Most Christmas holiday party ideas revolve around family gatherings, gift-giving and copious amounts of good food. Not that there’s anything wrong with the combination! It’s as timeless as it is classic. However, whether social distancing has turned your usual family get-together into a distant memory or if you’re looking for a way to spice up this holiday season, it may be worth looking at Christmas traditions from around the world for inspiration.
Japan – Who Needs Turkey When You’ve Got KFC?
Although Christmas originally spread to Japan through Christian missionaries, the holiday has largely lost its religious connotations and is seen as a time to celebrate with friends, family and gift-giving…doesn’t that sound familiar? However, one thing you might find on a Japanese Christmas table that may seem a touch incongruous with your family’s is the bucket of KFC.
Although it may seem a touch ridiculous (or dystopian) that a single company might become so deeply entrenched into any holiday, the history behind this nation-wide holiday tradition is actually quite fascinating.
Unsurprisingly, it started with a particularly successful advertising campaign. In 1974, Takeshi Okawara ran a marketing campaign for a KFC “party barrel”, with the tagline ‘Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii’ (translated to mean Kentucky for Christmas). The campaign was a hit and because (at the time) Japan did not have any Christmas traditions that weren’t from the west, the country quickly embraced this unique idea and made it their own.
At the end of the day, while one cannot doubt the capitalist overtones of the whole practice, the tradition of getting KFC on Christmas was ultimately so popular because it provided families with the chance to get together and share food with one another. Now this beloved holiday practice from Japan is one that is practiced out of nostalgia and family togetherness. Not too different from its western counterpart’s Christmas turkey, after all (but a lot more fuss free).
Ukraine – Spider Webs in the Tree
Although fastidious housewives and arachnophobes alike are usually all too happy to see any and all eight-legged friends out the door before having people over for Christmas, in Ukraine you can usually find at least one or two beautifully ornate spider-web shaped baubles on the Christmas tree.
The practice came about from a Ukrainian Christmas legend in which a widow and her children were too poor to afford decorations for their tree and so some baby spiders which had hatched in that tree decided to give the family a little Christmas present. When the widow and her children woke up on Christmas day, the tree had been decorated with silvery cobwebs. Rather than freaking out and calling an exterminator as most of us would have, the little family instead chose to take the whole thing rather positively and see it as a Christmas blessing of sorts. When the sun rose and the rays touched the webs, it turned the webs into silver and gold and so the widow and her children never wanted for anything ever again.
While modern Ukrainians are unlikely to find gold or silver in their local spiderwebs, the spider and spider webs are seen as good luck on Christmas and are believed to usher in good luck for the year ahead. In fact, there are a huge number of myths and superstitions surrounding our eight-legged-pals all around the world, many of them positive.
So if you’re the sort who bemoans the loss of your favorite spooky holiday season, perhaps you can save time and money this holiday season by recycling your halloween decorations and using them to spruce up your Christmas tree. Bonus points if you can find a can of silver or gold spray paint to make them more festive!
Austria – Krampus Cuts a Devilish Figure
Although many of us regularly hold Santa’s infamous ‘naughty list’ over the heads of those young enough to believe it, Austria takes the notion a touch further by employing Krampus who will actively beat misbehaving children with a stick.
This Central European legend has been the star of several Christmas-themed horror films. Often painted as a Christmas-devil of sorts that punishes naughty children, the character enjoyed a resurgence of fame around the 1890s when the Austrian government gave up control over the nation’s postcard productions. Christmas postcards for children were made featuring the horned figure punishing them and the ominous slogan “Brav Sein” (Be Good). On the other hand, Christmas cards for the adults featured Krampus less as a retributive entity and portrayed him instead as a silly figure who carried away women or even as a romantic suitor.
The figure has yet to lose its popularity in Austria, and if anything seems to be getting more popular with the Austrian Christmas season regularly featuring a Krampuslauf (Krampus Run) which is a parade featuring elaborate made up costumes in the many shapes and interpretations of Krampus. Safe to say, nobody in Austria or Germany actually fears the grumpy face and horns of this devilish figure, but one can hope that maybe Krampus may actually inspire good behavior in children unacquainted with its popular interpretation.
Christmas is undoubtedly an important time for many of us. Across the world, it’s seen as a time for family, gratitude and fun. However, in the unprecedented times we have found ourselves in, this holiday season may see some changes in how we celebrate and who we celebrate with. So this year if you find your holiday celebration a little lackluster, consider inviting some holiday traditions from across the globe into your home by ordering a KFC bucket, hanging up some spiderwebs and sending a Krampus postcard to your relatives.