Date   

Food Eaten / Symbol  

Description

Country which celebrates it

06 December

St Nicholas
On this day St. Nicholas comes and gives the good children little bags filled with nuts, tangerines and other sweets.

Christmas Eve
Children leave mince pies and brandy for Father Christmas and a carrot for the reindeer.  Christmas stockings are also hung at the end of a bed or on a mantelpiece in the hope that Father Christmas will fill it with presents.

Christmas Eve
Potato salad and sausages is a typical food for Christmas Eve.  This small dinner reminds people of poor Mary and Joseph in the stable.

Christmas Eve
Turron, Marzipan and Polvorones and eaten on Christmas Eve and throughout the Christmas period.

Turron = nougat made with almonds, honey, sugar and egg.
Marzipan = small sweets made with ground almonds, sugar and water.
Polvorones = sweets made with butter, flour, almond, lemon and cinnamon.

Christmas Day
People eat Christmas Goose made with dumplings and red cabbage.

Christmas Day
Friends and family come together to share the much loved customs and traditions.  It is traditional to have a big dinner at mid-day which includes roast turkey, brussel sprouts, roast potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, tiny sausages wrapped in bacon and lots of hot gravy!

Boxing Day
This is the day which is used to eat all the food which is left from the dinners on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Boxing Day
Traditionally this is another day when families get together.  It is a day of watching sport, playing games, going for walks in the countryside and eating the leftovers from Christmas Day.

New Years Eve
"Lucky Grapes" - 12 grapes are eaten during the ringing of the bells at midnight

New Years Eve
It is traditional for people in Germany to eat "Raclette" - this is melted cheese, served over boiled potatoes with lots of ground black pepper, accompanied by small pickled onions and gherkins.

New Years Eve
This is celebrated with parties and social gatherings spanning the transition of the year at midnight.  Britain traditionally welcomes the new year with the chimes of Big Ben.  Many cities have large firework displays and street parties.  At midnight everybody joins hands and sings Auld Lang Syne.