Christmas Foods and Traditions from Around the World

Now that you’ve finished planning Christmas and what gifts to give this year (we’d still suggest one of our personalized Christmas books, in case you’re still stumped…), we thought it would be fun to check out how other people celebrate in different parts of the world! Let’s see what we find!

Now that you’ve finished planning Christmas and what gifts to give this year (we’d still suggest one of our personalized Christmas books, in case you’re still stumped…), we thought it would be fun to check out how other people celebrate in different parts of the world! Let’s see what we find!

Soupe à l’ail and the Thirteen Desserts of Provence, France

In Provence (south-eastern France), traditionally, Christmas Eve is celebrated in two stages. Before attending midnight mass, a soup made primarily with garlic, aïgo bolido, is eaten.

This dish has many health benefits to its name due to its many active antimicrobial components. Eating this delicious soup before attending mass on Christmas Eve enabled people to “fast” as a form of penance and then return home for a feast! And how does this feast end? With an amazing thirteen desserts!

These 13 desserts are meant to represent the Last Supper of Jesus and his 12 apostles. While the number of desserts is fixed, many variations of this platter exist, so what you receive can change based on local or familial tradition.
What generally tends to be included is:

🥮 Pompe à l’huile, (oil pump), a sweet Christmas Provençal bread with orange blossom & olive oil.

🍬 Black nougat with honey (symbolizing good)

🍬 White nougat (symbolizing evil)

🥮 Calissons d’Aix, a candy similar to marzipan made from almond paste and candied melon

🍑 Dried apricots

🥜 Walnuts/hazelnuts, dried figs, almonds and raisins (also known as “the four beggars”)

🍇 Some fresh fruit like apples, pears, mandarins, and/or oranges

🥮 Oreillettes

🍬 Fruit pastes

The meal tends to be accompanied by mulled wine. What could be better than immersing yourself in the magic of a Provençal Christmas and seeing what wonderful surprises are still in store!

This is a wonderful way to spend time with your family and to revitalize the beautiful values you hold dear like those that can be found in our personalized Christmas book for Dad/Mom + 1 child.

English Christmas Pudding

The Christmas pudding is a true success of British gastronomy. Present on the tables of royal banquets since the 16th century, this pastry is festive, caloric and full of aromatic spices. Orange, rum and cinnamon are what really make the flavor of this Christmas dessert stand out.

Steamed and then left to dry for several days, this pudding can be kept for several months if it is wrapped and well stored. Its ingredients are fabulously simple: bread, dried fruit, and sugar. The recipe itself is also very simple, but requires some patience and a good, strong stirring arm like Prince George!

Like the British Royal Family, there’s nothing better than making one together as a family and enjoying it with the kids and grandkids while reading a personalized book for grandparents and several grandchildren (try not to get it dirty!).

Spain’s Who Wants to Be(come) a Millionaire?

Every Christmas since 1812, Spain has carried out the Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad, their amazing national lottery also known as “El Gordo“!

This is a major event in Spain, as a whopping 98% of Spaniards say they participate annually. The system is a bit complicated and is based on the purchase of tickets which can be divided into a number of parts. Should you be lucky enough to win, you could be going home with around three million euros!

For those who are unlucky with games of chance, you can still be lucky in love! Make it all come true with a personalized love book. This gift for couples takes aim at the heart of your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife. It’s personalized, unique and, above all, it’s all about you! 

FF

Australian Christmas = BBQ in the Garden!

On the other side of the world, Christmas is very different. While we might associate Christmas with cold weather and snow, in Australia, the situation is quite different! Thanks to the Land of Oz being in the southern hemisphere, Christmastime is also summertime! Instead of woolen hats and thick coats, the Aussies wear swimsuits and shorts (Santa included)!

Traditionally, Australians gather in their backyards for a good barbecue, salads and cold drinks. Which makes a lot of sense. After all, who would want a bowl of hot soup when it’s 95°F? And there’s no better way for children to develop their friendships than playing outside. The bonds they forge and adventures they go on are the subject our book for 2 or 3 children: The Dream Team!

Throw your kids into an incredible treasure hunt that comes in the form of 10 stories that you choose! A great Christmas gift that kids will never get tired of! 

Konichiwa, Japanese KFC!

For Japan, a country infused with the teachings of Shintoism and Buddhism, the celebration of Christmas has no real cultural or spiritual meaning. However, globalization now sees Christmas celebrated in Japan as a fun, secular holiday (like Halloween…). And it was in the 70’s that an unusual little tradition was born in the land of the rising sun!

The story goes that a Japanese KFC manager originally created a Christmas “party barrel” for foreigners after hearing that they missed not being able to eat turkey on December 25. The Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii (Kentucky for Christmas) deal exploded and is now an absolute must-have all over the country. Pre-orders are even launched weeks in advance to accommodate the demand!

If you love a little more fun in your Christmas, then you’ll absolutely love our amazing book for families!  Up to 3 children can be included and your whole crew gets to go on incredible adventures like being a rock band in the Stone Age, turning into fish, becoming giants, and so much more! 

Good Sarma = Good Karma!

We’ll finish off our world tour with a small stop in Croatia to take a look at a typical Christmas dish that is often prepared there: sarma!

Widespread and super popular in the Balkans, sarma or cabbage rolls are actually quite simple to make! Rice and meat are mixed together and wrapped in pickled cabbage leaves (this is the same cabbage that is used to make sauerkraut) before being simmered in a light tomato sauce.

And as if that wasn’t enough, a meal like that can be finished off with mouth watering fritters, which are often flavored with lemon and brandy. What a great way to spend a Christmas afternoon… Cooking really is something that the whole family can enjoy together, especially Dad, Mom, and the kids. This little bit of time taken out of your day to create something delicious also reinforces the love you have for one another, which is also the foundation of our Always Little series of personalized books for Dad or Mom.

This series is available for Mom or Dad and can include up to 3 children in the same book! The best possible gift to capture some of those precious memories!