1. Cleans them
   Replaces them
2. Ties them in knots
   Fills them with toys and candy

While it might seem odd (and a little stinky) to use shoes as a vessel for gift and candy delivery, this tradition has spread to various other parts of the world. St. Nicholas Day was an important time of year to prepare children for the ultimate Christmas.

1. Birth Ritual
   Service of the Lord
2. Midnight Mass
   Nativity Mass

It is the midnight that connects Christmas Eve to Christmas Day. This is a special service held by a lot of Christian churches, but is considered one of the most important masses of the year by Catholics.

1. Cheeseburgers
   Bread and fish
2. They fast during Christmas in Costa Rica.
   Pork and chicken tamales

Costa Ricans have several different traditions surrounding their Christmas celebrations. These include building and decorating a nativity as a family and eating a huge feast at the end of the night.

1. The feast of eight veals
   The feast of meatballs
2. The feast of seven fishes
   The feast of six meats

The feast of seven fishes is exactly what it sounds like. It follows the Italian Catholic tradition of eating no red meat on the eve of major religious festival days.

1. Giant Tree Festival
   Dia de Los Muertos
2. Shining Festival
   Giant Lantern Festival

The Giant Lantern Festival is usually held in San Fernando. It is a time when thousands of lanterns are released into the sky. Each lantern represents the Star of Bethlehem. It's one of the most spectacular sights you can see around Christmas.

1. Away in the manger
   The Holy Inn
2. Nativity scene
   Christmas story

The nativity scene can be as big or as little as you want. While larger organizations and churches create a nativity scene that can even include live animals, many simply have Jesus, Mary and Joseph huddled together.

1. Burn them
   Send them to the North Pole
2. Decorate them and leave them on the windowsill
   Fold them into animals

When it comes to writing wish lists for Christmas, the Germans have a special take on asking. Children are supposed to decroate the lists with special pictures for Christkind, and leave them on the window sill to ensure he receives them.

1. Milgnero
   Krindlekrouch
2. Krunchers
   Krampus

Though the majority of terrifying stories and threats have left Christmas traditions over generations, Krampus is still alive and well in most Austrian households. He's terrifying, but he gets the job done.

1. Goose
   Chicken
2. Turducken
   Turkey

The Irish have a long-standing tradition of serving giant feasts on Christmas. A traditional Christmas feast for the Irish includes goose, potatoes, cranberries and roasted vegetables.

1. Norway
   Spain
2. Russia
   Ireland

The gnomes that guard your barn are very important. To ensure they don't take the holiday off, you have to leave a bowl of porridge out for them to keep them warm and energized for a wild night.

1. Billy Claus
   Microgoat
2. Yule goat
   Straw offering

In 1966, the idea of creating a giant yule goat out of straw gained favor with Christmas crowds. However, the tradition of the Yule goat has deeper roots, dating back to the times when Sweden celebrated the pagan holidays.

1. They don't celebrate Christmas.
   Fireworks displays
2. With several reindeer
   Throwing food at the ceiling

December 24th and 25th are celebrated with a lot of pomp in El Salvador. Much like the American Independence Day, El Salvadorian Christmases are filled with fireworks displays. The children even get to play with firecrackers.

1. Bouscha
   Babouschka
2. Millner
   Sinter Kringle

The tradition of Babouschka (or grandmother/old woman) delivering presents comes from a bible story in which an older woman didn't give anything to baby Jesus. In order to repent, she delivers gifts to all the children.

1. So elves don't clean
   So witches don't steal them
2. So no one sweeps their presents
   So gnomes don't clean their house

There is a myth that a witch will steal your broom on Christmas Eve to take it for a midnight joyride. You don't want anyone interrupting the reindeer while they're in the air, so it's best to hide your broom from the witches.

1. A peanut
   An almond
2. A bay leaf
   A yule log

Hiding things in food has been a part of celebrations around the world for generations. If you are the lucky one who finds an almond in your porridge on Christmas morning, you are considered the winner. In ancient times, it meant the finder would be the first to get married.

1. Potatoes and cabbage
   Corned beef
2. Cookies and corned beef
   Mince pies and Guinness

This is not a joke. Santa definitely has fun flying over Ireland, although, we aren't sure how he doesn't get super sleepy after eating such a heavy meal. It's a good thing his reindeer are flying.

1. A wreath
   A dreamcatcher
2. A large red candle
   Spider webs

The large red candle that the Irish put in their window is meant to show that Mary and Joseph are welcome in the home. It is a throwback to the birth of Jesus and the spirit of giving and welcoming during Christmastime.

