Unique Christmas traditions
- POSTED ON: 21 Dec, 2021
- TOTAL VIEWS: 3983 Views
- POSTED BY: Archana Subramanian
- ARTICLE POINTS: 100 Points
The Yule Goat has been a Christmas symbol dating back to ancient pagan festivals in Sweden. In 1966, the tradition got a whole new life after someone came up with the idea of making a giant straw goat, now referred to as the Gävle Goat. More than 42 feet high and 23 feet wide, it weighs 3.6 tons. Each year, the massive goat is constructed in the same spot.
Every year, the city of San Fernando, the Phillipines, holds the Ligligan Parul or Giant Lantern Festival featuring dazzling parols or lanterns that symbolise the Star of Bethlehem. Each parol consists of thousands of spinning lights that illuminate the night sky. The festival has made San Fernando the “Christmas Capital of the Philippines.”
Each night before Christmas, Icelandic children are visited by the 13 Yule Lads. After placing their shoes by the window, the children head upstairs to bed. The shoes are either filled with candies or rotten potatoes… depending on who was naughty and who was nice.
On Christmas morning, Finnish families eat a porridge made of rice and milk topped with cinnamon, milk, or butter. Whoever finds an almond placed inside wins.
Swiss families make their own Advent calendars during Christmas. They are either given to children as a surprise or made together as a fun activity. Each day’s bag reveals a new surprise or treat, with the biggest saved for Christmas Eve.