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English Podcast For Learning English | Unique Christmas traditions around the world | Beginners | Learning English with Podcast Conversation | YouTubeToText
YouTube Transcript: English Podcast For Learning English | Unique Christmas traditions around the world | Beginners
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This podcast episode explores the diverse and fascinating Christmas traditions celebrated around the world, highlighting how a single holiday can manifest in unique local customs that reflect rich cultural tapestries.
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Hello everyone and welcome back to
Learning English with Podcast
Conversation. I'm your host Tony and
today we have a super exciting and
festive topic. Joining me as always is
our wonderful guest Jenny.
>> Hi Tony and hello everyone. It's great
to be back especially for a topic as fun
as this one. I love Christmas.
>> Me too Jenny. Christmas is such a
special time of year. But you know,
while many of us think of Santa,
Christmas trees, and presents, Christmas
is actually celebrated in so many unique
and fascinating ways around the world.
It's truly a global phenomenon with
local twists. And that's what we're
diving into today. Unique Christmas
traditions around the world.
>> Oh, I can't wait. I've heard of a few,
but I'm sure there are so many
surprising ones we'll discover today.
It's amazing how a single holiday can
inspire such diverse customs.
>> Exactly. It really shows the rich
tapestry of human culture. So, Jenny,
where should we begin our global
Christmas journey?
>> Well, Tony, let's start with something a
little spooky, shall we? Have you ever
heard of Krampus?
>> Krampus? Hm. The name sounds a bit
intimidating. Is it like a scary version
of Santa?
>> Kind of. In countries like Austria,
Bavaria, Hungary, and other parts of
Central Europe. On December 5th, the eve
of St. Nicholas Day, children aren't
just visited by good old Saint Nick.
They also have a visit from Krampus.
While St. Nicholas rewards well- behaved
children with treats and small gifts,
Krampus is his dark companion. He's a
horned, hairy, and often terrifying
creature, sometimes depicted with a long
tongue and fangs. His job is to punish
the naughty children.
>> Wow. Punish them how? With Cole?
>> Oh, much more dramatically than Cole.
Legend has it Krampus would swap
misbehaving children with birch branches
or even carry them off in the sack.
Nowadays, it's mostly symbolic, but
people dress up in elaborate, often very
scary, Krampus costumes with real horns
and bells. They parade through the
streets in what's called a Krampus or
Krampus run. Imagine these creatures
running through town. It's quite a sight
and definitely not for the faint of
heart, especially for little kids.
>> That sounds intense. I mean, talk about
a motivator to be good. I can imagine
children being absolutely terrified.
It's such a contrast to the cheerful,
jolly Santa Claus we usually imagine.
So, it's more about scaring children
into good behavior rather than just
rewarding the good ones.
>> Precisely. It's a very old tradition
with roots in pagan folklore meant to
ward off evil spirits and also to
maintain discipline among children. And
the costumes are incredible. Some people
spend hours crafting these intricate,
often very heavy wooden masks and furry outfits.
outfits.
It's a huge cultural event attracting
many tourists. But it definitely has a
darker, more ancient feel than the
commercial Christmas we often see.
>> That's fascinating. It shows how even
within one holiday, there can be such
different approaches to the themes of
good and bad. I guess it really makes
you appreciate Santa's kindness.
>> Absolutely. Though I think I'd prefer a
lump of coal to being carried off by Krampus.
Krampus.
>> From scary monsters to fried chicken.
Jenny, I hear Japan has a very unique
Christmas dinner tradition involving a
certain fast food chain. Can you tell us
about that?
>> Ah, yes. This is one of my favorites
because it's so unexpected. In Japan,
Christmas is not traditionally a
religious holiday, but it has become a
secular celebration largely thanks to a
brilliant marketing campaign. Since the
1970s, many Japanese families celebrate
Christmas with a bucket of Kentucky
Fried Chicken or KFC.
>> KFC for Christmas dinner. That's wild.
No turkey, no ham, just chicken.
>> That's right. The tradition started in
1974 with a slogan Kentucky for
Christmas or Kursumasua Kentucky. It was
a huge success. The story goes that a
foreign customer in Japan couldn't find
turkey for Christmas and went to KFC
instead. The manager heard about it and
saw a marketing opportunity and boom, a
tradition was born.
>> That's amazing how a simple marketing
idea can become such a deeprooted
cultural phenomenon. So, people really
go all out for this. Do they just pick
up a bucket or is it more special?
>> Oh, it's a big deal. People actually
pre-order their KFC Christmas meals
weeks in advance. If you don't
pre-order, you might have to wait in
line for hours on Christmas Eve or
Christmas Day. The special Christmas
buckets often come with cake, champagne,
or wine. It's a full festive meal. It
has become a symbol of family gathering
and celebration, much like turkey or ham
is in other countries.
