Merry Christmas to all celebrating! Across most of Europe (Britain aside), Christmas festivities peak tonight, not tomorrow. Families come together and sit down for a traditional dinner to mark the occasion, which in France is known as “Le reveillon de Noel” and in Germany, “Heiliger Abend”. In Italy, especially Sicily, the tradition is a multi-course sea food dinner – the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

Even among the nonreligious there, Christmas holds special significance because it’s the coming together of family and tradition. We humans are totally social creatures, and the warmth of close connections and the feeling of belonging can be as nourishing as the spread of food on the table.