Global Coffee Traditions: Celebrating the Holidays With a Cup of Joe
Coffee isn’t just a drink; it’s beloved in the United States and the world over. The energizing, bold flavors of a perfectly brewed cup of coffee are a universal enjoyment, especially during the holidays. Below are highlights of just a few holiday coffee traditions around the globe:
Scandinavia
Scandinavians celebrate St. Lucia Day in December, a traditional holiday festival of lights honoring St. Lucia herself. Strong coffee is paired with lussebullar, a delicious sweet saffron bun. St. Lucia Day honors the namesake Saint by selecting a representative in each community from the young women living there. Lights, music, food and dance are all hallmarks of this celebration.
Germany
Similar to Britain’s tea rituals is Germany’s social celebration – kaffee und kuchen, or coffee and cake. Weinachtskaffee is a particular type of coffee known for its notes of almond, cocoa and orange. It is often spiced with holiday flavors like cinnamon and served with traditional cakes.
Mexico
Nochebuena is another name for Christmas Eve in Mexico, and it is observed by gathering with family and friends and enjoying a cafe de olla, a traditional drink of the season flavored with cinnamon, cloves, anise and piloncillo, which is unrefined cane sugar. It is usually served black, but sometimes cream is added. It makes a wonderful night like Christmas Eve truly buena.
Brazil
Brazilians welcome the holiday season with a combination of café com leite – Portuguese for coffee with milk – and rabanadas, a thick-cut fried bread covered in cinnamon and sugar. Café com leite is essentially a latte, and it pairs well with Brazilian holiday treats.
Turkey
Turkish coffee is an unbeatable experience, both strong and subtle at the same time. It is made from 100% pure Arabica beans ground into a fine powder, almost like instant coffee, and prepared in such a way that it has a delicious, airy foam at the top. (It’s less akin to a cappuccino and more like the head of a good nitro cold brew or stout.) During Turkish holidays, it is enjoyed slowly with friends and family and an assortment of Turkish sweet treats.
United States
The holiday season ushers in peppermint mochas, praline lattes, and still a whisper of pumpkin spice here and there. In the last decade, eggnog has made a surprise cultural resurgence, and is being offered both by itself and as a flavoring in various beverages in stores across the country.
Coffee and the holidays are inseparable
Coffee is a wonderful beverage to enjoy with friends and family while exchanging stories, laughter and delicious holiday treats. Whether it’s part of a festival like in the Scandinavia, enjoyed on a specific night like in Mexico, or simply paired with sweets like in Turkey or Brazil, coffee is integral to holiday celebrations.
Experience Global Traditions in Your Break Room With BostonbeaN
Let BostonbeaN satisfy your cravings and bring the perfect coffee and tea solutions to your Boston office. With our varieties of coffee preparation equipment, multitude of flavors, roasts and add-ins, you can find the right coffee experience for everyone. Contact BostonbeaN Coffee Company to bring holiday coffee favorites to your workplace.
