January 06, 2010, 02:29 PM
EUROPE CELEBRATES END OF CHRISTMAS
The Christmas season only really ends in Europe on Jan. 6. Traditions across the continent vary wildly -- from processions of kings and gift-bearing witches to brave souls diving into icy waters. more...
August 14, 2009, 05:39 PM
GERMANY'S WEIRDEST FESTIVALS
Duck races, a beard championship and the Mud Olympics: Germany hosts a wealth of quirky festivals and competitions each year. While some tournaments are a question of brute force, others are all about looking as silly as possible. SPIEGEL ONLINE provides an overview of Germany's strangest competitions. By Stephan Orth more...
July 07, 2009, 05:30 PM
RUNNING WITH THE BULLS
Spain is renowned for its bull fights and Pamplona's San Fermin Festival capitalizes on this tradition. With nine days and nights of bull runs, it's not surprising that there have been some nasty injuries in the festival's history. There was a collective sigh of relief then as proceedings got off to a relatively a safe start this year. more...
December 19, 2008, 07:09 PM
BEWARE THE KALLIKANTZAROI
Who says Santa Claus is the only one trying to come down your chimney during the festive season? According to Greek mythology, a gaggle of goblin-like spirits are trying to slide into homes -- and instead of presents they are intent on leaving a trail of destruction. By Danylo Hawaleshka in Athens more...
December 12, 2008, 03:06 PM
PRESENTS ON A BROOMSTICK
In Babbo Natale, Italy has its own Father Christmas. But it's La Befana, the ugly, broom-flying and present-wielding witch who keeps children on their toes in many parts of the country. Like St. Nick, Befana knows who's been naughty and nice. By Michael Giglio in Urbania, Italy more...
December 05, 2008, 04:59 PM
HOLLAND'S POLITICALLY INCORRECT CHRISTMAS
Few European Christmas traditions elicit as many diverse and divergent opinions as Black Pete of the Netherlands. Santa's former slave may have been whitewashed in recent years, but many still view him as a racist caricature from the country's colonial past. By Daryl Lindsey more...
December 02, 2008, 06:19 PM
GOAT-HEADED CHRISTMAS CHEER
In Austria, Santa keeps track of who's been naughty and nice -- and unleases a 7-foot-tall horned devil on the naughty. He's called the Krampus, and he's unlike any Christmas tradition you've ever seen. more...
November 25, 2008, 05:52 PM
EL CAGANER
Some of the world's most curious Christmas traditions can be found in Catalonia, where the idea of holiday cheer seems to involve some of life's more basic bodily functions. By Josh Ward more...
October 17, 2008, 05:35 PM
COLLECTIVE CUTS
In the southern Balkans, a small Muslim ethnic group maintains its collective identity by means of mass circumcision. Once every five years, villagers gather to ordain their boys. And to party for four straight days. more...
October 14, 2008, 11:45 AM
RAISIN WEEKEND
Booze, shaving cream, and shockingly intimate familial relations make University of St. Andrews's "Raisin Weekend" one of the most reliably amusing events of British higher education. more...
