Ever wondered what a traditional Christmas dinner looks from different countries around the world? We have collected a small selection of the more.. interesting ones!
Chile
Christmas Eve is the most important day over Christmas in Chile. Families and friends gather together for a big meal in the evening, eaten about 9pm or 10pm. Many people like to have 'asado' (barbecue) and chicken, turkey and pork. The Chilean Christmas Cake is ‘Pan de Pascua’ which is quite like Panettone.
Greece
The main Christmas meal is often lamb or pork, roasted in an oven or over an open spit. It's often served with a spinach and cheese pie and various salads and vegetables. Other Christmas and new year foods include 'Baklava' (a sweet pastry made of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey - see below!), Kataifi (a pastry made from a special form of shredded filo dough and flavored with nuts and cinnamon), Theeples (a kind of fried pastry).
Brazil
Favourite Christmas foods in Brazil include pork, turkey, ham, salads and fresh and dried fruits. Everything is served with rice cooked with raisins and a good spoon of "farofa" (seasoned manioc flour.) Popular Christmas desserts include tropical fruit and ice cream.
Poland
Christmas Eve is known as Wigilia (pronounced vee-GHEE-lee-uh). The house is also cleaned and everyone gets washed and puts on their festive clothes. The main Christmas meal is eaten in the evening and is called "Kolacja wigilijna" (Christmas Eve supper). It's traditional that no food is eaten until the first star is seen in the sky! So children look at the night sky to spot the first star!
Japan
Fried chicken is often eaten on Christmas day. It is the busiest time of year for restaurants such as KFC and people can place orders at their local fast food restaurant in advance! Although we thought this was a joke at first, it appears a successful marketing campaign from KFC in the 1970's led to a cultural shift in Japan to enjoy a nice KFC bucket on Christmas Day!
Finland
The main Christmas meal is eaten in the early evening. Lutefish (salt fish) is the traditional starter, but is not so common nowadays. The main meal is a leg of pork served with mashed potato traditionally baked slowly in birch-bark boxes in the oven with similarly cooked mashed swede. Casseroles containing different vegetables including, rutabaga, carrot and potato are also common. Cured salmon is very popular and some people also have turkey.
Russia
Christmas Eve foods include beetroot soup (borsch) or vegan potluck (solyanka) served with individual vegetable pies (often made with cabbage, potato, or mushroom), salads often made from vegetables like gherkins, mushrooms or tomatoes, and also potato or other root vegetable salads.
Spain & Portugal
The traditional Christmas meal in Spain and Portugal, called 'Consoada', is eaten during the evening of Christmas Eve and consists of codfish with green vegetables and boiled potatoes. This is normally followed by shellfish, wild meats or other expensive foods.
Norway
A not so traditional but common dish served in Norway over Christmas is a lambs head to go along with lamb ribs! This is boiled and salted (Minus the brains) and the head is eaten from front to back with the tongue and eye muscles being particularly yummy cuts! Doesn't it look ravishing?!
