Christmas foods around the world are often subject to traditional variations. Consequently, Christmas food customs are anything but universal. While some people in Japan are celebrating the holiday with sushi, others in Mexico are enjoying tamales, and in Germany, it’s roasted goose.
While Christmas is one of a handful of global festive traditions, it is not celebrated the same way in different countries. You’ll always find variations in festive dishes by country, depending on local cultural food customs. There may also be accompanying rituals and symbolisms that complement the traditional nuances of cultural Christmas dishes.
This piece is about to take you on a global culinary journey, connecting food, festivity and traditional heritage. Hold on to your hats!
Europe: The Cradle of Christmas Feasts
Not a few Christmas traditions originate from Europe. For instance, there are records of early Europeans celebrating the winter solstice with communal gatherings and large roasts. Yule, celebrated by Germanic people, also had many of its observances filtering into Christmas. So, many of the globally common Christmas practices have a European origin. Nonetheless, winter festivities would not be complete in the following European countries without their cultural Christmas dishes.
UK: Roasts, Pies and Puddings
The United Kingdom picked up the practice of serving roast turkey during Christmas from the United States. However, stuffed turkey has long become the centerpiece of the UK’s Christmas feast. Minced pies and Christmas puddings are regular suspects in the country’s traditional holiday recipes.
Italy: Seafood-Rich Feast of the Seven Fishes
The ‘Feast of the Seven Fishes’ is a traditional Italian-American meal served on Christmas Eve. This dish has origins in Southern Italy and is often complemented by pasta dishes (non-negotiable), panettone (sweet bread) and other side dishes.
Germany: Stollen, Mulled Wine and Advent Markets
Christmas foods around the world are sometimes whole replicas of Germanic winter delicacies, or influence the creation of fusion dishes. To date, many German communities bask with pride in their rich Christmas history. You’ll find spiced drinks like Glühwein (mulled wine) served at dinner tables during Christmas. Similarly, seasonal baked goods like Lebkuchen (gingerbread) and Stollen (fruit bread) feature ubiquitously at Christmas markets.
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Latin America: Festivity Meets Flavor
Christmas in Latin America is usually a family-centered celebration, with peak festivities on Noche Buena (Christmas Eve). However, the savory meals and other Christmas food customs sometimes feature as a week-long (between December 16-24) accompaniment. A quick run-through of the popular dishes will follow shortly.
Mexico: Tamales, Bacalao, and Ponche Navideño
Tamales, Bacalao, and Ponche Navideño are international holiday meals in Mexico. So, they are items very likely to be served during a Mexican Christmas event. The tamalada not only feeds families but serves as a bond-building activity in Mexican homes during Christmas.
Puerto Rico: Lechón Asado and Coconut-Heavy Desserts
If you happen to vacation in Puerto Rico for Christmas, it is difficult to miss Lechón Asado, which is slowly roasted pork. There are also coconut-laddened desserts served during such occasions. Some common Puerto Rican coconut-themed desserts are Majarete, a pudding of corn and coconut; Arroz con Dulce, coconut rice pudding; and Tembleque.
Brazil: Fusion of Tropical Fruits and European Roasts
Unlike the popular feature of turkey in traditional Christmas foods around the world, Brazil favors some fair deviations. So, the meat could be ham, mutton, or beef, albeit roasted. The roast meat is often garnished with tropical fruits and accompanied by summery side dishes. The incidence of roast meat is a reflection of European influence and the adoption of world Christmas foods.
Common examples of dishes that complement Brazilian cultural Christmas dishes are salads, feijoada and rice.
Africa: A Celebration of Community and Spice
Food is central to Christmas celebrations in Africa. However, locals seldom ever limit themselves to the popular world Christmas foods. Yes, Western dishes sometimes feature prominently, depending on the formality of the gathering. Nonetheless, Africans are famous for remaining grounded to their culture, culinary traditions inclusive.
Nigeria: Jollof Rice, Chicken Stew, and Fried Plantain
Rice is a staple in most Nigerian homes. However, jollof rice is a special variant that weaves seamlessly into the Christmas food stories of many Nigerians. Visit a local in this country during ‘Detty December’ and you are likely to be entertained with jollof rice, topped with fried plantain and garnished with stewed chicken.
Ghana and South Africa: Fusion of Traditional Flare and Western Influences
It may sound a bit stereotypical, but Christmas in South Africa and Ghana usually reflects some pre-colonial traditions. Over the years, each country has embraced more of their traditional diets, but summertime fusion feasts are still common during Christmas.
Unlike what applies in some parts of the world, African families are not very formal with global festive traditions. So far it’s a festive period, like Christmas, you can drop in unannounced on your homegrown African friends and they’ll take no offence.
Asia: A Global Holiday with Local Flavor
Looking for a place where Christmas foods around the world are localized? Go on a tour of Asia. What different Asians prefer as international holiday meals varies across countries. In some Asian countries, Christmas is more of a secular celebration, and not a public holiday. In contrast, countries or regions with large Christian populations practice central celebrations.
Japan: KFC Christmas Tradition and Strawberry Shortcake
In Japan, a successful 1974 KFC advertisement gave rise to what they have today as a Christmas celebration tradition. A group of friends, or a family, would buy a KFC ‘Party Barrel,’ and share. This main course is often accompanied by traditional Japanese Christmas desserts like sponge cake or strawberry shortcake.
The Phillipines: Noche Buena Feast with Sweet Spaghetti and Roasted Ham
The Nouche Buena feast in the Phillipines typically includes sweet spaghetti and roast meat (usually ham). Common side dishes for Christmas are leche flan, Edam cheese, macaroni salad, spring rolls, and roasted pig (lechon).
India: Spiced Fruitcakes, Biryanis, and Regional Christmas Sweets
In India, Christmas foods from around the world and local dishes converge on the dinner table. No Indian celebration is complete without sweet snacks, so they often serve as dessert for Christmas-celebrating families. Tandori roast chicken, gajar ka halwa, or paneer butter masala are other examples of local dishes that are often incorporated during Christmas celebrations.
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The New Wave: Modern Global Christmas Trends
For sustainable Christmas foods around the world, some people are advocating and adopting plant-based festive meals. These are some of the new Christmas trends that were hardly ever discussed in the twentieth century.
Also, fusion diets are no longer limited to main courses. Desserts are also catching on, with examples like vegan pavlovas and matcha yule logs addressing modern dietary needs.
The internet and its accompanying technological innovations have brought globalization to the doorstep of Christmas trends. For instance, the recipes of Christmas foods around the world have become accessible at the tap of the device screen. Alluring Christmas recipes beckon to people who are adventurous enough to try them out. Beyond recipe sharing, the internet has made online global gifting possible.
Food is a common denominator of all humans, more so because our cultures are largely intertwined. So, Christmas, through food, is helping to unite trans-continental cultures through memory, story and taste.
No matter where you are, Christmas is best served with love, laughter, and a generous helping of tradition.
