La Befana is my new favorite winter holiday figure; somehow it is not surprising that across the world, Italy would be the country to have a benevolent winter holiday witch. Over at GoEuro there is a tidy little article on Christmas traditions around the world.

Aaaaaaaaaand, Spain has a seriously strange and hilarious tradition of feeding a log with a painted face until Christmas and then children beating all the ‘poo’ (presents) out of it on Christmas eve. I kind of want to see the kids in action. I think I wouldn’t be able to stop laughing.