While Christmas may have as a Christian holiday and is often still celebrated as such, people from all over the world have embraced the festive season and added their own traditions along the way. Manger scenes, Santa Claus, and smiley snowmen still reign supreme, but if you look hard enough you will discover some very different takes on December's most famous day. These are the most unusual Christmas traditions around the world that you can never see before.

1. Australia: Bad Santa

British kids are well acquainted with Father Christmas, Santa Claus or Saint Nick, but they can consider themselves lucky they don't live in Austria, where a ghoulish creature called 'Krampus', the evil accomplice of St Nicholas, is said to wander the streets in search of badly-behaved children. During the month of December, you can expect to see terrifying masked figures out and about scaring kids and adults alike with ghastly pranks.

2. Iceland: the yule cat

One of the weirdest festive traditions we have heard of comes from Iceland, where a giant cat is said to roam at this Christmas time. Traditionally farmers would use the Yule Cat as an incentive for their workers - those who wor hard can receive a new set of clothes and many gifts.

3. Ukraine: A Cobweb Christmas

Ukraine's most strange festive tradition is not one for arachnophobes! Where we would have baubles, tinsel, and stars, Ukrainians use decorations that mimic the natural formation of spiders' webs shimmering with dew. This tradition is totally different from other traditions that we do not even see anywhere else.

4. Japan: Colonel Santa

The American fast-food restaurant KFC released a festive marketing campaign in Japan. spawned a national tradition that still thrives to this day. Although Christmas is not even a national holiday in Japan, families from all over the country head to their local KFC for a special Christmas Eve meal. While fried chicken it may be, expect to pay a higher premium on the biggest sales day of the year. A KFC Christmas dinner clocks in at around 3,336 yen (£20).

5. Italy: Belfana the watch

Don’t Forget a Santa Claus and December 25th when in Italy, as all the action takes place on the eve of January 5th. According to folklore, according to an old woman named Belfana visits all the children of Italy to fill their stockings with candy and leave them presents if they have been good. Just like Father Christmas, Belfana goes to the chimney and is left treats by the children who live there something like candies, gifts, cookies, etc.