CORNWALL Library service hosted a special European themed Festive Family Fun Day at Launceston Library on Saturday.

Funded by Cornwall Council's Europe Direct project, the free event for all ages aimed to raise awareness of Cornwall's links with the European Union and encourage people to find out about other countries and cultures within the EU.

Food and drink, crafts and stories all featured as library staff created their own Christmas market with a European theme, where traditionally locals gather to handcraft items and sample festive foods.

Visitors to the library on the day had a chance to taste Pandoro, Panettone, Stollen, and Genoa cake as an introduction to different kinds of Christmas cakes.

Many other European food items were also on display for children to see and sample as part of a quiz to identify some of the products and guess the countries they originated from. The savoury table with German and Swiss sausages along with Italian breadsticks and Polish biscuits was surprisingly busier than the cake and pastry table!

Everyone was really grateful to Cornwall Library Service Senior Library Assistant Lindsay Hartgroves, member who spent the morning single handedly filling coffee cups and pouring juice proving all the tasting was thirsty work!

Irene Wood, a local Polish translator, explained how Polish food would be made and served at Christmas time.

The day was especially popular with local schools studying Christmas festivals from around the world as this gave children a chance to discuss what they had

recently learnt and display some of their work.

St Catherine's School pupils provided craft examples of festive decorative items from Germany, Spain and Poland to share with families on the day wishing to make similar items.

The fun day gave the library a chance to introduce families and teachers to the new Story Corner room where Rebecca Brewer was very busy all morning explaining the different countries traditional crafts, the stories behind the tradition and how to re-create these items with materials available.

Olinda Liddiard, an Italian and French teacher from Boyton Primary School, displayed Italian advent calendars made by her class, and was on hand to translate and share Italian culture.

A large Christmas hamper went on display for the month, with library visitors having a chance to win the goodies just before Christmas.