Christmas Dishes From Around the World

The festive season showcases an incredible variety of traditional meals worldwide, reflecting each country’s rich culture and history. Here are some standout festive foods from around the world:

Denmark: JulesildHerrid is a Danish staple year-round, but at Christmas, Julesild takes the spotlight. Spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and sandalwood, it’s served during julesfrokot ( festive lunches)  with rye bread and remoulade, often alongside gravlax and cured meats.

Poland: Barszcz

Poland’s meat-free Christmas Eve feast begins with barszcz, a vibrant beetroot soup served with mushroom-filled dumplings, uszka. The 12-dish meal, symbolising the apostles and months of the year, also features carp, pierogi, and poppy seed desserts.

Philippines: Bibingka

After midnight mass on Christmas Eve, Filipinos enjoy bibingka, a rice-flour cake made with coconut milk, butter, and eggs. Traditionally cooked in banana leaf-lined clay pots over coals, it’s often topped with melted cheese, salted duck egg, and grated coconut for a salty-sweet treat.

Siciliy: Buccellato

Sicily’s Christmas dessert, buccellato, is a circular cake filled with dried figs, almonds, and pine nuts. Flavoured with marsala wine, it’s a festive alternative to Italy’s traditional panettone.

Finland: Lanttulaatikko

On Christmas Eve, Finland’s festive meal features roast ham, smoked fish, and casseroles like lanttulaatikko, a spiced swede bake made with cream, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, and treacle, topped with buttered breadcrumbs for a golden finish.

Mexico: Ponche Navideño

Mexico’s ponche navideño is a festive, alcohol-free punch made with guava, apples, sugar cane, cinnamon, and hibiscus. Traditionally served during Las Posadas, it can be spiked with tequila or brandy for a ponche con piquete.

Spain: Sopa de galets

In Catalonia, Christmas lunch starts with sopa de galets, a rich soup featuring meatballs and giant pasta shells. The broth, made from beef, ham bones, chicken, and vegetables, is simmered for hours for a hearty, festive dish.

Norway: Pinnekjøtt

On December 24th in western Norway, the air is filled with the aroma of pinnekjøtt, wood-fired lamb ribs. Dried, cured, or smoked, the meat is slowly cooked over birch wood until tender, served with swede and carrot mash, lingonberry jam, and often a shot of akevitt, a spiced Scandinavian spirit.

Venezuela: Pan de jamón

Venezuela’s pan de jamón, a sweet-savoury bread filled with roasted ham, raisins, and green olives, is a Christmas Eve tradition. Often served with hallacas and dulce de lechoza, it’s sometimes made with filo pastry and topped with cheese for an extra festive touch.

These festive feasts illustrate the incredible diversity of Christmas celebrations, highlighting the unique flavours and customs cherished across cultures.