Cape Town - Hotels and restaurants across the Cape Peninsula will be celebrating Christmas and New Year with a big spread of food in glorious settings from seaside and cityscape, to vineyards to gardens.
“Travellers from the Northern Hemisphere may find their first African Christmas a little strange,” says Cape Town Tourism’s Executive Marketing Manager, Velma Corcoran. “There’s no snow, the days are long and warm and instead of huddling around fires and Christmas trees, Capetonians go into the outdoors to celebrate the season in the sunshine.”
Christmas
does however still come with crackers, paper hats and presents – along with
roasted meats like turkey and gammon with all the trimmings – but it’s often served
al fresco as children swim and play outside.
If you
are self-catering, be sure to locate the braai
(barbeque) before planning a Christmas feast on the coals.
Popular choices for local Christmas day braais include turkey, gammon or
chicken smoked and slow cooked in the Weber (kettle braai) or crayfish
tails, dorado or snoek on an open fire. For some handy ideas on how to
prepare the perfect braai,
visit South African braai icon, Jan Braai or
follow him on Twitter on @janbraai.
Buy local magazines like Taste, Food & Home and Fresh Living, or visit www.food24.com to source some recipe ideas and to inspire the look of your summer Christmas table.
The ultimate expression of an African Christmas is a wire and bead Christmas tree from an informal trader or craft market. Buying one (and the accessories) not only gives you a Christmas treasure to cherish but also sustains the livelihood of the crafter and his/her family.
Go one step further and buy all your Christmas presents from local traders. Find the ideal gifts at the V&A Waterfront’s new Watershed, browse Greenmarket Square, visit the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock and shop with gusto at the many Christmas markets that happen across Cape Town.
Christmas is all about children, so take them for a night-time drive through the Cape Town CBD to see the Christmas lights. Stop off at the Company’s Gardens Night Market, an annual event in the beautiful historic garden that sees 200 traders selling their wares from 16h00 – 23h00 between 20-30 December (excluding Christmas Day).
Or take the children to hear a very special African Christmas story at the V&A Waterfront on 24 December at 17h30 (till 19h00) as Gogo (grandmother in local language Xhosa) tells the story of the birth of baby Jesus with warmth and humour - as well as a selection of traditional hymns infused with African flavour.
Another way to bring in Christmas Day is to attend midnight mass at any number of Cape Town Churches. The city centre’s St Georges Cathedral (5 Wale Street, Cape Town) is a popular place for worship and has an interesting history in the struggle against apartheid.
After all the fun of Christmas Day, Capetonians like to get out and about on Boxing Day – 26 December. Beaches and restaurants are packed so be sure to make your reservations well in advance, allowing yourself some extra time for beachside traffic.
Says the City of Cape Town’s Councillor Garreth Bloor; “Cape Town’s multi-faith community comes together at this time to celebrate goodwill, community and family. We would like to wish all our Christian visitors a joyful Christmas in Cape Town.”
For more ideas on what to do in Cape Town these holidays, visit Cape Town Tourism at any one of their Visitor Information Centres or mobile information units – or online at www.capetown.travel.
CHRISTMAS
AND NEW YEAR’S EVE 2014 IN CAPE TOWN
FESTIVE FEASTS
Whether it’s a traditional, outdoor or African Christmas you are after, Cape Town will leave you spoilt for choice with outdoor family picnics, cocktails with breath-taking views and gourmet cuisine at restaurants and top wine estates. Here are just a few ideas on where to feast for Christmas and where to party on New Year’s Eve:
A CAPE TOWN CHRISTMAS
Christmas Eve Dinner and New Year’s Eve Moroccan Buffet at Ricks Café America in the CBD:
Christmas Eve Dinner, Christmas Day Lunch or New Year’s Eve Dinner at Azure, Twelve Apostles on the Atlantic Seaboard:
