Christmas meals vary around the world, with fish dishes being popular in Italy and Spain, roasted meat in Europe, pizza and fried chicken in Japan, and diverse influences in America depending on region and ancestry.
Christmas is known around the world as an occasion for gathering, celebration and partying. For centuries, the variety and effort put into fantastic Christmas meals has been a reason to polish silver, smooth tablecloth, and crack good china. Popular Christmas staples vary throughout history and by region, but each may have a significant association with the season or the people enjoying the meal.
In Italy, Christmas main courses often consist of fish dishes such as calamari or fish. Typically served with pasta or risotto, hearty plates of sea food can make for delicious sit-down or buffet-style meals. Some Italians also prefer to celebrate a festive meal centered around fish on Christmas Eve, where seven different kinds of seafood are eaten to represent the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church.
Christmas main courses also include fish and shellfish in Spain, where a delicious stew called paella can feed a large crowd by making use of local seafood delicacies. Served with warm bread, paella can be served as a first course, with more traditional roasted meats making up a second course of heavier foods. A second Christmas main course in Spain is roast turkey stuffed with truffles. Spanish Christmas dinners are unique in that they are often held after midnight on December 25th, to celebrate the arrival of the holiday in style.
Roasted meat makes up the majority of Christmas main courses throughout Europe, although the preferred animal can vary. The goose is traditional in England, its popularity probably due to the loving description of the roast goose in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. When goose is not available or preferred, roast turkey, duck, lamb or even chicken can be substituted.
In Japan, where Christmas is often a less important holiday than New Year’s, some families use the holiday as an excuse for retreat. Pizza and fried chicken are popular Christmas dishes that are hugely popular in parts of the country, while roasted chicken is also sometimes enjoyed. More popular in Japan is the traditional Christmas cake, a highly decorated store-bought cake that could be the centerpiece of any Christmas celebration.
Christmas dishes in America have influences from all over the world, depending on region, ancestry and family traditions. Many families with Mexican or Latino ancestry enjoy spicy and flavorful stews for dinner, while folks on the East Coast reminisce about colonial roots as they feast on oyster-stuffed turkey. Ham is popular in the South, while the large vegetarian population in the United States often enjoys alternative roast meats or large pasta dishes.
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