Giving loved ones thoughtful gifts, spending time with family and decorating your home are all well-loved festivities around Christmas time. But no matter where you are in the world, some would say their favourite part of the festive period is the food!
Christmas Dinners brings everyone together around the table, whether you’re a traditionalist or you add your own special touches the staples of the meal usually remain the same for us brits. Succulent turkey, crispy roast potatoes, everyone's favourite pigs in blankets and maybe a bit of veg on the side, topped off with a Christmas Pud,
We’re going to tell you about some alternative Christmas dinners and how families around the world use food to indulge and celebrate their Christmas day.
Japan
Also a fan of something crispy at Christmas time, that’s where the similarities end with what people in Japan opt for. Fried chicken is a Christmas staple in Japan it all started with the famous chicken brand KFC came up with a clever advertising campaign called ‘Kentucky For Christmas.’ This lead to the increased popularity of fried chicken making an appearance at tables all across the country. It is said that families even pre-order their meals to make sure their big day is a success.
We can’t say we’d argue with them, who doesn’t love a piece of fried chicken!
Sweden
In Sweden, they prefer cold fish and meats followed by hot food and then of course dessert! The Swedish julbord (Christmas table) will usually feature a gloriously glazed Christmas ham which is given pride of place in the centre of the table, much like the way that we would display and then carveTurkey in Britain. Alongside the cold carved ham, a Swedish Christmas dinner would not be complete without meatballs, (similar to a certain store we’re all familiar with).
To whet your appetite before the meal, the Swedish will serve Glögg, a special mulled wine.
Eastern Europe
A number of Eastern European countries offer up their own interpretation of a staggering 12 dish feast which they serve on Christmas Eve. The tables of Eastern European people may be missing certain foods such as meat, eggs and milk. This is in recognition of the nativity fast which members of the Orthodox and other Eastern Catholic churches practice. Due to these observations; many pescetarian dishes will be present, alongside grain-based dishes.
Their dinners are also accompanied by cultural traditions unique to each country and even each family.
Germany
Across Germany, Christmas is celebrated with a meal which may feature one of a number of popular meats. You may see a meal based around duck, goose and even rabbit. The meat will be accompanied by varying sides such as potatoes and dumplings.
To round of the festive meal, dessert will be Stollen. A fruit bread filled with nuts, dried fruit and spices all sprinkled with snow like icing sugar is a traditional German favourite. Another famous German dessert which may also make an appearance in a number of households, gingerbread house, referred to as pfefferkuchenhaus
Whether you choose to go with a traditional British Christmas Dinner or switch it up and try something different this year, Christmas is the perfect time to indulge and spend quality time with loved ones.