When you envision Christmas, you probably think of twinkling lights, Santa Claus, and maybe a traditional turkey dinner. When you leave the familiar, the holiday season morphs into a fusion of fascinating, sometimes odd, and extremely significant cultural practices.

Christmas around the world is a celebration of humanity that mirrors local folklore, history, and customs. Forget about snow in some areas; the festive season might include roller skates, brooms hidden in a broom closet, or a log that poops presents!

Get excited for a few surprises as we count down some of the most unusual Christmas traditions you didn't know about and show you how wonderfully diverse Christmas traditions are worldwide. 

Europe: Mischief and Mythology

European holiday traditions worldwide are more often than not a combination of ancient pagan practices and Christian narratives.

1. The Pooping Log (Catalonia, Spain)

One of the most spectacularly quirky and unique Christmas traditions is called Caga Tió (The Pooping Log). From December 8, families "feed" a little wooden trunk with a painted happy face, then they cover it with a blanket to keep it warm. Finally, on Christmas Eve, the children beat the log with sticks while singing a traditional song and "urging" it to poop a present (the presents are secretly placed underneath the blanket by parents).

2. Hiding Brooms (Norway)

According to folk tradition in Norway, Christmas Eve is the night that mischievous spirits (and witches) make themselves known. Because of that, families hide away all of their brooms before they go to bed to avoid any mischievous pranks in the night. This ancient tradition is a lovely part of the Christmas culture facts as a whole.

3. The Christmas Spider Web (Ukrainian)

Rather than garland, many Ukrainian Christmas trees are decorated with faux spiderwebs. This tradition is associated with a legend about a poor family who woke up on Christmas morning and discovered a spider had decorated their tree with a beautiful sparkling web, offering the family unexpected decoration! If a spiderweb was found on a tree, it was assumed good luck would come.

Latin America: Roller Skates and Fiery Lanterns

Cultural traditions for Christmas in Latin America are typically bigger community events and processions of a religious nature; this is exemplified through my next comma's context.

4. Roller-skating to church (Caracas Venezuela)

In Venezuela's capital city, Caracas, it is customary for individuals to roller skate to the early morning Christmas Mass (Misa de Aguinaldo). Many roads are closed to cars until 8 a.m. to allow the rolling masses to safely travel to church. Children even tie a piece of string to their big toe and hang it outside the window so that skaters passing by can give it a tug! 

5. Las Posadas (Mexico)

Starting nine days before Christmas (December 16-24), families throughout Mexico traditionally welcome Las Posadas. This international Christmas custom is a daily procession reenacting Mary and Joseph's search for a place to stay. The celebration includes a candlelit parade, singing traditional songs, and a fiesta (party) with food and fireworks and lots of food plus piñatas!

Asia & Beyond: KFC and Celebration Fireworks

When Christmas is celebrated in a country where Christianity is in the minority, the celebration is often commercial, like in Japan, or purely cultural. 

6. KFC for Christmas Dinner (Japan)

One of the unexpected rare Christmas traditions around the world is practiced in Japan. Due to an incredibly effective and popular marketing campaign in the 1970s, the practice of eating Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) for Christmas dinner has developed. Families have to reserve their special buckets ahead of time, often weeks in advance; as a result, KFC has become the most sought-after meal for the holiday season. 

7. Christmas is Not a Public Holiday (China, Thailand, etc.).

Christmas is celebrated in many places in Asia as a commercial holiday. Like Valentine's Day, it is a day for couples and friends to exchange gifts and enjoy holiday lights. Christmas is not a public holiday in many of these areas, and there is no religious application to the observance, just the holiday spirit.

The Takeaway: Joy is Universal

These unexpected traditions of Christmas from around the world prove one thing: the desire and ability for people to celebrate, spread joy, and experience a feeling of magic at Christmas time is a unique human experience. Whether you are carefully tending to your pooping log or roller skating to church, these traditions from different countries all contribute to a broader story about Christmas around the world.