>> That's incredible. It really speaks to
the power of advertising, but also how
people embrace new traditions,
especially when they offer convenience
and a bit of fun. I bet those KFC stores
are absolutely packed.
>> They are. It's a phenomenon unique to
Japan, and it shows how Christmas
traditions can evolve and adapt in
different cultural contexts far from
their original roots. It's a perfect
example of a modern commercial tradition
that has truly captured the hearts and
stomachs of a nation.
>> I might have to try that one year just
for the experience.
>> Me, too. Imagine a bucket of fried
chicken as your Christmas feast.
Delicious, but definitely different.
Okay, Denny, let's move from delicious
chicken to something a bit more active.
Have you ever heard of a Christmas
tradition that involves roller skates?
>> Roller skates for Christmas? Are we
talking about a new extreme sport or
something? I can't imagine what that
would be.
>> It's truly wonderful. In Caracus, the
capital of Venezuela, it's a
long-standing tradition for people to
roller skate to early morning mass
during the Christmas season, especially
from December 16th to 24th. The
tradition is so popular and well
established that many streets in the
city are actually closed off to traffic
until 8:00 a.m. just to allow people to
safely skate to church.
>> Wow, that's amazing. The city closes
roads for roller skating. That shows how
important this tradition is to the
community. It sounds like a big party on wheels.
wheels.
>> It really is. People wake up early, put
on their skates, and roll their way to
church. Children often tie a piece of
string to their big toe, and the other
end is dangled out of the window.
Passers by tug on the strings as they
skate by, waking the kids up. After
mass, everyone enjoys a lovely Christmas
breakfast, often featuring local
delicacies like halakaz, a type of
tamale, and pand jamon, which is a
delicious bread filled with ham, olives,
and raisins. It's a very communal and
joyful experience.
>> That's such a vibrant and active way to
celebrate the holiday season. The image
of hundreds of people skating to church
with children getting their toes tugged.
It's just so charming. It emphasizes the
community aspect of Christmas, doesn't it?
it?
>> Absolutely. It's not just about going to
church. It's about doing it together as
a community with energy and joy. And
it's a beautiful way to start the day.
Imagine the crisp morning air, the sound
of skates, and everyone heading to
celebrate. It's a tradition that truly
embodies the spirit of togetherness and
festive cheer. I love that. It's a
physical shared experience that's so
different from just driving or walking.
It sounds like something out of a movie.
>> It does. It's a wonderful example of how
a community can create its own unique
way to celebrate a special time of year.
>> Okay, Jenny, you've shown us scary
creatures, fast food, and roller
skating. What else do you have up your
sleeve? I feel like we're just
scratching the surface of global
Christmas oddities.
>> Oh, we definitely are, Tony. And this
next one might be the most peculiar of
them all. from Catalonia in Spain. It's
called kagatoio, which literally
translates to pooping log or poo log.
>> A pooping log?
>> Jenny, are you serious? That sounds well unforgettable.
unforgettable.
>> I'm absolutely serious. So, here's how
it works. Around the feast of the
immaculate conception on December 8th,
families in Catalonia adopt a small log.
They decorate it with a smiling face,
often a little red hat like a
traditional Catalan baritina, and give
it a blanket to keep it warm. Then every
day until Christmas Eve or Christmas
Day, the children have to feed the Tio
with nuts, dried fruit or water.
>> So they feed a log and it's supposed to
poop. This is getting more surreal by
the minute.
>> Exactly. On Christmas Eve or Christmas
Day after dinner, the children gather
around the Kagatio. They sing a special
song, usually asking the to poop gifts.
While they're singing and beating the
log with sticks, parents discreetly hide
small gifts and sweets under the to's
blanket. When the song is finished, they
lift the blanket to reveal they pooped gifts.
gifts.
>> That is wow. I mean, it's definitely
unique. And kids actually believe a log
poops gifts. That's quite a story to
tell them.
>> They do. It's a very playful and funny
tradition. The gifts are usually small
items like candies, nuts, or little
toys, not big presents. And after it,
poops. The log is usually put into the
fire to keep the house warm, symbolizing
the end of its giftgiving duties. It's a
blend of an ancient pagan winter
solstice custom with Christian Christmas.
Christmas.
It brings so much laughter and
excitement to the kids.
>> I can imagine. It's gross and hilarious
at the same time. Definitely a
conversation starter if you have
visitors from other countries. Oh, you
know, we beat our log to make it poop
presents for Christmas. Incredible.
>> It shows how cultures can take a very
simple object and turn it into something
magical and festive. It's about the joy,
the laughter, and the shared experience
of the family, even if it involves a
pooping log. Tony, for our last unique
tradition, let's go to Wales for
something a bit ancient and mystical.
Have you heard of the Mari LWYD? Mari LwyD.
LwyD.
That sounds Welsh and perhaps a bit
mysterious. Is it a person or an animal?
