From flaming puddings to seafood feasts under summer skies, Christmas tastes strikingly different around the world. Each country brings its own flavours and festive flair to the table. Here, we’re touring ten Christmas feasts that show just how varied - and delicious - the holiday season can be.
1. The British Feast: Roast Majesty and Sweet Flames
A British Christmas isn’t complete without the big roast centrepiece. Turkey’s the most common choice these days, though goose still has its loyal fans. Plates fill quickly with crisp roast potatoes, rich gravy, sage-scented stuffing, and Brussels sprouts softened with butter or tossed with chestnuts. The traditional Christmas pudding brings the finale with plenty of theatre. Soaked in brandy, set alight, and carried proudly to the table, it arrives in a blaze of blue flame before giving way to dense, fruity richness.
2. The Italian Feast: A Sea of Celebration
Italian Christmas Eve often centres on a lavish fish-based dinner known as la Vigilia, with multiple seafood dishes. Expect generous helpings of seafood, from salted cod and calamari to plump clams, prawns, and delicate fried bites. Christmas Day moves towards hearty comfort: layered lasagna, roasted meats, cured slices of regional favourites, and panettone, the light, fragrant loaf dotted with candied fruit.
3. The Mexican Feast: Rich Spice and Generations of Craft
Mexican Christmas lasts from 12 December to 6 January, bringing weeks of gatherings, processions, and plenty of home-cooked food. But Nochebuena, the Christmas Eve feast, is the star - a late-night celebration centred around generous mains, warming drinks, and family traditions.
Tamales are still the go-to party food, each wrapped and steamed until soft. Pozole, red or green, comes loaded with slow-cooked pork, hominy and a chilli-kicked broth. If you’re after something sweet, there are buñuelos - crisp, fried discs dusted with cinnamon sugar - and ponche navideño, a hot fruit punch made with guava, hibiscus and spices.
4. The Australian Feast: Summer Sunshine and Coastal Flavour
Because Christmas lands in the middle of summer, Australians tend to keep things light and fresh. Think prawns, big chilled seafood platters and colourful salads, usually eaten outside. There’s often something on the grill as well, plus mangoes, cherries and other seasonal fruit. And for dessert, it’s hard to beat a pavlova - crisp on the outside, soft in the middle and piled high with berries or passionfruit - the perfect match for warm-weather celebrations.
5. The German Feast: Rustic Comfort and Heirloom Spices
In Germany, Christmas tends to mean hearty, home-style dishes. Roast goose is a classic, usually served with braised red cabbage and potato dumplings which are ideal for catching every bit of gravy. For something sweet, there’s stollen: a fruit-studded loaf dusted with icing sugar. Plus plenty of gingerbread biscuits and houses to pile up on happy plates.
6. The Filipino Feast: Midnight Merriment and Bold Flavours
In the Philippines, celebrations really get going after midnight Mass with Noche Buena, a grand, late-night feast that runs into the early hours. Lechon takes pride of place, with crisp crackling and juicy meat. There’s usually hamon for something on the sweeter side, and different pancit dishes, which are often linked with good luck. For something softer and sweet, there’s traditional rice cakes such as bibingka and puto bumbong, usually served with butter, coconut or muscovado sugar.
7. The Japanese Feast: Modern Tradition with a Unique Twist
Japan’s most recognisable Christmas meal is surprisingly simple: KFC. The tradition began in the 1970s when a clever advert - “Kentucky for Christmas!” - encouraged families to enjoy fried chicken as an alternative to turkey. The idea caught on so quickly that people now pre-order buckets weeks in advance. A light, creamy Christmas cake topped with fresh strawberries is the go-to dessert, hard to resist no-matter where you’re from!
8. The French Feast: Opulence and Elegance
France marks Christmas with the Réveillon, a late-night dinner that runs for hours. Seafood platters and oysters start things off, followed by foie gras, roasted poultry, chestnut stuffing, or dishes laced with truffle. Champagne flows freely throughout the evening. Closing the meal on a sweet note is a yule log-style cake. Known as bûche de Noël, it's topped with plenty of chocolate, cream, and Xmas decorations.
9. The Ethiopian Feast: Ceremony and Spice
Ethiopia celebrates Christmas, known as Gena, on 7 January. The feast often features doro wat, a spiced chicken stew with berbere, slow-cooked until soft and delicious. Hard-boiled eggs simmer in the sauce, soaking up the flavour. Everything’s served with injera, the soft, tangy flatbread used to scoop up the dishes and share the meal among the guests.
10. The American Feast: A Mosaic of Traditions
There’s no single, standard American Christmas meal, and that’s part of the charm. Many households serve turkey or glazed ham with stuffing, mashed potatoes, and veggies. At the same time, others mix in dishes from their own family - anything from tamales, pierogi, gumbo, lasagna, or seafood, depending on where the family’s roots lie. Desserts run the full range from pumpkin and pecan pies to cinnamon-spiced biscuits and ambitious gingerbread creations.
A World of Holiday Wonder
These ten festive feasts show just how many ways there are to celebrate the season, whether with seafood by the shore, roast dinners by candlelight, or a bucket of fried chicken!
