Every week Take Away English reports on interesting events and fascinating people in the UK and around the world, but this week we are talking directly to you to tell you all about our Christmas and New Year Plans.

Firstly, let’s hear from Alison, the editor of the China Team, who is having a family Christmas followed by a wild New Year:

"For New Year, I'm taking a trip to Hamburg in Germany. I am going to a New Year's party in a restaurant, there'll be a gourmet¹ menu with champagne² and then dancing and fireworks at midnight outside. In Germany they like to let off fireworks that bang³ loudly," says Alison.

Emily, our broadcast assistant, is looking forward to some traditional Christmas fare with her family after exchanging presents.

"Before dinner we give each other presents around the Christmas tree. For dinner we eat all the traditional food such as turkey, potatoes, Brussels sprouts⁴, and Christmas pudding; and after dinner we play party games, eat chocolates, sweets, nuts, and drink wine," says Emily.

But what about our Chinese colleagues, how do they celebrate at this time of year? Producer Helen has a baby boy, who can complicate⁵ Christmas.

"I'm spending this Christmas with my family at my home in London. It's going to be my son Leonard's second Christmas, so we have made a bit of effort putting up a few baby-friendly decorations in our flat.

"We've got a few pots of poinsettias which are big red flowers with a very Christmas feel, and there are no prickly needles, so Leonard is safe from causing disasters," says Helen.

As for our writer Diarmuid, he is flying to France to visit his family there for a gastronomic⁶ yuletide celebration.

"Having Christmas in France means there will be a fantastic variety of delicious French wines to enjoy. Who knows? I might even bring some back for the team," he says.