Spooky Christmas Traditions Around The World: Horse Skull Parade To Attacks of The Carolers

Christmas 2024: Christmas is not about merry-making, benevolence, carols, and gifts in all parts of the world. Major countries celebrate Christmas as a cheerful holiday of the year while others have spooky origin stories to tell to scary Christmas traditions that may leave them sleepless at night. Let’s take a look at some of the most terrifying Christmas traditions from around the world.

Mary Lwyd in Wales 

In the Southern villages of Wales, a tradition involves mounting a horse-skull on a stick and draped with bells, lights, and ribbons to be paraded in the town making a stop to knock at every door. 

Known as the Mary Lywd, the tradition originates from the story that Mary originally gave birth to Jesus on a horse table, the mare belonging to the stable roamed around for a place to deliver its own foal. 

Krampus in Central Europe 

What do you think was the inspiration behind the movie Krampus? A demonic anti of Santa, is Krampus who is a beastly half-goat creature looking around to punish the kids who have not been nice the whole year. In some parts of Central Europe, a Krampus parade takes place with people dressed up in spooky costumes running wild while drunk.

Befana in Italy 

Italians do not await a bearded old man with gifts on Christmas. Bringing them gifts is an old-looking good witch called Befana who is known for her benevolence, and Christmas presents, the broom through which she travels to deliver the gifts in children’s socks. 

Frau Perchta in Austria and Bavaria 

In the land of Austria and Bavaria, the folklore of witches is popular as well. In these traditions, an evil witch called Frau Perchta visits the homes of children to see who has been nice or naughty in the past year and punishes the naughty ones by opening up their bellies and stuffing them with straw. 

Attacks of the carolers in Europe

The melodious carols of Christmas known to set the spirit of the festive seasons were actually a threat call of the poor carolers to the wealthy landlords demanding their best food and wine in 18th century Europe. “We've come here to claim our rights / And if you don't open up your door / We'll lay it flat upon the floor...” was actually a countdown to mayhem before the carolers attacked those who did not open the doors.