FORGET Santa. Somewhere in the world, you might be celebrating the holidays with St. Nick’s evil counterpart — Krampus.

“Weird Christmas” author Joey Green says such evil alter egos are holdovers from ancient times that are blended with customs introduced during the Middle Ages. Green explains that when the Normans invaded England in 1066, they introduced a red-robed mock king — the Lord of Misrule — to ensure that Christmas celebrations were conducted in the ribald pagan style.

Rebellion isn’t always at the heart of Christmas celebrations. Japan has its own traditions — shaped in part by none other than Kentucky Fried Chicken. In the early 1970s, KFC kicked off an advertising campaign touting fried fowl as America’s favorite holiday meal. That has become a Japanese tradition.

What Green finds to be the all-time strangest Christmas custom takes place at the Rumpke Sanitary Landfill near Cincinnati, Ohio. Every year, workers string 30,000 Christmas lights across the garbage mound, which stretches over 234 acres and rises 90 meters high. The display includes 8-meter-tall candy canes.

After reading about other customs below, maybe you’ll be inspired to take on some new traditions this year.

Krampus, Austria and Hungary

St. Nick’s devil-like counterpart has one task: to punish bad children before Christmas. Picture a red devil with cloven hooves, horns, and a long tongue (though he can take the form of a bearded wild man or huge hairy beast). Instead of a bag full of toys, Krampus carries chains and a basket for abducting those especially bad children and hauling them to hell. Experience this holiday tradition at Krampusnacht parties and Krampus Runs, during which rowdy revelers cavort through town in beastly costumes.

Mari Lwyd, Wales

Horses and Christmas go perfectly well together in Wales. Mari Lwyd translates as “Gray Mare” and involves carting a horse — either a life-size horse figure or someone dressed as a horse — door-to-door, accompanied by a group of colorful singers and dancers. The tradition is thought to be a holdover from pagan celebrations that took place before Christmas was introduced to Wales. The ritual kicks off with traditional Welsh-language songs and a petition to enter the home for more music and merriment.

Beach parties, Australia

Evergreen trees and white, snowy landscapes may be some people’s idea of a traditional Christmas, but this is definitely not the case in Australia. In the land down under, Dec. 25 falls in the middle of summer vacation, making it the perfect time to throw a yuletide beach party. One of the more popular traditions is Carols by Candlelight, where people light candles and sing holiday songs in parks and other outdoor venues.

Ganna, Ethiopia

Ganna is brutal ball-and-stick game with high injury potential that’s part of the Ethiopian Christmas celebration. In fact, ganna is also their name for Christmas. According to local tradition, the biblical shepherds played the game when they first heard about the birth of Jesus. But ganna is anything but peaceful. The balls are made from olive wood or leather, which can easily knock out a player. Because there are no rules about the size of the field, the goals are sometimes so far apart that neither team scores by nightfall on Christmas Eve.

Spiderweb decorations, Ukraine

This tradition harks back to a fairy tale in which spiders decorated the tree of a family too poor to afford proper yuletide ornaments. The rising sun on Christmas morning makes the tree sparkle and glisten in the same manner as modern lights and tinsel. Nowadays, Ukrainian Christmas trees are covered in spider webs made from various materials including crystal, paper, metal and plastic.

La Befana, Italy

Italian children believe their Christmas gifts are delivered not by St. Nick, but by an old witch named La Befana who uses her broom to clean untidy houses. Scholars believe the neatnik witch is a medieval reincarnation of the ancient Roman deity Strenia, goddess of strength and endurance and the distributor of New Year’s gifts.

Consoada, Portugal

Consoada is a traditional holiday dinner on Christmas Eve that honors dead friends and relatives who can no longer join in on the holiday celebration. One normally leaves an empty chair at the table for the alminhas a penar (“souls of the dead”) who may be present at the feast. Leftovers remain on the table overnight for hungry ghosts who might drop in later.

La Quema del Diablo, Guatemala

This ceremonial “burning of the devil” is a prelude to the Guatemalan Christmas and probably a remnant from pre-Christian Mayan days. Because the devil and other evil spirits are believed to dwell in the dark, dirty corners of your home, residents are supposed to sweep up, collect garbage and amass everything in a huge pile outside. After an effigy of the devil is placed on top, the whole thing is lit on fire, ensuring a devil-free Christmas season for all who participate.

Radishes, Mexico

Dec. 23 marks the Night of the Radishes in Oaxaca, Mexico. This interesting tradition is a celebration of oversized radishes, which are carved into intricate displays. It dates back to colonial times, when the Spanish introduced radishes to this region of Mexico, which is well known for its wood carving traditions. Shop owners like to use radish carvings to entice customers to come and shop.

(SD-Agencies)