"In Serbia, women shower men with nuts": readers' top Christmas traditions on their travels

Stalked by the Yule Lads of Children's Iceland. The first to arrive, on December 11, is Stekkjastaur, who disturbs the sheep (he tries to drink the milk directly from the sheep's teat) on Icelandic farms. The next day Giljagaur arrives: he is known to steal the froth from cow's milk. On the 13th it is Stúfur who steals food from the frying pans. Then there is Þvörusleikir (spoon licker), Pottaskefill (pot scraper), Askasleikir (bowl licker), Hurðaskellir (door knocker), Skyrgámur (skyr yogurt gobbler), Bjúgnakrækir (steals sausages), Gluggagægir ( window voyeur), Gáttaþefur (door sniffer), Ketkrókur (meat hook) and Kertasníki (candle beggar). And then, in the same order they arrived, when the last Yule Lad is gone, Christmas is over.Collette

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Orkney celebrate the festivities with the Ba game in the main town of Kirkwall: a scrum of over 200 across two of the opposing teams - the Uppies and the Doonies - competing to send a ball to a destination on either side of town. Shops and houses along the streets come out of wooden planks to protect their facades. s, and a blanket of steam rises above the crowd as the game gets serious. One of the best-known legends surrounding the origins of...