In this article I wanted to try and go into the typical festive treats that are decorating the December shop windows, exchanged as gifts, presented on a silver plate at tea time, and hiding behind the glossy plastic of a hamper.
You could also say, most things you’d find at your grandma’s place during this season.
Beyond the religious connotations, festive winter celebrations have been a thing in civilization for a long time. The reasons are many, but to boil it down, the idea of creating an environment of gatherings and internal warmth, surely helps the mind to fight the actual coldness and the lack of sun in this time of year.
Food, was, is, and always be, a key-role in the play that is festive gatherings.
Panettone
As the ads on the Italian channels switch to all these glossy blurred scenarios of warmth and coziness, the panettone gets its 15 minutes of fame in the year, and makes everyone crave it. It’s by far one of the locals’ favourite festive treats and for good reason.
Although I’d find it hard to rate its popularity with certain younger generations, I don’t think I’ve ever been to a Christmas gathering where there wasn’t the panettone on the table during teatime, or waiting to be opened during the exchange of gifts.
Baci, Ferrero Rocher, and Other Neatly Packaged Treats
Hidden behind the towering box of the panettone, lies a box of treats which will disappear by the time your uncle wakes up from his afternoon nap.
Like the panettone, these treats seem to have managed to associate themselves with Christmastime, that’s it’s almost weird to see them during another time in the year. Yet it’s never really a disappointment either.
The warmth caused by the room heaters and the serotonin in these chocolate treats makes these sweets perfect for the occasion.
It is also wise to mention that the two previous treats are coming from our Italian neighbors, yet they’ve found their way into the fabric of local winter customs, and it would almost be irresponsible to omit them from this list.
Winter Spirits
Beyond the ghosts of Christmases that make you think of the future and the past, there are other spirits that make you enjoy the moment and let go. Christmas is one of those times when your dad, who never touches a drop of alcohol during the year, has a few whiskeys or some glasses of wine, and is suddenly telling you about the time he raced from Bugibba to Mosta in reverse with his friends.
Jokes aside, the association of alcohol and the festive season is both a commercial one but also a highly social one. With all its drawbacks being considered and without underplaying its potential effect on people, alcohol has become a part of our society in a way that helps the subconscious mind liberate itself for a bit and just be slightly more carefree.
Having said that, we urge anyone reading this to always drink responsibly, take care of your friends, and if needs be, after your family Christmas dinner, just take a bolt. At least avoid drinking and driving.
The Sweet Cakes, Rings and Puddings
Probably the oldest and most local product on the Christmas table, would have to be the sweets. Mediterraneans sure love their sweets, and in Malta we adore them. Together, or apart, one of them always shows up: the honey rings, the pudding, or the Christmas Log. The latter is definitely a British leftover, and the pudding is probably as well, but the honey rings have more of a Sicilian ring to it, and was in fact a recurring Christmas character in the culture. Maltese festive treats tend to pay homage to other cultures, especially those that are important to the island’s history.
The Blessed Turkey
To end with a bang, let’s talk turkey. This staple part of any Christmas dinner table is definitely not a local installation, but a colonial relic. The origin of the turkey goes back to the time of Henry the VIII. Not before though.
It was the infamous king who, apart from creating his own church, decided to change the goose-for-christmas tradition, to the turkey. Ever since, in England, and several ex-British colonies celebrate christmas with the help of this bird, whose meat is, let’s be honest, not the best, but we’re too used to it now to do anything about it.
OMG, I am already getting hungry. Cannot wait for Christmas Eve.
