From a Dutch point of view, I celebrate 'Sinter klaas', a special Christmas celebration where Sinter Klaas, otherwise known as Santa Claus, comes in the dead of night on 5th December, flying with his 'Schvartepetter' (Black Petes) coming all the way from Belgium to give you sweets and gifts - traditionally a big chocolate initial and fat puffs of gingerbread cut in to perfect spheres - if you were good, and if you were bad, well, coal instead of gifts wasn't enough. The Sint would parcel you up in his canvas sack - and if Sint was having a good day he wouldn't roast you for eating all the sweets in the sack you were trapped in!
Malta is sort of an almond-loving country. You have to make special, hard almond cakes called 'Figola' with a shell of crunchy, soft alomondy cookie on top and bottom and the middle is stuffed and stuffed with sweet ground almond paste( and maybe some glace cherries or raisins), and then on top of everything there is sweet pink or green icing, traditionally. Sounds yummy, right? Also, in November, in some sort of 'party' for the dead, there is tremendous celebration and bone shaped cakes are eaten, almost like figolas but instead of a crunchy cookie base there is a softer pastry shell- but still stuffed with almonds!
Now, in England, I celebrate Guy Fawkes' day - a group of, as they are known now, 'guys', who desperately wanted to overthrow the parliament that was just opened and let England roll free.
''Remember, remember,
The fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason, and plot.
We see no reason why
Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!''
Is what we sing as we make small 'guys' like scarecrows, put them in prams and ask, 'a penny for the guy, ma'am?' of which many oblige - and then we ceremoniously throw throw them into a blazing fire! Lots of people then gobble warm fish and chips from the side of the road - though, unfortunately, not anymore packaged charmingly in newspaper.
P.S Sorry if I talk a lot about food - it's just one of my favourite parts of my culture:)
