There’s no doubt that the festive season is magical time of year. Whether it’s all the goodies you get as a kid, or the rare gatherings you enjoy as an adult, there’s plenty of joy to be had. But magic is only a few steps away from weird and obscure. And when it comes to Christmas, there are certainly some wonderfully weird traditions that are celebrated around the world.
So let us take you down the rabbit hole of weird Christmas traditions.
1 – Noche de Rábanos (Night of the Radishes)
Our first weird Christmas tradition takes us to Oaxaca, Mexico. Radish carving in this city has it’s origins in the mid-18th Century where it was essentially used as a marketing gimmick to attract customers to the annual Christmas market. In 1897, the then mayor of the city decided to create a competition for the best radish carvings and it has been celebrated every year ever since.
2 – Krampus
Often seen in the streets of Austria next to terrified children crying their eyes out, the Krampus threatens to beat naughty children with sticks and take them away. If that doesn’t scare your kids into behaving well this Christmas then I don’t know what will. There are probably some legitimate questions around mental scars that may last for life but let’s not dwell on that here…
3Â – Bavarian Straw Devils
Another type of Krampus called the Buttnmandln which appears in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria.
4 – Swimming in the Serpentine lake for the Peter Pan cupÂ
Scarier than Krampus, each year on Christmas morning the brave souls of the Serpentine Swimming Club dive into the icy waters at Hyde Park in London to race 100 yards for the Peter Pan Cup. This has been going on now for 154 years and you can view the names of every winner since 1864 .
5 – The Gävle Goat
A traditional Swedish Yule Goat figure made of straw, this has been erected in the Castle Square of central Gävle in Sweden each year since 1966. More often than not, it ends up being burnt down by arsonists each year although it does survive from time to time.
6 –Â Las Parrandas de Remedios
With its origins going as far back as 1820 in the city of Remedios in Cuba, on Christmas eve, residents split off into teams and face off against each other with a series of floats, fireworks and flames. The celebrations were originally designed to keep people awake in order to attend midnight mass but have since developed to the point of becoming one of the biggest carnivals of the year.
7 – Mari Lwyd (Gray Mare)
A tradition across certain areas of south Wales, a horse skull is mounted on a pole and taken from house-to-house where the groups that carry the horse then request entry through song. Â The homeowners are expected to refuse entry, also through song. It all sounds like rather good fun really doesn’t it?
8 – Cemetery candles, Finland
Less weird and far more uplifting (and often beautiful), this tradition from Finland involves visiting the graves of loved ones on Christmas eve and lighting a candle in their memory.
So have we missed anything out? Maybe there’s a tradition from your hometown that belongs on the list. Let us know on our social channels.