At David Phillip Estate Agents, we are starting to feel very festive. We really love the Christmas events and traditions in Yorkshire, which made me wonder what other traditions might be taking place this Christmas around the world. Here are a few:-

Mince Pies

Inspired by the Middle East and brought back by the crusaders. Early mince pies contained meat, fruit and spices. They commonly had 13 ingredients that were thought to represent Christ and the Apostles. They were a large oval shape to represent the manger. Meat had disappeared from the recipe by Victorian times. We love the Mince pies from Betty’s!

Mistletoe

Hanging mistletoe in the home is a pagan practice. I hadn’t realised that for each kiss a berry had to be plucked until none remained!

Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree has been around for many years in Northern Europe, but when Prince Albert put up a tree at Windsor Castle in 1841, he started the evergreen trend.

Yule Goat

In Sweden, there is the Yule Goat made from straw, which is believed to guard the Christmas tree. In the Swedish city of Gavle, the community comes together to build a 43-foot-tall goat at the start of Advent. This has happened every year since 1966, although since this tradition started, the goat has been burned down 29 times – the last time in 2016!

Straw

Straw is commonly used for decorations in Scandinavian homes because it reminds them that Jesus was born in a Manger.

The turkey is the star

In England, the turkey is the star of the festive feast. Turkeys were first brought to the UK by William Strickland in 1526, and although the bird became fashionable in high society in the 19th century, it was enjoyed by the masses when Edward VII made it de rigueur as part of the Christmas Dinner.

Imagine though if you live in Greenland, the traditional Christmas dish Kiviak takes a full 7 months to prepare and begins with hollowing out a seal skin and stuffing it with small sea birds known as auks to ferment. On Christmas day the treat is served straight from the seal!

Spiders are considered to be the symbols of goodness and prosperity in Poland which is a perfect sentiment for the Christmas season. Spiders webs are common on Christmas trees because, according to legend a spider wove a blanket for baby Jesus.

People exchange books in Iceland

Iceland has a tradition known as Jolabokaflod. People exchange books on Christmas Eve and then spend the rest of the night reading and eating chocolate. As a result, Iceland publishes more books per capita than any other country. This sounds a really good tradition.

In Norway, people hide brooms in a safe place on Christmas Eve. It is believed that witches come out to look for the brooms to ride on.

The residents of Caracas, in Venezuela, head to church on roller-skates on Christmas morning. The main roads are shut to allow for this tradition to take place.

Thinking of selling in 2026

So, that covers some of the world’s more unusual Christmas traditions. Whatever your plans are this year, we hope everyone is enjoying making the most of the Christmas in North Leeds, and if you are thinking of celebrating Christmas in a different home next year then please call David Phillip FRICS for a free market appraisal.

David Phillip Estate Agents, 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds t: 01134 676 400 or visit our website
davidphillip.co.uk
Selling homes in North Leeds and covering Bramhope, Adel, Cookridge, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Otley
and Alwoodley