227 – Weird Christmas: The World’s Strangest Yuletide Traditions

Mike Huberty • December 19, 2018

You know we love Christmas, after all we’ve already had five shows on the topic, covering things like:

Which means when we’re looking for something new to talk about Christmas, it takes a little bit of work. The thing about Christmas is that it’s been around so long, it means that there’s a whole world of traditions out there to explore. So, when we were doing research and discovered Catalonia’s marvelous  Tió de Nadal  (the pooping Christmas log) we knew we hit a jackpot for starting off a conversation about more weird Christmas traditions around the world.  Every country that has Christianity has their own way to celebrate and they’ve got hundreds of years to develop their own unusual traditions. 

A stuffed animal is wrapped in a plaid blanket and has a red hat on
Anybody got any toilet paper?

So in this episode, we get to talk about stuff like:

Weird Christmas
Famous Caganers (pooping figures) for your Nativity scene, Vladimir Poopin’, am I right, fellas?

So, if you think you’re family is weird on the Holidays, rest assured you are not alone! 

The Sunspot song for this week is a weird instrumental version of the Christmas classic, “Sleigh Ride”.  Although it does include a traditional instrument, acoustic violin, we twisted in some odd synths and arranged it in a 6/8 time signature instead of the typical 4/4.

Milwaukee Paracon 2025 logo
By Mike Huberty September 3, 2025
Experience Milwaukee Paracon 2025 on October 18 at the Irish Cultural and Heritage Center—an all-day, free paranormal conference featuring ghost stories, urban legends, UFO sightings, Wisconsin folklore, expert speakers, and unique vendors. Register now for Brew City’s top supernatural event
Jeffrey Dahmer in court
By Mike Huberty September 2, 2025
Explore the chilling legacy of Jeffrey Dahmer from true crime horrors to paranormal legends. Haunted hotels, cursed graffiti, and the Oxford Apartments haunting keep the Milwaukee Cannibal’s story alive in Wisconsin folklore.
ghost of Marilyn Monroe
By Mike Huberty August 28, 2025
Explore the mysterious death of Marilyn Monroe, her ghost sightings in Los Angeles, and the surprising UFO conspiracy theories linked to her story.
Ghost hunters in Dillinger Alley behind Chicago’s Biograph Theater
By Mike Huberty August 27, 2025
Discover the chilling story of John Dillinger’s death at Chicago’s Biograph Theater and the ghostly legends that followed. Explore Dillinger’s Alley and see it for yourself on the Original Chicago Hauntings Ghost Bus Tour.
ghost tours for bachelorette parties
By Mike Huberty August 23, 2025
Looking for a unique bachelorette party idea? Ghost tours are fun, spooky, and unforgettable, perfect for brides and their best friends.
magic in the night sky
By Mike Huberty August 19, 2025
Discover why real magic is more than fantasy. Drawing on Dean Radin’s Real Magic and decades of parapsychology research, this blog explores telepathy, psychokinesis, rituals, and the role of consciousness in shaping reality.
Roberto Clemente sliding into a base
By Mike Huberty August 18, 2025
Celebrate Roberto Clemente’s birthday by exploring his baseball greatness, Puerto Rican pride, humanitarian legacy, eerie assassination threat, and haunting premonitions of his own death.
Tempest Oyster Bar in Madison, WI
By Mike Huberty August 15, 2025
Explore the chilling past of Tempest Oyster Bar in Madison, WI—once a funeral home, now a top seafood restaurant and one of America’s most haunted bars. Funeral home history, Heaven’s Gate legends, and personal encounters await.
The Sunset Strip Killers: The True Story of Doug Clark and Carol Bundy’s Murder Spree
By Mike Huberty August 11, 2025
Discover the chilling true story of the Sunset Strip Killers, Doug Clark and Carol Bundy, whose 1980 murder spree terrorized Los Angeles.
Jim Lovell Astronaut F UFO
By Mike Huberty August 9, 2025
Remembering Captain Jim Lovell, the Milwaukee-born astronaut who led Apollo 13 to safety, piloted Apollo 8, and witnessed the famous Gemini 7 UFO sighting. Explore his Wisconsin roots and space legacy.