crazy christmas traditions that i adore..

I'm a traditional kind of gal.

I love things that make me all teary eyed and nostalgic.

Don't you?

Here's me and my older bro loving the magic of Christmas. Ah..memories.

We had a few simple Christmas traditions. We always had a family party Christmas Eve and then we each opened one gift. And it was never PJ's. My mom let us open whatever present we wanted.  One year it was lip gloss. Another year it was the much anticipated Paula Abdul cassette.

Christmas morning meant Peanut Butter Captain Crunch cereal. We always had "family presents" which usually meant some sweet movies like "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" or "Batman".

I'm always curious to know what other traditions are out there that people enjoy. So I did a little research and learned that..

Canada:

Every year thousands of "Postal Elves" volunteer close to 200,000 hours to help Santa respond to all the mail he is swamped with this time of year. I love this for 2 reasons.
1.) imagine the happiness on a little boy/girl's face when they receive that letter from Santa and his elves. So cute
2.) people unselfishly give up hours and hours of their own time to serve others. Talk about giving!

Australia:

While we're freezing here in Utah, it's summertime in Australia which means forget the ski's and learn to surf! A close friend of mine (who's an Aussie herself) told me that they spend Christmas on the beach where they have a BBQ with friends and family all while getting tan and enjoying the beautiful beaches of Australia. Mental note: remember this when planning next year's Christmas vacation..

Greenland:

Christmas is the one time of year in this country where the men wait on the women. The celebration begins with coffee, cake, dancing, and lighting the tree. Then everyone is given Mattak which is whale skin with blubber to eat.  Presents include a pair of tusks and a sealskin mitt.

Sweden:

On the Eastern Coast, a town displays a giant goat made out of straw. Every year it becomes a crazy competition as half the town tries to burn it down..sounds fun. And dangerous.

Japan:

Christmas isn't a national holiday so most people still have to go to work on this day. Instead they celebrate the festivities on Christmas Eve. The Colonel works hard to keep things merry and bright by offering a Kentucky Christmas meal. When it started in the 80's it was just a roasted chicken and some wine. Now it's a full blown meal that people reserve months in advance to make sure they can enjoy a "traditional Christmas meal" in Japan.

Norway:

Christmas Eve is spent frantically hiding all the brooms in the house so they aren't stolen by demons. Doesn't this tradition just warm your heart to pieces?

Spain:

Tio de Nadal is a log that poos Christmas treats. The children take care of it by giving it a blanket and feeding it veggies. Then they beat the heck out of it while singing this song, "Christmas log, do not poop salted sardines, which are salty poop torrons which are very good, and if you don't poop well, I will hit you with a stick!"

Austria:

Perhaps those Sound of Music children's obedience wasn't just to the credit of their militant father. Krampus and Perchta (a.k.a Santa's little helpers) probably deserve some of the credit too. Kids are warned that being naughty doesn't mean coal in your stocking. Instead Santa will send Krampus who sends them to hell if they've been bad. Or if you're lucky, he'll send Perchta instead, who cuts them open, removes their guts and stuffs them with straw and pebbles. The Christmas hills are alive with...demons?

and finally..

Czech Republic:

Calling all Single ladies! On Christmas eve, it's tradition to stand outside your front door and toss a shoe over your shoulder.  If the toe is pointing at the door you'll be married within a year. Another way to know you're upcoming marital status is to shake an elder tree and if a dog barks at the same time, you're as good as gold to start planning your wedding. This would have been helpful to know a couple of years ago...