampusnacht (Krampus Parades). People dress in costumes, wearing hand-carved wooden masks while running or stomping down the street. These parades usually happen from in mid-November to mid-December, but most coincide clash with St. Nicholas Day, on December 5th and 6th.
Beach Parties, Australia
(Visit Bondi Beach)
A traditional Christmas is usually pictured with snow and in a cozy setting. However, in Australia, this holiday takes place during summer. The warm weather attracts people to the beach, where they celebrate wearing Santa hats, swimsuits, and sunglasses. Families and friends gather on the beach to enjoy the holiday with picnics on the sand and diverse food, like summer salads and seafood. You might see Christmas trees built in the sand at the beach and surfers with Santa hats. These beach parties create a community of people and are an ideal appropriate celebration for the weather.
Diwali, India
(Rupak De Chowdhuri Reuters/National Geographic)
In India, Diwali is the most important festival of the year. Diwali lasts five days, including prayers, parties, fireworks, family reunions, charity, and donations. This festival is known for the clay lamps people decorate the font of their houses with. The dates when this festival takes place are based on the Hindu calendar. Diwali startsstrats before the new moon, between the Hindu months of Asvina and e Kartika, typicallyusually falling in coincide with October and November. Although this festival is mainly celebrated in India, several people around the world still celebrate it.
Diwali represents the victory of good over against evil. In the north of India, this festival represents the return of Price Rams to Aiódia after fourteen years of exile due to his evil stepmother. In South India, Diwali is an homage to when Krishna won against the demon king, Narakasura.
La Befana, Italy
(Eataly)
You might expect La Befana to be a witch who scares little kids during Christmas. However, she is similar to Santa Claus. She flies around on her broomstick and goes down the chimneys to deliver the treats. On the morning of January 6th, La Befana brings treats to good kids, while the naughty kids get a lump of coal. January 6th marks the end of Christmas, since the three kings have already visited. This story can also be traced back to pre-roman times, whenwhere flying women were associated with the harvest.
Old Man Bayka, Liberia
(Warwick Africa Summit)
In Liberia, the oOld Mman Bayka, or oOld mMan bBeggar, is very important to Liberian Christmas. He is associated with the dancing devils, spirits that come from the Poro. The oOld mMan bBayka is someone who comes during Christmas. Unlike Santa Claus, he doesn’t give presents, but instead asks the community to give to him. He has a unique saying that Liberians started using to wish each other a Merry Christmas that means “Mymy Christmas depends on you”. The beggar usually wears a mask and old clothes, and although it doesn’t seem like it, the oOld mMan Bayka isn’t evil. ThereIn fact, there is a lot of joy surrounding him, with people even joining him to dance in the streets.
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