Entertainment

It’s a Wonderfully Unique Holiday World

Phil McFadden

Copy Director

Merry Christmask everyone!

Since the North Pole (like the rest of us) is in lockdown this year, we thought it’d be fun to see how the rest of the world celebrates the season.

Buckle up, it’s about to get weird.

Should you find yourself in the Czech Republic for Christmas, watch out for flying footwear; it’s a tradition for Czech women to put their backs to the house door and throw a shoe over their shoulders. The direction in which the shoe lands predicts whether she’ll be hard up for the Holidays or planning to wed like a Royal.

Way up north in Norway, it’s customary to hide the brooms and let the men fire guns into the northern sky. Which explains the Norwegian Holiday classic: “Buckshot and broomsticks.”

In sunny Australia, they’ve put a more “down under” twist on tradition. Swapping out reindeer for Kangaroos. Which I guess makes him Rudolph the Red-Nosed Roo?

And here is one to warm our collective marketing hearts; in Japan, the tradition is to have Colonel Sanders visit your home with a big bucket of herbs and spices. We’re guessing he takes the elevator rather than greasing down the chimney.

We’re just about done with our fun facts. But here is one from all of us up north.