Strange World Christmas Customs

Christmastime is here! It is the time for us to do strange things because that is part of our culture! A tree inside a house? Why not?! It's Christmas! With that in mind, I decided to share some strange customs from around the world!

Catalonia, Spain - The Pooping Log

In Catalonia in the northeast of Spain, wooden logs are looked after by childen. The log is given some food by the children every night. Then on the 24th or 25th of December the children hit the log and tell it to "poop" presents!

Norway - Hiding Brooms

Brooms are hidden by people in parts of Norway. They do this to stop witches from stealing them!

Oaxaca, Mexico - Noche de Rábanos

The "Night of the Radishes" is a tradition enjoyed on the 23rd December. Large radishes are carved by local people. They carve Christmas scenes and then have a competition.

Ukraine - Spider Web Decorations

In Ukraine, people decorate their rooms with cobwebs. There is a traditional story that a poor family couldn't decorate their tree because they were too poor. On Christmas morning, their tree had been decorated by a spider and when the sun hit the cobwebs it turned to gold!

Japan - KFC

If you tell a person from the UK or USA that you eat KFC on Christmas Day, they will think you are crazy! Christmas food in the UK and USA is mostly homemade. Commonly turkey, goose, duck, beef, lamb, pork or ham are eaten by people in western countries. But because of clever marketing in Japan, Japanese people eat fried chicken and KFC!

---

strange: 奇妙、変

custom(s): 習慣（の複数）

culture: 文化

inside: 内部

why not?: なぜダメなのか?、いいよ！、そうしよう！

with that in mind: それを念頭に置いて

decide, decided: 決める、決めた

share: 共有する

poop, pooping: うんち、うんちする

log: 丸太

northeast: 北東

wooden: 木製

to look after, is/are looked after: 世話をする、世話をされる

hide, hiding, hidden: 隠す、隠れる、隠される

broom(s): ほうき

witch(es): 魔女（の複数）

steal: 盗む

radish: 大根

carve, are carved: 彫る、彫られる

local people: 地元の人々

competition: 大会

spider: クモ

spiderweb, cobweb: クモの巣

decoration: 装飾

decorate: 飾る

traditional: 伝統的

too poor: 貧しすぎる

to turn to, to turn into: （まるで魔法のように）変える

homemade: 自家製

commonly: 一般的

western countries: 西洋諸国

clever marketing: 巧みなマーケティング