Christmas celebrations: Five cultures with unique holiday traditions

Misty Severi

December 25, 05:30 AM December 25, 05:31 AM

Christmastime has come around again, and many cultures and countries celebrate one of the most beloved holidays with their own set of traditions.

From a giant straw goat to "Christmas Tree Jenga," here's a closer look at five of the most interesting ways that countries bask in the good tidings associated with Christmas.

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Christmas games played in Australia

People never witness a white Christmas in Australia because the holiday is considered a summer holiday, and many surfers will catch a wave in a Santa hat. Since the holiday is in the summer, Australia has a unique way of celebrating Christmas. Holiday-themed games are a hallmark of the season for children and families, with games such as "decorate a Christmas hat parade" in which children decorate their Santa hats and parade them in front of family and friends.

Another game includes "Christmas Tree Jenga" as families set up a game of Jenga in the shape of a Christmas tree. Some families will even use paper cups instead of wooden blocks.

Thirteen Yule lads in Iceland

Iceland celebrates Christmas over 26 days, stretching from Dec. 11 to Jan. 6. However, the heart of the Christmas season starts on the 11th, when children place their shoes near their window every night before Christmas Eve. Each night, a different boy in the 13 Yule Lads Christmas folklore will drop either rotten potatoes or little pieces of candy into each child's shoes, depending on whether they were good or bad that year, according to the Guide to Iceland.

A Martinique feast and sing-along

In the French Caribbean island of Martinique, music is an important part of the Christmas holidays. Families and neighbors often gather together to sing Christmas songs in both French and Creole and feast on holiday food, such as yams, boudin creole, pates sales, and pork stew. They also find gifts under their local Christmas trees called the filao.

Four months of Christmas in the Philippines

The Philippines have the longest celebration of the Christmas season, spanning four months. The Christmas holiday stretches across the months that end in "ber," meaning September, October, November, and December, and culminates on the first Sunday of January during a feast called the "Feast of the Three Kings."

One tradition is creating a "parol," which is a lantern made out of bamboo and cloth that is used to light the paths leading Filipinos to churches for prayer and worship. Parols are also hung up in houses for the holiday. Another tradition is Simbang Gabi, a nine-day ceremony that takes place from Dec. 16 to Dec. 24 in which families get up as early as 4 a.m. to go to Mass, according to the Philippine travel website Kapwa Travel.

Tradition has it that if someone completes the entire nine-day cycle of Masses, his or her Christmas wish will come true.

The giant Yule goat of Sweden

The creation of the Gavle Goat is a famous Swedish Christmas tradition. But perhaps even more famous is how people attempt to burn the gigantic straw goat down. Arsonists have succeeded 28 times despite the act being a crime.

Every year since 1966, the town of Gavle has created a massive straw statue of a Yule goat, which is a common theme for Christmas in Sweden. Tourists from all around the world have flocked to see the giant statue in person each year. The statue this year stands at 42 feet and only needs to survive a while longer before it will be taken down on Jan. 6. Last year, the statue was burned down on Dec. 17, just one week before Christmas.

International fans can root for the Yule goat by following him on social media or through a live camera here.