Christmas Eating Around The World

Henry VIII was the first English king to enjoy turkey, although Edward VII made eating turkey fashionable at Christmas. Indeed turkey was a luxury right up until the 1950's when refrigerators became commonplace. However, traditions for countries around the globe vary enormously, the centrepiece can range from pork chops to curried goat.

Austria: By international standards, an Austrian Christmas is a modest affair, dinner might consist of braised carp served with gingerbread and beer sauce. Like many continentals, Austrians are saving themselves for the New Year celebrations.

Brazil: Christmas meal could be chicken, turkey, ham, rice, salad, pork, fresh and dried fruits, often with beer. Poorer people will just have chicken and rice.

Czech Republic: Tradition dictates that the tree is not lit before Christmas Eve when they have a big dinner of fish soup, salads, eggs and carp. Scarily, the number of people at the table must be even or it is believed the person without a partner will die next year.

France: Traditional Christmas food is a family meal with good meat and the best wine.

Finland: In the evening, a traditional Christmas dinner is probably eaten. The meal will include 'casseroles' containing liver, rutabaga [swede], carrot and potato, with cooked ham or turkey. Some families eat liver pate. Raw pickled slightly salted salmon, herrings and salad called 'rosolli'. Mushroom salad is also common.

Germany: The Germans tend to have a game feast on Christmas day, usually wild boar or venison.

Hungary: The meal could be fresh fish usually with rice or potatoes and homemade pastries as dessert.

Italy: Italy probably has the longest Christmas lunch, it's not uncommon for the feast to last 5 hours. Most families will have about 8 courses including antipasti, a small portion of pasta, a roast meal, followed by 2 salads and 2 sweet puddings - then cheese fruit, brandy and chocolates.

Jamaica: Christmas dinner usually consists of rice, gungo peas, [pigeon peas] chicken, ox tail and curried goat.

Latvia: The special Latvian Christmas Day meal is cooked brown peas with bacon [pork)] sauce, small pies, cabbage and sausage.

Norway: The big festive feast takes place on Christmas Eve. Most people around the coastal regions eat fish; concoctions of cod and haddock and a variety called lutefisk. Inland they go for pork chops, specially prepared sausages and occasionally lamb.

Poland: The traditional Christmas Eve supper consists of 12 non-meat dishes, representing the months of the year and featuring fish such as pike, herring and carp. Other typical Polish dishes are fish soup, sauerkraut with wild mushrooms or peas and Polish dumplings with various fillings.

Sweden: Traditional Christmas Food is usually a smorgasbord of caviar, shellfish, cooked and raw fish and cheeses.

Ukraine: The people here prepare huge broths brimming with meat for Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day.

Armenia: the traditional Christmas Eve meal consists of fried fish, lettuce, and spinach. The meal is traditionally eaten after the Christmas Eve service.

Portugal: the traditional Christmas meal [consoada] is eaten in the early hours of Christmas Day.