Something about the holiday season brings out the bizarre side of people. Whether it’s the emphasis on good will, the proximity to family, or the barrage of cheery music and capitalism, cultures that normally seem reasonable as a whole devolve into outlandish madness. As the year ends and we all celebrate good will towards humanity, the maniac in all of us climbs out of the proverbial woodwork for a glass of high-proof eggnog. Suddenly, you have stodgy moms getting topless at holiday parties and hard-partying madmen crying at church. But the beauty of this is that plenty of cultures’ craziest old-world traditions rise to the surface — and they’re kind of rad. Be it a figure from yuletide folklore or a tradition based on everyone’s favorite s...
