Holidays food traditions?
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Francl27
Posts: 26,372 Member
With all that talk about Thanksgiving food, I'm curious.
What's the typical food of choice for Holidays in other countries? Heck, I'm curious about what Americans eat for Christmas too...
When I grew up (France) the only big Holiday meals we had was Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, and we usually had smoked salmon and oysters as an appetizer, then some kind of bird (turkey, goose), sometimes something like boar, with random sides I can't remember, then cheese and bread, then dessert - always some kind of Yule log for Christmas and my mom was making 'charlottes' (some dessert made with lady fingers and fromage blanc mixed with fruit or chestnut cream) for New Year's Eve.
I've been trying to keep the tradition here with the Yule log (I used to buy it, but I made one last year and will probably make another one this year).
What do you all do?
What's the typical food of choice for Holidays in other countries? Heck, I'm curious about what Americans eat for Christmas too...
When I grew up (France) the only big Holiday meals we had was Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, and we usually had smoked salmon and oysters as an appetizer, then some kind of bird (turkey, goose), sometimes something like boar, with random sides I can't remember, then cheese and bread, then dessert - always some kind of Yule log for Christmas and my mom was making 'charlottes' (some dessert made with lady fingers and fromage blanc mixed with fruit or chestnut cream) for New Year's Eve.
I've been trying to keep the tradition here with the Yule log (I used to buy it, but I made one last year and will probably make another one this year).
What do you all do?
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Nothing happens Christmas Eve for my family (in England) but Christmas day itself is usually big. We start off for breakfast with either finger food (mini sausage rolls, smoked salmon, mini sausages etc) or a full English breakfast - it varies by year. Then dinner isn't for a few hours. That's turkey, stuffing, vegetables, pigs-in-blankets, roast potatoes, yorkshire puddings, etc. Alcohol too. Pudding is obviously Christmas pudding! With custard and brandy butter. Boxing day is just as big, which is where the UK varies from most European countries, though I hear some former colonies of Britain still do Boxing Day. We always have roast pork, with the leftover vegetables, roast potatoes etc from the day before. Pudding is a Dutch pudding called Hangop. My sister found it online a few years ago and we've had that every year on boxing day since. It's light and doesn't bloat you! Plus, naturally, more alcohol.
I don't tend to eat much on New Year's as I visit family friends and go out to the pub to drink the new year in.
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Living in New Mexico, for Christmas Eve we do an "open house" where friends, neighbors, family, etc stop by and say hi...some stay longer and others just pop in and out. We always have good homemade red chile posole to serve up as well as tamales, tortillas, etc...and lots of wine. We learned this local tradition when we moved here and it stuck...when I was a kid, we did similar at my grandparents house but the food was different being in Northern Colorado and they being German. We'll be traveling to the East Coast this year though.
For Christmas day, I usually do a rib roast. If we're having Christmas at my mother and father in law who are British, we have a Turkey. Going East this year to visit my sister and brother in law and the niece and nephew...he usually does a rib roast as well.
Easter means we're on Spring Break so we're often not home to celebrate, but if we are we usually go to my mom's for ham and then go fly kites in the park weather permitting.
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Christmas Eve my family and I always go out for dinner, usually steaks, then when we were little we'd come home, set up our stockings and milk and biscuits for Father Christmas, then a Christmassy film and bed. Now it's more go out to eat, then chill out at home with a few drinks.
Christmas Day we have something 'naughty' for breakfast, either pancakes, pastries or sausage and egg sandwiches. We eat lunch about 2-3 which is usually chicken/turkey/duck, with roast potatoes, carrots and parsnips, swede mash, brussel sprouts, pigs-in-blankets, stuffing and gravy. We have Christmas pudding or caramel sponge, and maybe some cold snacky bits late in the evening like sausage rolls, cheese & crackers etc. We also get through a heck of a lot of chocolate, mince pies and stollen.
Boxing Day is leftovers galore!
New Year's I'm usually out with friends, and Easter isn't a big deal to us, besides a big roast, Simnel cake, and chocolate.0 -
We have the standard "American Thanksgiving." Turkey, mashed potatoes, candied yams, green bean casserole, corn, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.0
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cwolfman13 wrote: »Living in New Mexico, for Christmas Eve we do an "open house" where friends, neighbors, family, etc stop by and say hi...some stay longer and others just pop in and out. We always have good homemade red chile posole to serve up as well as tamales, tortillas, etc...and lots of wine. We learned this local tradition when we moved here and it stuck...when I was a kid, we did similar at my grandparents house but the food was different being in Northern Colorado and they being German. We'll be traveling to the East Coast this year though.
