Krampus, Central Europe-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. You can experience this holiday tradition at Krampusnacht parades and parties, during which rowdy revelers cavort around town in beastly costumes.

Mari Lwyd, Wales- According to Wales.com, Mari Lwyd translates as "Gray Mare" and involves carting a horse — either a horse figure or someone dressed as one — door to door, accompanied by a group of townspeople.

Beach Parties, Australia-Evergreen trees and white, snowy landscapes may be some people's idea of a perfect Christmas, but that's not the case in Australia, where December 25 falls in the middle of summer. On the bright side, the warm weather does make it the perfect time to throw a yuletide beach party.

Consoada, Portugal-A traditional holiday dinner typically held on Christmas Eve, Consoada honors deceased friends and relatives who can no longer join in on holiday celebrations. One normally leaves an empty spot at the table for the alminhas a penar (or "souls of the dead"), who may be present at the feast.

Kentucky Fried Chicken, Japan-Traditional holiday dinner for millions of people in Japan means a bucket of KFC. While Christmas itself isn't really a religious holiday since most people in the country do not identify as Christian, it's still a fun secular celebration. The offbeat custom is the legacy of a 1974 marketing campaign wherein the fast-food chain touted fried chicken as a traditional American yuletide feast.

Spiderweb Decorations, Ukraine-This particular tradition goes back to a folk tale in which spiders decorated the tree of a family that was too poor to pay for proper yuletide ornaments. When they woke up on Christmas morning, the spider webs woven overnight turned silver and gold. Nowadays, Ukrainian Christmas trees feature spider webs made from various materials such as crystal, paper, metal, and plastic.

Not Applicable

La Befana, Italy--Similar to Santa Claus, an old witch named La Befana flies around on her broomstick and brings good Italian children treats (and bad Italian children, coal) on Epiphany Eve.

Yule Lads, Iceland-- The Yule Lads are rooted in Icelandic folklore. During the 13 days leading up to Christmas, little ones put their shoes out each night, and in the morning, they'll find a small present from these 13 mountain trolls if they've been good — or a potato, in lieu of a lump of coal, if they've been bad.

La Quema del Diablo, Guatemala--This ceremonial "burning of the devil" is a prelude to Christmas celebrations in Guatemala, and a custom that dates back to the 16th century. Residents sweep up, collect garbage, and amass everything in a huge pile outside. After an effigy of the devil is placed on top, the whole thing is set on fire, burning negativity from the past away once and for all.

Single Women Tossing Shoes, Czechia--According to the Czech Tourism Authority, unmarried women will toss a shoe over their shoulder on Christmas Day, while facing away from an open door, to predict whether or not their romantic prospects will change in the next year. If it lands with the toe pointing toward the door, the woman will marry; if not, she'll have to embrace single life for at least another year.

Night of the Radishes, Mexico--December 23 marks the Night of the Radishes in Oaxaca, Mexico, a celebration of oversized radishes, which are carved into intricate displays. According to How Stuff Works, the annual Christmas market event began in 1897 when vendors carved radishes with detailed designs to attract customers and a contest was held to honor the most creative figures.

The Gävle Goat, Sweden-- According to Gävle's official tourism website, the town constructed an epic version of the Yule Goat in 1966 to promote local tourism. Constructed of wood, rope, and straw, it's roughly the height of a three-story house. To this day, it goes up on the first Sunday of Advent each year, and despite the presence of stationed guards, cameras, and fences, it usually gets destroyed before Christmas

Not Applicable

Yes

No

Not Applicable