Holidays AROUND THE GLOBE

Explore a world of celebratory food traditions

By Alesha Taylor

From fall festivals and Thanksgiving and Christmas to Hannukah and Holi, food is an essential element of any holiday celebration. Around the world, food is o en used as a means to come together—and to celebrate important milestones while creating lasting memories.

These are just a few examples of the many traditional food celebrations heard ’round the world. Though flavors and festivities vary, each one in its own right is an opportunity to come together with loved ones, share delicious food, and celebrate the joys of life.

In Mexico, the Day of the Dead on November 1, is a holiday that’s all about celebrating the lives of loved ones who have passed away. One of the most important elements of the celebration is the food. Families often prepare an altar, or ofrenda, which includes traditional foods such as pan de muerto, a sweet bread that’s decorated with bones made of dough. Tamales are also a popular food for the Day of the Dead, and they’re often filled with chicken or pork and served with a spicy sauce.

The Mid-Autumn Festival in China and Vietnam is a harvest festival that celebrates the full moon. Traditional foods include mooncakes, which are filled with sweet or savory fillings, and pomelo, a type of citrus fruit.

Oktoberfest is Germany’s world-famous festival that celebrates beer and Bavarian culture. Traditional foods that are enjoyed include pretzels, sausages, roast pork, and sauerkraut.

Chinese Lunar New Year, which is celebrated in late January or into February, is a time for family gatherings and festive meals. One of the most important dishes is dumplings, which are believed to bring good luck and prosperity. They are usually filled with meat or vegetables and often shaped like gold ingots, which symbolize wealth. Another important dish is Nian Gao, a sweet rice cake that’s meant to bring good luck and success in the new year.

Thanksgiving in the United States is a feast (literally!) of a holiday. O cially celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving meal is usually a roasted turkey, which is accompanied by stu ng, mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce. Another popular dish is green bean casserole, made with canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and crispy fried onions. Pumpkin pie is the traditional dessert, and it’s often served with whipped cream.

In Italy, Christmas Eve is known as La Vigilia, and it’s a day that’s all about seafood. The traditional meal is called the Feast of the Seven Fishes, and as the name suggests, it includes seven di erent types of seafood dishes. The dishes can include everything from fried calamari or baked clams to seafood pasta. The meal is usually finished o with a dessert, such as panettone, a sweet bread filled with dried fruit.

Hanukkah is normally celebrated worldwide between late November and late December, depending on the Hebrew calendar. This Jewish festival celebrates the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days, and traditional foods include latkes, potato pancakes fried in oil, and sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts).

Diwali is India’s Festival of Lights in early November—and it is one of the most important holidays in Indian religions. Aptly so, Diwali is celebrated with plenty of sweet treats such as gulab jamun, a fried dough ball soaked in a sweet syrup. Another traditional sweet is barfi, which is made with condensed milk and flavored with nuts or fruits. The festival is also a time for family gatherings and feasting, and savory dishes such as samosas and biryani are often served.

In Japan, Osechi Ryori is a traditional New Year’s meal full of symbolism. The meal includes a variety of dishes, each of which has a special meaning. For example, black beans symbolize good health, while shrimp symbolizes longevity. The traditional New Year’s soup, Ozoni, is also an important part of the meal. Ozoni is made with mochi, a type of rice cake, and it’s considered good luck to eat it on New Year’s Day.

The holiday season is all about indulgence in France. The traditional Christmas meal, called le réveillon, is a long and luxurious a air that includes multiple courses and plenty of wine. The meal usually starts with oysters or foie gras, followed by roasted meat or fish, and finishes with a variety of desserts, including the traditional bûche de Noël, a cake that’s shaped like a Yule log.

why is a potato called a “spud”?

A sharp, narrow spade know as a spud was used to dig up large rooted plant, especially potatoes, and around the mid 19th century, it's said the word caught on as a slang term for potatoes.