How to Include Iconic Desserts from Around the World in Your Christmas Celebrations

Christmas is a time of tradition, family, and indulging in delicious treats. 

But why not make this year extra special by adding an international twist to your dessert table? 

From the buttery richness of French pastries to the spiced sweetness of Middle Eastern confections, desserts from around the globe can enhance your Christmas celebrations and provide a wonderful opportunity to experience new flavours. 

Here are some iconic desserts from various parts of the world that you can easily incorporate into your festive spread.

1. France – Bûche de Noël

No Christmas dessert table would be complete without the famous Bûche de Noël, also known as a Yule Log. This traditional French dessert is a sponge cake rolled into a log shape and decorated to look like a real wooden log, complete with bark-like chocolate icing and meringue mushrooms. The cake can be flavoured with chocolate, coffee, or chestnut, making it versatile and indulgent. It is perfect for any Christmas feast and adds a touch of elegance to your celebrations.

2. Italy – Panettone

Panettone is an Italian Christmas staple, known for its fluffy, light texture and sweet, fruity flavour. This dome-shaped bread is traditionally filled with candied fruit and raisins, but modern variations include chocolate chips or a citrus glaze. Serve panettone with a dusting of powdered sugar or toasted and topped with a dollop of mascarpone or whipped cream for an extra festive flair. It’s great for breakfast, dessert, or as an afternoon treat with coffee.

3. Germany – Stollen

Stollen is Germany's contribution to the world of Christmas desserts. This dense, fruit-filled bread is often spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and generously coated in powdered sugar. Some versions of stollen also include marzipan, adding a rich, almond flavour. Stollen keeps well, making it an excellent option for gifting or enjoying throughout the holiday season. Pair it with mulled wine or a cup of tea for a classic Christmas experience.

4. United Kingdom – Christmas Pudding

A traditional British Christmas pudding is a must for anyone looking to embrace a historic dessert. Made with a mix of dried fruits, suet, breadcrumbs, and spices, this rich and moist pudding is steamed for several hours and often aged for weeks before Christmas. Traditionally, it's served with brandy sauce or custard and flambéed before being brought to the table. Including this time-honoured dessert adds a sense of warmth and tradition to your festive meal.

5. Australia – Pavlova

Pavlova, named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, is a light and airy dessert popular in Australia and New Zealand. A crisp meringue shell filled with soft marshmallow-like meringue, it’s often topped with whipped cream and fresh seasonal fruits such as kiwis, strawberries, and passionfruit. Pavlova is a perfect dessert for Christmas celebrations, particularly if you're looking for something light and refreshing after a heavy meal.

6. Spain – Turrón

Turrón is a traditional Spanish nougat, commonly enjoyed during the Christmas season. Made from honey, sugar, egg whites, and almonds, this dessert can range from soft and chewy to hard and crunchy, depending on the recipe. Its nutty flavour and rich texture make it an ideal after-dinner sweet, and its long shelf life means it can be enjoyed throughout the holiday season. Offering a variety of turrón flavours on your Christmas table will give your guests a unique taste of Spanish Christmas traditions.

7. Middle East – Baklava

Baklava, with its layers of flaky phyllo pastry, chopped nuts, and sticky-sweet syrup or honey, is a beloved dessert in many Middle Eastern countries, such as Turkey, Lebanon, and Greece. Its rich sweetness and crunchy texture make it an excellent addition to any dessert spread. The warm flavours of cinnamon, cloves, and rose water in baklava also feel right at home during the Christmas season, complementing the other spiced treats on your table.

8. Sweden – Lussekatter

Lussekatter, or saffron buns, are traditionally baked in Sweden during Advent and St. Lucia's Day in December. These golden, sweet buns are flavoured with saffron and raisins, giving them a distinct, slightly floral taste. Serve them warm with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate for a cosy, comforting treat that brings a bit of Scandinavian charm to your Christmas festivities.

9. Japan – Christmas Cake

In Japan, Christmas cake is a light, fluffy sponge cake filled with fresh whipped cream and decorated with strawberries. This simple yet delightful dessert is often enjoyed on Christmas Eve, making it a festive and refreshing end to the day. Its bright red and white colours fit perfectly with the season’s theme, and its delicate sweetness is a great option for those looking for a lighter dessert.

10. Mexico – Buñuelos

Buñuelos are a traditional Mexican treat enjoyed during Christmas and New Year celebrations. These crispy, fried dough discs are coated with cinnamon sugar or drenched in syrup, making them both sweet and crunchy. They are typically enjoyed with a hot cup of atole or Mexican hot chocolate. Adding buñuelos to your Christmas dessert spread will bring a festive and comforting flavour to your holiday gatherings.

