Europe's Cultural Highlights

In honor of the upcoming event, International Night, here on campus, I would like to explore the possibilities that the cultural event could have in store for us. This year's theme is Europe, which is a large category, but here are some highlights of popular and favorite cultural foods, dances, and more that originate from the entire continent.

Spain- Flamenco

Starting in the far West of Europe in the Iberian Peninsula, when one thinks of Spain, usually flamenco comes to mind. It originated in the South of Spain in what is known as Andalucía, and now the staple music and dance of Flamenco can be found all across the country. It began as a dance among various minority cultures of the region, such as the Romani or the Moors and Jews that inhabited the region. Through time Flamenco flourished into the popular genre we know today. Don't know the music or the dance of Flamenco? Be sure to search it and watch videos to see what it is all about!
Credit: http://www.casatortillabarcelona.com/flamenco-en-barcelona/?lang=en


Germany- Gastronomy

No, we are not talking about a stomach disease but instead about what goes inside the stomach! That means great food and drink. Trying to narrow down the choices of fantastic foods from Germany is like trying to nail gelatin to a tree: pretty much impossible. From schnitzel to sauerkraut and bratwurst, Germany offers variety to please those with all different preferences! Germany is also famous for a certain beverage, but just make sure to drink it responsibly!


Honorable mention: Krampus
While not based solely in Germany (Austria can claim him too), Krampus has now become a famous and at times satirical Christmas icon all over Western cultures, and he hit mainstream media with an American adaptation of the character. While creepy in appearance, his history and lore are fascinating, even if it does keep some up late at night! (Don't know what he looks like? I won't spoil the surprise, look him up for yourself!)
Credit: http://www.clipartkid.com/german-sausage-cliparts/


Italy- Leaning Tower of Pisa

When one thinks of Italy, the most stereotypical response is pizza. However, from personal experience in Italy, I was truly astounded by the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The slant of the tower is truly unique, and being able to go inside is a sight to be seen. Even going up the stairs you can feel the changes as you circle around. The stairs change from wide to narrow on the way up, and looking out the tower provides a lovely view of Pisa (and Tuscany in general if you look hard enough.) While their pizza is unforgettable, Pisa is a must-visit, and the tower is an absolute must when traveling to Tuscany.
Credit: My personal photo album


Romania- Bran Castle (AKA Dracula's Castle)

Regardless of your belief in vampires, Bran Castle is still quite a culturally rich castle within Romania. However, the story of Bran Castle and Vlad the Impaler (and his lore) are not the exact same story. During Vlad's campaigns in his reign, he did ally and pass through Bran, but Vlad and Bran Castle are now connected through the story by Bram Stoker. Inside the castle you will find all sorts of rooms and sights to see, even some secret passageways built in the castle. Like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, this castle is a must-see during a trip to Romania.
Credit: http://www.bran-castle.com for photos and amazing information. Be sure to check out the site!


Greece- Parthenon

Rounding out the cultural highlights is the home of modern democracy and Western philosophy, none other than Athens! Within the ancient city of Athens one can find the Parthenon, one of the most famous symbols of this city! Dedicated to the goddess Athena, on the walls of this structure chronicle many of the stories in Greek Mythology. Fantastical stories and the home of democracy? What more could someone need?! This site is a must-see for any traveler to Greece in order to see ancient history in person and remember that much of the world's political philosophies grew out of this city.
Credit: http://www.visitgreece.gr/en/culture/monuments/parthenon


See any that I missed? Is there a must-try food that we should include? Is there any location in Europe that deserves a spot on the list? Comment below and be sure to let us know!

-Steph

My Current Travel Bucket List

Each of us have dreams of travel, but sometimes the hardest part is picking where to go. I have been to my fair share of beautiful places during my college and high school years, but there are still plenty of places that I aspire to go. Hopefully my list of my top choices of countries to travel to next will be able to inspire your own list of travel aspirations!

