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Left-over Rice Pudding
No-one makes the correct amount of rice. Perhaps only spaghetti is more difficult to judge by eye; not once have I cooked rice and had the perfect amount, there’s always spare which often ends up in the bin. If you’re the same, don’t throw away your rice! Spare rice can easily be turned into a delicious dessert in the time it takes you to finish your main.
Read more at The Student Cooking Blog
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The 10 Weirdest Ways to Celebrate Christmas
10. Krampus (Austria)
In Anglophile countries the worst that might befall naughty children is a lump of coal in their stocking (a consolation prize which, in these times of economic struggle, is starting to look a lot more attractive). In Austria however, things are a considerably more hardcore. Whilst St Nicholas spreads joy and Christmas cheer to all the good kids; Krampus stalks behind him, scaring the living hell out of those on the naughty list. If a child is particularly bad, Krampus hauls them away to his lair, never to be seen again; presumably they are devoured in a twisted pastiche of the traditional Christmas feast. Be thankful grouchy old men are our most fearsome Christmas baddies.
9. Caga Tio (Spain)
Technically called the Tio de Nadal (Christmas Log), this festive piece of wood is commonly referred to as the Caga Tio (Shit Log). In the run up to Christmas in traditional Catalonian homes, the family feeds the tio every night and covers him with a blanket to keep him warm. On Christmas day itself, the log is placed into the fireplace and ordered to shit. In order to help the log’s digestive system along the family gathers together to literally beat the crap out of it with sticks, all the while singing festive Christmas log-beating songs. The tio’s expulsions (ranging from sweets and nuts to an onion or salt herring) are then shared amongst the family in the true spirit of Christmas.
8. KFC (Japan)
With less than one percent of Japanese classing themselves as Christians, it’s something of a surprise that Christmas is celebrated in Japan at all. However, where religion has failed, capitalism is triumphed. Despite having no tangible connection to the holiday, Christmas decorations frequently adorn Japanese cities and many families exchange gifts and eat a traditional Christmas cake. The strangest thing about Japanese Christmas however is that it’s central overweight-bearded-figure isn’t St Nicholas, but Colonel Sanders. On Christmas Day families all around the country flock to KFC (where reservations will have been made weeks in advance) to enjoy the traditional Christmas blend of herbs and spices.
7. Zwarte Piet (Netherlands)
Many Western European countries have embarrassing racist traditions from our days as colonial powers that we’d rather not mention: the Black and White Minstrel Show, Golliwoggs, that Tintin book where he teaches some Congolese kids that they belong to Belgium. Mostly these traditions are quietly phased out, pushed into the background and only come-out when your near-dead, bigoted aunt calls Brazil nuts ‘nigger-toes’. However, what if you made racism and colonial oppression part of your traditional Christmas celebration? Well then you get the dilemma of Zwarte Piet, a liberated slave companion of Sinterklaas who passes out sweets to children… as portrayed by a white guy in blackface, afro-wig and gold jewellery.
6. Christmas Mummers (Latvia)
Moving away from weirdly racist traditions back to just plain weird: in Latvia traditional ‘mummers’ march through the street in the days leading up to Christmas, playing music and spreading festive cheer… while dressed up as living corpses, haystacks, bears and goats. However, Latvian Father Christmas (Ziemmassve’tku Veci’tis) does bring presents for all twelve days of Christmas, so maybe they’re on to something.
5. Broom Aversion (Norway)
Staying with evil Christmas, in Norway superstitious families must hide any brooms they have in the house, lest an evil witch get her hands on it and take it for a ride (like a toddler pretending it’s a horse, terrifying). In more rural areas (or just more heavily armed) the patriarch of the family will stand outside the door and fire off shotgun blasts to scare the evil spirits away.
4. Caganer (France/Portugal/Spain)
As if a depiction of a bunch of men gathering to watch a woman give birth surrounded by livestock wasn’t strange enough already, in many European countries a traditional nativity scene will include the Caganer. The Caganer is a man, squatting, trousers down, taking a shit, while Jesus is being born. The exact origin of the figure is uncertain (a popular theory is that he represents fertilization) but this author likes to imagine that the Caganer represents a much older practice, of shitting on other people’s traditions for one’s own amusement.
3. Pere Fouettard (France)
Like Anglo-American Santa Claus, Pere Fouettard dishes out lumps of coal to the naughty children of France… unless they’ve been really bad, in which case he flogs them with a bundle of sticks. Also known as ‘The Whipping Father’, Pere Fouettard is depicted as something of a homeless Father Christmas, covered in soot from the chimneys and occasionally (like Krampus) with a wicker back pack to steal away truly evil children.
2. Mari Lwyd (Wales)
In rural Wales it is traditional in midwinter to attach a horse’s skull to a pole and drape it in a white sheet. The Mari Lwyd is then marched around villages and towns whilst its followers demand entry to houses and pubs by singing; like terrifying, less annoying carollers. The Mari is sometimes accompanied by Punch and Judy in blackface, because what every terrifying horse creature needs is some casual racism.
1. Roller Skate Christmas (Venezuela)
Just to show that not every weird tradition is necessarily an old one, in Caracas in Venezuela it is customary for occupants to roller-skate to Early Morning Mass. Before going to sleep children tie a piece of string to their big toe and dangle the other end out of their bedroom window, the next morning skating revellers pull any strings they see because what nicer way to start Christmas morning than with a dislocated toe?
