Okay. Bear with me on this one. It’s going to bring out the ten-year-old in you. Many Christmas traditions are sweet and heart-warming. And then there’s this one… Spain has a very unusual tradition: Tió de Nadal, the Christmas log. It makes you wonder if “Mr. Hankey” from South Park is [...]

If you’re in Norway, hide your broom... For the most part, Norwegians celebrate Christmas with many common traditions found around the world. They stop working at noon on Christmas Eve and go home, where the family gets all dolled up for the occasion. They then make decorations for the Christmas tree, [...]

There’s this wonderful family tradition I heard about. A brother and sister would go off to school on December 6. But when they got home, their mother would encourage these children to check the back of the front door. Turns out there was a stocking filled with goodies for each child. [...]

This one will make you chuckle. Add this Christmas tradition to the “bizarre” category. Japan has never made a big deal out of Christmas. Other than a few secular traditions such as gift-giving and light displays, the holiday is viewed mostly as a novelty in their country. But a fun, off-beat [...]

A few years ago, a comedy-horror film was released during December. If you’re like me, you might be shaking your head and thinking, “Horror films? During the holidays?” Yes. And it was rather strange. The film was called Krampus, based on the Austrian folklore story about a beast-like demon creature that [...]

As we consider how other people around the world celebrate Christmas, give Sweden credit. They are the original G.O.A.T. Or… they at least know how to build one. Since 1966, a 42-foot tall Yule Goat has been built in the center of Gävle’s Castle Square for Advent. And what exactly is a “Yule [...]

In just 11 days, we’ll be celebrating Christmas. Aside from the cute Hallmark films, it’s fun to see how the rest of the world celebrates the holiday. Whether you celebrate a religious festival or something more secular—you probably have a few of your own rituals or customs that makes this time [...]

In Finland, home saunas are popular. They’re as common as having a dining room. In fact, they’re considered the sauna region of the world. During Christmas, the sauna becomes a sacred space associated with long deceased ancestors. On Christmas Eve, it’s customary to disrobe and spend a respectful amount of time [...]

Ready for a mental pause? Let’s all take a moment to celebrate the app. Yes, believe it or not, December 11 is National App Day. It started in 2017 but no one knows who started it. Most likely some whiz kid in his parent’s basement. Who would have thought that the [...]

Today kicks of Hanukkah—otherwise known as “The Festival of Lights”—which starts today and ends Friday, December 18. Traditionally, a nine-branched candle holder is used during the holiday. Each night, a candle is lit. The root word of menorah is “to shine.” The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah has been celebrated across the [...]