Christmas culinary traditions of Europe and the New World are traditionally the richest, most varied and delicious.
In Rome, in the eternal city, of course, Christmas traditions are much more important than New Year’s. For dinner on December 24, it is customary to eat mainly fish, and there should be at least 4-5 fish snacks. But an abundance of meat awaits pious Roman Catholics at Christmas dinner, December 25. There is indispensable lasagna, lamb with potatoes in the oven, and artichokes as a side dish. This is a mandatory program, the rest is at the discretion of each hostess.
Irish Christmas – a holiday in something traditional, European, and in something special. For a snack on this day, smoked salmon with a shrimp cocktail is eaten. It sounds proud, but in reality it is just a piece of fish and shrimp, laid on green lettuce leaves and sprinkled with sauce.
Then the vegetable puree soup is poured. Vegetables can vary, but usually potatoes, carrots, parsnips, broccoli, and leeks. Cream is added to the soup.
The main dish, like everywhere else, is turkey. In Ireland, it is prepared with bread filling and ham and poured with gravy sauce, less often with cranberry sauce, but more often with gravy. Boiled vegetables are served as a garnish for the turkey. And to all this – champagne is required. Well, at worst, white wine.
Americans for the festive table they do not dress up in evening dresses, but in Christmas sweaters or carnival costumes (this tradition has been studied long ago from films).
Turkey is also served on the table in the USA, only cranberry sauce is preferred here. But in the southern states, instead of poultry, they cook veal with herbs. And everyone will certainly get a cup of eggnog: a sweet drink made from eggs and milk with cinnamon (adults are not forbidden to add alcohol to their drink).
In Bulgaria the bird is not cooked: it is believed that it carries happiness from home on its wings. The main festive dish is banitsa, a puff pie with pumpkin, veal, eggplants, and apples. Coins, cornel buds, pieces of paper with wishes are baked into a pie: everyone will get a piece of banitsa with a good omen.
In the Czech Republic a must-have dish on the Christmas table is fried carp (carp scales are placed under each plate on the table, for luck). And the most important decoration of the sweet table is the “Vanochka” wicker yeast pie, although the children are happy to eat the tiny cookies “tsukrovi”.
Christmas carp is the crown of the festive table and in Austria… Among the many sweets, one cannot fail to notice the traditional stollen.
And here in Finland it is customary to eat a baked ham. For dessert, all children and adults alike eat Santa Claus’ favorite delicacy – riisipuuro, a viscous rice porridge with almonds.
European Christmas traditions have even penetrated … to Japan… Here, at Christmas, all the shops sell kurisumasu cakes, usually all kinds of cakes with whipped cream.
In Guatemala at midnight before Christmas, tamale is eaten – a cornmeal cakes wrapped in corn leaves, stuffed with minced meat, cheese, fruits, or vegetables, steamed.
In Portugal The Christmas Eve dinner is called “consoada” and consists of bacalhao (dried salted cod), boiled potatoes, boiled eggs, boiled onions, boiled chickpeas, boiled cabbage and other herbs topped with olive oil and a sauce of chopped raw onions, garlic and parsley. Another traditional dish is polvo à lagareiro (grilled octopus) and batatas a murro (crushed potatoes baked in the oven with garlic, parsley and olive oil).
Germany says this:
Children 14 years old in Germany are not considered guests: so from 14 or 15
Consumer Advocacy Center in Germany: Giving gift certificates is dangerous
New rules for those entering Germany from Schengen and non-Schengen countries
Christmas in Germany: no mixing of friends with family