Christmas and Hanukah lights seems to be bigger and better and more widespread every year.
Here's just a glimpse of what's going on around the world.
UK Christmas
Christmas Eve is important to children because Santa is delivering his gifts. In the UK we have Santas and carol singing. The big meal is Christmas Day, December 25th.
Prague
Over in Europe Christmas has started already. At 5 pm in Prague fireworks were set off in the city, viewed from the wide pedestrianised Charles Bridge.
Photo of Fireworks in Prague, Czech Republic, New Year's Eve 2016, photo courtesy of Trevor Sharot.
Christmas Tree in Prague. (Photo by Angela Lansbury.)
Tonight in Prague the Czechs, plus of course restaurant and hotel guests, will be enjoying the traditional Czech meal of carp, followed by breads with sweet flavours and fillings - like fruit bread in England but plaited.
I tried the Czech traditional dishes: fish (carp) soup has a delicious and distinctive taste, not quite as good as the juice of fresh salmon, but very good. I love trying new foods and learning about new tastes.
Check potato salad is different from the British version. the Czech version has smaller potato cubes, sliced carrot, onion, Green pickled cucumber, ham, and more.
The strange thing about Czech food is that the Christmas meal my family tasted on one of the coldest days of the year had hot fish but cold potato salad, followed by hot strudel with cold ice cream.
UK Hot Christmas
In England the we opt for hot food which is designed for cold weather. For example, the road meat such as Christmas turkey is served with hot roast potatoes, and hot gravy. The hot Christmas pudding is served with hot pouring custard. You can even set light to the brandy on the Xmas pudding (in a five star restaurant. Don't try this at home.)
Tonight there will be midnight mass. In Prague, the service is not in Latin, because the churches are not Roman Catholic but Eastern Orthodox.
Hanukah
Tomorrow in Jewish areas hanukah starts. Each of the eight days of hanukah one of the candles is lit. Note that the menorah has seven candles for seven days or nights of the week, but the hanukkah has eight candles for the eight days 9plus the on for lighting the others, making nine, four each side of the central candle.
For the children eight small presents, including often chocolate money in gold foil.
Happy Christmas and happy hanukah, everybody.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.
(Christmas and Hanukah photos coming later today or tomorrow.)
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