Every family, region and country has their own Christmas traditions, but sometimes, it can be nice to try something new. Here are some unusual Christmas traditions from around the world!
Roller skating to church in Caracas
In Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, locals attend morning church services throughout the festive holiday. There’s nothing unusual about that, but what is unusual, is how they get there. Because more often than not the roads are closed, locals travel to church on roller skates, and it’s quite a sight to see crowds of people roller skating towards the church!
Consoda in Portugal
Christmas is a family occasion in most places, but in Portugal, it’s an occasion where family members both past and present are included. Extra seats are set at the table for deceased relatives, to remember them and to bring the family good luck. This tradition is referred to as Consoda.
Predicting love in the Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic, Christmas is a time where love is a common theme. And for those that haven’t yet found love, there’s a tradition that is said to predict the future of people’s love lives. Unmarried women stand in the doorway of their front doors, facing the street, their backs to their houses, and toss shoes over their shoulders into the house. If the shoe lands with the toe pointing towards the front door, it’s said that the woman will find love and be married within the next 12 months.
Hiding brooms in Norway
In Norway, Christmas isn’t all jolly and festive cheer, in fact Christmas Eve is a day shrouded in suspicion. Many Norwegians believe that Christmas Eve is a time for evil spirits, and so to keep them at bay, they hide all of their brooms before heading to bed.
Spider web covered trees in Ukraine
In Ukraine, tree ornaments and tinsel aren’t quite so common. Instead, they often decorate their trees with a fake spider, and cover the tree with a web. It sounds a little odd, but the story behind the tradition stems from a Ukrainian Christmas folk tale. In the folk tale, an old woman couldn’t afford to decorate her tree, but when she woke up on Christmas day, a spider had weaved a web around the branches, making it glitter and shine in the light.
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