35 weirdest Christmas traditions around the world

A man dressed as "Krampus" walks the streets during a traditional "Krampus run" in the Austrian village of Gresten. (Reuters)

This photo shows the Gavle Goat (known in Swedish as Julbocken i Gävle or Gävlebocken) constructed from straw in the Swedish town of Gavle. The goat is a centuries-old Scandinavian yule symbol that preceded Santa Claus as the bringer of gifts. (AP)

Ah yes, the holiday season. It’s that special time of year when you leave your shoes outside at night and hope Santa doesn’t fill them with sticks. Wait, what?

There are some very weird Christmas traditions around the globe, like the one above from Germany. So while you may think it’s bizarre that your cousin Nesbit always does a Rudolph impression, those strange family traditions pale in comparison to the seriously freaky stuff on this list.

So take a look at these 35 traditions, courtesy of lovehomeswap, to see how other countries celebrate Christmas.