It’s the holiday season again, and people will celebrate various traditions from around the world. It’s interesting how many of these traditions involve things associated with your feet. Let’s explore five traditions to see how different cultures involve foot-related fun in their celebration.

The Netherlands. Children prepare for the arrival of St. Nicholas by filling up wooden shoes with hay and carrots for his horse. The next morning, the children wake up excited to see the hay and carrots eaten by Santa’s horse and replaced with toys and candy.

Spain. Children will leave their shoes out, hoping for gifts and treats. Instead of December 25, however, they set them out on January 6, which is Epiphany or Three Kings Day. They set their shoes out beside the door, fireplace, or balcony and fill them with hay for the Wise Men’s camels. As a token of appreciation for the hay, the Wisemen fill their shoes with candy and toys!

Venezuela. People will go to church for the holidays. However, they do so in a unique way. They roller skate! Skating to church is a long-practiced holiday tradition in Venezuela. They even close off many of the streets so people can skate to church with ease.

The United Kingdom. Children will hang up stockings on their mantles or beds for Old Saint Nick in an attempt to catch the coins that Father Christmas drops through the chimney. Often, children will wake up the next day to stockings filled with oranges or tangerines. These symbolize gold coins.

The United States. We of course have our stockings hung near the chimney with good children getting their much-deserved goodies and naughty children waking up to stockings filled with coal.

Call Syracuse Podiatry, located in East Syracuse, New York, for more tips and expert advice. Dr. Ryan L. D’Amico, Dr. Donal M. Erickson, Dr. Keith Sherman,  Dr. Riane Teagarden, and their staff will help you diagnose and treat your foot or ankle condition. Call 315-446-3668 or make an appointment online today.