One of my favorite times of the year is Christmas! Everyone smiling, all the pleasure and happiness in the air, the anticipation of spending time with family and receiving gifts! Every November, you sit down to eat Thanksgiving dinner, and then when Christmas arrives, you eat more of the same… but have you ever wondered what everyone else is eating on Christmas Day? I know I’ve looked at what everyone else is eating for Christmas dinner.
Mexico
Mexico is a culturally diverse country that knows how to throw a party. The name of the game, especially during the Christmas season, is music, dance, and a lot of food. During the Christmas season, family and friends gather to enjoy each other’s company, with food playing an important role in the festivities. Due to the fact that each country’s Christmas celebration is unique, Mexico invites thousands of travelers each year who want to see how they celebrate this holiday. Christmas supper is traditionally served on Christmas Eve or later in Mexico, according to custom. The three fundamental Christmas dishes were bacalao (salt cod cooked in a Spanish-style tomato sauce), roast turkey with potato stuffing, and revoltijo (shrimp fritters with romeritos, a leafy green in a mole sauce).
This is the Bacalao dish.
This is roast turkey with potato stuffing.
This is the revoltijo.
Link to recipe of Bacalao:
https://www.dominicancooking.com/623/bacalao-guisado
Link to recipe of the roast turkey with potato stuffing:
https://gracefoods.com/recipe-a-z/recipe/4926-roast-turkey-with-herb-potato-stuffing
Link to recipe of revoltijo:
https://mysliceofmexico.ca/2020/03/22.revoltijo-a-tasty-jumble-of-mexican-flavours/
Japan
In Japan, Christmas has only been widely observed for a few decades. Because there aren’t many Christians in Japan, it’s still not considered a religious festival or celebration. On Christmas Day, fried chicken is a popular dish. It’s the busiest time of year for eateries like KFC, and customers may place orders ahead of time at their local fast food joint! Christmas cake is a traditional Japanese Christmas dessert; however, it is generally a sponge cake with strawberries and whipped cream rather than a dense fruit cake.
This is the fruitcake.
Link to recipe:
http://www.tasteofsouthern.com/japanese-fruitcake/
Egypt
Christians make up around 15% of Egypt’s population. They are the only people in the country that truly observe Christmas as a religious holiday. The Coptic Orthodox Church is home to the majority of Egyptian Christians, who have their own Christmas rituals.Christmas Day is celebrated on the 7th of January, rather than the 25th of December. Kiahk is the Coptic month preceding Christmas. On Saturday nights, before the Sunday Service, people sing special praise songs. Coptic Orthodox Christians observe a particular fast from the 25th of November to the 6th of January, which lasts 43 days before Christmas (Advent). They refuse to eat anything that contains animal products (including chicken, beef, milk and eggs). This is referred to as the ‘Holy Nativity Fast.’ People can be forgiven if they are too weak or unwell to fast properly. Coptic Christians attend a special liturgy or service on Coptic Christmas Eve (6 January). All of the foods include meat, eggs, and butter, as well as other delicious ingredients that were not available during the Advent fast! ‘Fattah,’ a lamb soup made with bread, rice, garlic, and boiling lamb meat, is a popular dish.
‘Fattah’.
Link to recipe:
http://cheznermine.com/2019/01/11/fattah-the-coptic-feast/
France
During the weeks leading up to Christmas, many cities in France are adorned, and children enjoy opening the 24 small windows of their Advent calendar. The practice of putting up adorned Christmas trees dates back to the 14th century in the Alsace area. Christmas lights are frequently shown in towns and cities. On Christmas Eve, children place their polished shoes in front of the fireplace in the hopes that ‘Père Nol’ (Father Christmas) will fill them with goodies. Christmas Day, December 25th, is a public holiday in which families gather for a large feast. On this day, gifts are also exchanged. Roast turkey with chestnuts or roast goose, oysters, foie gras, lobster, venison, and cheeses are all possibilities. A chocolate sponge cake log known as a bûche de Noel is traditionally served for dessert. Another tradition in some regions of France is the consumption of 13 different sweets!
This is the buche de noel.
Link to recipe:
http://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/17345/buche-de-noel/
America
Turkey or ham with cranberry sauce is the typical holiday dish for Western European households. Turkey with trimmings, kielbasa (a Polish sausage), cabbage dishes, and soups are popular among Eastern European families, whereas lasagne is popular among Italian families. Turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and vegetables are all part of a traditional Christmas supper. Other fowl, roast beef, or ham can be utilized as well. Pumpkin or apple pie, raisin pudding, Christmas pudding, or fruitcake are all popular desserts.
A classic Christmas supper.
Link to recipe:
http://hintofhelen.com/christmas-dinner-for-two-four/
There are many other countries with delicious feasts that were eaten on Christmas, but these five are on my top five list that I have to try at least once in my life. Everyone’s houses are filled with affection throughout the Christmas season, which is full with family reunions. Food, presents, and talks will all be there regardless of when or how a family celebrates. Depending on an individual’s circumstances, they may be able to attend many holiday festivities. No matter what anyone does on this special occasion, it should all be filled with lovely memories of families and friends spending time with each other. Merry Christmas everybody!
References
Clara, A. (2020, July 29). Bacalao Guisado con Papa (Codfish with Potatoes a la Dominicana). Dominican Cooking. Retrieved December 4, 2021, from https://www.dominicancooking.com/623/bacalao-guisado
Roast Turkey with Herb Potato Stuffing. (n.d.). Grace. Retrieved December 4, 2021, from https://gracefoods.com/recipe-a-z/recipe/4926-roast-turkey-with-herb-potato-stuffing
I. (2020, April 5). Revoltijo – A Tasty Jumble of Mexican Flavours. My Slice of Mexico. Retrieved December 4, 2021, from https://mysliceofmexico.ca/2020/03/22/revoltijo-a-tasty-jumble-of-mexican-flavours/
Gordon, S., & Profile, A. (2018, December 12). Japanese Fruitcake : Taste of Southern. Taste of Southern. Retrieved December 4, 2021, from https://www.tasteofsouthern.com/japanese-fruitcake/
Nermine, C. (2021, August 2). Fattah: The Coptic Feast –. Cheznermine. Retrieved November 28, 2021, from https://cheznermine.com/2019/01/11/fattah-the-coptic-feast/
Rachele, T. (1998, November 25). Buche de Noel. Allrecipes. Retrieved November 28, 2021, from https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/17345/buche-de-noel/
Helen, H. O. (2021, February 17). Christmas Dinner For Two – Four. Hint Of Helen. Retrieved November 28, 2021, from https://hintofhelen.com/christmas-dinner-for-two-four/
