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calendar. But what goes on the table for Christmas dinner varies a lot, depending on the location in the world and the cultural traditions of individual families.
The British tradition of roast beef and Christmas pudding – which isn’t a pudding by American definition, but a cake - is likely the dominant meal worldwide. Turkey comes in close in America, right alongside ham for those with Germanic roots (Germanic cultures tend to stick with ham for all the big feasts). Italian Americans, especially those of Catholic descent, are less known for Christmas dinners, but go all out for Christmas Eve, with the “feast of the seven fishes,” commemorating the wait for Jesus’ birth. That adheres, too, to the Catholic tradition of abstaining from meat on the eve of any religious holiday.
For many, including Pastor Shue, it’s less about the meal and more about the memories. “As a person from a really tight-knit family, our holiday meals were always spent with extended family, friends and neighbors, just enjoying each other’s company,” he said, noting that even Jesus liked to spend meaningful time around the dinner table with friends and family. “He shows us that one of the most important things in life is developing relations and spending quality time with people, showing them the love of God.”
Whether you are religious or secular, prefer ham or turkey, Christmas is a special time. When you place the lights on your evergreen tree this year, spare a thought for the thousands of years of human history wrapped up in that simple gesture. When you gather with family and friends, think of the generations who have come together before you, to wish each other well at the start of the long winter. Maybe pour yourself a mug of wassail and mull ideas of love, charity and togetherness. No matter your reason for the season, have a very Merry Christmas.
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