Blog Layout
Six Great December Traditions
Charlotte Booth • 30 November 2021
Six International Traditions
December in the western world is generally about consumerism, shopping for gifts and indulging in too much food and drink.
As much as I adore fairy lights, poinsettias and kitsch decorations I also love learning about other cultures and their traditions. So, I thought I would share six international festivals with you, which you can adopt or not …
1. December 5 – Krampusnacht
In the Alpine regions of Europe on the night of December 5, a beast known as Krampus – scares naughty children. In Austria, on this night there is a Krampus festival where revellers dress up as Krampus and dance through the streets.
2. December 6 - St Nicholas Day
Following on from Krampusnacht is St Nicholas Day. St Nicholas is the opposite of Krampus and rewards good children. This is a day celebrated across Europe with each country having different traditions.
- In Germany and Poland, young boys dress as bishops (St Nick) and collect money for charity.
- Also in Poland, St Nicholas puts a small present under the pillows of good children. Naughty children however, get a twig or lump of coal.
- In the Netherlands, children fill a clog with hay and food for St Nick’s horse. In return St Nick leaves a small gift for them .
3. December 23 – Noche de los Rabanos (pictured above)
This three day festival in Oaxaca, Mexico is known as The Festival of the Radishes. Part of the tradition includes carving large radishes into nativity figures and those from Mexican folklore. There is also a competitive edge to it, and it attracts a lot of tourists to the area.
4. 24 December - Jolabokaflod
In Iceland on Christmas Eve, it is traditional to give a book as a gift, and the family then get cosy together and spend the evening reading their new books.
5. December 25 – Shoe Slinging
In Czech Republic unmarried women traditionally throw a shoe at their home on Christmas Day. If the shoe lands with the heal facing the house they will not be getting married in the upcoming year. If it lands another way, wedding bells are imminent.
6. December 31 – Bear Festival
Romanian Christmas carollers dress in scary bear costumes, and dance the night away on New Year’s Eve. This will scare away any evil spirits but also help the soil remain fertile for the following year.
I love the idea of Krampusnakht, as it shows the consequences of behaviour choices (Bah! Humbug!) and Jolabokaflod, as I love to read. However, my radish carving skills could however could do with some work.
There are obviously a number of other traditions from every country on earth, and I would love to hear any you are aware of or any which your family celebrate. Drop me an email
or comment below.
Even doing something you are passionate about can end in overwhelm and burnout. Here I talk about my six month break from marketing.
What would you rather own - a real Van Gogh painting or a print? Why is that? The value of having a direct connection with a creative personality is huge, and yet many people are happy to have soulless AI content instead of well thought out and considered experience of a copywriter. Why is that?
As if we haven't got enough to do with our daily, weekly and monthly to-do lists, did you know there is also a silent to-do list as well?
How do you stand out from the crowd when promoting your business? How you get your business heard over the noise? With a little creativity of course.
ChatGPT is here to stay whether we like it or not. Here are some tips on getting the best results from the app.
At no point in history have we had to deal with so much information. Here are some simple tips for dealing with infobesity.
Writing memoirs seems easy, but getting the research right is important.
Getting your business website up and running can feel like a massive achievement. But if the content doesn't sing, the website won't perform. Here are four tips to get you started.
A vital part of writing a long-form article or book is the editing. Here are five key steps to getting it right.
Admit it, you've said I don't have the time as an excuse why you can't start a new project. But if you truly wanted to do it you would be able to find the time you need.
