Christmas dinner

Christmas dinneris a meal traditionally eaten atChristmas. This meal can take place any time from the evening ofChristmas Eveto the evening of Christmas Day itself.The meals are often particularly rich and substantial, in the tradition of the Christianfeast daycelebration, and form a significant part of gatherings held to celebrate the arrival ofChristmastide.In many cases, there is a ritual element to the meal related to the religious celebration, such as the saying ofgrace.
The actual meal consumed varies in different parts of the world withregional cuisinesand local traditions. In many parts of the world, particularlyformer British colonies, the meal shares some connection with the English Christmas dinner involving roasted meats andpuddingof some description. TheChristmas puddingandChristmas cakeevolved from this tradition.
In countries without a lengthy Christian tradition, the Christmas meal may be more heavily influenced by popular culture. An example of this isJapan, where aKFCtakeaway meal is traditionally consumed.
Indian people cook a variety of foods, includingbiryaniwith chicken or mutton, chicken and mutton curry, followed by cake orsweetslikekheer.Long established Christian communities such asGoan Catholicshave pork dishes and beef dishes as part of their main course of their Christmas dinner. These include porkvindalooandsarapatel. For dessert, a dish calledbebincais popular.The largest Christian community in India,Keralites, celebrate Christmas with midnight mass, Christmas carols and food. The Christmas celebration begins on Christmas Eve. Churches are decorated, Christmas trees and bigger Christmas stars from youth groups are the biggest attractions in Kerala. PorkVindaloo, BeefStew, and Mappas are the common dishes served for Christmas dinner. Keralites people go from home to home to celebrate and dance during carol time. All Keralites—includingHindusandMuslims—celebrate Christmas and share sweets and gifts and participate in carols and town celebrations.Plum cake is a famous dessert in Kerala and family come together and cut the cake after the midnight mass, the cutting of plum cakes after Christmas mass is treated as a tradition in Kerala. Occasionally, wines commonly made from grapes as well as pineapples,gooseberriesor other fruit, are consumed.
JapaneseChristmas cake, a white sponge cake covered with cream and decorated with strawberries, is often consumed, andStollencake, made locally, is widely available. A successful advertising campaign in the 1970s made eating atKFCaround Christmas a national custom. Its chicken meals are so popular during the season that stores take reservations months in advance.
Lebanese Christians celebrate Christmas dinners. The feast, usually on the night of the 24th and lunch on the 25th, is a big one. The family gets together at both meals, and some have the leftovers from the dinner prior to the lunch the next day. The traditional offering for Christmas is sugar-coated almonds.  Roast turkey is the most common choice of meal.Roasted duck, Lebanese salad (Tabbouleh) and pastries such as honey cake are common. Beirut celebrates Christmas by conducting glamorous and big Christmas parties. Western-style poinsettias, community Christmas trees, and Christmas lights are very popular.
Christmas dinner in thePhilippinesis calledNoche Buenafollowing Hispanic custom, and is held towards midnight of 24 December. This usually comes after the entire family has attended the late evening Mass called theMisa de Gallo("Mass of the Rooster"). The centerpiece of theNoche Buenais often thehamón, which is usually a cured leg ofpork. This is usually served withqueso de bola, literally a ball ofedamcheese covered in red wax. Other ubiquitous dishes are pasta and, for dessert, fruit salad. The dinner would usually be accompanied bytsokolateor hot cocoa, made with pure, locally growncacao beans. Some families prefertsokolateprepared fromtableaor pressed cocoa powder tablets that are either pure or slightly sweetened. Most of the foods served on Noche Buena are fresh and usually prepared the day of Christmas Eve.Middle-class and affluent families tend to prepare sumptuous feasts. Less well-off families would opt for a more economicalNoche Buena; the organising of even a simple gathering despite financial difficulties reflects the paramount importance inFilipinoculture of familial (and, by extension, communal) unity.
