Top Ten Holiday Delicacies from Around the World

Ever wonder how people in other countries celebrate winter festivities, and what they eat? These international holiday delicacies show us a little bit about how others celebrate winter and religious festivals at the close of the year. Journey around the world and get a taste of ten traditional holiday foods unique and special to distinct countries.

Sorrel Recipe from Vegetarian Times

Jamaica – Sorrel

Sorrel is a traditional Christmas drink made from dried parts of the sorrel (a meadow plant), cinnamon, cloves, sugar, orange peel and rum, served over ice. The warm tropical weather of Jamaica means iced drinks are in order for the holidays, and incorporating native plants creates a recipe unique to the island.

Chili – Cola de Mono – Chilean Eggnog
This Chilean eggnog is a part of both Christmas and New Year’s Eve traditions. Usually homemade, the recipe varies but popular ingredients include milk, sugar, alcohol, coffee, cloves and vanilla beans.

United Kingdom - Christmas Pudding

United Kingdom map from mapsales.com

A traditional treat in England, Christmas Puddings are made from many dried fruits, spices, alcohol and held together by egg. The high content of alcohol allows the pudding to be aged for a month or even a year without spoiling, enhancing the flavor.

Greece – Loukoumades – Donuts

Loukoumades are pastries made of fried dough, soaked in sugary syrup or honey, and then covered with cinnamon and sometimes powered sugar. These pastries are often made as treats for Hanukkah in the Jewish tradition.

Mince Pies recipe from FoodHub

New Zealand – Christmas Mince Pies

Historically, ground beef with dried fruit and alcohol were baked into pie dough, though today mincemeat pies are usually made without meat at all. Strongly associated with Christmas, the three spices traditionally used in mince pies –cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon- are said to represent the three gifts given to the Christ child by the Magi.

Korea – Duk Gook – Rice Cake Soup

Korean Duk Gook, a soup filled with Korean rice cakes is eaten on the Winter Solstice or New Year’s Day. It is considered good luck to eat as many rice balls from the soup as years you have lived.

South Africa – Malvapoeding – Marshmallow Pudding

South Africa map from mapsales.com

Malvapoding, or marshmallow pudding, is smothered in a heavy cream and sugar-filled sauce, creating a spongy texture similar to marshmallows. The name ‘Malva’ came from Malvacea wine that Dutch colonists used to serve with the pudding in the 17^th century.

Medianyky recipe at The Ryersonian

Ukraine – Medianyky – Honey Cookies

These honey cookies look like lace and are cut into stars, crescents or circles. A popular tradition is to hang them on low branches of the Christmas tree for children to eat.

Hungary, Germany, Austria – krambambuli - Spicy Punch

This spicy punch is made with chamomile flowers, chopped fruit, candied orange peel, walnuts, sugar, rum, brandy and more. The specific recipe varies from family to family and country to country, but always a popular warm choice for wintertime festivities.

Philippines – Tsokolate – Hot Chocolate

Phillipines Map from mapsales.com

On Christmas day, families in the Philippines gather and drink tsokolate, a native chocolate drink made with egg yolks, milk and chocolate. Traditionally a batirol, a whisk with a spiky head, is used to make the hot chocolate.

Interested in Exploring the World on Wall Maps of your favorite countries and locations? Wall Maps make great gifts; use coupon code GIFT5642 at checkout to receive 15% off your order! Offer ends Tuesday, December 17th. 

DIY Creative Map Gifts for the Holidays

Feeling crafty? Get inspired by this list of stunning map crafts you can create and give as gifts this holiday season. We've collected dozens of ideas from the most popular pins on Pinterest and around the web.

Follow us on Pinterest for more map crafts and maps!

DIY Decoupage Maps for Unique Gifts

The strength of decoupage is that you can apply beautifully patterned maps to nearly any surface. Wood, metal, and even plastic receive an upgrade with vibrant maps. Choose maps by pattern and color or choose special places to enhance a gift for a loved one.

• Buckets
• Candles
• Crates
• Furniture
• Ornaments
• Coasters
• Magnets
• Wooden Blocks
• Photo Album
• Even Wooden Birdhouses
• Large Wall Art, check out this Large Map Canvas tutorial, then go get a large laminated wall map to begin!

Create Gifts with Paper Map Crafts

Use the ancient art of folding and cutting paper to create gifts with your own hands! From the simple, to the time-consuming crafts, your efforts to create handmade gifts will be appreciated.

• Decorate the door or hallway with a distinctive Map Wreath
• Origami is the art of folding paper; simple shapes to start with include:
•  Star
• Crane
• Rose 
• Boats
• Create a Paper Mobile for the newest member of the family
• Deck the halls with Map Bunting
• A Map Woven Basket is the perfect gift for someone who loves to display fruits, magazines, potpourri and more.
• Gift a Necklace made of Map Paper Beads or Gift the beads as part of a jewelry making kit.
• Hang a large Map Pendant as a centerpiece!

DIY Gift Wrapping Ideas

Using maps in your gift wrapping scheme creates a unique and special theme to display. Whether you are wrapping up large wall maps or small packages, spruce up your décor with these crafty gift wrapping ideas!

• Map Wrapping Paper is vibrant and special. Draw a route to your house from the North Pole directly on the map!
• Cut Gift Tags from paper maps to embellish simple wrapping paper. Cut their birthplace or favorite city so it appears next to their name.
• Map Cards memorialize your love in connection to a specific location.
• Cut and Fold Map Envelopes with this simple template
• Decoupage Gift Boxes for a keepsake that will last. This would work great for jewelry gift boxes or recipe boxes.

---> Find more map crafts, just follow us on Pinterest! 

