As we all prepare for the next few days of reflection and merriment — Grand Market and Christmas dinner with lots of sorrel, Christmas cake and ham — Thursday Food, with the help of our ‘diplomatic’ tour guides, take you beyond the shores of our fair isle to see how other nations observe the festive season.

Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal! Christmas in Sri Lanka — Marjorie Lamont Henriques, Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka

Despite being 90 per cent Buddhist, the remaining 10 per cent of the Sri Lankan populace are Christian, and do observe the festivities of Christmas, according to Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka Marjorie Lamont Henriques. Curry dishes are a staple of the nation, she notes, and during the holiday period prawn curry is a sought-after meal, but it is mostly found on the plates of the wealthy. The fish of choice for the ordinary folk is seere, commonly known as Kingfish to Jamaicans. Henriques, a Jamaican who lived in Sri Lanka for two years, adds that although the Buddhist calendar observes special occasions known as poya days, the Roman calendar is accepted and thus used to celebrate the birth of Christ. She admits, however, that for the most part, traditional Sri Lankan practices have given way to more Western customs.

For instance, “men now wear suits to church instead of sarongs”, she explains.

Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia! Christmas in Poland — Irena Cousins, Honorary Consulate of the Republic

of Poland

Much like Christmastime on The Rock, Christmas is for the Polish a time for family, festivities and elaborate meals. Indeed, dinner is a 12-course affair, and Irena Cousins, Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Poland, says up to four years ago it was an entirely meatless spread. “The table is set for the family, but there is always an extra seat in the event that an unexpected guest comes. This would be for a stranger who could show up in need of food, or if Christ were to return to the Earth and wanted to eat with that family, and just before dinner a thin, wafer-like bread is broken and the dinner party exchange kisses as a sign of well wishes, ” she states.

Fröhlichi Wiehnacht/Joyeux Noël! Christmas in Switzerland — Ulrich Bangerter, Consulate General of Switzerland

Unlike in Jamaica, the core of Christmas festivities in Switzerland occurs on Christmas Eve, with families assembling for a large dinner and the exchanging of gifts. Ulrich Bangerter of the local Swiss stores and Consulate General of Switzerland says: “We celebrate on the 24th… people go home earlier from work, at around six or seven. It’s Holy Night, so there’s spending time with the family, present-giving and lighting of the tree.” This is followed by dinner, which is typically composed of cheese fondue, bread and meatloaf, after which the family heads to Mass, as the country’s denominations are evenly split between Protestants and Catholics.

Buon Natale! Christmas in Italy — Simonetta Mafessanti, Managing Director, Tortuga Caribbean

Rum Cake

Simonetta Mafessanti is Italian, but has lived in Jamaica for two decades. She now visits her native country outside the winter season, but recalls Christmas in Italy as being “about Jesus — that’s the focus”. Interestingly, she also shares that as a young girl growing up she anticipated getting gifts from baby Jesus, as opposed to Santa Claus. And it is customary for Italian homes to have a beautiful Christmas tree or nativity scene displayed, however, the food varies depending on the area as the nation has over 20 regions. “What is constant is the dessert — panettone — a tall cake made with raisins and candied fruits that is usually store-bought as it is very difficult to make,” she opines.

Shub Naya Baras! Christmas in India — Ravindra Nath, High Commissioner’s secretary

“You may be surprised, but Christmas in India is actually very much like Christmastime in Jamaica,” Ravindra Nath, secretary to the Indian High Commissioner states. “We do the same giving of gifts and Christmas cakes, much celebration and we have lots of food and fun. We also have the same kinds of lighting, Christmas trees and food, with more Western than Indian traditions,” he continues.

