Christmas is a time when age-old customs are embraced. Whether it’s the food that you eat, the gifts you give or the rituals you observe, December 25 can look very different depending on where you celebrate it.
Reindeer aren’t just Santa’s helpers in Greenland. During the silly season, in parts of the country where lamb meat is scarce, you’ll often find roast reindeer at the main festive meal. Though it’s arguably better than the traditional alternative (and Inuit favourite), whale.
It’s not reindeer or turkey that the Japanese tend to tuck into on December 25, but buckets of fried chicken from KFC. In 1974, KFC Japan launched a ‘Kentucky for Christmas’ ad campaign, which proved so successful that it remains a hugely popular Christmas tradition to this day.
It’s not unusual to set extra places at the dinner table during Portugal’s traditional Christmas feast, consoda. These empty placemats are left for the spirits of deceased relatives to enjoy (plus, they’re thought to bring good fortune to the household).
The Feast of the Seven Fishes is popular among Italian and Italian-American households on Christmas Eve. While its exact origins are unclear, it’s related to the Catholic tradition of abstaining from meat on the night before a feast day. It’s not just seven fishes that you’ll nibble on the night, but at least seven courses, all seafood.
Eastern Europe is no stranger to the dessert called a spit cake, but Lithuania’s version – the sakotis – is particularly notable. It’s made by unleashing your inner Jackson Pollock and flinging batter onto an increasingly fast rotating spit over open flame. This process causes spikes to form over the course of a few hours, crafting a cake that looks just like a Christmas tree.
Rice pudding is on the menu at Danish Christmas – all in the name of an elf. Risengrød is left out by Danish families to gain the favour of an elf-like creature known as the nisse, who steals things from around the house (or harms livestock) if treated badly. Some families embrace a second risengrød tradition – they dress it up with chopped nuts, whipped cream, vanilla and cherries and hide a whole almond within. Everyone has to keep eating until the almond is found.
Some of America’s Christmas food traditions don’t revolve around a dining table. In the Midwest (Michigan in particular), a pickle is hidden among the ornaments on the Christmas tree. On Christmas Day, the first person to spot the Weihnachtsgurke, or Christmas pickle, among the branches is bestowed with the honour of opening the first present (or even an extra gift, if they’re lucky).
