The winter holidays are definitely what you make of them, and nothing amps up the feeling of charm and good will better than a fun tradition or two. Case in point: These weird and wonderful Christmas traditions from around the world. To be fair, “weird” is relative; they’re only unusual if you haven’t grown up with them being a part of your celebrations. There’s no denying their wonderfulness, though, so come on in and get your holiday cheer on.
British online furniture retailer Fads did a little research about some of the most unique holiday traditions in the world — and even better, they assembled 10 of them into a handy, hilarious, and positively delightful infographic. My favorites? Definitely the first two on the list. First off, Sweden’s gift-delivering goat makes for a significantly more entertaining mental image than a dude in a red suit making his way down your chimney — and second, why would you ever need something like the Elf on the Shelf when you’ve got the caganer in the house?
Speaking of the caganer, here’s a little background info for you: No one really knows how the tradition of placing a statue of a tiny man defecating in the nativity scene first started; according to the Latin Post, though, it can be dated back to the early 18th century. He’s not just for the humor value, either — he’s a good luck charm. May the upcoming year be as… er, productive for you all as the holiday season is for the caganer.
Check out the full infographic below. Happy holidays!
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