Discover Benelux |  Editor’s Note

Dear Reader,

Discover Benelux

Simon Woolcot

Issue 12, December 2014

Steve Flinders

Published 12.2014 ISSN 2054-7218

Stine Wannebo Cover Photo Woestijnvis

Published by Scan Group

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Sales & Key Account Managers

Executive Editor

Yasmina Haddadi

Thomas Winther

Mette Tonnesen Raphaël Pousse

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Maxence Pruvost

Mads E. Petersen

Steven Ebbers

Editor

Publisher:

Myriam Gwynned Dijck

Scan Group 15B Bell Yard Mews

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Mark Rogers

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Contributors

Bettina Guirkinger

Phone +44 (0)870 933 0423 Fax +44 (0)870 933 0421 Email: info@discoverbenelux.com

Elena Krumlowsky

www.discoverbenelux.com

Anouk Kalmes Berthe van den Hurk

Emmie Collinge Harun Osmanivic Helen Cullen Janine Sterenborg Josiah Fisk Liz Wenger Martin Pilkington Matt Antoniak Phil Gale Silvia de Vries

There is a celebration going on this month at Discover Benelux. This might not sound surprising, with people across the globe hosting Christmas parties, but for us, there is another reason to be festive. This December marks the 12th edition of the magazine and indeed our oneyear anniversary. It has been a year of highlights, from our humble beginnings – a mere 40 pages put together by a handful of determined people – to a magazine that is topping 100 pages made by a whole legion of regular, passionate contributors. Having reflected upon this milestone, I would quickly like to move on to more pressing matters: Christmas. Despite what the popular movies have us believe, there is quite a lot of difference in how countries celebrate this holiday – even within the small premises of the Benelux. In most households in the Benelux, gifts are not really a big thing – these are usually dealt with during St Nicolas on 5 or 6 December – and you'll find very few turkeys adorning the Christmas tables. In Luxembourg not Christmas Day, but Christmas Eve (the night before) is the time when families get together for the main dinner. Traditional dessert is the bûche de noël, a layered sponge-cake yule log also popular in France, that comes in all kinds of flavours including chestnut cream and coffee. In Belgium game is popular as the main dish, like roast pheasant or rabbit ragout (a creamy stew). Then in the Netherlands Christmas is celebrated on two days – ‘First’ and 'Second Christmas Day'. Regardless of the dull names, both dates are equally important and in family settings this can actually be quite handy. Say your partner is dragging you to their family for Christmas Day, then you have the day after as a back-up to see your own family. So it’s possible to spend the 'most wonderful time of the year' with twice as many people, eat twice as much amazing food and accept twice as many invitations. But however you are going to spend the holidays, whether you will make a Christmas trifle (see page 17), have a night of ‘gourmetting’ (see page 15) or celebrate it with eggnog (see page 16), from everyone at the Discover Benelux office, we wish you a wonderful Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2015. Until next year!

© All rights reserved. Material contained in this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior permission of Scan Group – a trading name of Scan Magazine Ltd. This magazine contains advertorials/promotional articles.

4 |  Issue 12 |  December 2014

Myriam Gwynned Dijck, Editor