The shorter days and longer nights of winter have a way of making us want to gaze out at the snow and dream of sunshine. It’s easy to fall into a routine of watching the same holiday mushy movies and drinking gallons of hot cocoa. While there is nothing wrong with those classic comforts, perhaps this is the year to shake things up.
Christmas (or any other holiday you celebrate) is amazing, but adding a new, or very old, tradition to your winter festivities can bring fresh excitement and meaning to the season. You might find a new way to connect with family, scare away bad spirits from your garden soil, or just have a good laugh.
Check out these ten unique winter celebrations from around the globe you can adopt to make this winter unforgettable.
1. The Feast of Juul
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This ancient Scandinavian tradition is the origin of the Yule log. Long before it became a chocolate-covered cake, the Juul log was an entire tree, or a large portion of one, brought into the house to be burned over several days during the winter solstice. This celebration honors the shortest day of the year and welcomes the return of the sun. The fire symbolizes light, warmth, and life during the darkest time of the year.
Adopting this tradition is a wonderful way to connect with the natural cycles of the seasons. It creates a focal point for gatherings, inviting friends and family to share stories, yummy casseroles, and drink around a beautiful, crackling fire. It’s a primal and powerful way to celebrate the promise of longer days ahead.
How to Make It Your Own:
- The Log: You don’t need to drag a full tree inside. Select a special log from your woodpile or a local supplier. Oak is traditional, but any hardwood will do.
- Decorate: Before burning, decorate the log with seasonal greenery like ivy, holly, or pinecones. Some traditions involve writing wishes for the new year on paper and tucking them into the log’s crevices.
- The Burn: Light the log on the winter solstice. Keep the fire going for as long as you can, or simply enjoy it for one special evening. Some people save a piece of the unburnt log to help light next year’s fire, creating a continuous chain of celebration.
2. The Shoe Toss
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Originating from the Czech Republic, this tradition is a lighthearted way to dabble in a bit of fortune-telling on Christmas Day. A single woman stands with her back to the door and throws one of her shoes over her shoulder. If the shoe lands with the toe pointing toward the door, it’s said she will be married within the year. If it points away from the door, she’ll remain single.
This is a fun, low-stakes activity that adds a dose of playful superstition to your holiday gathering. It’s a great icebreaker and is guaranteed to produce some laughter, regardless of the outcome. It’s less about predicting the future and more about sharing a moment of silliness with loved ones.
How to Make It Your Own:
- Gather the Group: Invite anyone who wants to participate, regardless of their relationship status. You can adapt the “prophecy” to fit different life goals, like a new job, a big move, or an exciting adventure.
- Set the Stage: Find an open space near an exterior door to avoid any shoe-related accidents with breakable items.
- Interpret the Results: Have fun with it. A shoe pointing toward the door could mean a new opportunity is coming your way. One pointing away might mean a year of happy stability. It’s all in good fun.
3. Dongzhi Festival
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The Dongzhi Festival is a Chinese celebration that marks the winter solstice. The name translates to “winter’s extreme,” and it is a time for family to gather and celebrate the shifting balance of yin and yang energy. As the days begin to lengthen, the positive, light-filled yang energy starts its ascent. The festival is traditionally celebrated with a hearty family meal.
This tradition is a beautiful way to honor family and the changing seasons. The focus is on togetherness and nourishment. Making and eating special foods like tangyuan (glutinous rice balls) or dumplings is a central part of the celebration, representing reunion and prosperity.
How to Make It Your Own:
- Plan a Feast: Center your celebration around a special meal. It can be a traditional Chinese dinner or simply a favorite family recipe that brings everyone together.
- Make Dumplings: Gather your family or friends for a dumpling-making party. The act of preparing the food together is just as important as eating it.
- Reflect and Connect: Use the time to talk about the year that has passed and share hopes for the coming months of light and growth.
4. Ursul, The Bear Dance
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This Romanian tradition is a wild and wonderful way to ring in the New Year. On New Year’s Eve, people dress in elaborate bear costumes and dance through villages and towns. The dance is intended to ward off malevolent spirits from the previous year and purify the land for a fertile and prosperous year ahead. The bear symbolizes strength and the power to regenerate.
While you might not want to parade through your neighborhood in a full bear costume, you can certainly borrow the spirit of this tradition. It’s a dynamic and energetic way to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. For gardeners, the idea of purifying the soil for the next growing season is particularly appealing.
How to Make It Your Own:
- The “Costume”: You don’t need a real bear pelt. A fuzzy blanket, a bear hat, or even just some playful bear-like dancing will do the trick.
- The Dance: Put on some lively music on New Year’s Eve and have a family dance party in your living room or backyard.
- Bless the Garden: Take the party outside. Dance around your garden beds to “scare away” any lingering pests or bad vibes from the last season and welcome a bountiful harvest next year.
5. Yalda Night
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Yalda Night, or Shab-e Yalda, is an Iranian festival celebrated on the longest night of the year. Families and friends gather to stay up late, shielding each other from the darkness and celebrating the impending victory of light. The tradition involves reading poetry, especially from the poet Hafez, and eating specific fruits like watermelon and pomegranates, whose red color symbolizes the glow of life and dawn.
This is a deeply poetic and meaningful celebration. It focuses on the beauty of literature, the importance of community, and the symbolism of food. Staying awake together through the longest night is a powerful act of solidarity and optimism. They had me at watermelon.
