Traditional Christmas Foods

At Christmas time families all over the world come together to celebrate the season. Although families celebrate the same traditions year in, year out, these traditions can be completely different from those of other families on the same street. Christmas traditions do not tend to be universal. There are some foods however that are considered traditional at Christmas time through the United States, many of which would not be considered to be such in other countries, and vice versa. Even those foods that are considered to be traditional American Christmas dishes are usually traditional to various parts of America rather than being national dishes throughout the entire country on Christmas Day.

For the meat, some consider turkey to be traditional whilst for others it’s ham. Some will also say that it’s both and yet others will say neither.  One more unusual Christmas meal idea is lasagne, which is a dish that was a Christmas Eve tradition. It may be a personal or family tradition, but a tradition is still a tradition. If a tradition works well for your family, then there is nothing wrong with it. Before changing a long standing family tradition it might be an idea to discuss it with the family first. Remember, though, that your traditions are yours. Yours to maintain and yours to change; there is no need to bow to outside influence.

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Following the same family traditions year after year can be comforting and help create a sense of family and permanence. In the film “Christmas with the Kranks” the Kranks tried for most of the film to break with all their Christmas traditions and spend the money saved elsewhere, namely on a very expensive holiday. Towards the end of the film, though, they returned to their old traditions which then required a mad rush around trying to do everything at the last minute. If you decide to change your traditions, you may find that you are uncomfortable making massive changes so it may be an idea maintaining some of your old traditions. After all, if it turns out that Christmas doesn’t feel like Christmas without them, you don’t want to be doing everything at the last minute like the Kranks.

Here are some more of the favourite Christmas dishes cooked and eaten during the festive season in America. Dishes such as mince pies, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, apple pie, mashed potatoes, devilled eggs, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie and pecan pie. Other possible dishes are Christmas pudding and fruit cake, both traditional British Christmas dishes. Different regions have their own favourite dishes which are often dependent on local foodstuffs such as key lime pie, oyster dressing and deep fried turkey. No matter where you might be in the world, if a dish is a tradition for you at Christmas, then having it will make you think of home and family and Christmas time. A dish that is your own personal or family tradition can make your family seem so much closer no matter where you are.

The great thing about the Christmas traditions of a family is that they make family seem closer. They are passed onto children and may at some time make them seem less alone when in a strange place simply because they eat a dish that reminds them of home. It may just be a slice of pie, but it can still do the job. It can be worth developing traditions if you don’t have any simply so that there is something special to share with friends and family at Christmas.