You’ve probably been celebrating Christmas for a good few years by now (don’t worry, you don’t look a day over 21!) but have you ever thought about why you’re doing it?
You likely know the official story. A couple thousand years ago, a super important baby was born on December 25th in a stable in Bethlehem, and we give gifts as a nod to the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh brought to that baby by three wise men. Unlike those three wise men, we don’t arrive at Aunt Susan’s house on Christmas Day via camels, which we think is a bit of a shame.
But did you know that there’s even older traditions connected to Christmas? Ancient Neolithic people were celebrating the midwinter solstice around December 21st, with huge feasts, fancy outfits, and rowdy singalongs. Basically, Christmas Day at our place, before the fights break out.
Romans had their own version called Saturnalia, a five-day party where social norms went out the window, with slaves becoming the masters (and earning some much needed days off!). People would swap their togas for brightly coloured costumes, indulge in a bit of gambling, and exchange small gifts.
Christmas traditions vary from country to country and era to era, but much of the version we know is very much tied to the Victorian period, when the whole thing became much more family-focused. Queen Victoria and her husband are often credited with making Christmas tree trendy, and we can trace things like Christmas cards, bon-bons, and many Christmas carols back to this time period. Even Santa himself pops up in the 1870s – though there’s been many versions of him throughout history.
Christmas has been around in some form for a hot minute, and is celebrated in many different ways across the big blue marble we call Earth. So, the next time you’re popping a bon-bon or wrapping a (Spicy Baboon) present for Mum, have a think about what came before!
Unusual Christmas traditions
Look, this is Spicy Baboon – did you really think we’d let you scroll on by without sharing a handful of weird and wonderful Christmas traditions from around the world? Not a chance, mate! Here’s a few of our favourites that we think could give those nightmarish Elf On the Shelf figures a run for their money.
Krampus
Did you know that in some parts of Europe, you don’t have to worry about getting coal when you’re naughty? That’s because they have something much worse: Krampus. Krampus is basically Santa’s goat-like enforcer, snatching up misbehaving kids and carting them off to hell in his basket.
Krampusnacht, which takes place on December 5th, involves local men dressing up as the demonic creature, parading through the streets and terrorising children (and, honestly, probably a bunch of the adults too).
Top tip for any parents out there – we name-dropped Krampus a couple of times in the office, and we’ve definitely seen an improvement in the baboons’ behaviour.
The Christmas Spider
The story goes that a poor Ukrainian widow and her children couldn’t afford to decorate their Christmas tree. Some spiders saw this and felt really bad, and so decorated the house with beautiful glistening webs while the family slept. Everyone woke up and was thrilled to bits, which seems a weird reaction to waking up to a house absolutely packed with cobwebs, but I guess the spiders meant well.
Cobweb decorations are common on Ukrainian Christmas trees because of this story – they’re thought to bring good luck!
Kentucky Fried Christmas
Christianity is a minority religion in Japan, so Christmas isn’t such a big deal over there. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have any Christmas traditions!
Since the 1970s, KFC Japan has promoted digging into the Colonel’s famous fried chicken as a Christmas day meal, and it’s turning into quite the tradition. It’s not uncommon for families to book months in advance to dine in or to place special delivery orders ahead of the big day.
Caga Tió or “The Sh*tting Log”
Alright, this one is going to get really weird, but bear with us.
In Catalonia, the Caga Tió is basically a version of a Yule Log, often with a cute little face and an even cuter little hat. The kids in the family are given the job of taking care of the tió, feeding it and keeping it warm, right up until Christmas Eve. Cute, right? Well, on Christmas Eve, things take a bit of a turn. The tió is placed into the fire, beaten with sticks, and ordered to… well, poop out presents. And while this is happening, the children all sing traditional songs.
We did tell you this one was going to get weird.
Why choose Spicy Baboon for your Christmas gifting needs?
We were hoping that our extensive knowledge of Christmas would be enough to convince you that Spicy Baboon is THE choice for all your festive gifting needs, but if you need more evidence, we’re happy to oblige.
- We’re bloody funny – let’s lead with that, since we know it’s the reason you’re all here. Spicy Baboon employs a crack squad of brilliant (if a little stinky) baboons who lovingly craft all our designs, using only the finest bad dad jokes. We’re meme experts and pun connoisseurs, and our goal is simple: we’re gonna make you (and whoever you’re buying for) laugh. Preferably one of those really awkward snort laughs that set everyone else off laughing too.
