As we approach the beginning of December, many people are ready to dive headfirst into the holiday season. Whether it is by decorating your house with holiday lights or listening to Christmas music, everyone celebrates the holidays in a different way. And, while most Americans celebrate Christmas, December is a time for a host of holidays around the world, including Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, and more!
All of these holidays differ in their origins and celebrations; however, they all celebrate with food. Every holiday is associated with specific foods, most of which usually connect with the culture of where the holiday is celebrated. I will be traversing the globe and exploring some of these many hap-pie holiday food traditions!
Hanukkah in Israel
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish celebration that dates thousands of years back to Jerusalem. While it is celebrated by Jews all around the world, it is a national holiday in Israel and celebrated by a majority of Israelis. It commemorates the ancient miracle of oil keeping the menorah’s candles burning for eight nights, even when, to the Jewish Maccabees, there appeared to only be enough oil for one day.
Traditional dishes include a variety of savory and sweet foods. Many of these foods are fried to emphasize the oil from the miracle. Israelis eat latkes, potato pancakes, topped with applesauce, and sufganiyot, jam-filled donuts. Another dessert is kugel, a sweet casserole made with egg noodles, baked in a mixture of sugar, eggs, sour cream, and spices.
Kwanzaa in the United States
Kwanzaa is a holiday celebrated by African Americans that honors and affirms their cultural heritage and traditional values. The holiday was established in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, who combined many aspects of South African harvest celebrations into the secular seven-day festival.
On the sixth night of the celebration, people hold a Karamu, an African feast, that boasts dishes from across the African diaspora. Some staples include black eyed peas, collard greens, and catfish. The main meal is usually a one-pot stew or soup, although the stew itself varies based on the local culture and the family celebrating. Mazao, the crops, and muhindi, corn, are symbolic foods that are placed on the dining table. Mazao represents the African harvest and labor of the workers, and muhindi symbolizes children remaining at home and their future.
Boxing Day in the United Kingdom
Boxing Day, held on December 26, is a day of gift-giving named after the giftboxes the rich gave the poor during the Middle Ages in the UK. It is a day for families to gather together for meals, go shopping, and attend sporting events, such as soccer matches or horse races.
As it follows Christmas, much of the food eaten on Boxing Day is leftovers from the day before. Some highlights of the feast include hams, pies, Christmas cakes, and mince pies.
Nochebuena in Argentina
Nochebuena is a joyous nighttime celebration in Argentina that takes place on December 24 and into the early morning of Christmas Day. Families gather to have a grand feast and spend time together.
Traditional dishes in the Nochebuena feast include roasted meats, beef empanadas, and ensalada rusa, a Russian salad. Vitel toné, an Argentine appetizer composed of veal slices in a creamy anchovy and tuna sauce, is an essential part of the celebratory meal. Following the appetizers and entrees, a variety of sweets are eaten, including pan dulce, Christmas bread, and turrón, nougat.
Calabar Carnival in Nigeria
Calabar Carnival is a yearly carnival celebration held in December. Tourists flock to Nigeria to witness the vibrant celebration of Nigerian culture and arts. It showcases the diverse and lively ethnic heritage of Nigeria through parades, costumes, music, and dances.
One major aspect of Nigerian culture the carnival highlights is its cuisine. At the festival, you can try out foods from all across the country. Some of these traditional dishes include edikang ikong, a leafy green vegetable soup, and akara, a fried bean or chickpea fritter. Roasted plantains and pounded yam are also very popular and must-try foods.
Christmas in Japan
Christmas is a religious and cultural holiday celebrated on December 25. Christians celebrate the day to commemorate the birth of Jesus, while for many more people worldwide, it is a merry time to spend with family and give gifts.
In Japan, people eat Kentucky Fried Chicken as their Christmas meal. In 1970, Takeshi Okawara, the first KFC manager in Japan, overheard foreigners complaining about how difficult it is to find turkey to eat on Christmas. Four years later, KFC launched a marketing campaign called “Kentucky for Christmas,” and began selling buckets of fried chicken for Christmas dinner. Since then, the tradition has become a nationwide phenomenon and is the star of the show for many Japanese families on Christmas Day.
As you can see, holiday food traditions from around the world vary from taste to cultural significance and connection to the specific holiday. Whether it is eating KFC on Christmas or trying out traditional African dishes for Kwanzaa, consider trying out holiday foods that you have never tried before this holiday season.