Where Can I Find Maps to Craft with?

If you can’t find old maps to recycle or you want paper maps of your favorite locations in high-quality color, call or visit mapsales.com!

Shop Now!

Fun and Educational Wall Maps: Gifts for Kids

Looking for the perfect gift that is both fun as well as educational? We've picked out the top educational wall maps as perfect gifts for kids this holiday season! Give the gift that looks awesome on their bedroom wall and is a useful tool for homework reference and exploring the world! Educational wall maps are available for every grade level and age.

Cindy is halfway through first grade. We’re choosing a colorful World Deluxe Political Wall Map with protective lamination. We used poster putty to adhere the laminated wall map close to the ground, next to her coloring table. She has special dry erase markers she can use to decorate the world wall map.

Jennifer is in the fifth grade. She has a big test at the end of the year in which she has to write down every state and its capital by memory. The US Flags Wall Map has more than enough information to help her study! We recommend the US Wall Map with wooden rails so the map can be pulled down and revealed for study time.

Abraham is entering high school next year. He’s already into WWII weapons and machinery, so the World War II Europe Wall Map is the perfect choice for his interests as well as his World Cultures Class. We choose the magnetic wall map so he can track the location of troops as he reads more about the war.

Find Wall Maps for Kids

• Wall Maps on wooden rails
• Shop Wall Maps by Grade
• World, USA, Continent, State Wall Maps
• Historical, Social, Political and other wall maps
• Wall Map Bundles for classrooms or gifts

Gift Guide: Contemporary & Stylish Wall Maps for Her

Welcome to our series of Gift Guides for the Holidays 2013.

Looking for the perfect gift for her? From the most popular wall décor to practical travel items, mapsales.com offers a wide selection of gifts for every personality!

The Most Popular Gifts for Wall Map Décor

• Recognizable Wall Maps of the World
• Popular Wall Maps of the USA
• In political, physical, satellite and antique styles!

Give Her Inspiration for Her Travels

• Over 200 countries around the world
• Explore Canada
• Maps of Every State in the USA

Invite Her to Explore the Outdoors

• National Park Maps
• Topographic Maps for hiking
• Any map can be printed on synthetic paper, perfect for traveling and hiking in any weather

Personalize her gift with her name and a special date; simply call us to personalize her wall map! 

1-888-434-6277

Map News: This Month’s Best Articles and Maps

I've scoured the web for the most interesting Map News this month for all you map-lovers!

Map Comic this month from Savage Chicken

New Maps of Alaska: : New mapping data changes what we know about the landscape of Alaska, with some data that hadn’t been updated for 50 years! The results? The highest mountain in North America, Mount McKinley, is shorter than previously thought…Read More

Even with a GPS, You Can’t Get There From Here: Join us on a road trip through Maine, where getting lost with a GPS is painfully easy. Get your paper maps ready for visiting the rural portions of the USA…Read More

Where is the Center of Each United State? And why would you care to know? Some interesting and some funny insights…Read More

What Did the Continents Look Like Millions of Years Ago? Features an interview with artist-geologist Robert Blakey. This article goes into serious depth and really shows the making of these astounding maps in detail. The comment section is pretty interesting as well!…Read More

Facts for Features: Halloween: Did you know the Census Bureau publishes a series on dates and holidays? It boosts interesting facts gathered from all over the immense census database. For example, 47,800 acres of pumpkins were harvested in the US in 2012! Read More Halloween Facts

Did you enjoy reading these articles as much as we did? Use the buttons below to share them with your friends!

Weekly Map News

This Week in Maps

Sharing your one-stop list for interesting mapping, geography, GIS, and cartography news, articles and new maps!

Atlas of True Names - Find the literal meaning of any location! USA and Canada atlases released this year.

This is Your Brain on Maps - Humorous article showing how distorted the human head looks on popular map projections. A powerful example of the difficulties of displaying a 3-D globular object on a 2-D space.

'Squatch Watch: 92 Years of Bigfoot Sightings in the US and Canada - Mapping Bigfoot Sightings, Joshua Stevens finds a correlation between high sightings and low population that narrows down possible locations...mapping fun, even if you don't believe in Bigfoot!

Sea Monsters: A Voyage Around the World's Most Beguiling Map - A fantastical exploration of bizarre and imaginary creatures, by Joseph Nigg, published by University of Chicago Press last month.

New Thermometer Charts for Fundraising, Goals and Competitions

How to use Fundraiser Thermometer Charts for Fundraising

Introducing…DaVinci Business Graphics Website Relaunch!

NEW: Thermometer Charts display your progress in a visual, large chart. Simply write in your goals with dry-erase markers and then color the laminated thermometer as you reach your goals! Thermometer charts are a great motivation tool for fundraisers, sales team, businesses, schools, or any other goal-oriented project.

New Thermometer Charts for your Business & Community

Fundraising Thermometer Charts: Get organized and reach fundraising goals with DaVinci Business Graphic’s Fundraising Thermometer Chart. Schools, community groups and more use Fundraising Thermometer Charts to keep track of donations, services or items, or volunteer sign-ups. You can take a Fundraising Thermometer Chart anywhere with you. Get more donations with a vibrant & visual chart!

DaVinci Business Graphics Also Offers These New Thermometer Charts:

Goal Thermometer Charts: Track the progress of any sales, business or personal goal with a Goal Thermometer Chart.

Dual Thermometer Charts: Foster healthy competition while tracking goals side by side with a Dual Thermometer Chart.

Choose your size, color, and add a custom title before ordering. It’s easier than ever to customize your thermometer charts online…or call today to further customized your charts, calendars and maps!

Check out what else is new on DaVinciBG.com!