3. Estonia

Estonia, the small Baltic country located just above Latvia in Eastern Europe, takes my number three spot. While not a typical touristy location, Estonia still has a lot of great sights and beauties to offer, and studying abroad would be quaint and relaxing with a total country population of between 1 and 1.5 million residents. The capital, Tallinn, has entrancing architecture, but make sure to take time out for the museums and the Orthodox Cathedral in the city! Overall, Estonia is a very forward-thinking and clean country. In fact, in 2013 the World Health Organization (WHO) ranked Estonia as number one in air quality in the world! Additionally, there are castles scattered across the country, so make sure to take a countrywide tour of what all Estonia has to offer!
Photo Credit: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/estonia


2. Peru

Peru, located on the western coast of South America, is a country of many wonders. While Machu Picchu is the obvious tourist stop (and still a must-see), Peru still has much, much more to offer its visitors. First, I find it important to mention their cuisine, especially one dish by the name of chaufa. Chaufa is a rice dish served with meats, vegetables, eggs, and differing sauces. I myself have never been to Peru, but I have had chaufa on many different occasions. This is a must-try dish from Peru, especially if you are a fan of rice. After trying it, chaufa now ranks as one of my favorite foods of all times. Another important spot to visit is the capital of Lima. With museums and city parks galore, Lima would keep you busy for days! Plus, who wouldn't want to see llamas and alpacas??
Photo Credit: https://walkingtree.org/country/peru/


1. Czech Republic

The Czech Republic takes the top spot for a number of reasons. This country has lots of sights and experiences to offer, such as the Sedlec Ossuary, a chapel in the country where the interior is completely made of bones! There is also the Houska Castle, which believers of the supernatural think it may be one of the entrances to Hell due to a seemingly never-ending pit within the fortress of the castle. Aside from the creepy sites, there are many other castles in the country to visit, and they likely would not be haunted either! The capital city of Prague is a beautiful and modern Central European city with breathtaking sites and architecture. If you are a fan of partying, fear not, for Prague and the Czech Republic as a whole will provide you with what you need. In fact, did you know that the Czech Republic drinks the most beer each year per capita? Finally, I personally desire to go to a smaller Czech city by the name of Tabor. This is where my family lived in the late 1800s before they emigrated to the United States. Even now, you can still find people in the Czech Republic with my surname, but there is a slight variation in the spelling.
Photo Credit: https://www.ciee.org/teach/czech-republic/


Honorable Mentions: 

 Cuba 

Photo Credit: http://www.lamacchiatravel.com/destinations/north-america/caribbean/cuba


New Zealand

Photo Credit: https://www.cfasociety.org/newzealand/Pages/default.aspx


Where do you want to go next? Do you agree with my list? Comment below and say your list of top 3 places to visit!

-Steph

What is Pálinka, and is it for Americans?

What is Pálinka, and is it for Americans?

 Hungary was one of the best experiences of my life! There were no poor experiences I can associate with my time in Hungary, oh wait there is one...Pálinka! Pálinka is Hungary's national drink. The reason I had the opportunity to try such a drink was because my roommate, Benu in Netherlands was from Hungary. He had brought me back to his home village on the Austrian-Hungarian border. The master of the Pálinka was non other than Benu's father. The reason I say master of Pálinka is because his father makes it from their home. Jugs, jugs, and more jugs of Pálinka were located around the property. This man absolutely loved his Hungarian drink. During dinner there were about six rounds of food that were served to the table. We happened to visit around the time of Benu's birthday; therefore, it was even a bigger occasion than normal. Plus, they really wanted to give their American guests a great experience...since there hadn't been an American at their village since World War II, says his father. This was the joke his father played around with the entire time we were there. This joke was translated to us by Benu, because his father spoke no English. The language barrier was an experience on its own. Never had I ever been so reliant on non-verbal language to communicate. A lot of my non-verbal communication was valuable to me when we visited the Buda Castle. There were things we could do, and couldn't do within the castle which I would have never known if I didn't pick up on non-verbal ques. 

