31. Turkey Trots
Where: U.S., Canada
Cost: Usually $10 to $20 to register*
You can find these popular events in the U.S. and Canada. Thanksgiving is a day that celebrates, as legend has it, a bountiful harvest. It began in the 1600s with the Pilgrims, and, today, Turkey Day is celebrated with a gigantic feast.
Turkey Trots @theculturetrip/Pinterest
But, before that feast, you can find events known as Turkey Trots. Turkey Trots involve people getting dressed up in turkey costumes and running (or walking) three to five miles. The proceeds go to charity, and people get to burn some calories before the big Thanksgiving dinner to follow.
32. Eat Green In Germany On Easter
Where: Germany
Cost: $10-$20 to make the traditional soup*
On the Thursday right before Easter in Germany, it is a long-held tradition to eat green. Sorry carnivores, but Green Thursday, also known as Gruendonnerstag, is a meat-free holiday for those who follow the Christian religion.
Eat Green In Germany On Easter ©Teresa Kasprzycka/Shutterstock
Traditionally, a salad and “Green Thursday Soup” is eaten on Gruendonnerstag. The soup is made from dandelion, nettle, and parsley, and, though rather plain, it’s quite a bit healthier than Peeps and chocolate eggs (if that’s any consolation).
33. Drown The Shamrock
Where: U.S., U.K., Canada
Cost: $5-$20 for a glass*
St. Patrick’s Day is a raucous celebration in countries like the U.S., U.K., and Canada, and, eventually, the green-covered night has to come to a close. Drowning the shamrock is a popular way to end St. Patty’s Day.
Drown A Shamrock ©Africa Studio/Shutterstock
A shamrock is dunked into a glass of whiskey. The glass is then drunk in one fell swoop, thus “drowning the shamrock” to pay homage to St. Patrick. As for the plant, if you don’t want to drink it, you can always toss it over your shoulder.
34. Turducken
Where: U.S., Canada
Cost: $50-$100*
This dish is known as Turducken, and it is quite different from the traditional Thanksgiving turkey that Americans put on their table for the holiday. Turducken is a dish that consists of a deboned chicken that has been stuffed into a deboned duck.
Turducken @Google/Pinterest
That deboned duck is then stuffed into a deboned turkey, giving you three different bird meats in one. This three-bird roast, as it’s called, can be pricey, with some places charging as much as $100 for a premade Turducken.
35. Get Pinched On St. Patrick’s Day
Where: U.S., U.K., Canada
Cost: A pinch
On St. Patrick’s Day, a holiday celebrated primarily in the U.S. and U.K., it is common to wear green, as green is said to make you invisible to leprechauns. Leprechauns are pernicious and tricksy, and you don’t want their attention on you.
Get Pinched On St. Patrick’s Day ©Studio Romantic/Shutterstock
So, if you’re not in green on St. Patty’s Day, someone can come up and pinch you as many times as they want. That said, you’re responsible for the consequences of pinching people for not wearing green, as many won’t take that too well.
36. The Pardoning Of A Turkey
Where: U.S.
Cost: A turkey’s life
This tradition is sure to have anyone outside the U.S. raising their eyebrows. On Thanksgiving, it is customary to eat turkey, roasting it in the oven for all to enjoy. But, every year since 1940, there is one turkey that is spared this holiday.
The Pardoning Of A Turkey @Cnn/Pinterest | ©Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
This Thanksgiving tradition, which became official in 1989, features the U.S. president “pardoning” a live, domesticated turkey. That turkey’s life is spared from the dinner table, and he is sent to live at Mount Vernon, the former home of U.S. President George Washington.
37. Spanish Easter Egg Cake
Where: Spain
Cost: $15-$25 to make*
Easter is the end of forty days of Lent, which means a lot of people are freed from fasting and abstaining. The Spaniards tend to celebrate Easter with a traditional cake known as Mona de Pascua. The main attraction of this cake is boiled eggs.
Spanish Easter Egg Cake ©nito/stock.adobe.com
The cake is shaped like a donut, and it is topped with boiled eggs. As many Catholics tend to go without eggs during Lent, the Mona de Pascua is a symbol of the success of abstinence, as all of those uneaten eggs were saved for the delicious, savory cake. That said, some bakers in Spain now use chocolate eggs for the cake to make it more of a sweet dessert.
38. Peeled Apples Predict The Future
Where: U.K., Ireland
Cost: $1-$5 per pound of apples*
This Halloween tradition isn’t as popular today as it once was, but that doesn’t mean it has died out completely. In the U.K. and Ireland, people would peel an apple and throw that peel behind them to “read the future.”
Peeled Apples Predict The Future ©grandbrothers/Shutterstock
The slice of peel should curl into a shape on the ground. The letter shape that the peel makes supposedly is the first initial of a future spouse. In Scotland, people used to do this tradition with stalks of kale, rather than apples.
39. Fill Your Boots In Germany
Where: Germany
Cost: A boot
On December 5th, it is traditional in Germany to leave a boot outside your door if you’re a child. If you’ve been good, you’ll wake up in the morning to find your boot (or shoe) filled with treats and toys. If you’ve been bad, all you can expect is a branch.
Fill Your Boots In Germany @wanderlustmag/Pinterest
This tradition celebrates St. Nicholas Day, which honors Nicholas of Myra, who died in 346 A.D. Traditionally, oranges and chocolate coins are gifts for St. Nick’s Day, as both represent how generous the deceased saint was with others, particularly kids.
40. Fave dei Morti
Where: Italy
Cost: $5-$15 per box of cookies*
In Italy, All Saints Day is a time to celebrate not just the saints, but dead relatives too. Fava dei Morti cookies are a big part of that celebration. Once made from fava beans, the cookies are now made with almonds instead.
Fave dei Morti @taste_of_freedom_1/Instagram
In Italy, men send their fiancees boxes of these cookies, which may or may not contain an engagement ring. In Rome in particular, All Saints Day is a popular day to ask someone to marry you.