Sweden –\u00a0How about this? Mmmmm,\u00a0bread slices dipped in\u00a0the leftover ham broth\u00a0after boiling the Christmas ham. Sounds like a kind of French dip sandwich.<\/p>\n
Belgium – The “bread of Jesus” is a sweet bread made with flour, eggs, milk, yeast, raisins, and sugar. Usually, it is given to children\u00a0and enjoyed with a cup of hot chocolate. But what adult wouldn’t also love a cup of homemade hot chocolate\u2014the real deal, made from scratch?<\/p>\n
England -A goose is usually eaten, and presents opened after attending mass. Now, where does the saying, “cooked her goose” come in to play here?<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/geography-christmas_around_world.jpg\" "\\"geography-christmas_around_world\\"")
Danish christmas dinner with traditional christmas dishes. Duck with stuffing made of apples and prunes, roast pork with crackling, potatoes fried in caramel, sweet and sour red cabbage and gravy. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Malene.<\/p><\/div>\n
Finland – The main dish of the dinner is lutefisk, which is codfish that has been soaked in lye, then soaked in water to rid it of the lye, then boiled or baked. It is served with a cream sauce, allspice, oftentimes lefse, and an assortment of vegetables and potatoes. Not sure I’ll love<\/em> this one, but for some reason I have to say I tried it. Maybe we’ll listen to old tapes of Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion\u00a0as we eat it.\u00a0<\/p>\n Japan – Because my son, daughter-in-law, and toddler son live in Japan, their Japanese-style Christmas cake is at the top of my list next year. It’s a sponge cake frosted with whipped cream, topped with strawberries, and then\u00a0surrounded by chocolate\u00a0that says Merry Christmas. In other words, we’ll be skype-ing as we eat cake. Not bad.<\/p>\n Israel –\u00a0Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday celebrated by the lighting of the menorah. Jelly-filled doughnuts and latkas\u2014fried potato pancakes are some of the many foods eaten. Our farmhand Kim, has Jewish heritage but also celebrates a traditional Christmas. So, her family celebrates Chrismukkah<\/a>. It’s not uncommon for blended families to also have blended faiths. I spent some time looking for its origins.\u00a0Some say it was started by Jewish families in the 19th century wanting to celebrate the secular traditions of Christmas; the tree, the stocking, the songs.\u00a0Many stories I read were about interfaith families wanting to celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas in a way that was respectful to both traditions. Chrismukkah for Kim is about singing carols, spinning\u00a0dreidels (a game played\u00a0during\u00a0Hanukkah using a four-sided spinning<\/em> top), decorating a\u00a0tree, lighting candles, making Latkes and Challah but most important of all, being with family and friends.<\/p>\n So, what’s it going to be?<\/em> Dominican Republic – The table usually includes a oval-shaped bread\u00a0called telera that is about six inches long,\u00a0with a crunchy crust and soft inside. I’m going to add\u00a0sunflower seeds to my version.<\/p>\n Czech Republic and Slovakia – People\u00a0fast, only eating perhaps a little bit of sauerkraut soup. Many hope to see the “golden piglet”\u00a0during this time, which brings good luck. I’m pretty sure I can’t get my family to go along with the fasting part of this tradition, but sauerkraut soup sounds delicious. I think I’ll add some spicy sausage (not exactly a golden piglet). Garlic is an essential part of their Christmas and should never be missing in the dinner. It is believed to provide strength and protection. A bowl of garlic is placed under the Christmas dinner table. No lights should be lit in the house before the first star comes out. After it does, dinner is served. Also,\u00a0the table should be set for an even number of guests. An odd number brings bad luck. No problem, an extra plate can be used to even out the number of guests. An extra plate should\u00a0be prepared anyway in case an unexpected guest or a person in need comes by the house at dinner time. No alcohol should be served on Christmas Eve. Any leftovers from dinner\u00a0should be buried around the trees to ensure they will bear lots of fruit. What? No leftovers the next day?<\/p>\n If any of you have any recipe advice, please don’t hesitate!\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah,\u00a0Feliz Navidad! The winter tradition of getting the family together, giving gifts, and celebrating religious ties is deeply rooted in almost every culture in the world. As we all come together this winter and celebrate, we\u00a0have traditional … Continue reading
\nGingerbread or matzoh house?
\nCandy canes or chocolate gelt?
\nFiggy pudding or gefilte fish?
\nLatkes or fruitcake?
\nSpin the dreidel or get kissed under the mistletoe?<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n