>> It's both, kind of. The Mari LWYD is a
pre-Christian tradition, a grey mare
that appears between Christmas and 12th
night, January 6th. It involves a person
carrying a horse's skull decorated with
ribbons, bells, and artificial eyes
mounted on a pole and draped in a white
sheet to hide the person underneath.
>> A horse's skull. That sounds incredibly
spooky for Christmas. Like something out
of a ghost story.
>> It does, doesn't it? But it's meant to
bring good luck. A group of people
called the Mari LWD party carries this
horse figure from house to house. When
they arrive at a house, they engage in a
ritual called PWNCO.
This is essentially a rhyming battle or
an exchange of insults and wits through
song with the people inside the house.
If the Mari LWYD party wins the PWNC,
they are invited inside for refreshments
and to bless the house with good luck
for the new year.
>> A rhyming battle with a horse skull.
This is getting more and more
wonderfully bizarre. So, it's a mix of a
festive parade, a singing competition,
and a good luck charm.
>> Exactly. And the Mari LWID, controlled
by the person under the sheet, often
tries to playfully snap at people or
chase them around. It's quite a
spectacle, full of singing, dancing, and theatricality.
theatricality.
It's a vibrant way to engage with the
community and celebrate the transition
into the new year, invoking ancient
spirits for good fortune. It's a
tradition that has seen a resurgence in
recent years as people embrace their
cultural heritage.
>> That's incredible is so rich in folklore
and community participation. It shows
that Christmas isn't always about
comfort and warmth. Sometimes it's about
facing the wild ancient spirits in a
playful way. I would love to see a Mari
LWD party in action, even if it might be
a little scary.
>> It's definitely an experience and it
reminds us that traditions are living
things constantly evolving. but always
connecting us to our past.
>> Wow, Jenny, those are truly amazing
traditions. I'm still trying to wrap my
head around a pooping log and a rhyming
horse skull. It really makes you think
about your own Christmas traditions,
doesn't it?
>> It certainly does, Tony. I remember one
year my family tried to make a
traditional German stolen, a fruit bread
for Christmas. My grandma always made it
perfectly. Well, ours turned out, shall
we say, more like a brick than a bread.
It was so hard you could have built a
house with it. We all laughed so much.
It wasn't the food that mattered, but
the shared effort and the laughter.
>> That's a great story. It reminds me of
my dad trying to string up Christmas
lights on our house one year. He spent
hours and it looked beautiful, but then
a huge gust of wind came and tangled
them all into one giant impossible knot.
We just decided to buy new ones next
year and put them on a smaller tree.
Sometimes traditions come with
unexpected challenges, right?
>> Absolutely. And those little mishaps
often become the most memorable parts of
the holiday. It just goes to show that
the real magic of Christmas isn't in
perfection, but in the shared
experiences and the stories we create,
no matter how unusual or funny they
might be.
>> You're so right. And hearing about these
global traditions, it makes me realize
that while the symbols might be
different, the underlying desire to
celebrate, to connect, and to bring joy
is universal. So, Jenny, after this
wonderful journey around the world, what
are some key learning points or
takeaways you think our listeners,
especially those learning English, can
gain from today's discussion?
>> Great question, Tony. I think the first
point is that Christmas is truly a
global celebration of joy and community
expressed in incredibly diverse and
creative ways. It's not just one way to
celebrate, but a beautiful mosaic of customs.
customs.
>> I agree. And my second takeaway would be
that traditions, no matter how unique or
even strange they might seem to
outsiders, play a crucial role in
strengthening family bonds and
preserving cultural identity. They give
people a sense of belonging and history.
>> Perfect. And for my third point, I'd say
that being open to learning about and
appreciating new customs enriches our
understanding of the world and broadens
our perspectives. It helps us see the
bigger picture of humanity.
>> Those are excellent points, Jenny. It's
all about connection and understanding.
Well, Jenny, this has been an absolutely
fantastic and eye-opening episode. Thank
you so much for sharing all these
incredible traditions with us.
>> My pleasure, Tony. It was so much fun
discussing these unique Christmas
customs. I learned a lot, too.
>> And to all our listeners out there, we
hope you enjoyed this festive
exploration. We encourage you to think
about your own unique family or local
Christmas traditions. Do you have a
special food, a particular decoration,
or a funny custom? We'd love to hear
about them.
>> Yes, please share your stories in the
comments. Learning about different
traditions is a wonderful way to connect.
connect.
>> Absolutely. Don't forget to like this
episode, subscribe to Learning English
with Podcast Conversation for more
engaging content, and share it with your
friends who might be interested in
learning English and discovering new
cultures. This podcast was written by Tiangnen.
Tiangnen.
>> Wishing you all a very merry and
wonderfully unique Christmas wherever
you are. Merry Christmas everyone and
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