There is no better time in the year to get close to friends and family other than during the Christmas season! A season celebrated by everyone and at every corner of the planet with a completely different set of traditions. Read on and find out about some of the most interesting Christmas traditions from various corners of our beautiful world.

Romania, The Mascatii

In Romania, tradition has it for the locals to wear strange masks and hang loud bells on them on New Year’s Eve. By singing loudly the song called Mascatii they are supposed to scare off the old year whose time has come to give its place to the next! 

Source: Fotolia.com, © iluzia 

Australia, Carols

Australia may not get snow in Christmas and people usually spend their holidays at the beach but they, too, have Christmas customs! People gather at the main square of every city and sing carols together holding a candle on Christmas Eve. Fireworks are much appreciated in the distant continent and it is a tradition to pay special tribute to Santa Claus who is invited to join the crowds through the tones of fireworks used which basically turn the night into day. Of course he will not deny them the thrill and he will indeed come wearing lighter clothes than the Santa Claus we know of over here in Europe…plus he will not be accompanied by reindeer but kangaroos! 

Source: Flickr, Photographer: Ji Ruan

Spain, 12 grapes at midnight

In Spain people take the change of the year far too seriously…One of the most important traditions of the New Year’s Eve is that the change of the year at 12 o’clock midnight will find the Spaniards with 12 pieces of grape in their mouth for good luck. One grape for each month, so kissing under the mistletoe holding a glass of champagne is not as important as chewing the 12 grapes at midnight sharp!

Source: Flickr, Photographer: Chris Oakley

USA, the Christmas pickle

The Christmas pickle is a tradition that we see in The States although its roots derive from an old German tradition. A Christmas ornament in the shape of a pickle is well hidden in the Christmas tree of every household and whoever finds it will be granted with good luck for the whole new year. This really constitutes a treasure hunt for children who wish to find the pickle-shaped ornament and get a great present from Santa too. 

Source: Flickr, Photographer: Donna Pool

Argentina, Pink underwear

Travelers who choose Argentina as their Christmas destination are going to be faced with a rather sexy tradition! Commercial stores across the country, use pink underwear as part of their Christmas decorations and, furthermore, single women should be given a gift of pink underwear for good luck too! Especially if they wear them at New Year’s Eve, they are going to raise their possibilities of getting married within the new year! You may now wonder why pink…Well, tradition explains that the colour of pink was selected because it is the combination of red (the colour of the devil) and white (the colour of God). All we wish for is to see the city dressed in pink!

Iceland, only clothes as a Christmas present  

An old Icelandic tradition that is still maintained nowadays, is that of exchanging Christmas presents which can only be pieces of clothing! If someone’s present is not clothes then superstitions say that this person will have a bad accident within the new year. Tradition continues by adding that the vicious black Christmas cat is bound to get you if you don’t follow the simple rule of gifting your friends with clothes… 

Source: www.trivago.gr

From: Eva Kanellopoulos

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