From watching comics to indulging in fast food and seeing Santa's naked butt, Christmas traditions around the world are endless and often very peculiar. Check out these 8 traditions we came across taking place right now, and share your own in the comments!

Sweden glued to Donald Duck

At 3pm on Christmas Eve, Swedish households gather around the television to tune in to a national hero: Donald Duck. Aired each year since 1960 by broadcaster SVT, the Christmas special is a highlight for the whole family.

Known in Sweden as Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul (Donald Duck and his friends wish you a Merry Christmas), the film is a collection of Disney shorts, with the grand finale being the Donald Duck short.

The watchparty is accompanied by a real smörgåsbord, a festive lunch which may include cheese, meatballs, pickled herring or vegetables and more.

Mexico's star-shaped flowers

Poinsettias, a beautiful red flower that blooms in winter and is indigenous to central America, is at the centre of a Mexican legend. The tale tells of a girl who had nothing but some weeds to offer to baby Jesus at a Church service on Christmas Eve. When she knelt down to place the weeds by the crib, the weeds magically transformed into bright red flowers.

Ever since, poinsettias have become the special flower to mark the festive period. Locally it is also known as Flores de Noche Buena, or Flowers of the Holy Night. It's beautiful leaves are said to be shaped like the star of Bethlehem. What an incredible colour!

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© Unsplash

Japan indulges in KFC

While in other Christian parts of the world families retreat to the kitchen to prepare a special festive meal, many Japenese families gather around the table on 25 December to indulge in a bucket of KFC.
This tradition is a big deal. Orders for these deep-fried breasts start coming in from early November, and picking your bucket up on Christmas Day will have you stand in line for hours.

It all seemed to originate as a marketing stunt. The manager of the first KFC Japan, Takeshi Okawara, overheard an expat saying they missed eating turkey for Christmas. Of course chicken came pretty close, he though. With his KFC offer, Okawara set the tone for Japanese Christmas for the future.

PS: This editor saw a KFC bucket ad on Dutch television last night - are they now trying to push this tradition globally?

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© YUICHI YAMAZAKI / AFP

Catalonia's crapping Father Christmas

Oh, the Catalans have no fear. The most popular figure of the Catalan nativity scene is the caganer, literally "crapper" or "shitter". While not exclusive to the region, it's incredibly popular here...and there's even a bare-bottomed Santa Clause.

Traditionally, the caganer is seen pulling down his pants, smoking or reading a newspaper. Sometimes there's a little farm animal sniffing around the back. No one knows when or why the figure entered the nativity scene, but history points to the 17th or beginning of the 18th century.

These days, a lot of famous people have been depicted as caganers, including politicians, sportspeople, actors and singers. So, time to start collecting on your next trip to Barcelona!

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Ukraine is not for arachnophobes

Whereas in most parts of the world we drape Christmas trees with tinsels and baubles, the traditional Ukrainian decoration consists of spiderwebs. The tradition stems from the tale of a poor family, who would've had a very bare Christmas tree had it not been for the spider spinning a festive web just in time for Christmas morning.

Apparently, it's still considered good luck if you find a spider or spider web in your Christmas tree. Not for the faint of heart...

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Venezuelan's roller skate to church

In the week leading up to Christmas, Venezuelans attend a daily church service called Misa de Aguinaldo (Early Morning Mass). In the capital, Caracas, it is normal for churchgoers to get there on roller skates.

To make the journey safe, many roads in the capital are closed until 8am to provide a safe passage to all rolling down for Mass. After mass, everyone enjoys coffee and snacks.

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Czechs let their shoes fly

In the Czech Republic, single or unmarried women toss their shoes over their shoulder to find out whether they're about to get married, or if those plans will take longer.

If the shoe falls with the toe pointing towards the door, the woman will find herself married in the upcoming year. But if the shoe points in any other direction but the door, tying the knot will take longer.

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Any other traditions?

Are there any other traditions you're aware of, or even celebrate yourself? Share them with us in the comments!