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December 8, 2023
We're an international group here at the Brick Factory and our Holiday traditions vary by location more than you might think. We've included a few stand-outs below so that you might feel some of the same joy we do. You can research any of these and dig a little deeper into the local lore (not recommended though), and as always, Happy Holidays from all of us at the Brick Factory! Krampus, Austria - The big daddy of awful Christmas legends. Finding yourself on the naughty list gets you a visit from this lumbering, annoying, mouth-breather who then dumps you into his wicker basket and carts you off to (checks notes) the underworld. Mari Lwyd, Wales - How do you celebrate the happiest holiday in Wales? Dead horse skull parade! Stick a skull on a pole, give it a fun cape, some googly eyes and shove it your neighbor's doorway. When the residents come to, sing to them and ask for treats! Wales, amiright? Catching Fire, Texas - Chris celebrates the Holidays by 'catching' flaming marshmallows for his family's entertainment. Chris is a really good developer. Chris didn't play sports growing up. The Yule Lads, Iceland - Two weeks before Christmas, 13 trolls roam Icelandic neighborhoods looking to party. And by party, I mean looking in windows, stealing food and licking your utensils. Good children get presents, and bad kids (seriously? You lick spoons) get rotten potatoes in their shoes. La Befana, Italy - An Italian witch that comes down the chimney a week after Christmas looking for wine and sausages? Fun! Also, now drunk, bloated and filthy, she hands out coal to bad kids and gifts to the good ones who are probably praying under their beds. 12 Days of Christmas, Hawaii - Our own Maylene sings the Holiday classic 12 Days of Christmas with a Hawaiian twist including 3 Dried Squid, 9 Pounds of Poi and the showstopper, 5 Big Fat Pigs. Radish Carving, Mexico - Night of the Radishes happens in Oaxaca, a few days before Christmas. Here's what goes down: Chemically enhanced giant radishes are carved into monsters for a real acid trip of a competition. The laughs keep coming as the creations wither into even more horrific atrocities within hours of presentation. Yule Cat, Iceland - Jólakötturinn is another fun tradition in Iceland. If you finish your chores, you get pants. If you don't, no pants, and a cat the size of a Dollar General will eat you. That's it. Gotta love the simplicity and the focus on Icelandic pants giving. No notes. Barbed Wire Wreath, Texas - Todd is a true Texan, and when he puts a wreath up, it's obviously made of...barbed wire. Because that's something Texans thought up and still do. Spider Tree, Ukraine - Nothing particularly creative here. In Ukraine it is common to see holiday trees covered in spiders. I feel like this could be fixed with one quick, country-wide zoom call. 'Spiders out. Shiny balls in'. Zwarte Pieten, Netherlands - Sinterklaas arrives from Spain, drops gifts on window sills of good children and (you can see where this is going) the bad children are scooped up by his helpers, the Zwarte Pieten, thrown in a sack and taken back to Spain to, I don't know, train to be Zwarte Pieten? Nisse, Denmark - Nisse is a Danish gnome who wants some food on Christmas Eve. That's fair, so do I. Unlike me, he'll bring you good fortune if he gets that rice porridge, and if he does not get it...he'll play tricks on your family that will make life more difficult. El Caganer, Spain - Ron, our Systems Administrator reminded us all of the pooping peasant boy. He's present at all Spanish Nativity scenes, apparently, and something my mother would find worryingly inappropriate. We hope this taste of international Holiday splendor is just the ticket to get your season off to a memorable start. The Brick Factory
About the Author
Todd Zeigler
Todd Zeigler serves as the Brick Factory’s chief strategist and oversees the operations of the firm. In his sixteen year career in digital, he has planned and implemented campaigns for clients including the Pickens Plan, International Youth Foundation, Panthera, Edison Electric Institute, and the American Chemistry Council. Todd develops ambitious online advocacy programs, manages crises, implements online marketing strategies, and develops custom applications and software. He is bad at golf though.
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