HEY I'm in NM too! We also do the traditional Christmas Eve posole, red/pork tamales, maybe some green/chicken tamales if we're feeling ambitious, tortillas, biscochitos, etc. The best!0 -
My birthday is Christmas Eve so my parents usually made an effort when I was a kid to distance it from Christmas and let me have whatever I wanted. I usually picked brunch and we would just have a light dinner.
My mom always did turkey when I was little for Christmas Day with mashed potatoes, stuffing, a salad, some simply cooked vegetables, and pumpkin pie, but we have a small family and have never been elaborate with our holiday dinners, so that's about it.
I don't do much for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day anymore. My parents generally go on holiday for Christmas and sometimes my husband and I do too. If we're home, we'll have dinner with his father, stepmother, sister, and grandmother, but they also do things pretty simply. No casseroles or variety of desserts or anything like that, just a normal-sized meal except for with a small turkey.
I do cook a traditional Thanksgiving dinner most years, though, for my parents, husband, and mother- and sister-in-law.
I guess we're boring, but we're just not big celebrators, especially with food...unless you count the Baileys and coffee I pretty much mainline on my birthday while I sit on the couch with a book. That's my one concession to holiday indulgence because I can't really justify it any other time of year.0 -
Depending on whose turn it is this year, someone will usually pick up a traditional Thanksgiving meal from Pappas or some other place.
For Christmas, I help my mom cook tamales. I think we had lasagna last year. My dad makes some pancakes I don't like Christmas morning.
The family doesn't do anything together for New Years.
Aside from the tamales, I don't cook any meals or sides. My sister and I are in charge of appetizers and I like to bake a dessert or two.0 -
I am half Danish & Christmas Eve is the big celebration time for Danes
my mormor does stuff like turkey stuffed with prunes & apples,boiled potatoes,sugared potatoes (its literally small potatoes caramelized in sugar), red cabbage, gravy,homemade buns,some kind of homemade cranberry thing,corn and for dessert its Risalmande which is a special really heavy rice pudding that you put a cherry sauce on top of.
Boxing day is Danish Christmas Lunch which is various types of sil (pickled herring) on rye bread (never eat none rye bread at a danish gathering noooooo), different kinds of salads,frikadeller which are danish style meatballs that you eat on top of rye bread with pickles and red cabbage. Danish cheeses eaten on rye , umm eggs and oysters and tomatos , all kinds of danish cookies ,chocolates & homemade marzipans. Everyone gets drunk on danish liquor its called schnaps . Since im vegan i eat different variations on this stuff but yea i grew up with all this
umm yea i also have Canadian Christmas tofurky, mashed potatoes,gravy,stuffing,vegan mac&cheese,squash,corn,buns,brownies, nainamo bars,apple crisp ,chips & dip , snacks
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We air our grievances during dinner (topics such as religion, politics and who is dressed inappropriate), pole dance and then one special person is chosen to test their strengths such as wrestling, tickling fighting (I always lose in that one), darts, board games (my grandmother cheats) and staring/laughing contest (kids love that one).0
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In our family we have Chinese food and watch The Christmas story just with our kids on Christmas eve. Then we have the whole family over for brunch on Christmas morning that usually has a large ham, quiche, roasted potatoes,fruit salad and a bunch of pastry type items on Christmas morning.0
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Thanksgiving is very traditional, though small for 2-3 people. Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, another vegetable, cranberries, and then pumpkin pie (bought from the butcher shop/bakery our town's German Baptist population helps run) and my mom's date pudding.
Christmas is a bit more lax...ham, potatoes, vegetable, and then Christmas dessert...whipping cream, powdered sugar, pineapple, walnuts, and marshmallows mixed together and chilled outside provided it's cold enough.
New Year's Eve we make nachos usually, with stadium-style cheese that Kroger sells here. New Year's Day, either sausage or pork chops, sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes.0 -
Here in Australia ...
Halloween ... minimal and easily ignorable.
Thanksgiving ... doesn't exist.