Christmas Eve Dinner, Christmas Day Lunch or New Year's Eve Dinner at Savour Restaurant, African Pride 15 on Orange in the CBD:
Christmas Eve Dinner, Christmas Day Lunch or New Year's Eve Dinner at Planet Restaurant, Belmond Mount Nelson in the City Centre:
Christmas Day Lunch at Protea Hotel Fire and Ice! Cape Town:
Christmas Eve Dinner or Christmas Day Lunch at The Meeting Room, Hilton Hotel, in the City Centre:
Christmas Eve Dinner, Christmas Day Lunch or Dinner at The Atlantic Grill, Table Bay Hotel at the V&A Waterfront:
Get your carb-free Christmas Day Lunch at The Banting Kitchen, Green Point:
Christmas Eve Dinner, Christmas Day Lunch or New Year's Eve Dinner at La Mouette, Sea Point:
Christmas Eve Dinner at The Backyard Grill in Sea Point:
Christmas Eve Dinner, Christmas Day Lunch, Christmas Day Dinner or Boxing Day Brunch at Harvey’s at Winchester Mansions in Sea Point: http://www.winchester.co.za/christmas_new_year_hotel_cape_town.aspx
Christmas Day Lunch at Liberty’s Restaurant, DoubleTree By Hilton Cape Town, in Woodstock: http://doubletree3.hilton.com/
Christmas Eve Dinner, Christmas Day Lunch or New Year's Eve Dinner at The Conservatory at Cellars Hohenhort, Constantia:
Christmas Day Lunch at CinCin, Colosseum in Century City:
Christmas Eve Dinner, Christmas Day Lunch or New Year's Eve Dinner at Grande Provence in Franschhoek:
Christmas Day Lunch at Eat @ Simonsvlei in Paarl:
CHRISTMAS
AND NEW YEAR’S EVENTS
Christmas Carols at Steenberg
Date: 18 December 2014
Venue: Steenberg Estate, Steenberg
Website: www.steenbergfarm.com
Carols at Kirstenbosch
Date: 18 – 21 December 2014
Venue: Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Website: www.kirstenboschrotary.co.za
Carols by Candlelight
Date: 20 – 21 December 2014
Venue: V&A Waterfront Amphitheatre
Website: www.waterfront.co.za
Festive Choirs
Date: 22 and 23 December 2014
Venue: V&A Waterfront Amphitheatre
Website: www.waterfront.co.za
An African Christmas
Date: 24 December 2014
Venue: V&A Waterfront Amphitheatre
Website: www.waterfront.co.za/events/Kids/an-african-christmas
Festival of Chariots
Date: 26 December 2014
Venue: Surf Road, Sea Point Parade
Website: /www.facebook.com/FestivalOfChariotsCapeTown
New Year’s Day Pacha Ibiza Party at Grand Café & Beach
Date: 1 January 2014
Venue: Grand Café & Beach, Granger Bay
Website: www.grandafrica.com/
Cape Town Minstrel Carnival
Date: 2 January 2015
Venue: Cape Town City Centre
NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATIONS
V&A Waterfront Fireworks
Date: 31 December 2014
Venue: V&A Waterfront Amphitheatre
Website: waterfront.co.za
Rezonance New Year’s Eve Party
Date: 31 December 2014 – 2 January 2015
Venue: Contermanskloof Farm, Durbanville
Website: rezonancefestival.com
Shimmy Beach Club’s New Year’s Eve
Date: 31 January 2014
Venue: Shimmy Beach Club, Granger Bay
Website: www.shimmybeachclub.com
Kirstenbosch New Year’s Eve Concert, featuring Mango Groove & Arno Carstens
Date: 31 December 2014
Venue: Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Website: www.sanbi.org
Richard’s Supper Stage & New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner Show
Date: 31 December 2014
Venue: Richard’s Supper Stage and Bistro, Sea Point
Website: www.richardscapetown.co.za/
New Year’s Eve Tropical Island Beach-themed Street Party at Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! Cape Town
Date: 31 December 2014
Venue: Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! Cape Town
Website: ProteaHotel Fire&Ice CapeTown
New Year’s Eve Party at Spier Wine Farm
Date: 31 December 2014
Venue: Spier Wine Estate, Stellenbosch
Website: www.spier.co.za/events/detail/celebrate-new-years-eve-at-spier
New Year’s Eve Party at HQ Restaurant
Date: 31 December 2014
Venue: HQ Restaurant, Bree Street, Cape Town
Website: www.hqrestaurant.co.za
Electric Vines Music Festival
Date: 30 & 31 December 2014
Venue: Arabella, Robertson
Website: www.electricvines.co.za/
Hot White New Year’s Eve Party at the All Star Theatre
Date: 31 December 2014
Venue: All Star Theatre, Cape Gate, Brackenfell
Website: www.allstartheatre.co.za/
New Year’s Eve Ball at Harvey's at Winchester Mansions
Date: 31 December 2014
Venue: Harvey's at Winchester Mansions, Sea Point
Website: www.winchester.co.za