Traditional Christmas Meals Around The World
So what does your family like to eat for Christmas? Do you have turkey like you did on Thanksgiving or do you usually save the cooking for your favorite restaurant? If you are looking for something new to try or just curious as to how your meal stands up to others, check out these Christmas meals around the world.
United States
Turkey, honey glazed ham, prime rib & pork top the list of meats served around the U.S. In many Latin households, pork is often served with white rice & black beans or congri with a side of yucca. With the turkey, ham, or prime rib, side dishes are often like those at Thanksgiving including mashed potato, macaroni & cheese, collard greens, bread pudding, cornbread, stuffing, green beans & sweet potato casserole. You will see different dishes by region including gumbo in Louisiana, crabcakes in Maryland, beef stew in Nevada, tamales in New Mexico, chowder in Maine & oyster stew in Texas. Italian Americans often serve the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
Dessert includes a variety of sweets including Pecan pie, apple cake, Candy canes, bark, rum cake, Christmas cookies, flan, hot chocolate, mulled wine, and eggnog.
Italy
As we mentioned above, the Italians have what is called the Feast of the Seven Fishes as mentioned above. This doesn’t mean specifically only fish is eaten, but there is a meal consisting of several courses that each include seafood. Dishes might include fried calamari, mussels in wine sauce, shrimp cocktail, seafood risotto, or a cioppino. For dessert, many serve Italian honey balls which are mini donuts drenched in honey that are super delicious. You will also see biscotti, tiramisu, panna cotta & Italian Christmas cookies. We invite you to read more details on our blog dedicated to the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Browse Italy tours.
Czech Republic
The main meal is served on Christmas Eve in the Czech Republic after sunset. It generally consists of a fish chowder called made with carp & served bread with honey, fruit and potato salad. Apple strudel or Christmas bread (vánočka) are the typical dessert.
Finland
Christmas dinner in Finland can best be described as a smorgasbord. It’s filled with dish after dish of traditional food items. These include pickled herring, smoked salmon, pikeperch (fish,) rutabaga casserole, oven-baked ham, liver casserole, beetroot salad, and rice pudding.
France
After the French have finished their meal, which can be anything from smoked salmon to roasted chicken, they indulge in the thirteen desserts. This custom is meant to represent Jesus and his twelve apostles. These deserts can consist of foods like Kouglof bundt cake with raisins in it,) yule cake, quince paste, and dried figs. I am not sure how they even manage to save room for dessert since they tend to feast on dishes like foi gras, chestnut stuff turkey, oyster and goose beforehand. One of the desserts is always a Buche de Noel which commemorates the tradition of cutting and burning a specially selected log known as the Yule log. Browse France tours.
Mexico
Christmas morning starts in Mexico with a dish called menudo or pozole. It’s a soup made with hominy and tripe. It’s prepared the night before and takes about five hours to cook. Christmas dinner usually includes handmade tamales, rice, chiles rellenos, bacalao (salted cod,) and bunuelos for dessert. On January 6th, Rosa de Reyes (King’s bread) is eaten.
Poland
Twelve dishes are served on Christmas Eve. Meat is not eaten on this day, so the dishes generally consist of vegetables or fish. The meal starts as soon as the first star is visible. Beetroot soup is the most popular soup served. Carp, sauerkraut, cabbage rolls and pierogi’s are all popular as well. Many families make traditional Polish gingerbread (piernik) for dessert. The dough consists of honey, lard, sugar, eggs, flour and a mixture of gingerbread spices. It must be made a good couple of weeks in advance to maturate and gain the very special gingerbread taste.
Spain
In Spain, they usually have a big meal both on Christmas Eve and the Three Kings Day on January 6th. Appetizers include tapas of ham, chorizo, morcilla, tortilla, prawns, garlic shrimp, fried calamari, ham croquettes, patatas bravas & cheeses. Galets soup is then usually served. Galets are large shells stuffed with mince meat. The main protein is usually a roast suckling pig or lamb roast. Some households serve a paella. For dessert you will find various types of turrones, marizpan, polvorones or almond cookies, and Roscon de Reyes which is their version of a kings cake. Browse Spain tours.
United Kingdom
This meal is similar to what is often eaten in America. Roast turkey (or goose,) is the main course along with potatoes, mince pies, vegetables, and cranberry sauce. For dessert, Christmas pudding is served. It’s a pudding in the British sense, meaning dessert — not the creamy, custardy dish most Americans associate with the word. It’s a steamed cake full of with raisins, currants, and brandy. Most households make it 4 to 5 weeks in advance.
Phillippines
In the Phillippines, Christmas celebrations officially start on December 16th. There are a series of Masses called Simbang Gabi. Xmas Eve marks the 9th day and is celebrates with a meal to give thanks at midnight. Festivities ned on the Epiphany on January 6th once Mass is celebrated. Lechon is usually the main dish. A whole pig is roasted over charcoal. The side dishes are where it gets interesting. Spaghetti is served with a sweet-tasting meat sauce along with hot dog slices. Bibingka (sweet glutinous rice cakes) fresh spring rolls (lumpiang ubod) and stir-fried noodles loaded with eggs & annatto seeds topped with seafood are also served. For dessert, it’s usually a flan and tsokolate which is a drink made from roasted cocoa beans & sugar similar to hot chocolate. In the Phillippines, they also have New Years lucky fruits as part of their tradition.
Iceland
Smoked lamb served cold with a hot bechamel sauce with potato and peas (Hangikjöt with uppstúfur) is traditionally served on Christmas Eve. Christmas grouse or partridge is another popular main dish, as is marinated herring. Rice pudding and ginger biscuits are served for dessert. Families enjoy getting together to bake and decorate then as we do here in the U.S. In some households, they place an almond in the rice pudding. Whoever gets the almond receives a gift. A malty, sweet soda called Appelsin is popular during this time of year. The Black Death (aka Brennivin) is a traditional distilled beverage made of fermented grain or potato flavored with caraway. Browse Iceland tours.
We’d love to hear what’s on your menu for Christmas?
Ready to plan your New Year menu? Make sure and check out our New Years Lucky foods post as well as Lucky Food Recipes for the New Year.
