From Pooping Logs to Chucking Shoes: Unexpected Winter Traditions Around the World!
Spider webs on Christmas trees, horse skulls on sticks, hiding brooms and men dressing up as goats are just a few festive traditions which put our Christmas crackers to shame. It is fair to say that beyond England’s borders, some unique winter traditions have achieved the same longevity as the iconic advent calendar. Let’s embark on a fast-track journey around the world, and explore some traditions which would baffle the average Brit.
The first destination on our whistle-stop tour of the world’s winter traditions? Japan. Japan is similar to the UK with regards to marking the event of the winter solstice (Tuji): they take a relaxing, warm bath followed by prayers for good health. Meanwhile, in the UK, the slightly less relaxing solstice celebration entails squeezing between a crowd of winter coats to watch the sun rise above Stonehenge — a soothing sight, well-earned after the trials of getting there. However, where the Japanese are distinctive is their turkey dinner — which is replaced by a KFC Christmas family bucket! Surprisingly, a whopping 3.6 million families gather together to share a KFC bucket every year throughout December. Who knew greasy chicken wings could be so festive?
Northern Spain and the surrounding regions are unquestionably home to the crudest winter tradition, as it swaps out the yule log for a poop log — which most certainly should not be consumed at the dining table. The poop log (‘Tió de Nadal’), is an ordinary log, decorated with a big smile and red hat, and is ‘fed’ by children in the days preceding Christmas. Although seemingly distant from Christian practices, the pooping log has biblical origins, as it relates to the Spanish tradition of three wise men (Los Reyes Magos) who bring the main presents on the 6th of January. The climax is finally reached on Christmas Day when children beat the log, ordering its ‘defecation’ of presents. In Catalonia, Andorra, and Majorca, defecation on Christmas Day doesn’t just come from brussel sprouts!
Forget the reindeer, as in Sweden, goats have taken over. Quite literally, goats take control of Sweden every year, as large statues of yule goats (Julbock) are erected on the first day of advent. The most famous goat, Rudolph’s replacement, is the Gävle Goat, which, despite its straw composition, stands strong at 43 feet tall. On its record-breaking year, the goat miraculously stood at 49 feet tall, although this was relatively small against the tallest Christmas tree, which stood at 221 feet in Seattle. Unfortunately, not every Swede embraces their winter tradition, as most years, vandals burn the Gävle Goat, almost becoming a new tradition in itself. Fortunately, the goat is regularly rebuilt in time for Christmas, so the Grinches never successfully steal Christmas.
Although marriage and Christmas aren’t often synonymous, the Czech Republic challenges this idea. Despite it being far from Valentines Day, Czechs bring romance to the festive period. Single women throw shoes over their shoulders and out of the front door to predict their marital fate: if the shoe lands with its toe pointing in the direction of the door, she is getting married that coming year; if the shoe lands in the other direction, matrimony is sadly not on the cards for her anytime soon. Therefore, whilst the Brits like to commemorate love under the mistletoe, the Czechs are looking into the future with bigger ambitions for their relationships.
After our swift sweep of traditions around the globe, it is clear to see that winter traditions greatly vary around the world yet are celebrated to the same degree. Whether it is reindeer or goats, turkey or fried chicken, countries hold festive traditions close to their heart, sewn into the fabric of their country. Perhaps this Christmas, we Brits could try some of these foreign practices and shake up our households with a familial pooping log!