Tips for Incorporating International Desserts into Your Celebration:

Pair with Local Traditions: Balance out your dessert table by pairing these international treats with your own traditional Christmas desserts, such as mince pies or gingerbread. This way, you can honour local traditions while introducing new flavours.

Serve Smaller Portions: Since many of these desserts are quite rich, serve smaller portions so your guests can sample a variety of flavours without feeling too full.

Cultural Decorations: Consider decorating your table with elements from the country of each dessert to enhance the experience. For example, use Mediterranean herbs and spices for baklava, or a red and white colour scheme to accompany a Japanese Christmas cake.

Customised Gift Boxes: Package some of these desserts into gift boxes for your guests to take home. Stollen, turrón, or panettone make perfect edible gifts and add a personal touch to your celebrations.

By including these iconic desserts from around the world, you can make your Christmas celebration an unforgettable culinary journey. Whether you stick to traditional favourites or experiment with new flavours, these treats will add a delightful twist to your holiday festivities.

Traditional Christmas and New Year's Celebrations in Scotland

This is an update to our series of looking at the different ways Christmas is celebrated in different parts of the world.

Scotland has a rich history of festive celebrations during Christmas and New Year, shaped by centuries of tradition, culture, and the country’s unique relationship with these holidays. 

While Christmas was not always widely celebrated due to historical religious differences, New Year's, known as Hogmanay, has always been a grand occasion in Scotland. 

Today, both holidays are joyfully marked across the country, with each bringing its own customs and charm.

Christmas in Scotland

For a long time, Christmas wasn’t widely celebrated in Scotland. The holiday was effectively banned after the Reformation in 1560, when the Protestant Church frowned upon its religious and Roman Catholic origins. It wasn’t until 1958 that Christmas Day became a public holiday in Scotland, much later than in the rest of the UK. Despite its slow start, Christmas is now embraced with full festive spirit, and many Scottish homes today are filled with lights, decorations, and the joy of family gatherings.

Scottish Christmas Traditions

Decorations: Like the rest of the UK, homes are adorned with Christmas trees, wreaths, and lights. However, some households add a Scottish twist by incorporating tartan ribbons, Scottish thistles, or even stag antlers into their decorations.

Food: A traditional Scottish Christmas dinner often features roast turkey or goose, served with all the trimmings like potatoes, vegetables, and gravy. Scottish delicacies such as "clootie dumpling" (a rich fruit pudding) or shortbread biscuits are also popular additions. For drinks, whisky or a glass of "Atholl Brose," a blend of whisky, honey, cream, and oatmeal, might be enjoyed.

Gifts and Festivities: Like in other parts of the world, Christmas morning is for exchanging gifts. Many Scottish families attend church services to celebrate the religious aspect of the day before gathering for a hearty meal. Carolling and attending Christmas markets, where Scottish crafts and foods are sold, are also part of the festivities.

Hogmanay: Scotland's Legendary New Year’s Celebration

If there’s one celebration that Scotland is truly famous for, it’s Hogmanay. While Christmas may have taken time to catch on, Hogmanay has long been a major event, deeply rooted in both Viking and Celtic traditions. Its origins are believed to be a combination of ancient Norse winter solstice celebrations and the Gaelic festival of Samhain.

Hogmanay Traditions

First-Footing: One of the most iconic Hogmanay traditions is "first-footing," where the first person to cross the threshold of a home after midnight brings luck for the coming year. Traditionally, this person should be a tall, dark-haired man (reflecting a time when fair-haired Viking invaders were less welcome!). The first-footer often brings symbolic gifts like whisky, coal, shortbread, or black bun (a type of fruit cake), each representing warmth, prosperity, and good fortune.

Fire Festivals: Fire has always been a central element of Hogmanay, representing both purification and the chasing away of evil spirits. In many towns, this is reflected in grand firework displays, torchlight processions, and bonfires. One of the most famous is the Stonehaven Fireballs Ceremony, where participants swing blazing fireballs around their heads as they march through the streets. It’s a thrilling and ancient spectacle that symbolises burning away the old year to welcome the new.

Auld Lang Syne: No Scottish New Year's celebration is complete without singing "Auld Lang Syne," the world-famous song penned by Robert Burns. At the stroke of midnight, Scots gather in circles, linking arms and singing this nostalgic anthem about friendship and the passage of time. This tradition has now spread worldwide, but its roots remain deeply Scottish.

