Having to travel to every home around the world all in one evening, it is understandable why Santa would get a little peckish. Here is a selection of foods that children around the world leave for Santa to enjoy by the fireside.

Children in Chile leave out this delicious sweet bread, called Pan de Pascua, for Viejo Pascuero (Old Man Christmas). It's a rum-flavoured sponge cake filled with nuts and fruit. 

Danish children like to give Santa something a little different than cookies and mince pies—they leave him a warming bowl of rice pudding, called risalamande.

With the sweet treats covered by the rest of the world, children in South Africa offer up something a bit more substantial—he is treated to barbecue. 

 

 

After all the pastry and sugar from the rest of Europe, it's a good job Santa gets something a little healthier to balance it out. Italian children traditionally leave clementines out for Santa to enjoy by the fireside, before he parcels out their Christmas trees with presents and treats.

Since it's their national brew, children in Ireland leave out a delicious thirst-quenching pint of Guinness for Santa when he visits, to wash down one or two mince pies – some might say he deserves a hearty pint, but we think it's a good idea that the reindeer are doing the driving!

Very thoughtfully, Dutch children leave treats for Sinterklaas' horse in wooden shoes in hopes for treats of marzipan, chocolate coins or oranges in return. (This charming practice takes place on December 5th in the Netherlands, rather than the 24th.)

It's also summertime in New Zealand when Santa comes down the chimney, so children like to leave him some refreshing pineapple chunks for him to snack on before he has to get on his way again.

In Sweden, Santa gets to enjoy a nice cup of hot coffee by the fireside to perk him up before heading back out on his rounds.

When Santa lands in France, he is treated to cake-like little French treats, called Madeleines. Some children traditionally leave these biscuits (and carrots for the reindeer) in a shoe, and once Santa has finished devouring the sweet treats he fills the shoes back up with toys and trinkets. Let's hope it's a fairly new shoe...

In Nigeria, fufu with egusi is dished out for Santa to keep him nourished all night long (fufu is the doughy ball and egusi the soup or stew). It's a favourite dish in West Africa and even inspired it's own version of a Christmas song. 

When Santa hits the U.K. after his long journey around the world, he is greeted by sumptuous mince pies waiting for him by the chimney. Delicious crumbly pastry filled with sweet mincemeat and dusted with icing sugar, they are the perfect treat to indulge on by the fireside. If he's lucky, British children sometimes leave out a glass of sherry to wash them down with, too. 

In America, it's traditional for cookies to be left out, along side a tall glass of milk. Any cookie is surely appreciated, but we'd find it particularly hard to resist these chewy chocolate chip cookies. Hope Santa doesn't notice one or two missing...

Mince pies and cookies aren't part of the Christmas tradition in Kenya, but some children like to leave out roasted goat for Santa to feast on when he visits their homes. Extremely nourishing on a weary night!

In Argentina, the reindeer cool their hooves with a refreshing drink of water and a few carrots, generously left by the children.

Similar to Denmark, Swedish children traditionally leave out rice porridge for Santa Claus, flavoured with cinnamon sugar.

Piparkūkas, a gingerbread-like thin and very crisp cookie made with ginger, pepper and allspice is traditional in Latvia. The dough is often made a few months in advance and put in the freezer to cure, although some make them a few weeks in advance for the flavours to develop. The cookies might be strung up on the Christmas tree and left for Santa with a glass of milk, if they haven't all been eaten yet. 

 

Because it's summertime at Christmas in Australia, children like to leave Santa a nice cold glass of beer. They may also leave him a few cookies, but cold beer goes down nicely considering the sweltering heat.

We haven't seen it yet, but aparently some houses in the States choose to leave Santa specially decorated pancakes instead of cookies. Not a bad idea, who knows what time he'll be by, afterall? 

 

 

 

Of course, we couldn't leave without mentioning this Christmas classic as some American children like to treat Santa to eggnog instead of milk.