Common traditional dishes served for the main course in the noche buena include:lechón, various types ofpancit(noodles),Filipino spaghetti,hamonado,jamón,queso de bola,morcón,embutido,chicken galantina,almondigas(meatballs),paelya(arroz valenciana,bringhe, etc.),lumpia,menudo,mechado,caldereta,callos,chicken pastel,relyenongbangús(stuffed milkfish),lengua estofado,adobo, and various types of barbecue (inihaw). Almost all of these dishes are eaten with white rice. Desserts and side dishes includeúbe halayá,turon,leche flan,macaroni salad,membrilyo,fruit salad,buko salad,crema de fruta,ensaymada,champorado,mango float,fruitcake,castañas(roasted chestnuts), and various otherkakanin(rice cakes) likeputo bumbong,bibingka,suman,biko,   andsapin-sapin. Popular beverages aretsokolateas well as coffee,soda, wine, beer, alcoholic drinks, and fruit juices.
This focus on the family is common to all Filipino socio-economic classes and ethnic groups that observe Christmas. Most – if not all – members from the branches or extended families in a clan are expected to partake of theNoche Buena. Relatives living abroad, especiallyOFWs, are highly encouraged to return home for the occasion, as it is the most important Filipino Christian holiday of the year. Most families prefer to exchange Christmas presents right after dinner, contrary to the Western custom of opening presents on Christmas morning.
InAustria,Christmas Eveis the celebration of the end of the pre-Christmas fast. Christmas is usually celebrated only by Christians. Christmas Eve is historically the day that the tree is decorated and lit with real candles, so that theChristkindlmay visit. Christmas Day is a national holiday in Austria and most Austrians spend the day feasting with their family. Fried carp,Sachertorte, and Christmas biscuits (Lebkuchenand Weihnachtssterne) are eaten, as are many other chocolate delicacies including edible Christmas ornaments.Christmas dinner is usuallygoose,hamserved withGluhwein,Rumpunsch, andchocolate mousse.
A traditional Christmas meal in the Czech Republic isfried carpandpotato saladwhich are eaten during Christmas dinner on the evening of 24 December.It is often accompanied by afish soupprepared from carp leftovers (head or bones), a traditional Czech mushroom dish Kuba or Černá omáčka ("Black sauce") made from dried fruits, nuts, wine and gingerbread. Many households also prepare a great variety of unique Christmasbiscuitsto offer to visitors. These are prepared many days before the feast and take a long time to decorate. It is also common to hang for children wrapped chocolate sweets on the Christmas tree as decoration.
In Denmark, the traditional Christmas meal served on 24 December consists, according to one representative study, ofduck(66% of households surveyed), roast pork withcrackling(43%),turkey(8%), orgoose(7%). The figures total more than 100% because it was found that some families prepare more than one kind of meat for Christmas dinner.The meat is served with boiled potatoes (some of which are caramelized, some roasted), red cabbage, and gravy. The main course is followed by a dessert ofRisalamande, rice pudding served with cherry sauce or strawberry sauce, often with a whole almond hidden inside. The lucky finder of the almond is entitled to an extra present, the almond gift. Christmas drinks areGløgg(mulled wine) and traditional Christmas beers, specially brewed for the season and which usually have a high alcohol content.
Joulupöytä(translated "Christmas table") is the name of the traditional food board served at Christmas in Finland, similar to the Swedishsmörgåsbord. It contains many different dishes, most of them typical for the season. The main dish is usually a large Christmas ham, which is eaten withmustardor bread along with the other dishes.Fish is also served (oftenlutefiskandgravlaxorsmoked salmon), and with the ham there are also different casseroles usually with potatoes, rutabaga (swedes), or carrots. The traditional Christmas beverage ismulled wine(glögiin Finnish), which may be either alcoholic or non-alcoholic.