Visited this castle in Budapest -Buda Castle

 Anyways, back to the rounds of food, after each round of food came out Benu's father expected us to take a shot of Pálinka prior to eating the food. It was kind of like when you pray before eating a meal, except the prayer was replaced with Pálinka. After the first round, I realized it was not for me. I kept my face straight and pretended to like it for cultural acceptance. Following dinner I told Benu "that is one drink I will never taste again." Benu responded to me by laughing very hard, saying the drink was for men. Regardless, the experience was a great one and I would not have changed one aspect of it. We were even lucky enough when we left, because his dad thought we liked Pálinka so much that he gave us two bottles each to go! This was very appreciated by my friends back in Wisconsin, I can tell you they enjoyed it just about as much as I did. :).
In conclusion, Pálinka is not for Americans or at least not for this American.

Marie Adams: Fireworks in the Coliseum and other Adventures

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." -Mark Twain

If you've ever taken the fantastic opportunity to check out the International Students Club, you may have met Marie Adams without realizing it. She works here in the International Education Offices as the Graduate Assistant for the International Student and Scholar Services, facilitating programs for the many International degree seeking and exchange students. She is also a student herself, in a Master's program for counseling psychology. As an undergraduate, she took the opportunity to study abroad in Italy as part of a Theology class. Her conclusion? "It was fantastic…the best money I ever spent."

"I didn't expect it to be as life altering as it was. Just being immersed in another culture and having that experience of being displaced in a way, even for a short time, was eye opening—a little nerve wracking, but eye opening." While on the trip, which took place through the university she attended in Davenport, Iowa, Marie had the opportunity to visit Rome, Milan, Florence, Assisi, and Sienna. It was a trip style similar to the short term faculty led trips offered here at UW-P. There were no formal classes, but students picked a topic beforehand to write a paper on and present. Marie picked Dante: "We had to write a paper on that and it was due before we left. During the trip we had to keep a cultural immersion journal. While in country we had to do a presentation in whatever place was significant to the topic we had chosen. Someone presented in the coliseum for example. I presented in Florence, which was Dante's birthplace."

The group left for Italy just after Christmas, and spent New Year's in Rome. They had heard that there would be fireworks in the Coliseum, so they set out to see for themselves: "The process of getting there was an odyssey…it was kind of ridiculous. We left our hotel about 10 or 10:30 at night. On the way there we just kept getting stopped by people that wanted us to party, everyone was drinking on the streets. We thought everyone would be in St. Peter’s square. But when we got there it was completely empty. We were wondering where the entire city was. We couldn't find the metro at first either... But when we finally did, we realized that everybody in Rome was there…in the metro, waiting for the train to take us all to the coliseum. It was crowded beyond belief; we were scared we might get pushed onto the tracks. Everyone wanted to get to the coliseum and see the fireworks…which, by the way, were amazing. When we got on to the train you were practically plastered against the windows because it was so crowded.  But despite the crowds, it was one of the better nights of the entire trip. The restaurants stayed open afterwards and our group split a couple bottles of wine and had some food. It was nice to see the city at night and see it come alive and to share the moment with friends."

Given her current job working with international students, I asked Marie if she thought this experience had any impact on where she is now. "Absolutely it had an impact" she said. "When working with international students, it helps to understand the initial barriers they might face: simple things like language, not knowing where they're going,  or getting food can all be challenges in the beginning, as well as getting used to a new culture's expectations. Having studied abroad has helped to make me more patient and compassionate toward international students, and to understand that while they might be very excited, they are probably very nervous too."

Studying abroad also has an impact on her studies as well: "As far as my academic pursuits with counselling psychology, the field itself is seeing a recent resurgence of multiculturalism. Having experienced a different cultural experience personally, however briefly, of having to respect differences because you're the visitor and all without losing yourself has been a great learning experience. And that compassion and self-reflection is so essential to being a counselor. You have to be aware of other people's culture but also very aware of your own. You learn very rapidly when you're in another culture which biases you bring to the table. Having had that experience on a study abroad has been helpful."

So what were the best parts about studying abroad? “One was seeing things that I had only read about, and being so immersed in history.  I was very aware that I was in a very ancient city that was basically the center of people’s universe for centuries, and all the things that that meant. It was awe inspiring.

Also the community that developed with everybody that went on that trip was great. We had about nineteen people and the friendships that formed while we were in country were something that I didn't expect. Navigating another place together was really cool.”

