Spiders, cemeteries, costumes, and ghost stories feel more at home in Halloween than in Christmas, yet around the world many festive traditions sound like they’ve swapped seasons. Below are ten international customs that mix the eerie vibe of Halloween with the warmth of Christmas, proving that the holidays can be delightfully spooky.
10 Carved Vegetables Mexico
For anyone who dreaded veggies as a child, the Night of the Radishes might sound like a horror‑film title. Yet it’s a venerable celebration in Mexico that dates back to Oaxaca’s main plaza in 1897 and has thrived ever since.
The event bursts with parades, feasts, and dances, but the star attraction is, as the name suggests, the radishes. These root vegetables are cultivated especially for the occasion, left in the ground far longer than usual so they swell to enormous proportions—some reaching 50 cm (20 in) in length and weighing up to 3 kg (6.5 lb). Artisans carve them into intricate characters, scenes, and displays that dazzle the crowds.
The official date is December 23, yet the festivities often spill over a couple of days, sometimes extending past Christmas Day itself.
9 Goblins Greece
Greek folklore tells of underground goblins called Kallikantzaroi who emerge during the twelve days of Christmas to wreak mischief. Legends describe them as shaggy, dark‑haired beings that look human but sport horns and tails.
To fend them off, many Greeks burn incense or even stinky shoes in the fireplace, while others mark their doors with a black cross on Christmas Eve. A chilling belief holds that any baby born during those twelve days risks turning into a Kallikantzaros later in life, only discovering their fate at 18 or 21 years of age. The traditional safeguard? Singe the infant’s toenails or wrap them in garlic and straw.
8 Spiders Poland
If you’ve ever left Halloween spider‑web décor up past October, Poland might feel like a natural fit. In Polish culture, spiders symbolize prosperity and general goodness. One legend recounts that when baby Jesus was born cold, a spider spun a warm blanket of webs for him, inspiring the tradition of adorning Christmas trees with faux spider‑webs and spider ornaments.
The custom also appears in Germany and Ukraine, though inspired by a different tale. In a Ukrainian story, a poor mother could not afford ornaments, yet her children awoke to find their tree covered in spider‑webs. When sunrise struck, the webs turned to silver and gold, ensuring the family would never lack again.
7 Eating Bugs South Africa
While gummy worms dominate Halloween candy aisles, some South African regions reserve a truly creepy treat for Christmas: deep‑fried emperor moth caterpillars. These caterpillars are considered a delicacy, making them a staple of the festive feast in certain locales.
Nutritionally, they pack a punch—over half the weight of 100 g of caterpillars is protein, surpassing both fish and beef, with 17 % carbohydrates and an energy value of 430 kcal. Depending on the species, they also supply iron, calcium, potassium, and a range of vitamins, making them both tasty and wholesome.
6 Witches Bavaria
Austrian and Bavarian lore features a witch named Berchta who monitors children’s behavior throughout the year. During the twelve days of Christmas and the Epiphany, she silently slips into homes to either reward or punish. Diligent children find a silver coin in their shoe; lazy ones have their stomachs slit open, their innards replaced with straw, stones, and any stray rubbish.
The name Berchta derives from the Epiphany feast, Berchtentag. In Slovenia she appears as Frau Faste—“the lady of the Ember Days.” Her traditional feast day, Berchtaslaaf, is celebrated in Urglawee (the German‑Dutch community of Pennsylvania) on December 31, known locally as Elfder Dagg and Zwelfdi Nacht (“Eleventh Day” and “Twelfth Night”).
5 Monster Cannibals Iceland
Icelandic folklore introduces the ogress Gryla, who, like Santa and Berchta, can discern whether children have been naughty or nice. Unlike the benevolent Santa, Gryla cares only for punishing the mischievous. During Christmas, she descends from her mountain lair to hunt for a stew of disobedient boys and girls, an appetite said to be insatiable.
Though not originally a Christmas figure, Gryla became linked to the holiday in the 17th century, connected to the Yule Cat and the Yule Lads as their mother, cementing her place in Icelandic Yuletide myth.
4 Ghost Stories England
Not so long ago, spine‑tingling ghost tales were a staple of Christmas Eve celebrations. Even Andy Williams’s classic “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” promises “There’ll be scary ghost stories / And tales of the glories / Of Christmases long, long ago.”
In Victorian England, ghosts and Christmas were as inseparable as tea and crumpets. The ultimate example is Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, driven by four otherworldly spirits. Historically, people believed the veil between the living and the dead thinned on Christmas Eve, allowing spirits to cross over for a single night.
3 Costumes Newfoundland
Newfoundland blends trick‑or‑treating with Christmas caroling through a tradition called mummering. Participants, known as mummers or “janneys,” don homemade disguises and roam neighbourhoods, knocking on doors, playing music, and dancing on front steps while homeowners guess their identities.
To further conceal themselves, mummers employ “ingestive speaking,” talking while taking a deep breath. Once their disguise is uncovered, they remove their masks, and hosts typically invite them in for food and drink. Historically, the practice was highly social in tight‑knit towns; today, it’s more restrained, with mummers often calling ahead to avoid being turned away.
2 Cemeteries Finland
In Finland, Christmas Eve is a time to honor the departed by visiting graves and lighting candles in their memory. Even those without nearby relatives travel to the closest cemetery to place a lit candle, resulting in a sea of glowing lights across Finnish graveyards on December 24.
Many who haven’t lost loved ones still stroll through cemeteries simply to enjoy the festive ambience. The influx is so massive that authorities must implement special traffic measures to manage the surge of vehicles. Other nations share similar customs; Portugal, for instance, holds the Consoda feast on Christmas morning, a dual celebration of food and mourning, where families set places at the table for absent relatives.
1 The Devil Guatemala
One might assume the devil has no place in holiday celebrations, yet Guatemala observes a December 7 event called La Quema del Diablo (The Burning of the Devil). Residents clean their homes, amass trash, old clothing, and broken furniture in front of their houses, then craft a devil effigy to crown the pile.
The entire heap is set ablaze, symbolically driving away evil and preparing the way for baby Jesus. The ritual also serves to cleanse the home and provide a cathartic release from year‑long troubles. In recent years, many opt to burn small pinatas and old bills instead of household waste, while commercial vendors now sell devil effigies, underscoring the blend of tradition and modern consumerism.