InGermany, the primary Christmas dishes are roast goose and roast carp, althoughsuckling pig, duck, or venison may also be served. Typical side dishes include roast potatoes and various forms of cabbage such askale,Brussels sprouts, andred cabbage. In some regions, the Christmas dinner is traditionally served on Christmas Day rather than Christmas Eve. In this case, dinner on Christmas Eve is a simpler affair, consisting of sausages (such asBockwurstorWiener) andpotato salad. Sweets and Christmas pastries are all but obligatory and includemarzipan, gingerbread (Lebkuchen), several types of bread, and various fruitcakes and fruited loaves of bread such asChriststollenand Dresdener Stollen.
In Italy, the Christmas Eve meal is usually calledcenone(lit.'big dinner').The culinary tradition is polarized between Northern and Southern Italy.According to tradition, the Christmas Eve dinner must not contain meat. A popular Christmas Day dish inNaplesand inSouthern Italyis female eel orcapitone. A traditional Christmas Day dish fromNorthern Italyiscapon(gelded chicken).Abbacchiois more common inCentral Italy.The Christmas Day dinner traditionally consists by typical Italian Christmas dishes, such asagnolini,cappelletti,Pavese agnolotti,pandoro,panettone,torrone,panforte,struffoli,mustacciuoli,bisciola,cavallucci,veneziana,pizzelle,zelten, or others, depending on the regional cuisine.Christmas on 25 December is celebrated with a family lunch, also consisting of different types of pasta and meat dishes, cheese and local sweets. Panettone is also popular in several other countries.
Traditionally inPortugal, the family gets together around the table on Christmas Eve to eat boiled dried-salted cod accompanied with boiled cabbage or greens varying with what they have in the garden leftover, boiled potatoes, boiled onions, boiled eggs, and chickpeas. Sometimes a simple dressing is made with onions, garlic, or parsley. This meal is accompanied by generous amounts ofolive oil.
There are variations across the country and, traditionally, turkeyand the famous Portuguesebacalhau. A lot of reasons also have octopus (sometimes also pork in some regions) is served for lunch on the 25th.
In Spanish, Christmas Eve is called "Nochebuena,"literally translated as "Good Night." In Spain, it is celebrated with a large family feast, which is eaten late in the evening and can last a couple of hours; some families attend midnight mass before or after the meal. In Spain, Christmas Eve is a time for celebrating in neighbourhood bars and cafes and around the table with family and friends. It is a time for gift exchanges or Santa Claus. However, it is mainly performed on Epiphany, which occurs on 6 January.
In medievalCatalan cuisine, poultry was served for Christmas dinner, and other dishes withsalsa de pagowere followed by a course of lamb and bacon stew. The last course wasformatge torrador(similar toprovoletain modernArgentinian cuisine),neulaandclarea(also called "whitesangria", similar tohippocras).
The Swedish Christmas dinner orJulbordoften consists of five or more courses. The first three courses are a variety of fish, usually different types ofpickled herringand salmon, smoked salmon, eaten with boiled potatoes orcrisp breadandlutfisk. The fourth is cold cuts of meat, with theChristmas hambeing the most important. Smoked sausages, brawn, apple sauce, andleverpastejare also common. The fifth course consists of warm dishes such asmeatballs, small fried sausages andJanssons frestelse. Finally, a cheese plate and dessert plate are served. The most popular dessert isrice pudding(risgrynsgröt) with a whole almond hidden inside. The finder of the almond is expected to get married before next Christmas. In some homes, the courses above are served like a buffet where all family members can pick and take the food in no dish order.
Common drinks are Christmas beer,julmustand snaps.
Christmas dinner in theUnited Kingdomusually consists of roasted turkey,stuffing,gravy,Yorkshire puddings,pigs in blankets,bread sauce,cranberry sauce,roast potatoes;vegetables(particularlyBrussels sprouts,broccoli,carrots, andparsnips) with dessert ofChristmas pudding,mince pies(both served withbrandy butter, custard or cream) ortrifle.
In 2021, it was estimated that nine million turkeys were consumed at Christmas in the United Kingdom. This represented a halving of consumed turkeys since 1996, as younger adults opt for alternatives.Pork, beef, chicken, goose, and duck are also popular.
