World Wide Party: Crazy Christmas Traditions

Christmas is a special time for people all over the world, it is a time of giving & receiving and celebrating with loved ones. Here are our top 10 favourite crazy Christmas traditions from all over the world. So while you're tucking into the turkey, spare a thought for these crazy people....

1. The Ghost of Christmas Past

During the Portuguese Christmas Feast called 'Consoda' it is customary for extra places to be set at the table for deceased loved ones so they don't miss out on the Christmas fun. As well as leading to spirited conversations, this tradition is thought to bring good fortune to the family in future years!

2. Icy Dips

One of the most famous places to go for an icy dip on Christmas Day is Brighton Beach on the South Coast of England. Nothing like an ice-cold way to start the day!

3. Caga Tio

This is by far the craziest tradition that we came across. Caga Tio (which translates to defecating log) is a bizarre Catalonian tradition. Families create a character out of a small log, complete with a smiling face and a hat. This log sits on their dining room tables for 2 weeks in the lead-up to Christmas. The log is fed every day with nuts, fruits and chocolates. On Christmas Eve the entire family beats the log with sticks while singing traditional songs, forcing the log to excrete its treats....

4. Bavarian Blast
On Christmas Eve, it is a tradition for Bavarian highlanders (decked in local dress) to fire volleys with their hand held mortars in the village of Schoenau, Southern Germany, to salute the Christmas holidays.

5. Fiery Christmas Traditions

In Southern Louisiana families light hundreds of bonfires along the river banks every Christmas Eve. They believe that 'Papa Noel' won't be able to find their homes unless he has fire to light the way.

6. Krampus
St Nick's evil accomplice Krampus is a demon-like creature who roams the streets of Austria and punishes bad children. Men dress up as Krampus and frighten little ones during local parades.

7. Christmas in Caracas

It is a Venezuelan tradition to travel to early morning Church services on roller skates. Roads are cleared to provide Christmas worshippers with a safe passage.

8. Carnival in Cuba
The streets of Remedios in Cuba are filled with festival-goers every Christmas Eve. The 'Parrandas' is a 200 year old tradition that was founded by local priests. They would send the Altar Boys to the streets every year to bang pots and pans together to keep the locals awake for Midnight Mass. Nowadays there are parades and fireworks.

9. A Brooming Good Christmas
Norwegians believe that Christmas Eve coincides with the arrival of evil spirits and Witches. Logically, therefore, households will hide all of their brooms before they go to sleep.

10. Christmas Bugs
A popular Ukranian Christmas decoration is a spider's web. It is believed that there was a poor woman who couldn't afford decorations for her tree, but when she woke in the morning a spider had covered her tree with a glorious sparkling web.

And here are a couple more we've thrown in because it's Christmas.....

11. Booted
Czech women perform a simple ritual over the Christmas period to determine the success of their love lives in the future year. They stand with their backs to the door and hurl a boot over their shoulders. If the boot lands with the toe pointing towards the door, they will be wed within the year.

12. A Heated Family Affair
On Christmas Eve it is customary for Estonian families to head to the sauna together. This activity is repeated on New Year's Eve and Midsummer's Eve.