HOW is Christmas celebrated in other countries? Using the magical Google Correlate, one can glimpse what different countries search for during the yuletide season and thus extrapolate the festive feelings around the world.

The system analyses billions of anonymous search queries going back to 2004 to identify what terms are most frequent, analysed by time and place (eg, country or American states). Originally developed to predict the spread of the seasonal flu, we've turned it to more frivolous ends. When "December 25th" or other terms that spike at Christmas are entered, Google Correlate divulges what different countries associate with the holiday season.

Festive foods top the lists. Americans seems bent on finding the web’s best “prime rib recipe” or for the lethargic, “restaurants open [on] Christmas”. In France, the land of extravagant cuisine, the internet helps people scout around for “foie gras” and "huîtres" (oysters). After a long, dry stint since Oktoberfest, Germans hunt down classic favorites such as apple punch, mulled wine and a “feuerzangenbowle set”(used to prepare the mulled wine).

For entertainment, Brits seek out the “world darts championship”, because repeats of holiday films are too dull. The Americans spend time googling “[NFL] playoff scenarios” instead, and are then apparently stuck for “things to do at Christmas”.

Some heavily searched terms come as a surprise. Canadians are concerned with the “boxing day sales” (particularly for televisions and electronics) and the opening hours of liquor shops. In Britain, where wit is occasionally encouraged, “Christmas cracker jokes” are inexplicably high among the most-popular searches (see chart). Also popular are searches for translations for “Christmas in German”,”Christmas in Spanish” and “Christmas in French,” reflecting both Britain's multiculturalism and its linguistic void.

The miserly Swiss turn to the internet to find “free greeting cards,” despite being one of the best performing economies in Europe this year. In Russia Google is used find out when the “Snow Maiden”, Santa’s fur-clad grand daughter, is arriving to help deliver presents.

Yes these are just the start. For those in search of "things to do at Christmas," Google Correlate brings good tidings.