KCLR's Joy To The World

Eid is the big topic of conversation on this edition of Joy To The World with food high on the menu thanks to restaurateur Mohammed Hossain of The Curry Garden in Carlow.Joy To The World is made with the support of Coimisiún na Meán with the television license fee.

Ivo Gramaco Ribero is a Portuguese chef, previously living in Carlow, now resident in Dublin, and he joins Angela Doyle Stuart to talk food, family and Christmas festivities in Portugal on this edition of Joy To The World.Joy To The World is made with the support of Coimisiún na Meán and the television license fee.

Abdi Omar, originally from Somalia, moved to Ireland in 2022, living in Kilkenny. In conversation with Angela Doyle Stuart, he talks Christmas differences between Ireland and Somalia, family memories, working as an actor and more besides.Joy To The World is made with the support of Coimisiún na Meán with the television license fee.

Joy To The World continues this evening from 7pm with episode 5 as we learn all about Christmas in Kerala, the colour, the food, the music and more, right across India.All the way to Christmas Eve, we're unwrapping Christmas traditions from around the world, made possible with the support of Coimisiún na Meán and the television license fee.

Nicoleta Chiorean, living in Kilkenny, is originally from Romania and joins us live from there as part of this instalment of Joy To The World, the series that unwraps Christmas traditions from around the world.Joy To The World is produced with the support of Coimisiún na Meán and the television license fee.

Wesam Akram, originally from Palestine, moved to Kilkenny two years ago, one month shy of the beginning of the Gaza war. In conversation with Angela Doyle Stuart, Wesam talks about life in Palestine, his upbringing, why family is at the centre of Christmas traditions, food, rituals and more besides.Joy To The World on KCLR is funded by Coimisiún na Meán with the television license fee.

Host Angela Doyle Stuart is joined by Samuel Morgan, living in Ireland since 2008, about Christmas traditions and life in Sudan.Joy To The World on KCLR is funded by Coimisiún na Meán with the television license fee.

Joy To The World is back for a second season, unwrapping Christmas traditions, stories and music from countries far beyond the surrounds of Kilkenny and Carlow.Joining presenter Angela Doyle Stuart for this first episode in the season is German native and long-time Kilkenny resident Brigitte Lennon, owner of Swift's Heath. From music and markets to dressing for Christmas, to a tree locked behind a door that would only go up on the 23rd of December, this episode gives you a real flavour for Christmas in Germany as lived through Brigitte, and how that transitions to an Irish Christmas over the years.Joy To The World on KCLR is funded by Coimisiún na Meán with the television license fee.

In our final episode of Joy To The World we take a trip to Italy. Matteo and Ricardo tell us all about the wonderful Italian dishes that are enjoyed during the festive season and we find out about the special celebrations for New Year.

As we take a trip to South Africa, Aisling MacDonald is amazed by how hot it gets on Christmas Day and hears all about how James Swarbrick and his family always celebrated Christmas morning surfing!! James also shares the Christmas meal with Aisling and tells us about a delightful dessert they enjoy on Christmas Day. 

As we hear from our guest Nicole, The Philippines begin celebrating Christmas very much earlier than us here in Ireland.  The Christmas meal consists of sweet ham and cheese, and even though there are no chimneys in the Philippines, Santa can still enter the home!  It is a very important family tradition to make decorations together and to ensure you attend a certain number of masses.

Jette talks about her memories growing up in Spain and enjoying a Spanish Christmas with her family. There are a lot of celebrations there during the month of December, we hear all about these and how important it is to celebrate the festive season with family. Christmas markets and roasted chestnuts are also very popular across the country in December. 

We hear from Laimonas as he shares his memories of a very traditional Lithuanian Christmas on his grandparent’s farm and how he is keeping some of these traditions alive with his own family in Ireland. We'll hear about the twelve dishes on Christmas Eve along with the preparation and the blessing of the wafer by a priest before the wafer is broken and shared with family.

Episode 5 of Joy To The World stops at Brazil, a country of celebration at Christmas time, where getting together with friends and family is one big party. Aisling MacDonald's guests share all of the Brazilian traditions including the importance of watching mass, broadcast from the Vatican, and sharing a very important meal together at midnight on Christmas Eve.

In episode 4 of Joy To The World, our Christmas Journey brings us to France where we hear from Isabelle and Tanguy, who talk to Aisling about all the homemade food and how important that is on the Christmas dinner table. We also hear some very traditional French Christmas songs.

In episode 3 of Joy To The World we hear all about Christmas traditions in Ukraine. Our guests speak with Aisling about the importance of family and the music that forms part of a traditional Christmas. Oksana and Khrystyna talk about the songs and instruments that are played with Khrystyna singing Carol of The Bells accompanied by Oksana playing the Bandura.

In our second episode of Joy To The World, Aisling learns all about Nigerian traditions including how important it is to spread Christmas joy to family, friends and neighbours through gifting of food on Christmas Day. We also hear about the significance of mass on Christmas Eve.

In the first episode of Joy To The World, Aisling MacDonald meets with Joanna Michalska, who moved from Poland to Ireland eighteen years ago. We hear about the importance of the 24th of December, from the cleaning and the twelve meals to the waiting of the first star - the star of Bethlehem. Aisling gets an opportunity to taste some of the traditional dishes that would be part of a Polish Christmas Eve and gets to see some beautiful homemade Christmas decorations. 

Most of us will be celebrating a traditional Irish Christmas in 2024 but for those with a different heritage, Christmas celebrations can be quite different. Joy To The World celebrates Christmas from around the World, where we hear from different nationalities and discover what makes Christmas special to each. Guests join us to tell us all about their Christmas traditions, music, preparations, decorations, foods and exchanges of gifts. Available to start streaming from 16 December 2024 for 10 episodes.