Merii Kurisumasu! Christmas in Japan — Chihiro Irisawa, Public Relations Manager, Embassy of Japan

Japan is not a predominantly Christian country, however, Christmas has been a very popular and highly anticipated time of year for the Japanese since the 1970s. Though the focus is on couples and romance, unlike in Western countries where the family takes centre-stage. Chihiro Irisawa, public relations manager at the Embassy of Japan, explains: “Most of us are not Christian, however, we have adopted Western culture, especially Christmas, which in Japan is more about couples and romance — they go out for a nice dinner at a restaurant and some people even try to find a spouse, just to be with someone on the occasion. Families with small children have also gravitated towards celebrating Christmas, so they will buy a Christmas cake and a small Christmas tree and leave gifts underneath, telling them ‘it’s from Santa Claus’.”

Joyeux Noël! Christmas in France — Raphael Panthou, Communication and

Affairs Officer

Christmas in France is “more about family time”, says Communication and Affairs Officer Raphael Panthou. “It’s the biggest occasion for family and togetherness where people meet up with each other to celebrate for two days. There is a lot of food and drink, but the emphasis is really on spending time with the family, sharing good food and drink, as opposed to New Year’s Eve, which is more about having fun with friends and viewing the lights at the Eiffel Tower,” he continues. He also states that most families have a Christmas tree and more recently, elaborate decorations using lights outside their homes. There is even a competition held in some communities where the family with the best decorated house gets a prize for the holidays.

Dinner on Christmas Eve is usually the biggest meal, with seafood, oysters and foie gras appetisers, and usually turkey and/or game for the main course. Lunch, too, is a special occasion where choice meats abound. And, of course, they’re French, so there is, naturally, a lot of wine. Christmas is also the time of year when they imbibe much more champagne than usual, often raising toasts to the family before and/or after meals.

Merry Christmas! Christmas in Nigeria –Peter Oyedele, Nigerian High Commissioner

Nigeria has a large Christian population — 50 per cent of its 150 million populace, to be exact — so naturally, Christmas is a major affair in this African land, and the church plays a very big part in it. “Most family reunions take place at Christmastime; we get together on Christmas Eve to make plans for the coming year, review the past year and the problems that may have arisen, and help the family members who are having difficulty. Close friends are also invited along to share in the occasion,” High Commissioner Peter Oyedele explains.

This is followed by much merriment and the slaughtering of a ram or cow for the family meal, though the extent of the celebrations depend on the family’s financial status. “The children are excited to receive their special clothes and new shoes, too,” he opines. Oyedele explains that Christmas Eve in Nigeria is much like New Year’s Eve on The Rock, where people visit a church in the evening to worship until midnight, then return at 10:00 am on Christmas day to pray and give thanks until noon, before going home to prepare their Christmas meals. “There is a lot of drumming, singing of spiritual songs and playing of musical instruments, and we eat iyan — pounded Yam, eba which is made from cassava, fermented for four days and squeezed, boiled and turned it till it becomes solid gari. We eat with soup, vegetables or beans… depending on the soup you make and what you have for dinner. We also drink a lot of Gulder, our most popular beer, but Heineken, Star, Harp and Guinness are popular too, along with Coca-Cola, brandy, whiskey and traditional drinks like palm wine, pito and burukutu,” Oyedele states.

Nigerians also visit other members of their church and community, giving gifts, dancing and singing and spreading festive cheer… as for them, Christmas is as much about charity as it is about festivity.

Joyeux Noël! Christmas in Belgium — Veerle Poupeye, Executive Director, The National Gallery of Jamaica

Art enthusiast and the National Gallery’s Executive Director Veerle Poupeye says that in her native homeland, Belgium, married couples spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day alternating between the maternal and paternal sides of their families for intimate gatherings.

As is customary in most countries, dinner is usually an elaborate affair, with the table decked with an array of meats such as turkey and wild boar (given that the time falls in the hunting season), and the staple pastry — Buche de Noel (Yule log) — which is made in the shape of a log and decorated with edible Christmas-themed symbols or a nativity scene atop it. Advokat is a popular treat that graces many tables in Belgium for the Yuletide season. Made with eggs, sugar and brandy, the eggnog-like beverage is eaten with a spoon, explains Poupeye.

As for the presents, she remembers not being overly enthusiastic about this aspect of the season as every year would bring the same gift — knitted gloves or a hat.