The kitchen is the most important room in the house over the Christmas period as many delicious dishes are created to help us celebrate the festive season. There are many variations of the Christmas dinner eaten around the world so we thought we would take a closer look at what other countries will be tucking in to this Christmas.
The UK – A traditional turkey roast is the most popular type of Christmas dinner eaten in the UK although some people do tend to opt for other types of poultry such as pheasant or goose all of which is served with all the trimmings, Yorkshire puddings and pigs in blankets. For dessert, it is traditional to serve Christmas pudding but there are other options such as trifle, Christmas cake or chocolate logs.
France – The main Christmas meal in France is called Réveillon and is typically enjoyed late on Christmas Eve or early Christmas morning which is usually when people have returned from the Midnight church services. The dish usually comprises of roast turkey with chestnuts or roast goose accompanied by oysters, foie gras, lobster, venison and a variety of cheeses and as a dessert a chocolate log cake is usually served which is called a bûche de Noël. In some parts of France there is a celebration where 13 desserts are eaten, these desserts are made from fruits, nuts and pastries and the number 13 is to represent Jesus and his 12 apostles.
Germany – In Germany the usual Christmas dish is Goose and cabbage (some people swap goose for carp) and as a dessert a fruited yeast bread called stollen is enjoyed. German tradition says that those who don’t eat well on Christmas Eve will be haunted by demons.
Italy – In Italy meat and sometimes dairy is completely avoided on Christmas eve and instead Italian families enjoy The Feast of Seven Fishes which comprises of seven fish based dishes and after this has been consumed people then attend the Midnight mass service. Once they have returned from mass they will then enjoy a slice of Italian Christmas cake called Pannettone and a cup of hot chocolate.
Japan – Christmas has only been celebrated in Japan for the last few decades and isn’t acknowledged as a religious holiday and is seen more as a time to spread happiness. Christmas Eve is celebrated more than actual Christmas day and is often seen as a romantic day quite like Valentines day. The preferred meal for Christmas Eve is fried chicken which means that Christmas is the busiest day of the year for KFC as it often sees people queueing up outside the doors and a lot of people place orders in advance to avoid disappointment.
Slovakia – Fish is the most popular meat served for Christmas dinner in Slovakia and tends to be mostly carp. A lot of families will buy the fish alive and keep it in the bath until Christmas Eve when it will be killed and gutted ready for Christmas dinner. The main Christmas feast comprises of 12 dishes which symbolises the number of Jesus’ disciples.
Iceland – On the 23rd December Icelands major saint died on this day and it is tradition that a simple meal of boiled potatoes and fermented skate is eaten, it is very common that people eat out at restaurants on this day due to them not wanting their house smelling of the skate which can be very pungent. For Christmas dinner, it is not irregular to be served puffin or roasted reindeer but a leg of roast lamb is also a very popular choice.
Here at Just Doors we understand that no matter what you choose to eat on Christmas day it is important that you have a functional kitchen in which to prepare your meal and across all cultures it is apparent that spending the festive period with family and friends is extremely important and there is nothing better than gathering around the table to enjoy a delicious meal together. If you are looking to revamp your kitchen ready for the big day then make sure you take a look at the range of kitchen cupboard doors and kitchen handles we have available.