The tradition of hiding a broom on Christmas Eve to keep witches from using it is associated with Norway.
The custom comes from older Norwegian Christmas folklore, in which witches and other supernatural beings were believed to roam on Christmas Eve. Because witches were imagined riding broomsticks, households hid their brooms and sometimes other household tools to prevent them from being stolen or used during the night.
This belief belonged to a wider Scandinavian and northern European world of winter superstitions. Christmas Eve, or Julaften, was treated as a dangerous threshold when ordinary rules were suspended and unseen forces might become active. Protective practices could include keeping fires or lights burning and avoiding unnecessary work or travel after dark.
The broom custom is an old belief rather than a universal modern Norwegian practice, so not every Norwegian household follows it today. It is also easy to confuse with other Scandinavian Christmas folklore, including stories of the Wild Hunt, household spirits and the nisse. Nevertheless, Norway is the standard country answer for the hidden-broom Christmas tradition.