Frohe Weihnachten und einen guten Rutsch: Holidays in Germany

Holiday Series Day 10: Frohe Weihnachten und einen guten Rutsch

Christmas market in Cologne

Well, it was bound to happen. After the Netherlands, I think Germany was the most obvious choice for me to write a holiday post about considering my background in German language and culture. For those of you who don't know, I am bit of a German fanatic- no not in the creepy stalker, German dolls on my shelf style. More of an appreciation for the country's dynamic language, current economic status, and open minded cultural style. I have been studying the German language since High School, and despite my parents' misgiving, I have also committed myself to completing the German language minor here at UW-Platteville.  Since I am also the current German Club president (yes, we have one, don't laugh too loudly), I get to spend lots of time with like-minded individuals practicing my German and raving over the culture. Now, all that being said, I still wanted to get a true German holiday perspective from a person who is as German as they come- my current Professor, Madelon Kohler-Busch (MKB- our fearless guide to all things German).

Hailing from Munich, MKB is an outspoken, free thinking personality that never ceases to amaze and is a solid source for all things German. She is natürlich very passionate about the German culture, including all things green such as their outstanding recycling program, but in particular German traditions. When I asked her if she could give me some more insight into German holiday festivities besides the cookie cutter version I had been spoon-fed since High School, she decided to spend an entire class period discussing German holiday customs- including the main stays and new arrivals. Of course, typical me I will be throwing in a few stories and other random information.

The Advent

Alright, firstly, you should all know that the Germans don't simply celebrate Christmas, they essentially celebrate throughout all of December. How, you ask? Well, it all comes down to a wonderful thing called the advent. The Adventzeit or time of Advent begins on the first Sunday in December with a lighting of the first candle on the Adventskranz or Advent wreath. Granted, by that time you will have counted down a few days on the Adventkalendar or the Advent calendar, enjoying all the goodies as the days go by. The Adventskranz is a way to mark down the days until Christ's birth. Each candle symbolizes a facet of Christ or holiness, and generally there is a fifth Christ candle lit on Christmas eve that stands in the center of the wreath. The wreath itself is traditionally comprised of pine boughs, three red/rose/purple candles, a white candle and other festive decorations. Each family has their own unique Adventskranz; sometimes they even are passed down from generation to generation. The idea is essentially the same for the Adventskalendar. Another way to countdown the days will Christ's arrival, the store bought version is usually a contraption of decorated cardboard with all 24 numbers in place. On each day the corresponding number is opened and the sweets or trinkets inside are revealed. In my family, the best behaved child always got to open the number of the day (which was of course always me...). With the DIY craze spreading right now, more and more families are getting creative about their calender designs such as the baggie style one seen below.

         

The Adventskranz on the fourth Sunday            

Store bought Adventskalendar

Homemade Adventskalendar by a creative family

Deutsch Decor

A Weihnachtspyramide in one of the markets

There are many elements that make up modern decorations for the average German household or city, but some have a bit longer traditions than others. The Weihnachtspyramide is one such. A kind of carousel with several levels depicting images of angels, Christ and his followers, the Christmas pyramids of Ore Mountains are said to be a predecessor to the Christmas tree. The spinning motion of the pyramid's levels is accomplished by using the rising heat from candles to spin the top propeller above. The pyramids can be as simple or intricate as you please, and come in all shapes and sizes. Most families only possess a small table sized version, whereas in Christmas markets and city centers the pyramids can get larger than 20 ft. (~7 meters).

Traditional Weihnachtsbaum with candles

  

Now, on to the infamous Tannenbaum. That's right, the Christmas tree. Although the Russians will tell you they are responsible for the first Christmas trees, for sanity's sake let's just acknowledge it as being German for the next ten minutes. Hailing from the Black Forest traditionally, Christmas trees have been a part of German Christmas traditions since Martin Luther's time. It's said that the was so profoundly amazed by seeing the snow glistening off a massive pine tree, that he felt the need to share it's beauty with his family. At the time, I'm sure his family thought he had officially lost his marbles, but the concept of dragging a pine tree into the house and decorating it has stuck. Although we use electric lights mostly nowadays, it was originally candles that graced her boughs. In place of our shiny ornaments, it was common to use nuts and fruit. Of course, beyond the home, the Germans still do a wonderful job of sharing the joys of Christmas through holiday decorations. Which brings us to the next point: Christkindlmarkt or Weihnachtsmarkt.