InEngland, throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, goose or capon was commonly served, and the rich sometimes dined uponpeacockandswan.Theturkeyappeared on Christmas tables in England in the 16th century.The 16th-century farmerThomas Tussernoted that by 1573 turkeys were commonly served at English Christmas dinners.The tradition of turkey at Christmas rapidly spread throughout England in the 17th century,and it also became common to servegoosewhich remained the predominant roast until theVictorian era.(It was common for Goose "Clubs" to be set up, allowing working-class families to save up over the year towards a goose before this.) A famous English Christmas dinner scene appears inCharles Dickens'A Christmas Carol(1843), whereScroogesendsBob Cratchitta large turkey.The pudding course of a British Christmas dinner may often beChristmas pudding,which dates from medieval England.Trifle,mince pies,Christmas cakeor ayule logare also popular.By the 21st century, some British citizens were changing their Christmas dinner traditions with a growing number selecting vegetarian and vegan versions of traditional UK Christmas meals.
In English-speaking Canada, Christmas dinner is similar to that of Britain. Traditional Christmas dinner features turkeywith stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and vegetables. Other types of poultry,roast beef, or ham, are also used. Pumpkin or apple pie, raisin pudding, Christmas pudding, or fruitcake are staples for dessert.Eggnog, a milk-based punch often infused with alcohol, is also popular around the holiday season. Other Christmas items include Christmas cookies,butter tarts, andshortbread, which are traditionally baked before the holidays and served to visiting friends at Christmas and New Year parties, as well as on Christmas Day.
In French-speaking Canada, traditions may be more like those of France. (SeeRéveillon.) Other ethnic communities may continue to use old-world traditions as well.
Christmas traditions in the United States have eclectic origins. Traditions from the United Kingdom are kept in most states, with others celebrated as well, due to many years of influence fromEurope(Spain, Scandinavia,  Italy, France, the Netherlands, Germany, etc.) and more recent influences from people of Latin American and Caribbean origin in states such asFlorida.Therefore, the substrate of the meal usually is British in origin: roasted root vegetables as a side dish, mashed potatoes, gravy, and the centerpiece being a stuffed roasted fowl (pheasant, goose, duck, or turkey) or an expensive cut of roasted beef orbeef Wellington. In the South, an area that has a very high concentration of people of UK extraction from centuries past, Christmas is the time of year in which many variations on acountry hamorChristmas hamget served. This is an older British tradition that would predate the Victorian tradition of Dickens and his turkey and go back into medieval England, brought by poorer classes who could not afford the turkey that was fashionable among wealthier men in theStuart era.Cookies of many kinds have been present in America for hundreds of years and often are eithergingerbread,snickerdoodles, orsugar cookiesbaked throughout December and fashioned into many shapes and figures.
Fruitcakeis similar to the traditional British Christmas pudding; however, it serves more as a national joke, often lampooned as an unwanted Christmas gift.The comicJohnny Carsononce quipped, "The worst Christmas gift is fruitcake… There is only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other, year after year."Many foreigners are skeptical of this fact, but indeed there is some truth to it:Manitou Springs, Colorado, holds an annual event in which unwanted fruitcakes are tossed in a contest to see who can throw the "gift" the farthest, with the locals building trebuchets and contraptions that are forbidden to have an electric motor.An elderly gentleman fromTecumseh, Michiganonce made national news when he presented his countryman with the fact that he still had a fruitcake his great-grandmother baked in 1878, and thus was over 130 years old. As of 2018, the same fruitcake is believed to be still at large in the care of one of his grandchildren, proving Mr. Carson had a point.
Alcohol and cocktails (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) of all kinds are staples for both Christmas parties and family gatherings, where harder drinking is done amongst adults and youngsters usually get served soft drinks or a non-alcoholic version of what their parents drink, drinks like theShirley Temple.A typical menu would include any combination ofplanter's punch,Kentucky bourbonand the cocktails that can be made from it, wines fromCalifornia,Washington,Virginia, orNew Yorkof many varying vintages meant to complement the meal prepared by the host,Proseccofrom Italy, hard cider from New England and California,wassail, Puerto Rican or Jamaicanrum,champagneand other domestic sparkling white wines, and for individual cocktails the alcoholic version ofeggnog, thepoinsettia, and the Puerto Ricancoquito, a cocktail composed of large amounts of coconut milk and rum.
