Holiday Spirit: Santa Snacks Served Around the World
Kids will do just about anything to please Santa Claus — and every year as a last ditch effort, they set out milk and cookies to secure the best presents for Christmas morning. But that’s just what we do in the United States — Santa delivers presents all over the world and he relies on children in every country and culture to keep him fueled throughout the night. That means cookies aren’t on every menu! Here are 6 Santa snacks served around the world.
Rosy Cheeks, Down Under Australians know what keeps Santa and his reindeer moving around the world all night. To keep him warm, they leave a glass of sherry and, because sherry is a dessert wine, it’s fitting to serve it with pie. Sherry pairs best with dessert containing dried fruit, so mince pie is the customary accompaniment for Santa’s sherry. In England, Santa gets a fusion of the Australian and American snacks: mince pies and milk.
The Great Danes Danish people don’t just want to please Santa, they also don’t want to anger his elves. Folklore suggests that the elves play tricks on children who don’t leave out snacks, so Santa can count on a bowl of rice pudding in Denmark.
Dutch Trade Offs In the Netherlands, Santa mounts a single horse to deliver gifts to children. There, the kids are more concerned about keeping up the strength of Santa’s horse than Santa! They leave hay and carrots to give him energy and water to hydrate him. In return for the care of his horse, Santa leaves chocolate and oranges.
Christmas Cake In Chile, children set out a special Christmas cake filled with fruit. It’s called “pan de Pascua” which translates to “bread of Easter.” However, “Pascua” (Easter) and “Navidad” (Christmas) are used interchangeably, so it’s not out of season to eat pan de Pascua at Christmastime. Chileans eat the cake for their traditional dinner and set aside a piece for Santa in exchange for gifts.
French Burrito In France, Père Noël (Father Christmas) gets around on a donkey rather than a sleigh towed by eight tiny reindeer. Like the Dutch, French children spoil Santa’s pets to win him over so he’ll leave them treats.
Irish Santa Much like the Aussies and English, Santa likes a good mince pie when he touches down on the Emerald Isle. But in Ireland, the only thing to pair with mince pie is a pint of Guinness. A good mug of suds makes a night around the world worth the effort. The smiles on children’s faces are just a bonus.
We’re eagerly awaiting Santa’s arrival at The Lakeside Collection! We have all sorts of ideas and inspiration for your holiday celebrations. Whether it’s snacks for Santa, or your family dinner, check back for fun ways to brighten your holidays.
