Where to try out Christmas traditions from around the world in London

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Harry Fletcher3 December 2018

Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it can get a little repetitive.

For some, there are only so many mulled wines to drink, mince pies to eat and carols to endure before the whole thing gets a little tiresome.

Fortunately, there are plenty of quirky Christmas traditions from around the world to keep the festive celebrations fresh.

Here's where to mix up the old Christmas routines – or get a reminder of home.

Have a finger lickin’ festive treat

Fried festive treat: Enjoy a KFC this December
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A bargain bucket might not exactly scream festive cheer for the majority of Londoners, but eating KFC has been a Christmas tradition in Japan ever since the 1970s, when the Colonel had the inspired idea of marketing his finger lickin’ good food as a festive delicacy there. Finding KFC in London is, of course, no problem at all — there are more than 70 outlets in the capital, all serving finger lickin’ good chicken. If you’re planning to go, make sure to check out our guide to fast food menu hacks first.

If KFC isn’t your scene, the city is full of other great chicken shops and many of London’s restaurants serve up fabulous chicken dishes too — not least the Macho Nacho burger at Chick ’n’ Sours and tumeric and lemon chicken rice bowl at Haggerston’s Berber & Q.

Have a crazy Krampus celebration

Festive fright: Krampus from European folklore
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Krampus is one of the more sinister Christmas figures, hailing from Austrian, Bavarian and central European folklore. According to an old tale, Saint Nicholas would reward good children with gifts, while Krampus would punish the naughty kids. The half-goat, half-demon is normally seen as a fairly terrifying figure, but queer collective Sink the Pink are showing the beast’s fun side with their How To Catch A Krampus theatre show at Pleasance London on December 6. Expect retellings of spooky folk tales and freaky festive songs. It promises to be an absolute riot.

Get your skates on

Quirky tradition: Ice skaters at Christmas time
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Forget ice skating — the people of Venezuela like to celebrate Christmas by roller skating to mass over the festive period. According to legend, children in Venezuela used to sleep with a piece of string tied around their toes, with the other end dangling out the window, and would be woken up by passing rollers skaters. While few are likely to tie string around their toes this year, there are plenty of ways for Londoners to get involved in the unusual tradition. You can roller blade to your heart’s content across London, but Hyde Park is a great place to go for organised skating. Friday Night Skate events take place every week at 8pm from the Duke of Wellington Arch, involving a 10-15 mile route. A more relaxed and family-orientated Easy Peasy Skate event also takes place every dry Saturdays at 10.30am, meeting at the Peace Pagoda in Battersea Park. For more information, visit lfns.co.uk.

Enjoy a Christmas creepy-crawly

Bug bites: Fudge topped with ants at Native

While most Brits sit down to a roast dinner on December 25, a quirky tradition sees certain parts of South Africa tuck into deep-fried insects — caterpillars, specifically. If you’re a South African missing home, or just curious to try something new, there's a surprisingly broad selection of London restaurants that specialise in insect cuisine.

Adventurous diners can enjoy a bug banquet at sustainability specialists Native, who feature a fudge dish topped with wood ants on its tasting menu. Or, punters can channel their inner Ray Mears at Archipelago in Fitzrovia, which offers a crunchy Love Bug Salad.

Join Santa in the sauna

Steamy celebration: Hit the sauna this Christmas
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Estonian tradition dictates a visit to the sauna after festive preparations on Christmas Eve. They might not be quite as popular in the UK, but there are still plenty of places to warm up in the capital. The sauna at Brockwell Lido is a good place to start, while health group Spa Experience also have chains in Bethnal Green and Old Street worth checking out. Elsewhere, the Finnish Church in Rotherhithe’s cosy public sauna is open on December 23 and 24 and can accommodate seven people at a time. Guest can also choose to book a private sauna if they wish.

Try the 12-courses of Christmas

Dining experience: Roganic offer a 12-course tasting menu

Ever feel bad about pigging out over Christmas? Comfort yourself by remembering that Ukrainians traditionally enjoy a whopping 12 courses on Christmas Eve. If you’re looking to fulfil the tradition in London, Roganic offers a 12-course sample tasting menu from Tuesdays to Thursdays, which is well worth trying at £85. There aren’t many other restaurants that offer quite as many courses, but you can get pretty close. One of the best options is Sketch’s Michelin-starred Lecture Room and library offers a seven- course tasting menu, in one of the most beautiful dining rooms in the city.

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