Christmas is just around the corner and we are all looking forward to it. During this time, we celebrate Christmas in different ways with various traditions. Christmas celebrations are a big part of this time of the year. People around the world have different Christmas traditions and some of them may surprise you.
1- The Gävle Goat
It's a giant goat figure made out of straws and is displayed in Gävle, Sweden every year. It's a Christmas tradition, and people believe that it's making sure the Christmas preparations are being done correctly. The goat is more than 42 feet high, 23 feet wide, and weighs 3.6 tons. The mini versions of this goat are called Yule goats, and people use them to prank their neighbors, which is another tradition. They secretly put the Yule goat in their neighbors’ garden, and when the person finds it, he/she has to prank another neighbor, and it goes on like this.
2- Krampus
In some countries, Christmas can be horrifying for little kids. In Austria, it's a tradition to dress up as the half-goat, half-demon monster, Krampus. Krampus is a legend known to be the companion of St. Nicholas. While St. Nicholas gives out gifts to little kids who are well-behaved, Krampus takes care of children who misbehave. He is said to beat them, take them to hell, or even eat them if necessary. If I had heard this legend when I was a kid, I would have behaved perfectly to avoid any meetings with Krampus.
3- KFC
In Japan, Christmas isn't a big deal traditionally, since less than 2% of the population is Christian. However, Kentucky Fried Chicken managed to attract customers by releasing a clever advertisement in the 1970s. Even though Christmas isn't a day off in Japan, many people plan ahead by reserving seats or ordering KFC months before. They also don’t mind waiting in line for hours on Christmas. The tradition started with a campaign called "Kentucky for Christmas!" and it has become a big part of Japanese culture.
4- Spider webs
Ukrainians decorate their Christmas trees with decorations that look like spider webs. The origin of this tradition is “ The Legend of the Christmas Spider”. The legend goes like this: "A poor widow used to live in a small hut with her children. One day, a pine cone fell onto the floor of the hut and took root. The widow's children excitedly watched grow, hoping it might become a Christmas tree for them in winter. Luckily, it did. However, when Christmas Eve arrived, they didn't have the money to decorate it. Unfortunately, the children went to bed without seeing the tree decorated. The next morning, they woke up early and found the tree covered in spiderwebs. When they opened the windows, the sunlight touched the webs and turned them into gold and silver. The widow and her children were delightful. From that moment on, they never lived in poverty again."
In conclusion, Christmas is a universal celebration and a joyous occasion for people from all around the world and everyone has their own ways of celebrating it. Each tradition is significant because it brings people together and helps them share happy moments.