You're doing WHAT for CHRISTMAS?

1.) THAT'S SANDERS NOT SANTA FOR CHRISTMAS!

Japan: KFC for Christmas dinner

In many Japanese homes a KFC bucket with fried chicken is the main dish at Christmas.

Thanks to a lack of turkeys and smart marketing by KFC the fried chicken is so popular you have to order weeks in advance for the holidays.


2.) GOING BANANAS FOR CHRISTMAS

In India, only about 2.3% of the population are Christians, but because of the large population they have, we are talking about 25 million people here!

Christians here celebrate Christmas with midnight mass and gift-giving like the rest of the world,

but with the absence of fir trees or pine trees to decorate, they usually made do with banana trees and mango trees instead.

3.) CHRISTMAS LOG ... JAM:

Christmas log

The bizarre Catalonian tradition of caga tió (or "defecating log" in English) involves creating a character out of a small log -

often complete with a grinning face and hat –

which sits on the dining room table during the two weeks leading up to Christmas.

It has to be fed every day with fruit, nuts and sweets, and then

– on Christmas Eve –

the entire family beats the log with sticks, while singing traditional songs, forcing the log to excrete its treats.

You couldn't make it up.


4.) SHADES OF CHARLES DICKENS!

The ghost of Christmas past

During "consoda", the traditional Christmas feast in Portugal, families will sometimes set extra places at the dining table for deceased relatives.

It is thought that the practice will ensure good fortunes for the household.


5.) TOSS YOUR FATE AND YOUR SHOES AT CHRISTMAS:

If you don’t want to celebrate another Christmas single, then try this:

stand with your back to the door and throw a shoe over your shoulders on Christmas day!

If the shoe lands with the toe pointing to the door, congratulations, you’re going to get married soon!

There’s no clue as to how long before you meet your prince charming though.

6.) LET THE GOAT LIVE!

In 1966 a 13-metre tall goat figure made of straw was erected in the town square of Gavle, Sweden.

 At the stroke of midnight, Christmas Eve, the goat went up in flames.

But the town never stopped building it year after year, and vandals never stopped trying to burn the goat down!

By 2011, the goat has already been burned down 25 times.

The burning of the Gavle goat happened so often that bookmakers began taking bets for the survival of the goat since 1988.


7.) AH, YOU ARE AWARE YOU ARE TERRIFYING CHILDREN?

Krampusnacht

As watchers of the TV show, GRIMM, know ...

 St Nicholas's evil accomplice in Austrian tradition, Krampus, is a demon-like creature that punishes bad children.

Men dressed as Krampus roam the streets during the festive period, frightening the little ones.


8.) DON'T CALL ORKIN!

In Ukranian homes, people hide a (hopefully artificial) spider and its web inside their Christmas tree.

The person who finds the eight-legged creature is granted good luck.

The tradition comes from an old folk tale about a widow who was too poor to decorate the family tree.

A spider spun its web around it.

When the Christmas day sun touched the threads, they turned to gold and silver making for a very happy and prosperous holiday.


9.) WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?

Don’t expect to find a broom in a Norwegian household after Christmas Eve dinner.

Families hide them so that witches and other mischievous spirits won’t steal them to terrorize the town.

10.) CHRISTMAS IS THE SEASON FOR CHILDREN AND COUNSELING!

Mari Lwyd

Christmas carols in some Welsh villages take a twisted turn during the ritual of Mari Lwyd.

Donning a decorated mare’s skull (sometimes with a spring-loaded jaw so the mouth can snap at children) and white sheet,

a person parades the streets with a group singing songs hoping to be granted admittance into stranger’s homes for food, fun, and drink.