Hogmanay Street Parties

Hogmanay is also famous for its grand street parties, especially in Edinburgh. The city’s Hogmanay celebrations are among the largest in the world, drawing crowds from all corners of the globe. The festivities include a massive street party along Princes Street, featuring live music, fireworks, and plenty of dancing. The party often extends well into the early hours of New Year's Day, with the atmosphere brimming with excitement and revelry.

The Loony Dook

For those brave enough, New Year’s Day offers the chance to participate in the Loony Dook, a refreshing (some might say freezing!) dip into the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh. This quirky tradition, which started in the 1980s, sees participants, often in fancy dress, plunging into the cold waters to shake off the cobwebs of Hogmanay and start the year with a literal splash.

Scotland’s festive season is a captivating blend of ancient traditions, modern celebrations, and a deep sense of community and joy. 

Whether it's the cosy warmth of a family Christmas or the exuberant revelry of Hogmanay, there’s something magical about how the Scots welcome this special time of year. The glow of firelight, the sound of bagpipes, and the laughter of friends and family make the Scottish festive season one of the most memorable and beloved anywhere in the world.

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How to Support Unpaid Carers and Their Loved Ones During Christmas

Christmas can be a joyful season, but for unpaid carers looking after sick, ill, those with dementia, or disabled relatives, it can also be overwhelming and stressful. 

These carers often juggle the demands of daily life alongside their caregiving responsibilities, leaving them little time to relax or enjoy the festive season. 

As their family, friends, colleagues or community members, we can make a significant difference by offering practical and emotional support during this busy time. 

Here are some meaningful ways to help unpaid carers and their loved ones have a more comfortable and enjoyable Christmas:

1. Offer Practical Help

Unpaid carers often struggle to find time for even the simplest of tasks, such as shopping, cooking, or household chores. Offering to help with these tasks can lift a massive burden off their shoulders.

Grocery Shopping: You could offer to do their food shopping, either for the carer or the person they are caring for. If you're unsure what they need, a gift card for a local supermarket can give them the flexibility to buy essentials when it's convenient for them.

Cooking Meals: A homemade meal, particularly one that’s easy to freeze and reheat, can provide much-needed relief. You could even prepare a Christmas dinner for the family so that the carer can enjoy a festive meal without the stress of cooking.

Household Chores: From cleaning the house to running errands, offering a few hours of your time to help with these tasks can give a carer the opportunity to rest or focus on their loved one.

2. Provide Respite Care

Caring for a loved one is often a 24/7 responsibility, leaving little time for the carer to take a break. Offering respite care, even for a few hours, can give them the chance to relax and recharge.

Take Over Caregiving Duties: If you're comfortable with the caregiving routine, you could offer to step in for a few hours or even a day. This will give the carer time to rest, run errands, or enjoy some personal time. Even a short break can make a huge difference.

Arrange Professional Respite Care: If the carer is hesitant to leave their loved one in unfamiliar hands, help them find a trusted respite care service that specialises in their needs, whether that’s for dementia care, disability support, or medical assistance. This could be a wonderful gift, providing them with the peace of mind they need to enjoy some time off.

3. Offer Emotional Support

Caring for a sick or disabled relative can be isolating, and many unpaid carers feel alone in their journey. Emotional support is just as important as practical help, particularly during the holiday season when feelings of isolation or stress can be heightened.

Check-In Regularly: Sometimes, just knowing that someone cares can lift a carer's spirits. Reach out regularly to ask how they’re doing, listen to their concerns, and offer words of encouragement.

Invite Them to Social Gatherings: Carers may feel they cannot join in on festive activities because of their responsibilities. However, inviting them to social events, even if only for a short time, can help them feel included and give them a sense of normalcy. If they are unable to leave their home, consider visiting them with some festive cheer or organising a virtual gathering.

Be Patient and Understanding: Christmas can stir up a range of emotions for carers, from sadness to frustration, especially if their loved one’s condition has worsened over the year. Being patient, offering a listening ear, and simply being present for them can be incredibly comforting.

4. Give Thoughtful Gifts

While material gifts are not always necessary, a well-thought-out gift can show your appreciation and support for the carer. Consider gifts that can either help with caregiving or offer them some well-deserved relaxation.

Self-Care Gifts: Carers often put their own needs last. A gift like a massage voucher, a subscription box for relaxation, or a cosy blanket could encourage them to take a moment for themselves.

Practical Gifts: If you know the carer is in need of specific items to help with their caregiving duties, such as assistive devices, comfortable clothing for their loved one, or mobility aids, offering to help with these costs or finding these items for them can make a big difference.

Entertainment Subscriptions: Streaming services, audiobooks, or magazine subscriptions can provide much-needed entertainment for both the carer and the person they are looking after, offering a form of respite without needing to leave the house.

