Christmas trees, glowing lights and Santa Claus are the first things that come to mind during the holidays; but what about caterpillars and roller skates? Here are five weird Christmas trends from around the world.
KFC Christmas dinner in Japan
Although it’s not a national holiday in Japan, that doesn’t mean Japanese families won’t be celebrating come December 25th. In fact, Japan has one particularly interesting Christmas tradition, and it’s all about fried chicken! Thanks to the ultra successful ‘Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!’ (Kentucky for Christmas) marketing campaign in 1974, Japan can’t get enough KFC on Christmas Day. It even has a special Christmas Party Barrel and pre-orders are taken from October. The fried chicken franchise is set to sell about 1.5 million Christmas products during the festive season. That’s a lot of finger lickin’ goodness!
Roller skating in Venezuela
Like many Catholic countries, people attend mass during the holidays in Caracas, Venezuela. The only difference is that in Caracas, they rollerskate. The streets are closed off in the early mornings between the 16th and 24th of December, no cars or buses, just skaters on their way to church. On Christmas, citizens are woken up by fireworks to put on their skates for the predawn trip to mass. A part of this tradition that’s perhaps more intriguing (and adorable) than the rollerskating; many of the kids of Caracas tie a length of string to their toe and hang the other end out of the window. As the skaters whizz past in the morning they tug on the strings, letting the kids know it’s time to wake up.
Caterpillar, anyone?
Instead of a juicy turkey on Christmas Day, many South African locals treat themselves to the caterpillars of the Emperor Moth as their delicacy of choice. The squirmy creatures are deep fried and eaten by family and friends at the table on Christmas Day. If weird and wonderful food is your travel go-to, then definitely add Johannesburg to your Christmas list.
Single women in the Czech Republic
Forget waiting under the mistletoe! In the Czech Republic, Christmas is a time to clarify your relationship status, as women take part in a tradition which predicts their love life for the following year. Single women stand at a distance from the front of their house with their back to it, and toss their shoe behind them. If the shoe lands with the toe pointing towards the door, their fate is to be married in the next year. If not, it’s another year of independence ahead and more reason to go travelling…just sayin’.
Running of the Santas in the USA
You better watch out! Across five cities in the United States, thousands of people will take to the streets decked out in Santa gear to participate in the annual Running of the Santas, an all-day bar crawl that takes place in December. While it is an unforgettable experience to be a part of, the event is more than just a typical bar crawl, and you’ll be pleased to know it also seeks to raise awareness for several different charitable causes. In Philadelphia, over 10,000 Santas are expected to be taking part in the 2015 version, so if you’re swinging past during your Christmas travels, don’t miss it!
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