Christmas Chow

A Danish version of the Christmas dinner. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If people love one thing best, it’s gotta be eating. Well, we’ve been doing it for quite some time. And I have to say, we’ve gotten pretty darn good at it.  I think you would agree that throughout history, mankind has enjoyed getting together and eating, laughing and celebrating about anything with food. Maybe because this means they will survive yet another season or year or day.

The Romans (and they are not alone) were infamous with their eating. Saturnalia was their favorite celebration that honored the shortest day of the year and the return of the sun/Saturn or later Apollo. Celts celebrated this day as well.Then  the Christians took this day over in honor of Christ’s birth,which wasn’t in December but in the fall. No one knows exactly, but he did have a birthday and we celebrate that .  

So I wanted to look at how many have enjoyed this celebration of life.

Fresh Fish (Photo credit: Manic Street Preacher)

In Sicily, they enjoyed special meals with twelve kinds of fish for the twelve months of the year. In the Eastern Europe, along with fish came the traditional course along with lamb.beef, ham, chicken. In Germany, France and Austria goose and pork are a favorite.

English people enjoyed much of Americans what like: turkey, goose, beef,  duck with potatoes with gravy, dressings with oysters, vegetables as brussels sprouts, breads and ciders. 

English: Christmas cookies and decoration. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Then  came  Christmas desserts as puddings, mince pies and fruit cake. (I like fruit cake) Once the Spain discovered the Aztec and Mayan’s chocolate and brought it back to Europe, it exploded across the continent and totally enjoyed this new delicacy as a chocolate and chestnut beverage ‘Imbuljuta taQastan.’   We still do. I know I love about anything chocolate.

Traditional Christmas breads, (Ah bread. Love bread) include Slovaks’s Potica, France’s buche de noel, and Italy’s panettone. And then there are the special tarts and cakes as Jamaican rum cake, candies and sweets and . What would Christmas be without cookies, little pies and cakes to feast on? Don’t want to know. 

And speaking of desserts, from Romans to today, there is always nature’s  candy….fruit, oranges being a favorite.

Then there are some who do things really differently.In Japan, Col. Sanders Kentucky Fried Chicken is a favorite.   I’m sure KFC enjoys that.  Like Sicilian, the people of Bulgaria cook twelve foods for the twelve months but without meat. They enjoy nuts, dried plums,cakes and Banitza a delicious cake. However, in Africa, they enjoy a crispy fried caterpillars. On that, I’ll pass.  But I’m sure, I’ll eat too much again this year.

  So what did I miss and be sure to tell me what are your favorite dishes during Christmas?

J