West of the Mississippi, Mexicans have had a great influence over the way the meal is prepared, including roasting corn in its husk and serving biscochitos.
Further regional meals offer diversity.Virginiahasoysters, ham pie, and fluffy biscuits, a nod to its English 17th-century founders. The Upper Midwest includes dishes from predominantly Scandinavian backgrounds such aslutefiskand mashedrutabagaor turnip. In theLowcountryregion,riceis often served instead of potatoes, and on theGulf Coast,shrimpand other seafood are usual appetizers, andCharlotte Russechilled in a bed of Lady Fingers (called just Charlotte) is a traditional dessert, along with pumpkin and pecan pies.In some rural areas, game meats likeelkorquailmay grace the table, often prepared with old recipes: similar foodstuffs likely graced the tables of early American settlers on their first Christmases.
AnItalian Americanmeal forChristmas Evecan be theFeast of the Seven Fishes,Panettoneandstruffoliare favored desserts in such cases.
It is a common tradition among manyJewish Americans to eat American Chinese foodon Christmas because these are often the only establishments open on the holiday in many cities.
Christmas dinner, although eaten at lunch time, in Australia is based on the traditional English versions.However, due to Christmas falling in the heat of the Southern Hemisphere's summer, meats such as ham, turkey andchickenare sometimes served cold withcranberry sauce, accompanied by side salads or roast vegetables. Barbecues are also a popular way of avoiding the heat of the oven. Seafood such asprawns,lobster,oystersandcrayfishare common, as are barbecued cuts of steak or chicken breasts, drumsticks and wings. In summer, Australians are also fond ofpavlova, a dessert composed of fruit such asstrawberries,kiwifruitandpassionfruitatop a baked meringue, with whipped cream.Trifleis also a favourite in Australia at Christmas time. Fresh fruits of the season includecherriesandmangoes, plums, nectarine and peaches.
Introduced byItalian Australians,panettoneis widely available in shops, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne.
In Brazil, the Christmas meal is quite a feast, (served in the evening on 24 December) offering large quantities of food, such as a wide variety of dishes which include roast turkey, fresh vegetables, luscious fruitsandBrazil nuts. Accompanying these are bowls of colorful rice and platters filled with ham and fresh salad (sometimes cold potato salad is also served). Also, some parts of Brazil feature roast pork or chicken. Red wine, white wine, and apple cider are common alcoholic beverages. Other Christmas items include a variety of desserts such aslemon tart, nuts pie,chocolate cakeand alsoPanettone.
On Christmas Eve (Noche Buena), the extended family join for a dinner of roastturkeyand white rice seasoned with garlic.Roast potatoesand cooked sweetened apple puree are often served as well. The main dessert ispanettone. It is usually accompanied by a cup of thickhot chocolate. Less common desserts include a specialmarzipanmade out ofBrazil nuts(due to the scarcity and expense of almonds in Peru) and assorted bowls with raisins and peanuts. At midnight, atoastis made, and good wishes and hugs are exchanged. A designated person runs to putChild Jesusin theNativity scene. Then, the family members take their seats in the dining room while singing ChristmasCarols.
In Uruguay, Christmas dinner is served on Christmas Eve. The holiday is celebrated with a large family feast, where traditionallyasadoand other dishes such asvitello tonnatoare eaten, along with salads, such asOlivier salad.However, the consumption ofpicada—a fusion of Italianantipastoand Spanishtapas— on Christmas Eve and ofasadoat Christmas lunch on the 25th has become widespread.For dessert,panettoneandturrónare eaten, which were introduced toUruguayan cuisinebySpanishandItalian immigrantsin the 19th and 20th centuries.
At midnight, a toast is made with champagne or cider.