Christmas feasts from around the world

Christmas is here and no festive season is complete without a good meal.

With South Africa made up of diverse cultures, one tends to forget that other countries have their own special ways of celebrating Christmas.

Eastern Europe

In the areas of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (e.g., Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania), the pre-Christmas season is a period of fasting which ends on Christmas Eve.

Breaking fast involves an elaborate and ritualised meal of twelve meatless dishes, served on Christmas Eve.

Peru

On Christmas Eve (Noche Buena), Perusian families get together to spend quality time around the turkey, stuffed with ground beef and peanuts and decorated with fresh slices of pineapple and cherries; roast potatoes and apple sauce.

The desserts include marzipan and assorted bowls with raisins, almonds and the panettone, accompanied by a cup of thick hot chocolate.

Finland

The main dish consumed during the festive season is usually a large Christmas ham, which is eaten with mustard or bread along with the other dishes.

Fish is also served, and with the ham there are also laatikot, casseroles with liver and raisins, as well as potatoes, rice, and carrots. The traditional Christmas beverage is either alcoholic or non-alcoholic mulled wine.

Canada

In Canada, Christmas dinner is similar to that of its colonial ancestor, England, as well as to its neighbour the United States.

Traditional Christmas dinner features turkey with stuffing (dressing), mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, vegetables and plum pudding for dessert.

Netherlands

A typical Dutch tradition is that of a ‘gourmet’.

This is where small groups of people sit together around a gourmet-set and use their own little frying pan to cook and season their own food in very small portions.

The host usually prepares finely chopped vegetables and different types of meats, fish and prawns/shrimps for the occasion.

Everything is accompanied by different salads, fruits and sauces. The origin of gourmet lies most likely in the former Dutch colony Indonesia.

New Zealand

New Zealanders usually enjoy roast turkey, roast vegetables, stuffing, and cranberry sauce for Christmas dinner.

Alternatively, roast ham may be offered as a main course and lamb is also very popular.

United Kingdom

Christmas dinner in the United Kingdom is usually eaten in the afternoon and usually consists of roast turkey or roast goose, sometimes with ham or, to a lesser extent, pork; roast potatoes; vegetables, stuffing; chipolatas or pigs in blankets; cranberry sauce; with desserts of Christmas pudding (or plum pudding) and brandy butter.

Japan

Believe it or not, Kentucky Fried Chicked is the Christmas meal of choice.

According to https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/strange-christmas-customs/ more than 240 000 barrels of chicken are sold in Japan on Christmas.

Germany

Germany is famed for its sugary Chrismas treats, such as gingerbread, spiced biscuits, marzipan and stollen. The main feast usually features a rich meat like roast goose or suckling pig .

Mexico

Mexicans put on a decadent feast on Christmas Eve, with a meal that includes traditional stews, fish, and a range of fruits and salads. Tamales, corn dough pastries andbuñuelos, and fritters are popular desserts.