Christmas Around the World
Intriguing Christmas traditions from across the globe.
Iceland
Icelandic families leave gifts of treats and hand-made weather gear for a gigantic kitty, known as the Yule Cat, or Christmas Cat. If the children did not prove to be hard-working, the cat eats them.
Sweden
Christmas and a celebration known as Yule merged in several countries, Sweden included. It’s a tradition, especially in the town of Gävle, to erect an enormous Yule goat made of straw. The problem is that it rarely makes it Christmas since people so often set it aflame.
Norway
People in Norway hide their brooms on Christmas Eve. The tradition stems from the belief that witches and other spirits emerge on Christmas Eve in search of brooms to steal and ride on.
