My first baby picture! (pic credit to https://www.artstation.com/yoneyu )
Ten Weird Holiday Traditions From Around the World
10. South Africa: In South Africa deep fried caterpillars are the traditional holiday meal. Who knows why? Maybe they believe that eating caterpillars symbolically will make their life turn into a butterfly or some such nonsense. Or maybe caterpillars are just really tasty. Who are we kidding? Anything deep fried IS really tasty.
9. Catalonia, Spain: I’ve been to Catalonia, but not during the holidays when children beat a decorated log that poops out candy. It’s called Caga Tio.
If you want to buy one of these, it’s available from Amazon in the U.K.
8. Caracas, Venezuela: Residents of this one town, Caracas, go to Christmas Eve mass on roller skates.
7. Germany: In Germany they hide a pickle in the Christmas tree and the first child to find it gets a small gift. I would bet that in German bars around the holidays “Hey gorgeous, how would you like to play hide the pickle?” is an overused, and probably unsuccessful pick up line.
Pic from OwlManAndy.com
6. Ukraine: In the Ukraine, instead of tinsel and lights they decorate their Christmas trees with fake spider webs and spiders. Apparently they watch The Nightmare Before Christmas a little too often.
Let’s hope this year they catch an evil Russian dictator in their webs
5. China: In China families bring their pets, dogs, cats, and birds to a special mass on Christmas Eve to have them blessed. In Chinese culture it is believed that animals are more susceptible to demonic possession and the ceremony is thought to “cleanse” them for the coming year. That is why most households have a “lucky cat” statue to ward off evil spirits.
4. Estonia: Families go to the sauna together. I’m cool with going to the sauna, but with my family? Ugh.
This is like one of those awkward Christmas family pictures
3. Great Britain: Tradition dictates that each member of the family must stir the Christmas pudding in a clockwise direction and make a wish. Reportedly 90% of wishes are “I wish is wasn’t cold and rainy.”
2. Guatemala: They sweep out their houses on Christmas Eve, with brooms they borrowed from the Norwegians, creating a pile of dirt in front of their home. Then they burn an effigy of the devil on top. Geez, Guatemala, lighten up, it’s Christmas! It’s supposed to be fun.
1. Greece: In a twisted version of Elf on the Shelf, the Greeks tell their children that the Kallikantzaroi, a race of evil goblins that live underground, come to the surface to wreak havoc during the twelve days of Christmas. Nice, parenting by terror. What’s more traditional than that? I think that Greece and Guatemala should just get together and terrify their into submission.
Well, one of those ten is a fake. Which one do you think it is? Check the first comment below for my answer. Have a great Saturday! ~Phil
The Chinese taking their pets to church is the fake holiday tradition.
I’m imagining taking Louis Catorze for that animal blessing, and what fun that would be. There would be a clap of thunder and he would disintegrate into a pile of dust. 🤣🤣🤣
Lol! I’m sure Louis Catorze is not as bad as you make him out to be. By the way, I got the idea of taking the pets to church from an episode of Vicar of Dibley.
Haha, I don’t remember that episode!
Good ones, Phil. I was very suspect of Chinese taking pets to church. Mao wouldn’t like that.