5. Include the Carer's Loved One in Festivities

Carers often prioritise their loved one’s well-being, and making sure the person they care for is included in the festive season can bring both of them joy.

Adapt Festive Traditions: Depending on the condition of the cared-for person, you may need to adapt certain traditions. For example, if the person struggles with mobility, consider bringing Christmas to them – perhaps decorating their room or planning a quiet, low-key celebration that doesn’t overstimulate them.

Spend Time with Them: If appropriate, spending time with the person the carer looks after can offer a welcome change of pace. Engaging in simple activities like watching Christmas films, reading festive stories, or just sharing some conversation can bring joy to both the carer and their loved one.

6. Respect Their Boundaries

It’s important to remember that every carer’s situation is unique, and not all offers of help may be suitable or accepted. While you may have the best intentions, some carers may prefer to manage on their own or may not feel comfortable accepting certain forms of assistance.

Ask First: Before stepping in, ask the carer how you can best support them. Respect their wishes and be prepared for the possibility that they may not want or need certain help.

Be Flexible: If a carer declines your offer, don’t take it personally. Circumstances change, and they may be more open to your help later on.

Final Thoughts

Christmas is a time for giving, and offering help to unpaid carers can be one of the most meaningful gifts of all. Whether you provide practical assistance, emotional support, the fact that you are available, even if they cannot perhaps take up your offer of help will give them some comfort.

Give them the Christmas gift of comfortable travel

Say goodbye to cramped airplane seats and endless airport lines. Europe’s top cities are just a train ride away, and now, with Traingift, they’re just a gift card away too.

Experiencegift, the company behind the world’s leading travel gifting brands Flightgift, Hotelgift, and Activitygift, is excited to announce the launch of its newest innovation: Traingift. 

Founded by entrepreneurs Loes Daniels and Jorik Schröder, Experiencegift launches the first gift card for train journeys across Europe.

Explains Loes Daniels, co-founder of Experiencegift: "As a frequent traveler myself, I understand the growing appeal of train travel over flying or driving. 

"It's convenient, flexible, eco-friendly, and you can admire the scenery while staying connected to work or family. 

"With Traingift, we're responding to this rising trend and offering the world a way to gift memorable train journeys. I’ve personally enjoyed the ease of traveling by train between cities like Amsterdam, Paris, and London, and I believe our customers will appreciate this experience as well."

Traingift provides access to Europe’s largest rail networks, covering  in excess of 25,000 destinations in over 33 countries, from high-speed Eurostar trains to scenic Eurail and Interrail passes. Traingift recipients can redeem their cards for one-way trips or unlimited travel passes, opening the door to cities like Paris, Munich, Milan, and more. 

By partnering with leading rail networks such as Deutsche Bahn, Trenitalia, and Eurostar, Traingift ensures a wide range of options, whether for business travellers, vacationers, or eco-conscious explorers.

Available in multiple languages and 15 currencies, Traingift is designed to be as flexible as possible, appealing to customers worldwide. Gift cards are available as a premium physical gift voucher, featuring a custom image and text printed in high-quality photo resolution. Alternatively, for a quicker option, the gift can be sent digitally as a PDF or eGift, perfect for last-minute gifting.

"We believe in experiences over things. That’s why we created Traingift, to make gifting train travel as exciting and accessible as possible," added Loes. "Train travel is sustainable, scenic, and stress-free, and we’re excited to offer this new gift card for people to experience Europe."

Jorik believes this new gift card perfectly fits the current shift towards more sustainable, experience-focused travel options. "More people are opting for train travel because it’s greener, and it’s more convenient than flying. 

"I have friends who’ve even given up flying entirely in favor of train travel. With Traingift, we're offering the ultimate gift for the conscious traveler, something that allows people to create unforgettable experiences while reducing their carbon footprint."

Loes and Jorik's entrepreneurial journey hasn't been without its challenges. Starting with just two people, they have grown Experiencegift to a team of 70 colleagues with offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, and Athens. 

"Building a company from the ground up is no small feat," shared Jorik. "We faced numerous hurdles along the way, including the unprecedented challenges to the travel industry posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these obstacles, we remained committed to innovation and adaptability. During this time, we managed to improve our operations and grow our gift card brands to the successful company we are today."

The launch of Traingift is a major step forward for Experiencegift, whose other brands have seen rapid global growth. The company is now active in over 50 countries and has earned a reputation for being innovative, with a strong focus on providing a wide range of redemption options and a personalized gift experience.

Traingift is now available for purchase at www.traingift.com. 

To us at That's Christmas it seems like the ideal Christmas gift for the travellers in your life.