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The holidays are filled with traditions, with many of them being associated with food and generations cooking together in the kitchen. Traditions, or those special activities passed down through the years, are sometimes those moments that we think about the most around the holidays.
By reading along I challenge you to think of your traditions, food or non-food related. If you can’t think of one, maybe this will trigger you to start one! Here are 5 holiday food traditions from around the world.
Poland:
A Polish tradition is to make and eat pierogies. Chris and I both share the tradition of making pierogies with our families. Pierogies are similar to dumplings, and are stuffed with filling composed of potato, cheese, sauerkraut, mushrooms and more. Typically, the pierogies are meatless to be served at the meatless Christmas Eve dinner also known as Wigilia.
At Christmas Eve, there is also the sharing of the opłatek, or a wafer, that each family member or friend breaks off from the other wishing the other a happy and healthy Christmas and new year to come.
Italy:
An Italian tradition is the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. This meal is to symbolize the wait for the birth of Jesus. As the name implies, you can only imagine the variety of Italian specific foods and multiple courses that are associated with this meal.
The goal is not to serve seven whole fishes, but rather spread out the fish/seafood throughout the meal. Here is a link of ways to make it happen if you are interested in making this your own family tradition. Think: shrimp cocktail, claims and pasta, crab dip. The list goes on.
Japan:
I think this one is just so neat! So in Japan the tradition on Christmas is to celebrate by eating KFC (yes, Kentucky Fried Chicken) together. This tradition started in the 1970’s through a successful marketing campaign of the “party barrel”. The main focus here is not necessarily about the food but more about sharing the food together with friends and family. Although, since it is very popular there, it is best to pre-order your meal.
Image from CNN Travel
Greece:
On New Year’s Day, Greek families celebrate by baking and eating a special cake called, Vasilopita. This special cake (which is also very bread-like) is made with a coin hidden inside. When it’s time to eat it, the person who finds the coin is granted good luck for the year! Count me in! The cake is also served with a special family meal. Here’s a recipe if you’re interested in making it on your own!
Ethiopia:
Ethiopian Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas with a spicy chicken stew called doro wat. This stew is made with spices, hard boiled eggs and injera (a spongy flatbread). It typically is only made for special occasions like holidays and weddings making it something you eat at large family gatherings. Here’s a recipe if you’d like to check it out!
Now here I’m just highlighting a few food specific traditions from around the world, but I hope this gets you thinking what your family traditions are. Do they revolve around food? Or maybe you have another tradition during the holidays? Seeing the tree lighting? Visiting grandmom and eating her special cookies? Let us know! We love to hear from you.
Cheers to the holiday season and exploring traditions and foods,
This blog was written by Amanda J. Stahl, RD, LDN, co-founder of Simple Start Nutrition. For more blog posts and nutrition information follow @simplestartnutrition on Instagram and Facebook. Also feel free to contact us, by visiting our website (simplestartnutrition.com) to schedule an appointment to discuss your nutrition related needs.
References:
https://miakouppa.com/vasilopita/#recipe
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/kfc-christmas-tradition-japan/index.html
https://cheflolaskitchen.com/doro-wat-ethiopian-chicken-stew/
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