"We all have our own Christmas traditions without which the holiday simply wouldn't feel complete. Maybe it's gathering 'round the fireplace, hanging up ornaments on the tree, or tucking into the couch to blow the dust off some classic Christmas -or flying somewhere warm with the family to chase after the winter sun. While we Americans might think of sugar plums, roasting chestnuts, and snow-piled rooftops when it comes to the holiday,"
"For instance, where we conceive of Christmas dinners as fantastic spreads of roasts and sumptuous sides laid out on velvet table runners, more than 3.5 million Japanese households order theirs from KFC. And in South Africa, many tend to embrace the warm December weather by picnicking. From new characters in the nativity scene to a take on Santa's helper straight from your nightmares, Christmas traditions around the world showcase global craft, creativity, and community building."
Christmas is celebrated through diverse local customs that reflect regional climates, cuisines, and cultural imaginations. Some communities mark the season with unexpected foods or outdoor gatherings, such as orders of KFC in Japan and picnic meals in South Africa. Other celebrations feature invented characters or folkloric figures that expand or subvert traditional nativity scenes, as with the Catalan Caganer or Alpine Krampus. The Caganer, appearing since at least the 18th century, is represented defecating within expanded nativity dioramas and is variously interpreted as a talisman of prosperity, a symbol of freedom, or a mischievous novelty for viewers to spot.
Read at Conde Nast Traveler
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