No Krampus for us! - Christmas traditions around the world

We all have our own Christmas traditions, developed over the years until it’s honed to perfection. Wherever you are across the snowy and cold Northeast or warm South today there will be small differences, even more so across the world. So, we’re looking at some of our favorite traditions around the world.

Let’s start in Scandinavia where the Gävle Goat has become an annual symbol of Christmas in Sweden since 1966. The Yule Goat was already associated with the day, so one thoughtful Swede decided to create a giant straw goat, and now it is a festive tradition. Erected on the first Sunday of Advent, lasting until the New Year.

No, it isn’t Halloween, it's Krampus… The ‘creatures’ appear during Advent in Austria. Traditionally wearing wooden masks and animal skins, Krampus would arrive to punish naughty children in opposition to Santa Claus who rewarded well-behaved ones.

Today, they still emerge at festivals, but their days of terrifying children are over.

We end in Germany for St Nicholas Day. Each year on December 6 German children would place clean shoes outside for St. Nicholas to fill with chocolates, sweets, and small gifts. Similar to the hanging of stockings, just earlier in the season for a little treat.