Christmas ... I like to have a bit of Halva (that's a tradition handed down by my great grandfather), and possibly a variety of small chocolates, and the occasional mince tart in the days surrounding Christmas. Nothing overboard, just a little. We've already started on the mince tarts.
In Canada ... lots of mandarin oranges. Here in Australia ... lots of cherries and mangoes, especially, but other fruit as well.
Then there is one big meal, and the day it has been on depends on what else is happening with the family, but usually Christmas Day, with the option of having something on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day.
In Canada it was always turkey, and is most of the time here too, but here there's a chance that seafood might make an appearance. But it is usually the turkey, salads, potatoes and several other veg. Desert will be things like Christmas pudding and/or pavlova and/or mince tarts. In Canada there were sometimes things like date squares and mint Nanaimo bars, but those aren't popular here.
Then there might be turkey sandwiches and other leftovers the next day or two or three.
And there are usually bicycle rides and splashing at the beach.
New Years Eve ... nothing special. Restaurants are usually booked out and also raise their prices so there's no point trying to go out. But the Christmas pudding may have gone on special after Christmas, so we might have some of that.
I like to get a bicycle ride in on New Years Eve and then again on New Year's Day. Good way to end and start the years. And fireworks, of course. And if New Year's Day is hot ... the beach.
Australia Day - Jan 26 ... lots of people have BBQs and things, or maybe make a long weekend of it and go away. And again, bicycle rides and beaches.
Same with the Royal Hobart Regatta Day - Feb 8, Labour Day - March 14, and Anzac Day - April 25.
Easter ... usually quite a long weekend (5 days), so we usually go away. Nothing particularly special is eaten, except maybe 1 or 2 Cadbury Easter Eggs.
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Here in Australia ...
Halloween ... minimal and easily ignorable.
Thanksgiving ... doesn't exist.
Christmas ... I like to have a bit of Halva (that's a tradition handed down by my great grandfather), and possibly a variety of small chocolates, and the occasional mince tart in the days surrounding Christmas. Nothing overboard, just a little. We've already started on the mince tarts.
In Canada ... lots of mandarin oranges. Here in Australia ... lots of cherries and mangoes, especially, but other fruit as well.
Then there is one big meal, and the day it has been on depends on what else is happening with the family, but usually Christmas Day, with the option of having something on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day.
In Canada it was always turkey, and is most of the time here too, but here there's a chance that seafood might make an appearance. But it is usually the turkey, salads, potatoes and several other veg. Desert will be things like Christmas pudding and/or pavlova and/or mince tarts. In Canada there were sometimes things like date squares and mint Nanaimo bars, but those aren't popular here.
Then there might be turkey sandwiches and other leftovers the next day or two or three.
And there are usually bicycle rides and splashing at the beach.
New Years Eve ... nothing special. Restaurants are usually booked out and also raise their prices so there's no point trying to go out. But the Christmas pudding may have gone on special after Christmas, so we might have some of that.
I like to get a bicycle ride in on New Years Eve and then again on New Year's Day. Good way to end and start the years. And fireworks, of course. And if New Year's Day is hot ... the beach.
Australia Day - Jan 26 ... lots of people have BBQs and things, or maybe make a long weekend of it and go away. And again, bicycle rides and beaches.
Same with the Royal Hobart Regatta Day - Feb 8, Labour Day - March 14, and Anzac Day - April 25.
Easter ... usually quite a long weekend (5 days), so we usually go away. Nothing particularly special is eaten, except maybe 1 or 2 Cadbury Easter Eggs.
Man I can't imagine the Holidays in Summer! Must be nice.0 -
Here in Australia ...
Halloween ... minimal and easily ignorable.
Thanksgiving ... doesn't exist.
Christmas ... I like to have a bit of Halva (that's a tradition handed down by my great grandfather), and possibly a variety of small chocolates, and the occasional mince tart in the days surrounding Christmas. Nothing overboard, just a little. We've already started on the mince tarts.
In Canada ... lots of mandarin oranges. Here in Australia ... lots of cherries and mangoes, especially, but other fruit as well.
Then there is one big meal, and the day it has been on depends on what else is happening with the family, but usually Christmas Day, with the option of having something on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day.
