Episode Details

Why do families leave cookies for Santa?

What do people in other countries leave for Santa on Christmas Eve, and why have those foods become part of the holiday?

In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Mrs. Claus and Rudolph step in for Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely to examine the origins of Christmas treats and food traditions around the world. How have history, economics, and cultural storytelling shaped what we now consider “traditional” holiday foods? Mrs. Claus and Rudolph share their stories and examples of such treats as milk and cookies in the United States, fried chicken and strawberry cake in Japan, buñuelos in Mexico, rice cakes in the Philippines, and oat-based Haggis cookies in Scotland.

Rather than just recipes, you'll learn at the forces behind some of the best Christmas traditions—wartime scarcity, post-war rebuilding, marketing influence, and the role of myth in preserving rituals across generations. These two also share how meals and simple food customs help families mark time, reinforce memory, and maintain continuity during the holidays across the generations.

This episode offers historical context, global perspective, and practical insight into why food traditions persist—and how understanding their origins changes the way we experience them today.

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Because food isn’t just what we eat—it’s how we remember.

Additional Links ❤️

1. Recipe for Santa's Secret Flying Sauce (and story)
2. Book: My Family Tree, Food & Stories Journal Awarded #1 New Release on Amazon
3. Instagram S