Samme traditioner, men ikke på samme tidspunkt
I både Danmark og Skotland er det en yndet tradition at sidde med sjove hatte på og trække knallerter med sidemanden.
Men i Danmark gør man det til nytår, hvorimod det i Skotland hører julen til.
Det samme gælder champagne og dronningens tale, der også er nytårstraditioner i Danmark og juletraditioner i Skotland.
Fyrværkeri er i Danmark også forbundet med nytåret, hvorimod det i Skotland især fyres af på Guy Fawkes Night.
Og udklædte børn, der tigger om slik ved dørene, ser man til fastelavn i Danmark, men til Hallowe’en i Skotland.
Men i det mindste er Danmark og Skotland enige om, at julemanden kommer med gaver til jul – i Georgien kommer han til nytår (og er klædt i blåt, ikke rødt)!
What a Christmas!
It sounded like a good plan: My parents would arrive on the 19th, and on the 25th Phyllis’s parents and brother with wife and son would come for Christmas lunch.
I was going to serve some crostini when they arrived, and the actual lunch would then be a prawn and sweetcorn bisque followed by goose and pork roast, followed by cheese and finally three-coloured chocolate mousse.
However, first nephew Gordie got a stomach bug. Then Anna got it. Then my parents. But Phyllis and I were still going strong.
Then yesterday, we had a nice Danish Christmas dinner, my parents went for church as 11.30 pm, and when they came back I was feeling queasy.
I lasted till bedtime, when I emptied my entire stomach. Phyllis lasted till 3am, and in the morning, we were both feeling dreadful.
I found my parents and asked whether they were well enough to cook some food. They fortunately agreed, so Christmas day could go ahead, albeit with a reduced menu.
I didn’t join them for lunch, but I believe they had carrot soup followed by pork roast, then cheese and finally Danish ris à l’amande.
I think the day went fine, even if Phyllis and I were completely useless!