Christmas is here and in Ireland we have our own ways of getting into the holiday spirit – but how do other countries celebrate?

So sit back, relax and prepare to be a little shocked as we look at how other countries celebrate Christmas in weird and wonderful ways.

Sweden

Other than Midsummer, the celebration of Lucia is one of the biggest holidays in Sweden.

Lucia is an ancient mythical figure with an abiding role as a bearer of light in the dark Swedish winters.

The annual celebration of Lucia involves girls and boys dressed in white full-length gowns singing songs together.

The candlelit Lucia procession on December 13th is probably one of the more exotic-looking Swedish customs with ‘handmaidens’ carrying candles, ‘star boys’ dressed in white gowns and Christmas elves carrying small lanterns.

Feast Of St Lucia Sweden Stockholm. Image: Alamy

Swedes eat a lot of gingerbread cookies with blue cream cheese and saffron buns for the entire month of December, but especially on Advent Sundays.

On December 23rd the whole country gathers around the television to play a bingo-style game for hours, while wrapping the last presents and making a traditional Swedish toffee called "knäck".

Knack, home made toffee with bits of almond as christmas candy in Sweden. Image: Alamy

According to Swedes, no one ever wins the bingo game.

Christmas Eve is the big day for Sweden where families gather to eat together and exchange presents.

Guatemala

At sunset on December 7th, on the eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Guatemalans gather across towns and villages for La Quema del Diablo (Burning of the Devil).

Since the 17th century, Guatemalans have believed that burning an effigy of the devil will cleanse their homes of evils and misfortunes suffered in the previous year.

Burning of the Devil, Guatemala. Image: Alamy

In present day, communities gather in plazas to burn the devil, which is often a piñata, over a bonfire at 6pm.

Devil horns and firecrackers are sold, with devil disguises worn by party-goers.
After the devil is successfully burnt, families gather to eat buñuelos (traditional donuts) and drink warm fruit punch.

Catalonia

In Catalonia (an autonomous community in Spain), the nativity scene – the pessebre – features all of the usual characters with one addition – el caganer or ‘the pooper’.

The person is wearing a traditional red coloured hat, called a barretina.

Caganer, the traditional Christmas nativity scene figure. Image: Alamy

It’s not clear why el caganer is included in the scene but it has been featured since the late 17th to early 18th century.

Poop is a recurring theme in the Catalonian Christmas season – with Tió de Nadal or Caga Tió, also included in traditions.

The Tió de Nadal or Caga Tió is a chunk of wood with a painted face and a barretina and is known as a Christmas log or a pooping log.

Artisan tio de nadal, a typical christmas character from catalonia, spain, in a christmas market. Image: Alamy

It is traditionally ‘fed’ and covered with a blanket for weeks leading up to the big day, so that on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, when children hit it with a stick and sing it a song, it ‘poops’ out candies.

The log is meant to symbolise the spirit of the forest as well as protection and fertility and is meant to help teach children patience.

Austria

Austria’s Alpine region is home to the holiday fiend Krampus who has gained notoriety internationally thanks to different pop culture portrayals.

The malevolent half-goat, half-man, anti-Santa traces back to folklore predating Christmas.

Krampus is originally of pagan origin, appearing in early celebrations of the winter solstice.

In more recent times, he has become a Christmas icon, accompanying the (much nicer) Austrian St Nicholas.

Maxglaner Krampuslauf or Perchten Procession, Maxglan, Salzburg, Salzburg State, Austria. Image: Alamy

Vienna’s kindergarten system at one point tried to discourage the tradition of Krampus out of concern that he would scar young minds.

In Austria and parts of Germany, adults dressing as the demonic creature on December 5th or 6th – known as Krampusnacht - to quiz children over their naughty behaviour and frighten the.

Krampuslaufs or Krampus runs is another tradition, where drunk adults dressed as Krampus run through the streets.

Ethiopia

In the traditional story of the birth of Christ, or Christmas, we are told that three wise men, also referred to as magi or kings, followed a guiding star to Bethlehem to pay homage to Jesus.

Generally, it is believed that the kings came from Asia, Europe and Ethiopia.

Many Ethiopians, however, believe that all three wise men came from Ethiopia – with many believing there were actually 12 kings.

Ethiopian Christmas day celebrations (Genna), Bet Maryam Church, Lalibela, Ethiopia. Holy men carry Axunite hand crosses. Image: Alamy

As Ethiopia follows the Julian calendar, they celebrate Christmas, known to them as Ganna or Genna, on January 7th .

People dress in white, with most wearing the traditional netela (a thin white cotton scarf with brightly coloured stripes across the ends) draped like a shawl or a toga.

This traditional dress makes Ethiopians appear like the three magi.

Mexico

In Mexico, poinsettias, known as Flores de Noche Buena or Flowers of the Holy Night, have become synonymous with Christmas.

The winter-blooming flower are indigenous to Central America - specifically to southern Mexico.

Red Poinsettia Tree Atotonilco Mexico. Poinsettias in their natural setting in Mexico grow like trees. Image: Alamy

The poinsettia tradition comes from a Mexican legend that tells the tale of a girl who had nothing but a bunch of weeds to offer the baby Jesus at a Christmas Eve service.

When the girl knelt to place these weeds by the nativity, the bouquet burst into bright red flowers.

Ever since that day the flowers, whose leaves are said to be shaped like the star of Bethlehem, have been known as the Flores de Noche Buena.

Czechia

Around Ireland, families are preparing to dig into a turkey and ham roast dinner – however, in Czechia, carp is at the centre of the dinner table.

The Czech Tourist Authority has said the fish is an indispensable symbol of Czech Christmas.

Those who don’t wish to eat the carp can partake in this Christmas tradition by buying one live and keeping it in the bathtub for a few days before letting it go.

Stall selling carp before Christmas, Zizkov, Prague, Czech Republic. Image: Alamy

Another carp-related tradition that Czechs follow is to put a scale or two in your purse or wallet to ensure there will always be money in it throughout the following year.

Another less fishy Czech tradition involves women throwing a shoe on Christmas Day.

If the tip points toward the door the woman is destined to be married within a year.

Greece

While most of us will associate Christmas with a real or fake tree – in Greece, Christmas is associated with a boat.

The Christmas tree was not brought to the seaside lands of Greece until 1833, so before then, Greeks would decorate a small boat, known as a karavaki.

Karavaki decorations symbolised the country’s relationship with the sea and mariners.

Volos, Greece 12-12-2020, decorated boats for the Christmas and New Year holidays. Image: Alamy

The boats are typically decorated on December 6th – the day of the feast of St Nicholas – who is the patron saint of sailors in addition to his festive connections.

Greece, much like Austria, also has folkloric malevolent Christmas creatures.

The Kallikantzaroi are said to lurk underground all year round, surfacing only during the 12 days of Christmas – from December 25th to January 6th – in order to bring trouble to humans.

Teenage girls participating in a procession holding lighted candles during the feast of Saint Lucia, Sweden, Stockholm. Image: Alamy