With Friisberg UK in London, Birmingham and Edinburgh, our end-of-year conversations naturally reflect a blend of English and Scottish traditions. The result is a December full of shared stories, gentle teasing and the occasional debate about whether shortbread counts as breakfast.
Here is a brief cultural tour of the season from our side of the Channel, combining well-known customs with some of the lesser-known rituals that our international colleagues often enjoy discovering.
England approaches Christmas with sentiment, structure and just enough chaos to keep it interesting.
England sends astonishing numbers of Christmas cards. This tradition stretches back to 1843, when Sir Henry Cole, a civil servant and early advocate for the modern postal system, commissioned the first commercial Christmas card. His aim was simple: encourage the public to use the newly introduced Penny Post - and it worked spectacularly. The idea spread quickly, becoming a national habit rooted in courtesy, connection and the very British fondness for polite correspondence. Even in a digital age, the ritual still carries cultural weight.
No English table is complete without crackers and every participant ends up in a flimsy paper crown, united briefly in colourful humiliation. Crackers are one of the most recognisable features of an English Christmas table, complete with a tiny toy and a joke so terrible it becomes a bonding exercise. The tradition began in the 1840s with a London sweet-maker named Tom Smith, inspired by the cracking sound of logs on a fire, wrapped his sweets in paper with a small explosive pop. Crackers appealed to something distinctly English: shared silliness, gentle theatricality and the idea that everyone, from grandparent to guest, should look equally ridiculous for one meal.
The Christmas pudding is one of England’s most iconic festive dishes – it is dense, dark, full of spice and fruit, and it arrives at the table with ceremony, often flaming dramatically in brandy. Its origins go back to medieval “plum pottage” which was a hearty mixture of meat, dried fruit and spices served at feasts, but over the centuries, the meat vanished, the fruit increased and the recipe slowly evolved into the sweet, rich pudding we know today. What keeps the tradition alive is not just the taste, but the ritual: families gather on Stir-Up Sunday to mix the ingredients, each person taking a turn to stir clockwise and make a wish. Coins or charms are sometimes hidden inside, meant to bring luck to whoever finds them (as long as they don’t break a tooth).
Come rain, frost or a determined gale, everyone goes for a long walk on 26 December. The purpose is fresh air, guilt management and making space for leftovers. Dogs consider it the highlight of their holiday.
Scotland treats New Year with the same enthusiasm that England reserves for Christmas and the result is a season of symbolism, warmth and impressive stamina.
Fireworks, music, ceilidhs and crowds that stay cheerful in freezing temperatures mean that Hogmanay is not just an evening, it is an experience.
In Edinburgh, the celebrations begin long before the 31st with the famous torchlight procession winding through the city, thousands of people carrying flames through historic streets that glow with fire and tradition. The entire city becomes a stage set, with crowds singing, hugging and dancing in streets that should, by all logic, be too cold for any of those activities.. Hogmanay here is not simply the turning of the year, it is a declaration of optimism, community and collective stamina.
This tradition has deep roots in Scottish folklore, in fact it dates back to ancient Celtic and Viking customs that viewed the threshold of the home as a powerful, symbolic boundary. The characteristics of the first visitor were believed to influence the household’s luck for the year ahead and dark hair became particularly favourable after Viking times, when the sudden arrival of fair-haired strangers at your door rarely boded well! Today, the tradition is embraced with far more warmth (and far less danger), but the symbolism endures. The first-footer brings prosperity, comfort and good cheer, making it one of Scotland’s most enduring and charming New Year rituals.
Scotland’s tradition of plunging into the freezing North Sea on New Year’s Day is legendary - it is bold, bracing and undeniably questionable. What surprises us most is that Lorri Lowe, our UK Managing Partner, has done the Loony Dook many times. Not once, not “just to see what it’s like”, but many times. Given that Lorri is known across Friisberg for her stilettos, designer outfits and long hair, the idea of her voluntarily entering the North Sea feels almost folkloric in itself. This is a woman who will quite happily take a taxi to avoid a walk in the rain, yet has repeatedly marched into icy water. The contradiction is, somehow, entirely on brand.
Throughout December, beautifully presented shortbread appears in offices, homes and unexpected places. It is more than a biscuit, it is a cultural expression of warmth, generosity and a deep respect for proper baking. Shortbread’s status in Scotland runs deep with its origins dating back to medieval oat-and-butter biscuits that later evolved into the rich, crumbly recipe we recognise today. Because butter and sugar were once expensive luxury ingredients, shortbread became a celebration food, baked only for Christmas, Hogmanay and weddings. The tradition endured so offering shortbread is still seen as a gesture of hospitality and good fortune - it is, quite literally, Scotland’s way of sharing sweetness and prosperity.
When Friisberg hosted its conference in Edinburgh earlier this year, the team experienced Scottish tradition first-hand. The ‘piping in’ set the tone instantly, and the ceilidh that followed became an unforgettable highlight - watching colleagues attempt reels with varying levels of rhythm and enthusiasm proved once again that Scotland knows exactly how to bring people together. The atmosphere was warm, joyful and every bit as spirited as the culture it represents.
We wish our Friisberg colleagues and clients a season filled with warmth, reflection and exactly the right balance of crackers, ceilidhs and cold-water bravery.
