Kosmos

Done your Christmas shopping yet? Buying online is always an option, but the more personal alternative would be to attend one of these courses and make your own gifts.

The world in a bowl of soup: Some soups are revered as miracle cures, others are shrouded in mystery and legend.

Heavenly grub

Borscht is the classic beet soup of Slavic Christmas parties and funerals. At the latter, the soul of the deceased is said to ascend to heaven with the steam. Speaking of heaven: While in orbit, cosmonauts can even eat borscht from a tube.

Fiery potage

Ancient dish? Not exactly. City dwellers across the world happily tuck into their pho, but the Vietnamese rice-noodle soup was only invented around 100 years ago. Rumor has it that the name comes from pot-au-feu, the classic French beef stew.

Wonder worker

Chicken soup is universally held to be good for a cold, but scientists claim that Japan’s miso is the real wonder soup. It eases stomach and menopausal complaints, and possibly even helps prevent cancer. Here’s a New Year’s recipe: miso with sweet mochi rice cakes.

In Caracas at Christmas, city streets are blocked off so that people can safely inline skate to mass. How the tradition began is something of a mystery, but it has to be the most athletic way of getting to church.