The most unusual Christmas traditions around the globe from rollerblading to church to Santa's evil twin

CATERPILLARS for breakfast, KFC on Christmas Eve and rollerblading to church – in some countries, these are as essential for a classic Christmas as carols and sprouts are in Britain.

Although Christmas is going to be a little bit different this year for a lot of people, our international neighbours will be keeping some incredible traditions alive and well as always.

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From curious choices of Christmas meals to broom-stealing evil spirits, here are some of the best festive traditions from around the world.

Traditional two-piece

Where: Japan

In Japan, Christmas is not officially recognised as a holiday.

But that hasn't stopped families from trooping into local KFCs for a festive meal on Christmas Eve every year.

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As many as 3.6million families are thought to partake in the tasty tradition.

It began in 1974 when KFC ran a wildly successful advertising campaign in Japan called "Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii", or "Kentucky for Christmas".

Arrival of evil spirts

Where: Norway

Norwegians believe the festive season marks the arrival of evil spirits and unfriendly witches.

So on the eve of the holiday, Norwegians ensure their brooms are locked away before going to bed.

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In doing so, when the witches arrive looking for brooms as a means of transportation, they won't find any.

Fried caterpillars

Where: South Africa

South Africans are proudly known for their diverse meals.

And one of their proudest is the delicacy of deep-frying caterpillars of the Emperor Moth.

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Every year, the crunchy critters are collected around Christmas time and enjoyed as a protein-rich snack throughout winter.

Festive witch

Where: Italy

In Italy, legend has it that there is a festive witch called 'La Befana' who comes around to give gifts to children who have been good all year round.

For naughty kids, she leaves them with a pile of coal.

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She rides on a broom and makes her way down the chimney to deliver her presents in socks left out by children.

Rollerblading to church

Where: Caracas, Venezuela

For locals in Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela, attending Christmas service on rollerskates is customary.

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It has become so popular that on Christmas Day, the government closes most major roads to afford residents the opportunity to skate to church safely.

Pet goats (for a while)

Where: Ghana

In Ghana, several families buy a healthy looking big goat in the run up to Christmas.

They are often tied up at homes with owners taking such good care of them that you might think they are being kept as pets.

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On Christmas Eve they are untied and walked only to be slaughtered for meals such as fufu and soup.

The idea behind feeding and caring for them is so they could be as healthy and fat for the whole family's consumption.

Santa's evil twin

Where: Austria and Germany

In some Germanic countries, there is a belief that Santa Claus has an evil twin called Krampus.

This alternative to the gentle giant of Christmas does not come bearing gifts with smiles.

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Krampus is portrayed as a demonic beast who perhaps would have been best suited for Halloween.

In some places in Germany and Austria, men even dress up as Krampus roaming about the street sending kids into a meltdown.

Festive bird and whale meal

Where: Greenland

In Greenland, Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without raw whale skin.

The festive meal, known as mattak, is eaten with a strip of blubber on the inside.

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Another wintertime staple in the nation is kiviak.

This is the raw meat of arctic birds which has been fermented for months prior to consumption.

A sweep a day drives the devil away

Where: Guatemala

In Guatemala, people believe evil spirits reside in corners of the house that are dirty and disorganised.

As a result, neighbourhoods organise a sweep where people must partake in deep cleaning.

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Once everything is cleaned, locals come together to gather all the dirt in a huge pile and place an effigy of the devil on top.

Meals for the dead

Where: Portugal

In the early hours of Christmas morning, the Portuguese gather around the dinner table to have a notable feast.

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At the table, they leave empty seats out for alminhas penar (the souls of the dead), while some people also leave crumbs on the hearth for the souls.

Christmas goblins

Where: Greece

The Kallikantzaroi are a race of goblins believed to live in the underworld but appear during the 12 days of Christmas to cause mischief.

They are described as male, blind, and small with long black tails.

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They spend the rest of their days at the centre of the world constantly trying to chop down the Tree of Life.

The yule cat

Where: Iceland

In Iceland, it is believed that there is a giant cat that roams the countryside.

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Farmers who work hard and are able to produce good results receive gifts and other pleasant items.

Lazy farmers however are eaten alive by the beast as punishment for their indolence.