Christmas candles are a central part of German tradition, supposedly sharing the light of Christ and good will

 

Weihnachstmarkt!

When traveling through most middle to large scale German cities in the heart of winter, it is nigh on impossible not to stumble across this splendid Christmas markets. I use the word "stumble" lightly, since they are hard to miss with their festive lights, traditional wooden market stands and abounding Christmas delights. The Christmas market is an excellent opportunity to step into another time in German history, when life was simpler and all you needed was a glass of gluhwein with a few pieces of Lebkuchen to brighten your day (though for me, that statement still holds true). The markets are kind of the epitome of German Christmas spirit and are more than just a hot spot for tourists- natives find just as much delight wandering their alley ways. Packed with more than just gifts and sweets, there is usually carolers to be found strolling the walkways and singing versions of "O Tannenbaum" while music from a nearby carousel provides a background beat. Large Christmas trees are decorated with as many lights as possible and in some, such as the Dusseldorf market, gigantic Weihnachtspyramide can be found as well. I'm not going to go into too much detail regarding what brought about the Christmas markets (since this blog is already starting to get long) or elaborate any further on their splendor, but please promise me right now that you will add "visit a German Christmas market" to your bucket list. In case you can't visit Germany, Austria, Switzerland or any other German speaking countries in the near future, the Midwest has a pretty decent version in the heart of Chicago called the Christkindlmarket that is going on right now.  

 

A festive Weihnachtsmarkt in all it's lit up glory

Spiced hot gluhwein

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Das Essen

Lebkuchen hearts sold in every Christmas market and bakery

 Now, there is a key part associated with the Advent that I failed to mention: Weihnachtsplätzchen aka Christmas cookies aka kekse or keks. Yes, Christmas cookies are a staple food all around the world during the holidays, but German bakeries have been mastering the art of these splendid confections since the dark ages. "Plätzchen" was originally used to describe hard biscuits that were made to last longer and soften as they aged. Eventually, a sweeter version was developed and was only to be eaten on particular days in winter as deemed by the church. It was believed that these cookies or kekse were too sweet for other times of the year, but since it was winter time the extra calories were allowed. Over time, that tradition behind the "once yearly cookie binge" was obviously dropped and the wide world of kekse was born. I don't know all the details, but nowadays the keks are to be eaten in a particular chronological order during the Advent. For example, you aren't supposed to eat plätzchen before the first Advent candle is lit, and Lebkuchen (gingerbread) and honey cookies are supposed to be for the first week of the Advent. The cookies were originally supposed to also be a form of health for the harsh winters, since most of them include items such as honey, nuts, and spices. In fact, the star cookie of the German holiday is "Lebkuchen" which roughly translates to "cake of life." The list of plätzchen varieties is quite extensive (at least 18 official ones as of right now), but it includes spekulatius, lebkuchen, and marzipan cookies to name a few. Now that I have told you all that, keep in mind that the most important part about the plätzchen is how they are made. MKB stressed that the true importance is that families will get together and have special baking parties. The cookies are just a sweet excuse for more holiday festivities, singing Christmas songs and time with family. 

Just a small selection of all the varieties of Plätzchen

Since we're on the topic of food, let's keep this train of delicious thoughts moving. German, like most other nationalities, love a good holiday feast with family. They take the time to prepare the meal together, then set the table with decor and sweets as a team. The simple "togetherness" of the holiday is what Germans seem to relish most. Understandably, I think their food selections should rank number two on that list. A true German Christmas would not be complete without the following:  roasted carp and poultry (preferably goose or duck) as the entree; a few side dishes of sauerkraut, potatoes, cabbage and kale; a wide variety of breads throughout the meal including the Christstollen or fruitcake at the end; and of course either some form of fondue or racletten (both if you're lucky!). The racletten is similar to the Dutch gourmetten. Essentially a small grill in the center of the table, it is used to create all sorts of new dishes by combining items from across the table. By this time, I'm sure you've caught on that Germans are quite proud of their traditions. Well, that extends deeper when looking at each individual state within Germany. Comprised of 16 nation states including Bavaria and Nordrhein-Westfalen, each is quite proud of their own special traditions. For example, in northern Germany in areas like the Meck-Pom, potato salad with sausages is customary, and in the south regions around Baden-Württemberg it is more common to have Schäufele (a corn smoked ham). Regardless of which region you are from, you an guarantee that fine wines, delectable beers and piping hot mulled wine will provide the beverage foundation for any good holiday meal.

