It is that time of the year again. When we welcome joy and good cheer into our homes, when we sing carols, wear our best, cook feasts, and celebrate with our near and dear ones. Yes, Christmas is near! The Christmas season is celebrated all over the world with their rituals and customs and that is what makes it so special. The various Christmas traditions around the world are loud, proud, and guarantee oodles of festive fun.

Christmas around the world (geoawesomeness)

Gävle Goat, Sweden

The Gävle Goat started in 1966, when the idea came up to design a giant version of the traditional Swedish Christmas straw goat. The objective was to attract customers to the shops and restaurants in the southern part of the city. On the first Sunday of Advent 1966, the huge goat was placed at Castle Square in Gävle. Since then, the Gävle Goat has been a Christmas symbol placed in the same spot every year. Today he is world famous. The Gävle Goat is the world’s largest straw goat and made it to the Guinness Book of Records for the first time in 1985.

Giant Lantern Festival, Philippines

In the City of San Fernando in the Philippines, The Giant Lantern Festival is yearly celebrated in the month of December. The festival features a competition of giant lanterns. In view of the fame of the celebration, the city has been nicknamed the “Christmas Capital of the Philippines”. The festival is actually a competition between the creators of giant lanterns. Usually, one lantern consists of multiple colours and may take different forms. The festival is so popular among natives and tourists that the city of San Fernando is considered to be the Christmas capital of the country. At first, the lanterns were made of simple available materials, such as bamboo. However, the tradition progressed, and the lanterns became bigger and more complicated. Nowadays, this festival is a display of electrical engineering possibilities.

Krampus, Austria

Krampus is the evil twin of Santa. Krampus's appearance includes a goat's beard, horns, an oxen's tail, and the devil's face. A beast-like demon creature that roams city streets frightens kids and punishes the bad ones. Its St.Nicholas’s evil appearance as Krampus. In Austrian tradition, St. Nicholas rewards nice little boys and girls, while Krampus is said to capture the naughtiest children and whisk them away in his sack. In the first week of December, young men dress up as the Krampus (especially on the eve of St. Nicholas Day) frightening children with clattering chains and bells.

The Yule Lads, Iceland

The Yule Lads, Yuletide-lads, or Yule men are figures from Icelandic folklore, portrayed as being mischievous pranksters, but who have in modern times also been depicted as taking on a more benevolent role similar to Santa Claus. Their number has varied over time, but currently there are considered to be thirteen. They put rewards or punishments into shoes placed by children on window sills during the last thirteen nights before Christmas. Every night, one Yule Lad visits each child, leaving gifts or rotting potatoes, depending on the child’s behaviour throughout the year.

Saint Nicholas’ Day, Germany

Nikolaus travels by donkey in the middle of the night on December 6 and leaves little treats like coins, chocolate, oranges and toys in the shoes of good children all over Germany, and particularly in the Bavarian region. St. Nicholas also visits children in schools or at home and in exchange for sweets or a small present each child must recite a poem, sing a song or draw a picture. In short, he’s a great guy. But it isn’t always fun and games. St. Nick often brings along Knecht Ruprecht (Farmhand Rupert). A devil-like character dressed in dark clothes covered with bells and a dirty beard, Knecht Ruprecht carries a stick or a small whip in hand to punish any children who misbehave. It is celebrated as a Christian festival with particular regard to his reputation as a bringer of gifts, as well as through the attendance of Mass or other worship services.

Day of the Little Candles, Colombia

Little Candles Day is one of the most observed traditional holidays in Colombia. It is celebrated on December 7, on the eve of the Immaculate Conception, which is a public holiday in Colombia. This day is the unofficial start of the Christmas season in the country. People place the candles in the streets, often creating unique designs with the candles as they burn out. Some of the best are found in Quimbaya, where neighbourhoods compete to see who can create the most impressive arrangement. The event will include magic shows and fireworks too!