Christmas is a worldwide tradition people celebrate all over the world. Christmas trees, twinkling lights and Christmas feasts are common, but did you know there are other Christmas traditions that's kind of, well, weird?
To foreigners, they may be bizarre, but to the locals, they're perfectly normal. Take a look at some of the unique Christmas traditions of other countries you don't know that exist:
Submerging A Cherry Tree Branch In Water In Czech Republic. This country may be a beautiful place to wander for a culturally-starved traveler, but they also have some few quirks about Christmas as well.
It is a famous tradition for Czech girls to put a cherry tree branch underwater during Dec 4th. If the cherry blooms before Christmas Eve, then it means the girls will marry within a year. We don't know the history behind this superstition, but to the Czech people it seems legit.
Krampus In Austria. Aside from being merry and festive, Austrians also celebrate Christmas with a scary twist by whipping out Santa Claus' evil twin, Krampus. Every Christmas, tons of locals dress up as Krampus and scare the people in the streets.
Krampus is an urban legend where he targets the naughty children during Christmas, and drags them away from their families. Not very Christmas-y.
Nisse, A Naughty Christmas Gnome In Denmark. Christmas Elves are a common sight during Christmas, but in Denmark, there is one particular gnome they have to watch out for, whose name is Nisse.
Apparently, Nisse loves to play pranks on people during Christmas. Therefore, Danish families must always leave a bowl of porridge for him so that they wouldn't get victimized. Or else, he will take all the children's presents. Better to be safe then.
Polar Bear Plunge in Britain. Despite the freezing temperature of the rivers and oceans during winter, some brave souls do what is commonly called "The Polar Bear Plunge", where they dive in the freezing waters during Christmas.
Although nowadays, people who participate in this icy tradition often do it in the name of charity. It is also practiced in the US, Canada, Ireland, and France.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
