Micro-Sized Holiday Meals

As we bid goodbye to the Year of the Rat, we hope the approaching Ox year will bring us better fortune than the last. Like any other respectable Chinese person, I intend to wear lots of red, feast until I pass out, and catch up with my family members over Zoom.

‘Tis the season of sweets, and baking is one of my favorite hobbies. But I live alone, so there’s no one to easily pawn homemade goods off on, which means I often end up forgoing a recipe to not be wasteful (nor overindulge myself). In the absence of holiday get-togethers this year, micro-sized recipes are the real MVP, allowing me to get a taste of a traditional Spanish holiday recipe—for a roscón (o rosca) de reyes—that I picked up while living in Spain.

This year your holidays may look a little different. As we adjust to these changing times, we might have had to change a few plans, but that doesn’t mean this year’s holidays are any less special. The holidays are a time to enjoy various traditions that have often been passed down for years.

Christmas in Germany, and the German-speaking regions including Switzerland and Austria, is synonymous with cozy Christmas Markets—the Weihnachtsmarkt. You can stroll through the lighted stalls with a warm mug of Glühwein—mulled wine with spices and snack on traditional German Lebkuchen cookies to spice up your palate, all while gift-shopping for your loved ones.

This holiday season, many households are turning to familiar traditions that provide comfort and constancy in turbulent times. However, holiday traditions bring more than cheer during the long winter. The seasonal customs families practice, passed down through generations, can also tell the story of our cultural heritage.

As holidays are celebrated around the world, there’s a sense of special meaning in the season this year. Many celebrations across cultures and religions emphasize this time as one of bringing light and hope for humanity.