From Christmas pickles to ice skating: 10 holiday traditions you may not have heard of before

With the holiday season almost over, it might be time to look for new traditions to celebrate Christmas and New Year's next year. If you'd like to have some extra good luck in the New Year, here are some traditions that correspondent Brittany Miller's family has participated in.

She says that her grandmother grew up with parents who were immigrants from Poland. In addition to cooking and eating pierogies for the holidays, their family also has some strange traditions that their friends didn't even know existed. On Christmas Eve, Brittany's family starts with a piece of Oplatek, which is known as a Christmas Oblatek in Catholic areas of Poland. The oldest person in the family gets the biggest piece and eats it with honey poured on top to signify a "sweet" New Year. Before eating, the person has to make a wish for the New Year. Then, family and friends eat their piece depending on their age. This is described in an article by independent.co.

To secure her happiness for the next year, Brittany Miller's grandmother used to cook pickled herring. Herring is abundant in Poland and some Scandinavian countries, and because of its silvery color, many people in these regions eat pickled herring at midnight to ensure a year of prosperity and generosity. Some even eat pickled herring in a creamy sauce, while others serve it with onions.

If you prefer to achieve good luck with methods that are not fishy, try this New Year's tradition from the Philippines. Open all the doors and windows in your home at midnight to get rid of the bad atmosphere and allow good luck to enter the house. It only takes a minute for the magic to work.

If you want to go for food, there is one New Year's tradition that comes from Spain. At midnight, sit under the table and eat 12 grapes. Each grape represents one month of the year that brings prosperity and good luck. Some people even make 12 wishes with each grape.

"There are many traditions to try for Christmas next year, starting with one of my personal favorites: Christmas pickles. When I was a teenager, I was given a Christmas decoration that was shaped like a pickle. At first, I thought it was a dorky gift to hang a pickle on the tree, until I looked at the packaging and learned about the tradition that goes along with it," says Brittany Miller.

The Christmas pickle is a German-American tradition where a pickle (usually a real one) is hidden in your tree. Whoever finds the pickle first has the right to open the first present on Christmas morning. In some other versions of the tradition, it is mentioned that the one who finds the pickles will get good luck for the next year.

"In my house, the winner gets cash or opens the first present. It may not be the most complicated holiday tradition, but since most people are not familiar with this tradition, there is always an opportunity to teach them to try this strange tradition," the correspondent adds.

Another tradition that her family has experienced over the years comes mostly from Europe. Even the British royal family is participating in this trend, and it's about opening gifts on Christmas Eve.

In addition, there are other holiday traditions around the world that are worth trying, and this can be an opportunity to step away from the usual.

For example, in Japan, people eat Kentucky Fried Chicken for Christmas dinner instead of ham or turkey, as they do in the United States. For people in Poland, this trend may not be considered a tradition, but rather a legend or myth. During the holy dinner, all animals supposedly gain the ability to speak at night. According to the legend, this is thanks to the animals who helped deliver the baby Jesus during his birth.

In Germany, there is a tradition where children shine their shoes on the evening of December 5, the eve of St. Nicholas Day, and leave them outside or by the fireplace. When they wake up, their shoes should be filled with candy as a reward for good behavior.

People in Venezuela, on the other hand, usually celebrate the day before Christmas by going roller skating. Skating is such a popular tradition that the streets are closed to cars, allowing skaters to travel safely and enjoy this fun Christmas activity.

Regardless of how you celebrate the holidays, these unique traditions are great fun for the whole family that can make this time of year even more special and fabulous.