In Canada it was always turkey, and is most of the time here too, but here there's a chance that seafood might make an appearance. But it is usually the turkey, salads, potatoes and several other veg. Desert will be things like Christmas pudding and/or pavlova and/or mince tarts. In Canada there were sometimes things like date squares and mint Nanaimo bars, but those aren't popular here.
Then there might be turkey sandwiches and other leftovers the next day or two or three.
And there are usually bicycle rides and splashing at the beach.
New Years Eve ... nothing special. Restaurants are usually booked out and also raise their prices so there's no point trying to go out. But the Christmas pudding may have gone on special after Christmas, so we might have some of that.
I like to get a bicycle ride in on New Years Eve and then again on New Year's Day. Good way to end and start the years. And fireworks, of course. And if New Year's Day is hot ... the beach.
Australia Day - Jan 26 ... lots of people have BBQs and things, or maybe make a long weekend of it and go away. And again, bicycle rides and beaches.
Same with the Royal Hobart Regatta Day - Feb 8, Labour Day - March 14, and Anzac Day - April 25.
Easter ... usually quite a long weekend (5 days), so we usually go away. Nothing particularly special is eaten, except maybe 1 or 2 Cadbury Easter Eggs.
Man I can't imagine the Holidays in Summer! Must be nice.
It's different.
I moved here in 2009 from the middle of Canada where December was almost guaranteed to have several feet of snow and bitterly cold temps, and I have spent one Christmas back in Canada since then.
Summer Christmases, to me, feel like they're missing something ... little things, I suppose, like not turning on the Christmas lights until about 9:00 pm, because it is too light out till then. Or snowmen. Or the fact that my Christmassy clothes are all warm, way too heavy to wear here at Christmas.
On the other hand, it is kind of nice having the community Carols by Candlelight event in a local park ... sitting on the grass having a picnic in the warmth. And it's great going to the beach on my days off.
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My husband is Italian so on Christmas Eve their tradition is having 7 fishes...We don't do that but it is all seafood based. We have lobster in red sauce, baked lobster, shrimp every which way and calzones. Christmas day is usually a filet mignon roast with all different sides.0
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thanksgiving is traditional
christmas varies but there are always lots of homemade cookies
new years we don't do anything for
easter is ham and rolls with some sort of dessert, potato salad and coleslaw
fourth of july is hot dogs and brats on the grill with potato salad and coleslaw and dessert0 -
For Christmas we don't have a standard tradition (I'm in the eastern US). Sometimes we have an extended family meal on Christmas Eve, sometimes we all gather for breakfast Christmas morning, somtimes we have a big meal on Christmas day, and sometimes we don't have a big meal together at all. If we do a big meal the menu could be anything - turkey, ham, standing rib roast, leg of lamb, lasagna, some type of casserole, soup and salad...
There is always a spread of food available at any house we visit though. Things like cheese log/ball, finger sandwiches, cookies, homemade candy, smoked meats, meatballs, pastries filled with meat and cheese, etc. And plenty to drink.0 -
I am in the UK and spend Christmas with the extended family. Nothing special Christmas eve apart from a couple of drinks maybe while lying exhausted thinking about whether we have forgotten anything.
Christmas day is roast turkey (or goose if I got my way, which I don't) with garlic roast potatoes and more veg than we eat in the rest of the year! Followed by Christmas Pudding. In the evening maybe a few snacks with cheese included.
Boxing day tends to be a buffet of ham, turkey, breads, cheeses and lots of pickles etc
New Years Eve, too much to drink but a normal food day
New Years Day, roast beef or that goose I didn't get at Christmas
All of the above tends to include too much wine as well
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mattyc772014 wrote: »We air our grievances during dinner (topics such as religion, politics and who is dressed inappropriate), pole dance and then one special person is chosen to test their strengths such as wrestling, tickling fighting (I always lose in that one), darts, board games (my grandmother cheats) and staring/laughing contest (kids love that one).
Sounds like Festivus.0 -
For the longest time (up until about 5 years ago) we used to go to Jack in the Box for Christmas Eve dinner after Christmas Eve mass. Haha. It was our family tradition, mostly because my parents didn't want to dirty the kitchen. My mother recently decided to start honoring our German roots so we started having a German meal of Saurbraten, Spetzel, salad of some sort, and Apple Cake Christmas dinner is essentially a pot luck where everyone is responsible for an item, and the host provides the ham. Always ham on Christmas. Always. 0
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