What Christmas Dinner Looks Like Around the World

Stuffed turkeys, zesty oysters, crispy wafers and seven fishes. Whichever way or day you dine, Christmas dinner around the world takes many forms.

To get the inside track on what culinary delights take center stage in various countries, we spoke to Travel Director Dani, this week’s festive Insightful Travel Trivia expert. Dani also inspired this week’s Travel Trivia questions, clues to which can be found in this article.

A Box Of Delights

“I am quite a mixed bag, in terms of my background, so have experienced a few different Christmas dinners!” says Dani. “I am African and I was born in Canada, although I didn’t spend much time there. I lived in Zambia and went to school in South Africa, my father is Zambian, my mother is Polish, and I now live in Croatia.

“I’ve been a Travel Director for over 15 years and work all over Europe, including lots of our Christmas Market tours which I absolutely love. They are so magical. It’s also given me the opportunity to see how many cultures and countries celebrate the festive season.”

My Polish Christmas

“With my family we usually do a Polish Christmas,” Dani says. “We celebrate on the 24th of December, known as Wigilia, and we only eat vegetarian and fish. Rooted in Catholicism, you’ll see the same way of sharing Christmas dinner across many European countries and indeed other parts of the world.”

For Roman Catholics, Christmas Eve at sundown marks the Vigil of Christmas, a Holy Day of Obligation. Participants abstain from meat from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, a tradition adhered to in many countries and also embraced by many non-religious households as handed down through generations.

“Our celebrations start in the evening when the first star has been seen,” she continues. “Everyone gets together, and we share the oplatek, a special festive wafer. The matriarch of the family will welcome everyone, and then you will go around the table, each person sharing wafer with their neighbor and giving thanks for the year and best wishes going forward. It’s a really heartwarming tradition and a great way to start Christmas dinner.

“Then there will be a toast with lots of Polish vodka!  At the table there is always a spare place, again, religious tradition, along with a little candle at the window; letting any strangers that pass by know that there’s a place for them as well.

“Dinner is twelve courses, often some smoked salmon, Barszcz Czerwony, which is like a hot beetroot soup and different kinds of salads. You will also get herrings in cream, oil and tomato and then a main hot dish, such a vegetable or fish stew. The final courses see loads of different Polish cakes and delicious stewed fruit compote.”

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Croatia, My New Home Country

“I now live in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia,” Dani says. “This country is also very religious, so they also typically dine on the 24th. The people here are very family orientated, so normally you will see all the generations all coming home.”

Croatian Christmas dinner typically features seafood, particularly bakalar (salted cod stew). Meat dishes like svinjsko pečenje (roast pork), purica (turkey), and sarma (minced meat and rice in sour cabbage) are also common. Some families enjoy the meal at lunch instead of dinner.

Italy – The Feast of the Seven Fishes

“Another country where the meat-free tradition is observed, in spectacular style, is Italy,” says Dani. Known as the ‘Feast of the Seven Fishes’ this epic Christmas Eve dinner party is one, I would love to share.”

While there is no set menu, there are a few dishes most families include, such as pasta made with seven fish: clams, mussels, halibut, shrimp, anchovy, calamari and scallops. Alternatively, seven different kinds of seafood are spread out in dishes throughout the meal.

This celebration commemorates the wait, the Vigilia di Natale, for the midnight birth of the Baby Jesus, and comes from Southern Italy, where it is known as The Vigil (La Vigilia), but with no mention of the number seven. “The Feast of the Seven Fishes is also big in the USA due to the Italian American immigration wave of the 1900s,” says Dani.

Zambia – A BBQ Feast

“This year I’m going back to Zambia for Christmas,” Dani tells us. “Again, religious tradition plays quite a big part so you will see some Africans abstaining form meat on the 24th and focusing on seafood. But normally the 25th is the big celebration.

“It is really hot in December so instead of sitting inside you’ll be outside in the garden and star of the show will be a BBQ or a Braai as we call it in South Africa. Sometimes, we’ll have Turkey on the Bry and loads of salads, but always some kind of meat. We’ll have it together with cranberry sauce, similar to the UK and US, but the major difference is that everyone goes swimming for the day rather than sitting by the fireplace!”

Egypt – A Tale of Two Christmases

“On the subject of sunny Christmases, did you know that in Egypt Christmas is celebrated twice?” Dani shares. “It’s known as a Coptic Christmas dinner.”  Christmas in Egypt is celebrated on both December 25th and January 7th, with the latter date observed by Orthodox Christians using the Julian Calendar. Over 90% of Egypt’s 10 million Christians are Coptic Orthodox, with January 7th also a national holiday.

The main distinction between the two is that Coptic Christians participate in ‘The Holy Nativity Fast, which requires a strict vegan diet for 43 days, from November 25th to January 6th. “Families take great pride in preparing their best dishes to enjoy after breaking such a long fast, it’s a very special occasion,” she continues.

