My nephew visited yesterday and asked me to take him shopping, I thought maybe he wanted something sweet for after dinner. When we went to the shops he took me by the hand and lead me to the vegetable isle. I thought to myself that this was great, what a healthy young man he was becoming. My nephew then walked over and tried to pick up a bag of carrots nearly the same size as himself. He explained to me that the carrots were for Santa and his reindeer of course!

I said we didn’t need carrots and that we could use an apple instead. I was met with a very loud ‘NO!’ He explained as best he could that Santa only eats milk and cookies and the reindeer only eat carrots. ‘Ah!’ I said, ‘Well that’s only a local thing.  Santa and his reindeer eat many things all around the world so they don’t mind having something different now and again.’

I took my nephew home and I explained all the different treats that were left out wherever he went.
(Forgive me for my ignorance if these aren’t all the way I remember them)

-I told him that in France, children do leave out carrots and cookies, but they leave them in their shoes under the tree.

-In Iceland, children leave out laufabrauð, which translates to leaf bread and tastes like a crispy wafer.

-I have heard in Sweden the children leave out a cup of coffee.

-In Chile Pan de Pascua is left. It’s a sponge cake with rum, dried fruit and nuts.

-Children in Argentina leave out hay and water.

-I have also heard in Australia a cold beer is left waiting for Santa to arrive.

My nephew listened and was fascinated by all the places in the world that were joined together on a night with him. This year he has decided Santa and his Reindeer are going to get jelly beans because that is his favourite and he doesn’t think anyone has tried that yet!

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God loves us equally irrespective of local customs or traditions.

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