Spending Winter Holidays in different countries

[Laci]

This question is for everyone!
How do you spent the holidays? Is there any special tradition in your country?

Here in Hungary, we decorate the Christmas Tree in the afternoon of 24th of December. Fish Soup is very popular at this time and we had a special dish it's made from Cabbage and meat (called "Töltött káposzta" in Hungarian). And the most important thing is bejgli!!!

Fish soup:
http://www.zoldstudio.viragcenter.hu/recept/halaszle01.jpg

Töltött Káposzta:


Bejgli:

[maki01]

They seems very delicous Laci, I feel hungry

In Turkey, only at night of 31 December we celebrate the new year. Speacial meal is Turkey or chicken . I depends on your money. And too much alcohol ofcourse

At the big cities like İstanbul, famous singers sing at public square and people meet the new year together.

But some of the people do not want to celebrate this day if they are fanatic religious .

[SvetlanaBG]

I also wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

[Laci]

Svetlana, it looks delicious!

Wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

[Valkiria]

I see, we have the traditions very much alike with our neighbours, Hungary and Bulgaria

We have also some kind of "Töltött káposzta". It is also with cabbage and meet, served at important holidays. But we call it "Sarmale" in Romanian.
In the picture posted by Svetlana, I see some kind of "Sarmale" also, not with cabbage leaves, but in vine leaves. This also can be find in some regions of our country.



Also very popular are different dishes from pork meat, home-made sausages called "Caltabosh", and a lot of other meat dishes:



Of course, sweet cakes are on each table: We call them "Cozonac":

[Laci]

I look at on the recepie of sarmale. I think it is the same that we call "Töltött káposzta". The only difference is that we leave out all the vegetables from the recepie. We use only rice and pork to the filling.

Cozonac is just looks like our Bejgli ))

I think there are a lot of similarities in Hungarian and Romanian dishes.

Hungarians likes meat so much!

We have sausages also, we call it "hurka" and "kolbász". It made from pork and we put inner parts of the pork into it mixed with rice and herbs then we put it into the oven.
Maybe it sound disgusting, but it tastes so good!

[maki01]

Are you all very hungary like me I'm going to look at refrigerator to find something

[maki01]

Svetlana , your meal looks like Turkish cuisine, sarma, dolma and humus and bardunya ( pinto beans)

[maki01]

Laci, what is the outer covering at "hurka" and "kolbász". Is it intestine of fork? We have Sucuk like yours and cook alone or with eggs.

[Valkiria]

Laci, what is the outer covering at "hurka" and "kolbász". Is it intestine of fork? We have Sucuk like yours and cook alone or with eggs.

In Romania, yes it is the intestine used to fill with meat.

We all have a lot of dishes in common ...not just african violets

[Laci]

Yes, it is the same here. We're also using the intestine of the pork.
We have 2 kinds of kolbász"
One is like this one, it's dry and it is smoked for 2-3 weeks.


The other one is what I showed you. It is raw meat and we fry it in the oven with some fat.

And "hurka" is made of all the inner parts of the pork, they're mashed and mixed with rice.


"Kolbász" is always containing a lot of red dried paprika and garlic.

We have Pick salami also. It is the most delicious salami of the world The recepie is secret and we cannot make it. It is a brand for Hungary...

[eryan]

I am really excited to visit Korea for the winter next new year. Even though really early still, I am really planning ahead just so I would know what to bring and what to expect on it.

I am actually most thrilled to experience winter on Russia as well though I am just thrilled to try how Vodka would be affecting how bearing the cold snow would make it very easy.

[Valkiria]

Eryan, you are living on the extreme side
I would like to try New Year in Hawaii, or other worm, sunny islands

[Oliwia88]

Come to Poland! Christmas in my country are wonderful. And dishes... so tasty! We must have twelve dishes on our tables, that is tradition. For example dumplings with mushrooms and cabbage, compote, borscht, fish and a lot of sweet things. You can find gifts under the Christmas tree. And together we could sing and sing. It's a magical time. In april we'll have an Easter. I can't wait!

[Gabi_Munich]

Oliwia - I remember la ot of nice dishes when I spent New Year with Polish friends in Poland some years ago. We had a nice party, dancing, lots of food and then fireworks.