- We use high quality materials for all our products – we want to make sure that your gifts last for as long as possible, so we’re only using the good stuff. From our clothing (100% combed cotton, secured with double needle hems and pre-shrunk) to our cards (printed on high-grade paper, using quality ink) to our mugs (dishwasher and microwave safe, printed onto porcelain with quality inks), our products are designed to last.
- Our range is huge – from cards to t-shirts, aprons to stubby coolers, and stickers to bar mats, we’ve got something for every member of the family. Many of our designs can be slapped onto a multitude of gifts, and we can even personalise some of them too, just in case you want to remind the recipient exactly who nailed the presents this year.
- We offer excellent value for money – let’s be honest, we’re in a bit of a cozzy livs at the moment, so it’s important that our customers are confident they’re getting a good deal. At Spicy Baboon, we’ve worked our big red baboon butts off to build great relationships with our suppliers. This keeps our costs reasonable, meaning we can keep our prices reasonable too, making things a little easier on our customers’ wallets.
- We’re an Australian company – supporting Aussie businesses and buying as local as you can is a great way to support our economy. Choosing to shop with Spicy Baboon means you’re backing a 100% Australian business, with Aussie designers, Aussie printers, and an Aussie HQ, right here in sunny Brisbane!
Gifts for (almost) the whole family!
Our jokes aren’t always exactly kid-friendly, but we’ve got you covered for Mum, Dad, weird Uncle Steve, and that one teenager who sits in the corner and refuses to smile.
From stubby holders adorned with bad dad jokes and personalised naughty list mugs, to plenty of references to just how boozy Christmas Day will inevitably turn out to be, there’s a design for everyone at Spicy Baboon!
Naughty gifts for him/her
Sometimes you want something a little… spicier for your significant other. Something that would put your firmly on Santa’s naughty list, perhaps. Don’t worry – we’ve got you! We have plenty of designs perfect for your other half that you’ll probably want to put away before Granny arrives for lunch. Unless she’s cool AF, in which case, ONYA NAN!
We also do nice gifts too, but a mug that says “Well Hung” with a picture of a stocking on it is, in our opinion, much funnier.
Pop culture Christmas gifts
Whether “Die Hard is a Christmas movie” is a hill you’re willing to die on, if you can’t go a second of the season without quoting Elf, or if you believe it ain’t Christmas till Michael Bublé says it is, Spicy Baboon is your-go to for Christmas gifts packed with pop culture flavour.
From Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Rick & Morty, to Mariah’s iconic Christmas presence (presence/presents, get it?), we’ve got something for every fandom and meme-lover this festive season!
Kris Kringle Christmas Gifts
With gifts starting at under $20, Spicy Baboon is a fantastic – and hilarious – choice for your Secret Santa and Kris Kringle gifts!
Whether you know your Secret Santa well enough to pick them a customisable gift or just want to guarantee a laugh no matter who’s name you pull out the Santa hat, we’ve got you covered.
But given we’re famous for our spicy sense of humour, a small piece of advice: if you’re shopping for the office, make sure you pick a gift that’s HR-friendly!
Last minute Christmas Gifts
Spicy Baboon is perfect for those last-minute Christmas gifts, with an average turnaround time of 2-4 working days. Standard shipping within Australia takes between 4-8 days, depending on your location, and we also offer Express shipping for when your gift has somewhere it absolutely needs to be.
If you’re living (and gifting) in Brisbane, you can also pick-up your order from our Woolloongabba location.
Of course, things do get a little more hectic the further into festive season we go, so we still recommend getting those Christmas gift orders in nice and early!
Christmas Gifts on a budget
Cost of living is hitting hard this year, and with Christmas already an expensive time, we want to make sure our customers get plenty of Spicy Baboon bang for their buck.
We’ve got mugs and stubby holders for under twenty bucks, t-shirts for around $40, and cards for less than a tenner. And they’re all printed on high quality products, so Dad/Mum/Cousin Jim/whoever can rock them for many more Christmases to come!
When browsing, you can use our price sliders to set your budget and ensure that everything you see stays within your price range.
We also offer free Aussie shipping for orders over $99, and offer payment options including Afterpay and PayPal, which may be able to help you spread out your spending to better suit your budget.