A Coptic Christmas dinner is, in many ways similar to a typical Western Christmas feast. The centerpiece is usually a Christmas turkey, surrounded by delicious traditional Egyptian dishes. A popular dish is “sarma,” which is pickled cabbage stuffed with meat, and “ajvar,” a Balkan-inspired dish made with roasted peppers and eggplant. Rice pudding, made with milk, rice, sugar, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg is a tasty side dish, and for dessert, you might find baklava – layers of phyllo dough filled with nuts and syrup.

UK – Turkey With All The Trimmings

“For me there is something quite magical about an English Christmas,” Dani says. “This is also why I love running Christmas Market tours in the run up to the holidays, because there’s something so magical about it being cold outside. All the family are inside, you know the fire is lit. I’ve enjoyed a wonderful Christmas in England. I love the Christmas dinner with all the trimmings but I’m not so sure about the Brussel sprouts!”

British Christmas dinner is a hearty meal, based on the traditional English roast, and is typically served as a lunch or late lunch on December 25th. The centerpiece is the turkey, often accompanied by stuffing made from breadcrumbs, herbs and sausage meat. It was in 1851 that turkey first took center stage at the royals’ dinner table, however, it is worth noting that most families in Victorian England could not afford a turkey and ate goose instead.

Alongside you will get crispy roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, carrots and parsnips, usually roasted. Gravy, cranberry sauce, bread sauce and Yorkshire pudding complete the picture.

“For dessert they have a special Christmas pudding, which is set alight” says Dani. This rich, fruity cake is ignited with brandy sauce and served with cream. “They also enjoy a Christmas cake, which is a rich, fruitcake traditionally made with dried fruits, nuts, and spices, often soaked in alcohol like rum or brandy. Frosted with marzipan and royal icing, it’s usually beautifully decorated with festive scenes. Whoever bakes the cake takes a lot of pride in its presentation!”

Sri Lanka – have Your Cake and Eat It

“A local take on the British Christmas cake is the star of Christmas in Sri Lanka,” says Dani. “It’s been adapted with Sri Lankan flavors using regional ingredients.” Sri Lanka’s Christmas cake, inspired by British fruit cake, has evolved from its colonial origins to become a staple of Christmas. A Sri Lankan Christmas cake features raisins and cherries, along with preserved ginger, chayote in sugar syrup, preserved melon (puhul dosi), candied peel, sultanas and aromatic spices like nutmeg.

“Families come together to bake, with ingredient prepared long in advance, a favorite activity for children and their older relatives to share together.”

The Christmas table often features stuffed chicken, duck, pork or mutton, along with savory rice dishes like fried rice, ghee rice and lumprice—spicy rice wrapped in banana leaves with mixed meat curry. Milk wine, made from Arrack, sugar, condensed milk and spices, is served with the cake.

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Keep Your Head in Norway

“If you are spending Christmas in another country, there is a chance you could be offered something a bit out of your comfort zone,” says Dani with a smile. “For example, in Norway you may be served a whole sheep’s head. I have not tried it myself!”

Known as ‘Smalahove,’ the sheep’s head is chopped in half and the brain removed. It is then soaked in water for two days. Then it is salt-cured, smoked and steamed, and served whole, together with potatoes and mashed swedes, beer and aquavit. Diners then tuck into the ears and eyes first, both considered the tastiest and most luxurious parts. This recipe goes back to old days when no part of an animal could be wasted.

“I’ve eaten a lot of very strange growing up in Africa,” says Dani. “In the end there is no difference; protein is protein, When I was little, we used to eat fried flying ants before we went swimming. And they were delicious, to be honest. These traditional foods and recipes have stood the test of time for a reason.

“I’ve spent quite a few Christmases with other people’s families, and you’re so delighted to be invited you don’t want to offend anyone. With more ‘exotic’ foods, it’s always the worst if you’re told what it is, then you already have a preconception of what it’s going taste like. So sometimes the best thing is to just not tell anyone what it is!”

A Swedish Smorgasbord of Delicacies

“Another stunning Scandinavian country, Christmas dinner in Sweden revolves around a buffet known as julebord,” Dani tells us. “It’s a lovely communal way of eating and really showcases the country’s produce at its finest.”

Swedish tables feature a three-course meal, beginning with fish, often pickled herring, followed by an array of cold cuts, sausages, and cheeses surrounding a glazed ham centerpiece. They then enjoy a meatball and potato casserole called Janssons frestelse before indulging in sweets like saffron buns and rice pudding.

In The End, Anything Goes

“Whatever you eat, whether you are religious, or wherever you are it’s about coming together. I’ve also heard that in Japan people eat KFC, so really, anything goes!” Says Dani. “I wish everyone a great festive season.”

For the ultimate festive vacation take a look at our Christmas Markets premium tours, featuring many great European destinations. In the meantime, take a pause and test your travel knowledge with our fun Travel Trivia game.