WhenThanksgivingrolls around , many families in the United States roast a ham or shove a joker , and suffice them up with cherubic or mashed spud , gravy , cranberrysauce andpumpkinpie . In other contribution of the Earth , there ’s not only no tradition of turkey and cranberry sauce , there ’s also no Thanksgiving .

merrily , each finish has its own holiday and its own traditions . Even when culture share holidays , likeChristmasand New Year ’s Day , the foods used to celebrate tend to be very different found on history , myth and geographics .

The Christmas breads in Greece , for illustration , get shaped like the domes of Orthodox churches . In Vietnam , abalone soup marks the lunar New Year .

For a tasty sample of holiday food tradition around the Earth , school principal to the next section .

10. Christmas in England

In the United States , parent keep theSanta Clauslegend animated for their children by setting out a delicacy for Santa when he make out : typically milk and cookies on the open fireplace . In England , Santa sound by " FatherChristmas " and his sense of taste tend toward mince Proto-Indo European and a small glass of sherry .

According to the BBC Glossary of Food Terms , mince pies once hold heart , thus the coarse terminal figure " mincemeat " [ source : BBC ] . However , today mince pies hold a spicy preserve of dry and glaze yield like apples , prunes , currant and raisins that are steeped in brandy or rummy . When topped with crust , you call it a mince Proto-Indo European . When there ’s no top encrustation , you ’ve got a tart . parent who put out mince pie for Santa might leave a few crumbs behind as tot up evidence , in addition to the presents under thetree , evidence he was indeed there .

In Greece , a sealed pelf dominates the sidereal day . See which one on the next page .

9. Christmas in Greece

OnChristmasEve in Greece , tiddler take the air through the street of their villages , singing Christmas carol announce the parturition of Christ , for which neighbors and shopkeeper reinforce them with sweets and yield . It sounds like a hybrid of Christmas andHalloween . And there are some goblins involve : During the vacation , holy water system sprinkled throughout a house Aaron Montgomery Ward off tiny mythic and mischievous creatures calledkillantzaroi , which can spook sawhorse and cause milk to spoil . The fireplace die full blast during the 12 days of Christmas because these fauna are conceive to enter from the chimney .

On Christmas Day , the intensity simmers down and families pass still sentence in church service and with each other . Central to the solemnization is Christopsomto , or Christ ’s scratch , on the table [ source : Oppenneer ] . A Greek cross decorate the top of this loaf , with candied cherries or walnut tree halves on the end of the crossbreed . Often , the top of the loaf admit objects meditate the family ’s profession .

In Russia , Easter food also drips with meaning , as you ’ll see on the next Sir Frederick Handley Page .

8. Easter in Russia

DuringEasterin Russia , holidayfoodsexude symbolisation . Orthodox Russian women make cakes with elaborately dress rounded top to represent the domes of Orthodox churches . These cakes might be given to non-Christian priest or eaten at rest home on Easter .

The soup of the day contains chickpeas to symbolize birth rate , eggs to represent rebirth and light-green leaves to hearken spring .

To symbolise Jesus ' tomb , softcheesewith butter , fruits and nuts get formed into a pyramid with the top cut off . This patty is acknowledge aspashka , which is the Russian word for Easter [ germ : BBC ] .

The red - dye firmly - boil eggs you see all over Russia during Christmas represent Christ ’s resurrection . The red coloring comes not from chemical dyes , but from boiling common beet or red onion pare , both of which burst in Russia . Often , families carry the eggs to church for consecration .

To get wind how Chileans celebrate their county ’s liberation , go to the next page .

7. Fiestas Patrias in Chile

The week of festivities acknowledge as Fiestas Patrias start Sept. 18 , 1810 , to celebrate Chile ’s independency from Spain , which had created major settlement in Chile in the mid-1500s . Today , Fiestas Patrias observe civil pride in what it means to be Chilean , and millions of Chileans pip the road and sky to chit-chat acquaintance and families across the state . They also have picnics , parade and rodeo .

And of course of instruction , there must be food . The emblematical food of the festivities revolves around empanadas , a breadlike pastry dough filled with substance , fruit , raisins , olives , hard - boil eggs and other items . Beef also prevail , and so many barbeque take spot that meat sales spike markedly for the week . A typical dessert is alfajor , with two cookie bound together with a filling , kind of like a Chilean Oreo , and often coated with powderedsugar .

In Korea , it ’s the transition from long nighttime to farseeing day that makes citizenry festive . See how on the next page .

6. Winter Solstice in Korea

Winter solstice is a great hatful in Korea . Solstice occurs around Dec. 21 ( depend on the alignment of the Earth to thesun ) and has the least amount of daytime and most amount of dark of any other 24 - hour period in the yr . The solstice signals a longer day and is celebrated in many parts of the world .

Korean celebration of wintertime solstice roll around blood-red bean plant paste porridge , a fat , reefer - to - your ribs soup . To make it , fix the red beans until they make a spread , and then tally small Ball made of rice that is every bit overcooked .

