Europäische Weihnacht – in Vielfalt geeint - Sutter GmbH & Co. KG

Belgien/Belgium
As happy as the Dutch – ehem, I beg your pardon:
Flemish-speaking Flemings and the French-speaking
Walloons are to distinguish themselves from one
another, and even in times of European unity
emphasise their independence, their similarities tend
to come to the forefront most strongly during the
Christmas season. The major significance of the
‘Nikolaus’ festivities (Nikolaus), “Zinter Klaas” – or
Santa Claus – on December 6, which is also celebrated
with particular fervour in the Netherlands
(jNiederlande) originates from the Flemish, but
has long been adopted in the Walloon-speaking part
of Belgium as “Saint Nicolas”. Nikolaus pays a visit
to the families on December 4 already, to find out
which children have been behaving well, and which
ones have not. Two days later, Sinter Klaas a.k.a.
Père Noël would then return with his gifts, or alternatively
with a cane.
The actual Christmas feast is celebrated on December
25. (December 26, on the other hand, is not a
holiday in Belgium!). One of the classic prejudices
held against the Belgians is that they tend to live
mainly on French fries and chocolates. Considering
that this is not even the case throughout the remainder
of the year and that Belgians are discerning
gourmets, the deep fat fryer is left untouched –
especially at Christmas. Instead, multiple course menus
are dished up, borrowing heavily from French cuisine.
A typical Belgian holiday dinner is stuffed turkey.
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Recipe: Belgian Christmas Turkey
1 turkey, 250 g dried fruit, salt, pepper,
100 g toast, 80 g clarified butter, 1/8 ltr milk,
1 tsp cinnamon, 1 egg, 2 carrots, 3 onions,
400 ml poultry juices, dark gravy granules,
100 g crème fraîche
Simmer the dried fruit in some water for two to
three minutes. Drain the water. Season the turkey
with salt and pepper on the inside and outside.
Cube the toast and roast in clarified butter
until light brown. Cut the softened dried fruit into
dice and combine with the bread. Heat the milk
and pour over the mixture. Add the egg and knead
into a dough adding salt, pepper and cinnamon.
Stuff the turkey with this.
Peel onions and cut into quarters. Peel the carrots
and cut into approx. 4 cm long pieces. Place the
turkey into a baking dish and arrange the vegetables
around it. Add the poultry juices and 100
ml of water and bake in the oven at 200° Celsius
for two hours. Keep pouring the meat juices over
the turkey. Add half a litre of water after one hour.
Remove the turkey from the baking dish and keep
it warm. Combine the meat juices with the vegetables
in a pot, purée everything and bring to the
boil. Add crème fraîche and season with salt and
pepper. Make a thick gravy using the gravy granules;
serve with the turkey.
In a country in which every village, no matter how
small, stages its own fun fair, business with Christmas
fairs is flourishing. The largest of all, according
to domestic sources and as already mentioned, is in
Brussels, only to be surpassed by the one in Bruges
which, however, is belittled by the one staged in Liège.
And with three hectares, by far the largest Christmas
fair – as the name suggests – is the “Grote Markt”, or
large market in the romantic town of St. Niklaas.
Although it is impossible to achieve unison regarding
the size of Belgian Christmas fairs, there is absolutely
no doubt about it that they are all the most beautiful
ones in the whole of Europe. Nowhere else are the
“nativity scenes” so true-to-life, with real sheep even
taking on the role of the sheep. It is therefore a difficult
choice to make for those wanting to spend the
Christmas season in Belgium. Our advice: Bruges.
Next to the fair staged on the local forecourt of the
railway station the spectacular “Snow & Ice Sculpture
Festival” can be admired throughout the month
of December. In a huge thermal tent holding a constant
temperature of minus 10°C gigantic works of
ice and snow come to life – modelled with great love
to detail by artists from many European (and non-
European) countries.
The “country of 365 beers” – yet another designation
for Belgium. A different brand to be enjoyed on every
day of the year, and again just as many for the most
wonderful day of the year: Belgian beer brewers
launch an abundant diversity of Christmas beers
every year, with such illustrious names as “Slaapmutske
Winterbeer” or “La Mère Noël”.