The traditions of Christmas in Scotland, the Edinburgh markets, the place cards during the Christmas holidays and the lights and trees of the Scottish capital, read the post.
Also in November a Edinburgh the Christmas air has already been felt for a few weeks. The shops have quickly replaced the pumpkins and Halloween skeletons with the first Christmas decorations and the streets of the center are starting to light up with a thousand colored lights.
Although I have never celebrated as a true Scotsman, I too have a list of activities and places that I associate with Christmas here in Scotland that you too can experience by visiting the land of kilts and whiskey during the holidays.
The decorations in Scotland
The weeks leading up to the Christmas in Edinburgh they are my absolute favorites. The lights are placed on the plants that decorate the window sills and on the fir trees of the parks and little by little the streets of the center begin to light up. One of the typical attractions of the capital and which symbolizes more than any other the arrival of Christmas are the decorations of the Dome. It is a Greek-Roman façade on George Street with huge Corinthian columns that already from the end of October are illuminated by a thousand lights, bows and stars. In the main room, just above the bar, a very nice Christmas tree, which are the background of precious colored decorations, scented garlands and flowers.
The markets in Edinburgh
As every year, in East Princes St Gardens, the Christmas market is set up, one of the Christmas events absolutely unmissable for me. It is a classic “German style” market with rides, mulled wine, sweets of all shapes and colors as well as hundreds of different handicraft products. But what makes it truly unique is the magnificent view of the festively lit old town. On this occasion, two ice skating rinks are also set up. The one in St. Andrew Square, a few hundred meters from the market, is the largest and circular in shape, because it was built around the fluted column of the Melville Monument in the center of the square.
Minced Pie
The Minced Pie is a cake - “a fruity Christmas classic” according to BBC Food - with ground dried fruit, spices and distilled liqueurs inside. Unfortunately I cannot express a judgment on the taste of this all-British delicacy because, hating dried fruit, I have never had the pleasure of tasting it; in any case, on the sites and blogs of recipes, both English and Italian, you will find instructions for preparing it at home. If, on the other hand, you are in Great Britain, starting from October you can find it in abundance, in all shapes and sizes, in any supermarket - no one seems to be able to do without it!
Christmas crackers
Don't be fooled by the word, Christmas crackers have nothing to do with our crispy savory biscuits. On the contrary they are gods characteristic Christmas place cards in the shape of a large candy, typical of the Anglo-Saxon world, which contain a gift, a paper crown and a joke or riddle. They are placed on the table during Christmas-themed lunches and dinners, both with family and friends, and in formal meetings, for example with work colleagues. As soon as you sit down at the table, the crackers are opened by pulling them at both ends. The diners then wear the colored chaplet and enjoy reading jokes and riddles aloud. There are many types of crackers, from the cheapest available at the supermarket, to the very expensive branded ones decorated by hand.
Christmas carols
Well yes, in addition to the decorations and colored lights, Christmas also brings with it long playlists of Christmas songs that accompany the music in every shop in the center. After all, what would Christmas be without Micheal Buble '?!
