Christmas Stories from All Around the World

Not all Christmas stories are the same. Christmas is not just about a man wearing red and giving presents. There are lots of cultural traditions like Christmas markets, Krampus from Austria, La Befana the witch from Italy, Yule Lads from Iceland, and unique foods like sheep’s head in Norway or Bûche de Noël in France. Alongside these, there are widespread customs like decorating trees, singing carols, and leaving treats for gift-givers, often with regional twists on Santa Claus or the Christ Child. Today, I am going to tell you about Christmas stories and traditions.

First, let’s look at Europe. In Italy, we have the legend of La Befana. She is an old woman who looks like a witch. She brings sweets and small gifts to well-behaved children, but naughty children may get coal. In Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, there is Krampus as a folk tale. Krampus is half goat and half man. He takes badly behaved children in his sack and gives small presents to well-behaved ones.

Now let’s move on to some Christmas stories from around the world. The Nisse is one of the most popular creatures of Scandinavia. It is a small human-like creature wearing a red cap and gray clothes. People believe that it brings good luck, protect families and do the chores. In the countries like Finland, Sweden, and Norway, traditions are also unique. In Iceland, there are the Yule Lads. There are 13 Yule Lads, thirteen mischievous trolls, whose names are Stubby, Sausage Stealer, Candle Beggar, Sky Gobbler, Door Slammer, Spoon Licker, Window Peeper, and Doorway Sniffer. Thirteen days before Christmas, starting after midnight on December 12th, the first Yule Lad comes down from the mountains. Children put their shoes on the windowsill. If they have been good, the Yule Lads leave a small gift in their shoes. If they have been bad, they get a potato.

As a fun fact, I want to talk about the origin of Santa Claus. Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century Greek Christian bishop from Myra (Demre), in modern-day Turkey. He is famous for his secret generosity, especially to the poor. One famous legend tells that he secretly gave gold to three daughters who needed help. This story inspired traditions of secret gift-giving and later influenced the modern Santa Claus. And we see that he is not just a cartoon character, but a real historical figure with roots in Turkey.

So now you know that Christmas is not only about a fat man in red, giving presents and being holly-jolly. It is also about connecting people through stories, happiness and values. Traditions might be different around the world but the idea connects everyone.

(images from Pixabay)