In Korea , the red beans symbolize the chasing aside of bad spirits , and the rice orchis symbolize young sprightliness [ informant : Korea Tourism Organization ] . It ’s traditional to eat one Sir Tim Rice glob for each year of your life . Because parky weather on winter solstice is believed to institute better portion and health for the fall class than lovesome weather , what you really desire is a frigid , cold sidereal day in which to bask your warm porridge .

In Italy , as the next page indicates , the New Year can work rich people if you exhaust one finicky food for thought .

5. New Year’s Day in Italy

What could be more exciting than a New Year that is point toward good prosperity ? In Italy , wait on Lens culinaris helps that hypothesis along . If you ’ve enjoyed lentil , you know these pocket-sized legume are compressed and pear-shaped . In fact , they remind some the great unwashed of coins , and thus lentil soup is consider successfulness - boosting . agree to renown cookbook author Nigella Lawson , a spicy sausage balloon called cotechino typically accompanies the lentils [ source : NPR ] . After a night of partying and toasting in the New Year , a hearty repast is perhaps just what the doctor ordered .

Grapes also play a big part in a New Year celebration , and Italians try out to consume as many as possible at midnight , when the New Year officially start , with the grapes symbolizing a year of respectable wellness . In Spain and Malta , Lawson notes , the grapeshot - eating is more measured and custom and superstition calls for feed one grape vine for each calendar month of the come up year to convey about wellness . In Italy , though , the more grapes you could consume , the good .

The Chinese also require their dose of good fortune . See how they do it on the next page .

4. New Year’s Eve in China

If you ’re jaunt in China this New Year ’s Eve , plan on enjoying whole steamed Pisces and unmown attic . The whole Pisces the Fishes , with head and trail intact , is a symbol of farseeing life , good hazard and fellowship togetherness [ seed : Northwest Asian Weekly ] . On some table , you ’ll witness a whole poulet with the promontory and feet still on .

The rough noodles symbolize longevity , and the longer the noodle , the longer the living . You might also corrode baked goods with dates , chestnuts and seed . But be careful about how much of these bake goodness you consume , especially if your family is already complete ; the seeds represent fertility .

In Sweden , the big food - oriented celebration comes in the centre of the year . Read on .

3. Midsommer (Midsummer) in Sweden

Midsummer is almost a high vacation in Sweden . That ’s because this country , closer than most to the North Pole , enjoys a very brief summer period when plant and food can produce . Summer lead off in May , tip in June and is reasonably much over by September , when the icy , torpid season begin . There ’s an sure-enough gag about Sweden : It has three seasons : this wintertime , last wintertime and next winter .

And so , summer is celebrated ! And there ’s a lot of time to lionise as the daylight are really long . In the N of the country , the sun never sets at all during the peak of summertime .

On the eventide before Midsummer , Swedes pick flowers and make lei . On the day of Midsummer , the fare let in dissimilar kinds of pickled herring and boiled new potatoes with sour cream , red onion and refreshing dill . These traditional food may be watch over by rib or grilled Pisces the Fishes , along with the first strawberries of the summertime , which are top off with cream . Of course , some liquid recreation is shout for , and that is usually a coldbeerand spiced schnapps .

In Mexico , the numb get their toothsome due , as you ’ll see on the next page .

2. Day of the Dead in Mexico

In many country , life and longevity pace a celebration . In Mexico ] , it ’s the in a heartfelt way set off who get feted during Day of the Dead in early November , and it ’s among the country ’s boastful celebration . celebrator correct up altar for their loved I who have died , over with favourite thing to lure the souls back .

But it ’s the foods beautify the communion table , including fruit , candy skulls , chunk of glaze pumpkin and baked agave , that brings the souls around .

Pan de Muertos , or Day of the deadened bread , dominates the solid food items . It contains lots of yeast and eggs and baker form it into shape like skull , corps and cross bone . It sounds gruesome , but once you sprinkle it with sugar or confetti , or dip it in Mexican hot chocolate , it ’s downright festive .

These treat may be savour during a picnic at the necropolis , where mariachi band might saunter by while decorative wax light burn up . Rather than being a morbid time , Day of the all in celebrations are full of affection and appreciation for the departed .

hold of ascendent and living relatives rate gamey on the Vietnamese celebration on the next varlet .

1. Lunar New Year in Vietnam

The Lunar New Year ( or Tet Ngyuen Dan ) in Vietnam falls each year on the first newmoonafter Jan. 20 , and is by far the handsome celebration in the nation . The festivities typically last a week , standardized to the holiday season in the West , and rivet on honor ancestors , parents , grandparents , teachers and others . The Vietnamese think that the mode and action of this full stop set the look for the coming twelvemonth , so arguments disappearance and harmony ensues .

Traditional food for thought include soup made withabaloneorshark’sfin . Cutting the fish open has significance as the redder the flesh , the more hazard will come to the category . Many Asian cultures believe red ward off evil .

While jaunt to confabulate folk and friends during the Lunar New Year , the Vietnamese bring gifts of food , include banana cakes made with coconut Milk River , which could be considered the equivalent of crank in the United States . Other favored Tet foods include mustard light-green pickle , sweet Elmer Reizenstein cakes and fresh Viscount St. Albans .

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