Christmas is celebrated all over the world, but every community has developed its own unique holiday traditions.
Some are sweet, but others strike us as downright strange.
We've gathered up some of our favorite Christmas traditions from around the globe. Did we leave yours out? Let us know in the comments.
In Australia, Santa Claus pulls up on a surf board
It's summer down under on Christmas Day. Temperatures in December are between 68 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit.
So Santa pulls up on the beach on his surfboard. The country had a devastating Christmas in 1974, when Cyclone Tracy came through the Northern Territory and more than 60 people were killed.
In Austria, young men dress up as the Krampus and roam the streets to frighten children
In Austria, December is a time for festive events and frights.
Young men walk around dressed up as the Krampus, a devil-demon creature equipped with cowbells and rods, and usually accompanied by Nikolaus, a version of Santa Claus.
The Krampus will then roam the streets scaring adults and children.
In the Czech Republic, women submerge a branch of a cherry tree under water. If it blooms they will marry the next year
On Dec. 4, women in the Czech Republic place a cherry twig under water.
If it blooms before Christmas Eve it means she will marry in the next year.
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