Ten Christmas traditions you’ve probably never heard of

From a penny in the black pudding to kissing under the mistletoe: Christmas traditions are not just about Santa Claus in Britain. But what about traditions celebrated in countries around the world?

Whether it’s chocolate-filled shoes, a night of roller skating or eating KFC, other countries have their own special ways of celebrating the holidays.

Whether it’s chocolate-filled shoes, a night of roller skating or eating KFC, other countries have their own special ways of celebrating the holidays.

Japan – KFC Christmas Dinner

Christmas dinners in Japan look very different from most countries: there are no signs of turkey, pigs in blankets or Yorkshire puddings.

The Japanese typically celebrate Christmas with a meal from KFC, with some pre-ordering their chicken meals months in advance.

Long queues are expected outside KFC restaurants on the 25th as the nationwide tradition unfolds.

Stores are getting a Christmas-themed makeover in the run-up to Christmas, decked out in red and green and even KFC’s mascot Colonel Sanders is getting fancy dress, with life-size models appearing in Japanese cities dressed as Santa Claus.

The KFC Christmas bucket, also known as a barrel, comes with a limited edition Christmas-themed collectible plate.

Unsurprisingly, the week leading up to Christmas Eve is the most profitable week of the year for the franchise, raking in £38,000,000 (6.1 billion Japanese yen) in 2018 and a record turnover of £44,000,000 in 2019 ( 7.1 billion yen) was reached.

Poland – talking animals

It’s common to wonder what your pet is thinking and what he would tell you if he could talk. In Poland there is a festive myth in which this becomes reality.

It is believed that during Christmas Eve dinner, animals are given the gift of speaking for the night.

According to legend, this is due to the animals that helped give birth to baby Jesus.

As a result, Polish children often try to get a word in between their often confused dogs and cats.

Germany – chocolate filled shoes

On the evening of December 5, a day before Sinterklaas, German children shine their shoes and leave them on the street or by the fireplace.

Later they will find them filled with chocolates and candies from Nikolaus (Sinterklaas) as a reward for good behavior.

Tangerines and small gifts are also often incorporated into the shoes, similar to the concept of a Christmas stocking.

Some reports even say that naughty children will find a rotten potato in their shoes instead of treats.

Venezuela – roller skating

For some, Christmas Eve means a trip to the pub with friends and family, for others it is a fun night out with hot chocolate and a festive film.

For those in Venezuela, it’s a fun evening of roller skating.

On Christmas Eve you see residents of the Venezuelan capital Caracas traveling to Christmas on roller skates.

Skating is such a popular tradition that the streets are closed to cars, allowing skaters to travel safely and enjoy this fun Christmas activity.

China – Santa’s ‘sisters’

If you’re in China at Christmas, you’ll be surprised to see no sign of little green elves helping Santa Claus.

Santa Claus is known as ‘Sheng dan Lao ren’ and his helpers are called ‘sisters’.

This means that Santa Clauses dressed in malls will have costumed women at their sides, not pointy-eared elves.

The sisters often wear red and white and follow him around, as elves would.

Netherlands – an early Christmas

Unlike Great Britain, the evening of December 5 is the most exciting Christmas day for children, because Sinterklaas arrives with presents.

Children leave a shoe by the fireplace, sing Dutch Christmas carols and wait for their presents to arrive.

It marks the beginning of festive celebrations and the man himself often arrives in mid-November for various events and parades.

Sinterklaas is based on Sinterklaas, but tradition has it that he lives in Spain with his helpers, the Pieten and his white horse.

The Petes, again similar to elves, are his helpers and dress in brightly colored clothing to hand out sweets to children.

Italy – shepherds playing pipes

According to Italian tradition, bizarre pipe-playing shepherds perform melodies in squares, normally dressed in traditional sheepskin and woolen cloaks.

The pipers travel down in pairs from their mountain homes for a festive display.

Known as the zampognari, they perform traditional hymns and music in parts of Italy such as Naples and Rome.

It is said that you are more likely to hear them than see them, so listen carefully if you are in Italy during the holidays.

Romania – slaughtering a pig

Romanian Christmas traditions are very unique, and perhaps the most important one is the slaughter of a pig.

Families gather in the countryside to sacrifice one of their pigs and use the meat to prepare Christmas meals.

It usually takes place on December 20 and is called ‘Ziua de Ignat’, which translates to Ignatius Day.

Although some Romanians believe that the tradition is cruel and thus not as popular as it used to be.

Australia and US surfing Santas

Christmas in Australia falls in the summer, so it is common to see surfer Santas in bright red fleece suits, lined with white fur and big black boots.

The tradition has also spread to the US, and especially on Christmas Eve, people from all over the country gather to watch surfers take to the waves dressed as Santa Claus.

It takes place on the 24th at Cocoa Beach in Florida and hundreds of surfers will catch a wave at the free event.

Spain – Christmas Lottery

Finally, the Spanish Christmas lottery is the largest in the world and almost everyone in the country plays.

People usually participate with friends, colleagues or neighbors, because more than two billion euros are paid out annually.

Known as the Spanish lottery El Gordo, it takes place on December 22 in Madrid and is the biggest and most popular draw of the year. Tickets have been on sale for a while now.

The tradition started all the way back in 1812 and is still an exciting tradition for the Spanish.