How to Make It Your Own:
- Gather Your People: Invite friends and family for a late-night gathering on the winter solstice.
- Share Words: Read poetry or share meaningful stories. You can read from a beloved book or have each person bring something to share.
- Prepare a Special Spread: Serve red fruits like pomegranates, watermelon, and cherries. A cheeseboard, nuts, and warm drinks will complete the cozy, celebratory feel.
6. Saturnalia
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Before Christmas, there was Saturnalia. This ancient Roman festival in honor of the god Saturn was a week-long party in December. It was a time of feasting, gift-giving, and general merrymaking. One of its most interesting features was the reversal of social norms, where masters would serve their slaves. It was a time of freedom and revelry for everyone.
Adopting Saturnalia is for those who believe the holidays should be more about fun and less about stress. It’s an excuse to feast, play games, and turn expectations upside down. It’s a celebration of liberation and pure, unadulterated joy.
How to Make It Your Own:
- Host a Feast: Plan a dinner party with an abundance of food and drink. The focus should be on enjoyment, not formality.
- Reverse the Roles: For one night, let the kids make the rules (within reason!). Or, if you are hosting, take on all the serving duties and let your guests relax completely.
- Give Gag Gifts: Alongside any serious presents, exchange small, funny gifts. The Romans gave gag gifts called sigillaria.
7. Krampus Run
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For those who find the typical jolly Santa a little too one-note, Austria offers Krampus. This devilish, horned figure is Saint Nicholas’s companion, tasked with punishing naughty children. During a Krampuslauf, or Krampus Run, people dress up as these terrifying creatures and parade through the streets, often with torches and bells, to scare away the evil spirits of winter.
This tradition is perfect for people with a darker sense of humor and a love for folklore. It adds a thrilling, slightly scary edge to the holiday season. While you probably don’t want to terrify the local children, you can have a lot of fun with the Krampus theme.
How to Make It Your Own:
- Themed Party: Host a Krampus-themed party. Encourage guests to come in “frightful” attire. Think horns, faux fur, and dark colors.
- Scary Movie Night: Pair the legend of Krampus with a marathon of classic winter horror or folklore-based films.
- A “Run” in the Yard: Get a group of friends together, put on some spooky masks, and have a mock “Krampus Run” around a bonfire in your backyard to chase away bad energy.
8. Hiding of Brooms
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This simple Norwegian tradition originates from an old belief that witches and evil spirits emerge on Christmas Eve in search of brooms to ride. To prevent any unwanted supernatural joyrides, households would hide all their brooms and mops securely before going to bed.
This is an incredibly easy and charming tradition to adopt. It requires almost no effort but adds a layer of magical, old-world folklore to your Christmas Eve preparations. It’s a fun secret for the family to share and a great story to tell younger members.
How to Make It Your Own:
- The Great Hiding: On Christmas Eve, make a game out of finding the most clever hiding spots for all your brooms, mops, and even vacuum cleaners.
- Tell the Tale: Gather the family and tell the story of why you’re hiding the brooms. It’s a fantastic way to pass down a bit of quirky folklore.
- A “Safe” House: Once the brooms are hidden, declare the house officially “witch-proof” for the night.
9. Night of the Radishes
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Every December 23rd in Oaxaca, Mexico, the main square is filled with elaborate scenes carved entirely from radishes. Noche de Rábanos, or Night of the Radishes, is a folk art competition where growers carve oversized radishes into nativity scenes, historical figures, and fantastical creatures. The tradition likely began as a way for merchants to attract shoppers to their market stalls.
This is a perfect tradition for anyone with a creative streak and a love for gardening. It celebrates the humble radish in a truly spectacular way. Even if your radishes aren’t oversized, you can still have a blast with some vegetable carving.
How to Make It Your Own:
- Grow Your Own: Plan ahead and try to grow some large radish varieties like Black Spanish or Daikon.
- Host a Carving Contest: Get some large radishes from the store, gather some simple carving tools (paring knives and vegetable peelers work well), and have a family carving competition.
- Display Your Art: Create a “gallery” to display the radish creations for a day. Be warned: radish art has a very short lifespan, so take lots of pictures.
10. Polar Bear Plunges
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A more modern tradition, the Polar Bear Plunge sees brave souls in North America and Europe taking a dip in icy cold water on New Year’s Day. These events are often organized to raise money for charities, but many people do it simply for the exhilarating shock to the system and the bragging rights. It’s seen as a bold way to start the new year fresh.
This one is not for the faint of heart, but it is certainly memorable. It’s a physical and mental challenge that symbolizes washing away the old year and starting the new one with vigor and resilience.
How to Make It Your Own:
- Start Small: You do not need to jump into a frozen lake. You can get a similar, safer effect by turning your shower to cold for the last 30 seconds on New Year’s morning.
- The Foot Plunge: Fill a bucket with ice water and see who in the family can keep their feet submerged the longest.
- Find an Event: If you are feeling truly adventurous, look for an official, supervised Polar Bear Plunge in your area. They are often for a good cause and have safety personnel on hand.
Embracing New Traditions
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Stepping outside your holiday comfort zone can breathe new life into the winter season. These traditions remind us that people all over the world have found unique ways to celebrate light, family, and the promise of a new year. You don’t have to follow them perfectly. The idea is to borrow the elements that resonate with you. Choose a tradition that sparks your interest, adapt it to fit your life, and start making some new memories.