Pooping logs to naked Santas: Bizarre Christmas traditions around the world

A pooping log in Spain and naked Santas in San Francisco are among the quirky and bizarre Christmas traditions around the world, making the festival full of surprises.

Bizarre Christmas traditions around the world

Pooping log: In Spain’s Catalonia region, the “Tio de Nadal” is a wooden log decorated with a face, which is fed treats throughout December and kept warm under a blanket. On Christmas eve, children beat the log with sticks to make it “poop” candies and gifts.

The Yule cat: According to an Icelandic legend, workers must finish processing the autumn wool before Christmas to receive new clothes as a reward. Those without new clothes are “eaten” by the mythical Yule cat.

Befana the Witch: An Italian tradition, it is believed that Befana, a broomstick-riding witch, leaves treat for kids on January 5, Epiphany Eve, as an “apology” for missing the birth of Jesus Christ.

Mari Lwyd: In Wales, a horse skull is dressed up with ribbons and mounted on a pole. The Mari Lwyd is taken to homes to challenge Christmas revellers to a rhyming competition. The goal is to win entry into the house and to be welcomed with food and drinks.

Roller skating: In Venezuela’s capital Caracas, many families don roller skates to get to the church. This is done to decongest roads on a day when everyone is trying to get to early morning Mass.

Kentucky for Christmas: In December, millions of Japanese families line up for KFC, a tradition which started with a 1970s marketing campaign called “Kentucky for Christmas.”

Naked Santa: At San Francisco’s annual SantaCon event, hordes of nude Santas join the otherwise innocent celebration.