The Most Unusual, Magical, and Internet-Famous Festivities

CHRISTMAS is celebrated across the world, but not in the same way. While some countries are all about snow, candles and cosy fireplaces, others take Christmas viral with giant food traditions, crazy costumes, glowing lanterns, surfing Santas and massive street parties. These are the festive moments that dominate Instagram Reels, YouTube travel vlogs and TikTok trends every year — proving Christmas is truly global, diverse and wonderfully strange.

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Here are some of the most viral and fascinating Christmas celebrations from around the world.

If Christmas had a world championship, the Philippines would win, easily.

Their celebrations start in September and go all the way until January. During these four months, social media explodes with:

■Giant animated lanterns (some 20 feet tall)

■Carollers visiting homes every night

■Entire neighbourhoods turned into glowing light villages

■"Simbang Gabi" - early morning Christmas masses that create viral sunrise scenes

But the highlight is the Giant Lantern Festival in Pampanga, where enormous lanterns spin, glow and dance to music in a dazzling light show. Videos of these lanterns easily reach millions online every year.

One of the strangest but most famous viral Christmas traditions comes from Japan... where Christmas means eating KFC.

Yes - Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Because of a 1970s marketing campaign, eating a KFC Christmas bucket has become a national ritual. Families pre-order weeks in advance, and queues stretch outside outlets on Christmas Eve. Videos of Japanese communities celebrating with crispy chicken buckets go viral every December.

And Santa? In Japan, he's often dressed like Colonel Sanders.

Forget cute elves - Austria brings out the Christmas monster.