Buzz
The holiday season is upon us! Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas filled with joy and happiness. This year, I thought it would be wonderful to explore what people around the world are enjoying for their Christmas meals. I’ll kick things off by sharing traditional dishes from various countries, and I invite you to join in by commenting with your own festive dishes. This is a great way for us to connect and learn about the unique Christmas traditions celebrated by Mytourrs! While Wikipedia served as the source for this list, there are countless online resources detailing international cuisines – take a look, as they offer fascinating insights.
10. Eastern Europe
In regions once part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (such as Poland, Ukraine, and Lithuania), a ceremonial meal featuring twelve meatless dishes is prepared for Christmas Eve (December 24th). This tradition stems from the pre-Christmas fasting period, which concludes on Christmas Day. Reflecting Slavic customs, families go to great lengths to honor their ancestors, often setting a place at the table and serving food in their memory.
In the Czech Republic, a classic Christmas dinner features fried carp paired with potato salad. This custom began during the Baroque period, following a significant rise in fishpond farming. Additionally, many families bake an assortment of festive cookies to share with holiday guests. These treats are prepared weeks in advance, often requiring intricate decoration, with leftovers frequently used as ornaments on Christmas trees.
9. Peru
On Christmas Eve, known as Noche Buena, families gather for a lavish feast centered around a turkey stuffed with ground beef and peanuts, garnished with pineapple and cherries. The meal includes roast potatoes, apple sauce, and desserts like marzipan, raisins, almonds, and panettone, served with rich hot chocolate. At midnight, the family toasts, exchanges warm wishes, and places the Child Jesus in the Nativity scene. The evening continues with everyone singing Christmas carols around the dining table.
8. Finland
In Finland, the traditional Christmas feast is known as Joulupöytä, meaning 'Christmas table,' resembling the Swedish smörgåsbord. It features a variety of seasonal dishes, with the centerpiece being a large Christmas ham served with mustard or bread. The spread also includes fish dishes like lutefisk and gravlax, alongside casseroles (laatikot) made with liver, raisins, potatoes, rice, and carrots. The festive drink of choice is glögi, a mulled wine available in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions.
7. Canada
In English-speaking Canada, Christmas dinner closely mirrors the traditions of England and the United States. The meal typically includes roast turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, vegetables, and plum pudding for dessert. Eggnog, a creamy punch often spiked with alcohol, is a holiday favorite. Additionally, butter tarts and shortbread are baked in advance and enjoyed during gatherings, parties, and on Christmas Day itself.
Many ethnic communities maintain their ancestral traditions during Christmas. For instance, Ukrainian Canadian families might prepare a festive meal of twelve meatless dishes or incorporate perogies into a more Western-style dinner. In French Canadian households, Christmas customs often reflect those of France.
6. Denmark
In Denmark, the traditional Christmas dinner on December 24th features roasted pork, goose, or duck, accompanied by potatoes, red cabbage, and generous amounts of gravy. The meal concludes with rice pudding, which often contains a hidden almond. The person who finds the almond receives a special gift known as the almond present. Popular holiday beverages include Gløgg and seasonal Christmas beers, which are brewed specifically for the occasion and typically have a high alcohol content.
5. Netherlands
In The Netherlands, Christmas dinner traditions stand out from those of neighboring countries. A unique Dutch custom is 'gourmet,' an all-evening affair where small groups gather around a gourmet-set, using individual mini frying pans to cook and season tiny portions of food. The host provides finely chopped vegetables, assorted meats, fish, and shrimp, complemented by salads, fruits, and sauces. This tradition likely originated in Indonesia, a former Dutch colony.
The Dutch also savor more conventional Christmas meals, such as roast beef, duck, rabbit, pheasant, or glazed ham, typically served with a variety of vegetables, potatoes, and salads. In recent years, Anglo-Saxon traditions, particularly the UK-style turkey, have gained popularity. Pictured above is the Dutch depiction of Santa Claus.
4. France
In France and other French-speaking regions, a réveillon is an elaborate dinner or celebration held on the nights before Christmas and New Year’s Day. The term derives from 'réveil,' meaning 'waking,' as attendees stay awake past midnight. The feast often includes delicacies like foie gras, oysters, smoked salmon, lobster, and roasted duck, goose, or turkey with chestnuts and stuffing. Dessert typically features 'La Buche de Noel,' a log-shaped cream cake available in flavors like chocolate and hazelnut. Champagne is the drink of choice. In Provence, the tradition of serving 13 desserts is observed, featuring items such as pompe à l’huile and dates.
3. United States of America
In the United States, many Christmas traditions are borrowed from the UK, with influences from other European countries as well. The holiday meal often includes staples like cranberry sauce, turkey, stuffing, corn, squash, and green beans. Desserts vary based on cultural heritage but may include pumpkin pie, marzipan, pfeffernusse, sugar cookies, panettone, fruitcake, apple pie, carrot cake, oreo pie, or mince pie. Ham or roast beef is sometimes served as an alternative to turkey, especially since turkey is central to Thanksgiving.
Regional variations abound: Hawaii serves turkey teriyaki, Virginia offers oysters and ham pie, and the Upper Midwest features Scandinavian-inspired dishes like lutefisk and mashed rutabaga or turnip. In the Southwest, particularly New Mexico, a traditional Christmas dinner might include posole, tamales, empanaditas, and biscochitos.
This article is licensed under the GFDL because it contains verbatim quotes from the Wikipedia article Christmas Dinner.
2. United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries, Christmas dinner is typically enjoyed in the afternoon. The meal often features roast turkey or goose (with duck as an alternative for smaller gatherings), sometimes accompanied by ham or pork. Side dishes include roast potatoes, boiled or steamed vegetables like brussels sprouts, stuffing, chipolatas or pigs in blankets, and cranberry sauce. Dessert is usually Christmas pudding or plum pudding served with brandy butter.
In England, the tradition of serving turkey as the main course developed over centuries. During medieval times, the feast centered around peacock or boar, with the latter being more common. The turkey, introduced to Britain by French Jesuits, became the preferred choice by the 18th century.
A popular tradition in the United Kingdom involves the turkey’s wishbone. Two individuals pull on opposite ends until it snaps, and the one with the larger piece makes a wish. The dessert for a British Christmas dinner is almost invariably Christmas pudding, though mince pies, Christmas cake, or a Yule log may also be served.
1. New Zealand
New Zealand’s Christmas traditions closely mirror those of the United Kingdom, owing to its history as a British colony and the strong cultural ties between the two nations. The Christmas meal typically includes roast turkey, roasted vegetables, stuffing (or dressing), and cranberry sauce. Roast ham or lamb are also popular alternatives.
One notable difference from British traditions is the absence of goose, as it is not farmed in New Zealand and imports are restricted. Desserts are usually mince pies or Christmas pudding with brandy butter, reflecting British heritage. Non-British festive foods like German stollen, French Bûche de Noël, and Italian panettone were rare until the late 1990s and remain uncommon. Given New Zealand’s summer Christmas, barbecues and seasonal fruits like cherries and strawberries are also enjoyed. Pictured above is a Pavlova, a meringue-based dessert often served during Christmas and year-round.