Poultry with red cabbage and dumplings is a very popular Christmas Dinner

 St. Nick & Friends

Something I have thus far failed to discuss with you fine readers (yes, Nate, all three of them), is the traditions regarding St. Nick (the Americanized version and the original). Similar to the Dutch tradition, the Germans celebrate Sanktnikolaustag on the night of December 5th. It's not as widely celebrated in Germany any more as it is currently in the Netherlands, but on the night of the fifth, all the good girls and boys still lay out their boots or Nikolaus-Stiefel in the hopes that sweet things will be found the following morning. Now, things get a little bit more macabre in the southern parts of Germany where St. Nick is accompanied by Knecht Ruprecht, a dark figure who questions how well behaved children have been and beats the naughty ones with a stick. Similar to Knecht Ruprecht, is the Krampus figure. Typically depicted as a hairy devil monster, he comes on the same night to punish all the children who have misbehaved. Supposedly he travels from house to house collecting all the naughtiest children and drags them back to his lair in a burlap sack. It is common to see young men dressed up in Krampus costumes roaming from house to house frightening little kids with rusty chains and bells. In other words, if you plan to visit Germany and are still small enough to be carried away in a sack, make sure you've been good, or else. Below is a video of a Krampus parade. Yes, they have those.

Sankt Nikolaus und die Krampus

Now, besides good ol' Knecht Ruprecht and his stick, St. Nick, and the krampus, the Germans also have incorporated our "Santa Claus" into their customs via the Weihnachtsmann. In his universal red and white attire, the Weihnachstmann comes on the "holiest night of the year," Christmas eve, to bring presents to all the girls and boys. Although some older Germans are not very fond of his commercialized intrusion into German holiday traditions, the children of course are more than happy with an opportunity to receive more gifts.

Neujahr & Silvester!

The finish to the holiday season is Neujahr and Silvester. Like most European new year's festivities, Silvester takes place on the last day in December is full of feasting, large holiday parties, sweet treats and fireworks. The common greeting is "Prosit Neujahr!" and as the midnight bell sounds people celebrate in mass in all the major cities. I apologize for my lack of elaboration, but here are a few photos to get you in the new year spirit.

Krumkake rolls with powdered sugar!

The pig is a common sign of good luck in German tradition

In certain areas, Neujahrbrezeln are given out

Berlin has one of the largest celebrations of New Year's in all of Germany

And with that, I bid you all a ...

Happy Christmas from the United Kingdom!

The holidays in the United Kingdom, as many of you might know, are a spectacular season in which the ceilings of buildings throughout England, Scotland and Ireland are bewitched to snow and everlasting icicles are found hanging on the banisters of homes.  You may be pleasantly surprised by caroling suits of armor and gifts of chessboards or stylish wizard hats flying out the ends of your magical Christmas crackers. It is a snowy season, and a good time for a trip to the popular getaway village of Hogsmeade, where the thatched roofed cottages and strings of holly are sure to put you in the Christmas mood. Hogsmeade is also known for sweet shop called Honeydukes, where you can find delicious sweets of all kinds including creamy nougat, hundreds of varieties of chocolates, and toad shaped peppermint creams, which make perfect stocking stuffers...

