Advent Around the World - Sous Chef Team Traditions

Kristin, Sweden

I grew up in Sweden, where Advent really feels like the start of Christmas. We always had Advent calendars – sometimes chocolate, sometimes just pretty pictures behind the doors. My favourite was the TV Advent calendar: a 15–20 minute show on Channel 1 every morning from the 1st to the 24th, with a matching cardboard calendar showing scenes from the programme. It was on around 7am, and again at 6pm if you missed it. Some of them are on YouTube now, and I still watch them at Christmas for the nostalgia.

The whole country watched a daily 15-minute Advent TV show, and opened the matching cardboard calendar you could buy in shops.

We celebrate Advent Sundays with a candle holder that has four candles, lighting one more each Sunday. In my family, the first Sunday of Advent is when Christmas really begins – that’s when we decorate the house. The tree is usually the last thing we do that day.

Our home fills up with Tomtar: little gnome-like figures from old folklore. They protected the house and animals, and if you didn't treat them right, they could get angry, and might cause accidents or give you invisible slaps (in Sweden we put out porridge for them, rice porridge, similar-ish to rice pudding, but hot, eaten with cinnamon and sugar and milk).

We have them in all shapes – including a little section of woollen Tomtar on an open shelf of a big oak cabinet.

We usually have a real tree. My mum’s childhood friend owns a lot of forest, so last year he went out, picked a tree, tied a ribbon on it and later took my partner and the dogs to cut it. When my mum was young, her dad would choose a tree months ahead, mark it, and bring it home around Advent.

Around the first weekend of Advent we always make a big gingerbread house – a tall, two-storey one. The dough is different from UK gingerbread: much thinner, very spiced, less heavy on ginger. We call them “pepper cookies” in translation. The dough has to rest in the fridge for at least two days, so my mum makes it during the week, then we bake and build over the weekend.

Alejandro, Argentina

We don't really have Advent in Argentina - but on the 8th of December (Virgin Mary Day) we all put up our trees, with baubles and lights.

The typical Christmas drink is ice-cold cider

Because of the hot climate,  artificial trees are the norm. Christmas celebrations are always lush and sunny. We spend all day by the pool, with BBQ asado, and the typical Christmas drink: ice-cold cider.

Olga, Latvia

Christmas in Latvia would always come with a lot of snow. There would be a lot of snowball fights and snowman building before me and my grandad would go to the wood to pick up the tree. We would then decorate it will glass baubles and hang chocolate sweets (that would be eaten well before Christmas Day, with only the wrapping left on the tree). 

The smell of clementines is a big part of December for me

The smell of clementines is a big part of December for me as they are obligatory for celebration. Chocolate Advent Calendars were not a thing, but I truly enjoy sharing early morning moment with my daughter now, having a cheeky chocolate before we start the day.

Sanjay, India

As a Hindu, I’m only just recovering from a very special Diwali celebration last month. It was the first time in years that I was able to celebrate with my brother and his family, and we had an incredible time.

December in North India is peak wedding season

December in North India brings its own charm — it’s peak wedding season, adding a colourful buzz to the city, while churches and malls light up beautifully for Christmas. And of course, the excitement continues with lively, all-night New Year’s celebrations.

Lilly, America

I grew up just outside Washington DC, in Arlington, Virginia, so my Christmas season is very tied to Thanksgiving. 

For decorations, we’re huge on baubles and ornaments. A big moment is the first time you make a bauble in preschool – usually your tiny handprint set into something that can hang on the tree. After that, every year there’s another craft: pasta decorations, little handmade things, plus all the “proper” baubles. 

In the US it’s totally normal to have more than one Christmas tree

In the US it’s totally normal to have more than one Christmas tree. There might be a main tree in the living room for all the sentimental ornaments and Santa’s presents, a smaller tree upstairs, even a kitchen tree. As a child, I had a mini tree in my bedroom with little baubles. These days I also hang my food-themed baubles on a tension rod in the kitchen window, wrapped with a bit of garland or tinsel – I used to do that in my office too.

One hard rule for me: no tree before Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is at the end of November, and only once that’s over does it become Christmas season. The tree usually goes up at the start of December after Thanksgiving, not before.

Food-wise, Thanksgiving is when we do the big turkey with stuffing and all the trimmings, so at Christmas it’s often something like beef brisket or another slow-roast with a rich sauce, plus Brussels sprouts and things like green beans with pomegranate seeds.

We’re a big cookie culture at Christmas: lots of iced sugar cookies in festive shapes. If I’m “getting December ready”, I’m probably thinking about adding new cookie cutters to my collection.

Santa comes on the night of 24th December, so as children we’d open one small family present on the 24th, then put out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. In the morning the stockings were full, presents were under the tree, and in my house the chimney gate was always left open – a little sign that Santa had rushed back up to get to the next place.

Gabby, Venezuela