12 Fascinating Christmas Traditions From Around the World

"Many countries have unique end-of-year customs going back decades or even centuries. From Santa's evil counterpart in Central Europe to seasonal feasts of fried chicken in Japan, these quirky traditions prove Christmas celebrations come in all shapes and sizes. Some may seem strange, like Welsh winter festivities that often involve a horse's skull, while others might inspire you to travel to experience the holidays on the beach in Australia or witness Venice's canals taken over by gift-giving witches."

"St. Nick's devil-like counterpart, Krampus-celebrated throughout Germany, Austria, Czechia, Slovenia, and Hungary-has one task: to punish bad children before the feast of St. Nicholas on December 6. Picture a frightening half-goat demon figure, often seen with fur and horns. And instead of carrying a bag full of toys, he has a basket or sack for abducting especially naughty children and hauling them back to hell."

Christmas customs worldwide range from frightening Krampus parades in Central Europe to the Yule Goat spectacle in Gävle, Sweden, and Venice's Regata delle Befane. Some traditions involve costumed processions, punishments for naughty children, door-to-door horse rituals like Wales's Mari Lwyd, and rhyming contests. Other customs include atypical seasonal feasts such as fried chicken in Japan, beach celebrations in Australia, and canal-based gift-giving by Befana witches in Venice. Many of these rituals date back decades or centuries and attract visitors who witness parades, parties, regattas, and giant straw effigies burned or erected as communal symbols.

Read at Travel + Leisure