Okay, I wish. Harry Potter isn't real, guys. In reality, many of the holiday traditions of the United Kingdom are ones that you may be familiar with here in the United States. There are some small differences however, some of which you can read about here: 10 Ways to British Up Your Christmas. First of all, there are actually Christmas crackers, although they are unfortunately not magical. Generally you can expect to find a joke, a small trinket and a paper crown, which is usually worn for Christmas lunch. They usually look something like this:

The crackers can be pulled by individuals or pulled all in a circle with a different person holding each end. A little strip with an explosive charge is what causes the exciting pop. Apparently in cheaper versions, you might find a plastic mustache, which could come in handy. The history of these Christmas crackers dates back to the Mid-Victorian age, when a confectioner's apprentice named Tom Smith decided to bring the French bon-bon, wrapped in colored tissue, to England. They ended up not selling as well as he had hoped, so he devised a way to make them more POP-ular. (Corny, I know.)

This tradition takes place on Christmas day, which usually consists of unwrapping presents in the morning, and then having lunch-much like here in the United States. The food which is eaten is also very similar to popular American holiday feasts and can include items such as turkey, gravy, potatoes, and cranberry sauce.

Mince Pie

For dessert, there may be Christmas cake or pudding. Another popular dessert is called mince pie, which is a little pie with fruit filling. These are commonly left overnight for Santa rather than milk and cookies.

Like many American children, children in the United Kingdom enjoy writing letters to Santa. There are two ways to make sure that Santa gets these letters. You can either follow the traditional method of burning them up in the fireplace or send them to the following address, courtesy of the Royal Mail:
                                             Santa/Father Christmas
                                             Santa's Grotto
                                             Reindeerland
                                             XM4 5HQ
The deadline for this year, however, has already passed. Santa expects his letters by no later than December 6th, so procrastinators, you'll just have to wait for next year. (Psst: for those of you who may moonlight as Santa, you can pay to have replies from Santa sent to your kids at santapost.co.uk. Santa even sends text messages. He's very modern.)

You also may be wondering where exactly "Reindeerland" is located. In the U.K., children learn that Santa lives in Lapland, a region in the arctic circle that includes parts of Russia, Finland, Sweden and Russia. You can actually go visit "Santa Claus Village" in Finland, a place which includes a husky park, snowmobile park, shopping areas, Santa's underground caves, reindeer sleigh rides and Santa's House of Snowmobiles.

Santa Claus Village in Finnish Lapland

After tearing through your presents, Christmas crackers and mince pie on Christmas Day, you may think that the holidays are over. Not true. The day following Christmas Day is also a holiday, known as Boxing Day. Some call it the day of the Christmas hangover. It is a public holiday, so many people do not have to work, but it is known as a shopping day similar to Black Friday here in the United States.

Boxing day is really for Santa to go to the beach and relax. 

Another tradition associated with Boxing Day consists of giving a small gift to those who "serve" you all year long. In days gone past, this literally meant giving a small gift to servants, but in modern times, this might mean remembering your mail carrier, or local public services like the fire department. This holiday is celebrated not just in the U.K. but also in the Republic of Ireland, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Boxing Day also coincides with the religious observance St. Stephen's Day. In Ireland this day is still known as St. Stephen's Day and has its own unique traditions. An important symbol of that day for the Irish is the wren. The story is that St. Stephen, a Christian martyr who was stoned to death, was according to legend betrayed by a wren. Until about 1900, this resulted in a St. Stephen's Day tradition in which Irish boys would kill wrens by stoning them to death. Today this tradition is remembered, but no longer practiced. This is the reason why you may hear St.Stephen's Day referred to as the "Day of the Wren" in Ireland.

A winter wren

By the way, you may be also be familiar with the song "Good King Wenceslas." If you listen to it again, you will realize that it is actually about St. Stephen's Day--hence the lyrics "Good King Wenceslas looked down on the feast of Stephen."

Last, but not least, is the tradition of the Queen's Christmas Message. The tradition was begun in 1932, and the first message, which went out over the radio, was read by George V. Today, and since 1952, the message comes from Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Elizabeth II

 It is broadcast on T.V., radio and over the Internet. Below, you can view the 2012 message:

(Learn more about British holiday traditions through the ages here, including during the Middle Ages, 

WWII and more!)

P.S. don't forget the Santa run! Below is a picture of this intern's sister participating in the Santa run while studying abroad in London!

And keep reading! We have holiday posts coming up on Germany, Greece and the Democratic Republic of the Congo!