Happy holidays

Sunday, December 24, 2006 at 10:08 PM

Posted by Agnes Eymery, Google Book Search Support Team

As a child growing up in France, my grandma used to read me stories on Christmas Eve -- my favorite was always "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. My grandfather told me that merchandising masks the true value of the holidays and that "the real importance is to be together." I always asked myself what it was like for others celebrating around the world: did children in Austria or Australia celebrate the way we did?

A few weeks ago, I came across a book about family gatherings, highlighting the importance of being with the people we love during the holidays. Of course, food is a big part of any holiday celebration, and at my house everyone lends a helping hand to prepare delicious dishes and desserts. Every year, we try new recipes, and this year I'm supposed to prepare a panettone farcito to complement my mother's traditional Yule log. Thanks to Google Book Search, I found a great book of Italian Desserts which includes the recipe I needed. A feast to look out for!

Whichever holidays you're about to celebrate, we hope you're able to enjoy the company of family and friends and the traditions you hold dear. Happy holidays from the Google Book Search team! We'll see you in 2007.