1. Jan. 7
   Dec. 5
2. Dec. 25
   Dec. 31

Russia, along with several Eastern European countries, celebrates Christmas on Jan. 7. This follows the tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church, delivering gifts on Three Kings Day.

1. Flipper dancers
   Whipple dancers
2. Junkanoo dancers
   Merachu dancers

Junkanoo dancers perform dances based on African dances. Jamaica's Christmas celebrations also include large parades and intricate costumes to express the spirit of the season for all to see.

1. Kangaroo
   Elves
2. The presents
   Santa doesn't have a sleigh in Australia.

This isn't insensitive. Australians actually call Santa's kangaroos the Six White Boomers. There is even a very popular Australian Christmas song about them. Additionally, in Australia, Santa wears fewer layers. It is summertime, after all.

1. In a pot of water
   In a steamer
2. On a barbecue
   In the oven

Remember that New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere, meaning that Christmas comes around right in the middle of the summer season. This makes it the perfect time to have friends over for a barbecue.

1. Las Posadas
   Memoria
2. Belleta
   Bonita Luces

Las Posadas kicks off the Christmas festivities for Mexicans. They usually march through the streets in a re-enactment of the journey that Mary and Joseph took before Mary gave birth to Jesus.

1. The Giving
   Oplatek
2. Maropik
   Czuszmik

Anyone who grew up in a Polish family knows that this wafer is roughly the consistency of packing foam. It is representative of the body of Christ. You break off a piece of it and wish each other Merry Christmas.

1. Reindeer
   Santa Claus
2. Christmas lads
   Rubio

Christmas lads, or jolasveinarnir, are considered mischievous pranksters in many cultures. However, in Iceland, you receive presents from 13 of these jovial boys instead of Santa Claus.

1. Dec. 25
   Dec. 5
2. Dec. 15
   Jan. 7

Though most of us celebrate Christmas on the 25th, in Holland things are a bit different. They give and receive presents on the Dec. 5. Additionally, Santa (Sinterklaas) only leaves treats if you leave a carrot for his horse.

1. Scandinavia
   Ireland
2. Germany
   Poland

To this day, people all over the world still hang mistletoe as a decoration during Christmas. The actual tradition of kissing under the mistletoe began in Scandinavia, because mistletoe is thought to have love and healing powers. Of course, this is after mistletoe traditions were passed to the Norse, having originated in Ancient Greece.

1. Fisser
   Cisser
2. Wisser
   Nisser

Dating back to pagan celebrations of the winter solstice, nisser were little characters that ensured your home stayed safe during the celebration of brighter days (also known as jol). Even when Christianity was introduced to the Danes, they kept this tradition.

1. Christmas pickle
   Christmas cucumber
2. Christmas hunt
   Pickle presents

The Christmas pickle tradition is a bit of a mystery. Most people believe that it has German origins, but the most likely origins are Bavarian. No matter where the tradition started, it holds strong today, with some towns even holding Christmas pickle festivals.

1. 13
   12
2. 2
   1

While we all know the song "The 12 Days Of Christmas," many don't realize that Iceland has 13 full days of celebrations. Each night a different Christmas Lad visits and leaves a present ... but only if you leave your shoes by the window.

1. Sit in a sauna
   Wash their walls
2. Take down their tree
   Add a nativity scene

The sauna represents a cleansing of the body and mind in ancient customs. In Finland, people sit in the sauna on Christmas Eve to cleanse themselves. This tradition goes back several generations.

1. Beeswax strings
   Mobiles made out of straw
2. Violets
   Roses

You will mostly see geometric shapes on a Finnish Christmas tree. These mobiles are made out of straw, which is an inexpensive material that is malleable, yet strong. The decorations can be intricate or simple.

1. The Japanese don't celebrate Christmas.
   Donuts
2. Fried fish
   Fried chicken

That's right, in Japan they eat fried chicken for dinner on Christmas. The custom started in 1974, when when KFC (yes, the fast food company) began a promotion to have "Kentucky for Christmas" in Japan. It's still a hit today.

1. Mexico
   Canada
2. Russia
   Japan

Canada has long claimed the Santa himself is originally from there. Canadians take Christmas celebrations very seriously, and when it comes to cookie baking, entire towns get involved, swap recipes and share their delicious treats with each other.

1. Eppa
   Micron
2. Tris marones
   Turron

Turron is a dessert that is made with honey, sugar, almonds and egg whites. It is said that there are recipes for Turron that date all the way back to the 16th century, as this tradition has been going on for hundreds of years.

1. Ferns
   Webs
2. Wishes
   Snakes

The spiderweb tradition in Ukraine comes from a Christmas story about a poor woman who didn't have enough money to decorate her Christmas tree. However, when her children woke up in the morning, the tree was covered in webs that functioned as decorations.