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The strangest Christmas customs around the world

From Santa's creepy helper to a falling apart Christmas dinner.

Caracas
Caracas

In Caracas, it is customary to roll into the church for the morning service during the holidays. For the greatest possible safety of the faithful, the roads are closed to traffic.

Krampus
Krampus

In Austria, Santa Claus is accompanied by a truly terrifying satanic apparition called Krampus, who roams the streets and punishes naughty children.

Throwing a shoe in the Czech Republic
Throwing a shoe in the Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic, women stand with their backs to the neck and throw a shoe over their shoulder; if the shoe lands with the tip towards the neck, then they will be married in the coming year.

Wicked Christmas
Wicked Christmas

In Norway, it is believed that evil spirits and witches also arrive at Christmas, so it is necessary to hide brooms.

Christmas bug
Christmas bug

In Ukraine, it is customary to hang a spider web decoration on the Christmas tree, a tradition that originates from the story of a woman who was so poor that she could not afford decorations for the tree, and on Christmas morning the tree was decorated with a sparkling spider web .

Christmas diving
Christmas diving

In Britain, Ireland and France, many brave people traditionally "soak" themselves in the sea at Christmas.

Christmas log
Christmas log

The Catalan Christmas log or caga tió (pooping log) is a log with a painted face and a hat that is placed on the table and fed with fruit and sweets every day. On Christmas Eve, the whole family impales him with a stick while singing Christmas carols, forcing him to throw out the presents. If we stay with the Catalans and their penchant for excrement, then we must also mention the human figures called caganeros, which are precisely for the need and they like to be placed in the nativity scene.

Spirit at dinner
Spirit at dinner

In Portugal, you will also see placemats for deceased relatives at Christmas dinner; the spirit at dinner is supposed to bring good luck to the house.

Christmas sauna
Christmas sauna

In Estonia, families go to the sauna for Christmas.

Falling dinner
Falling dinner

In Greenland, matak - raw whale skin with a little fat and kiwiak - a type of arctic bird wrapped in whale skin and buried in the ground for several months are eaten at Christmas.

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