In the four months from December to March, the world celebrates some of the most sacred and spectacular holidays. Many countries mark the beginning of a new year during these months, each country in its own special way. In Italy, for example, it is customary to get rid of the previous year’s junk on New Year’s Eve—by throwing it out the window! As midnight approaches, people may toss old shoes, lamps, or dishes into the street. For good luck in the coming year, Italians eat lentils, which are symbols of wealth because of their coin-like shape. On New Year’s Day, people often exchange good-luck gifts of mistletoe and calendars. Lasagna is a typical main course for dinner. In Greece, a cake containing a small silver coin is served for New Year’s Day. The prizewinner is promised good luck in the coming year.Japaneses New Year Holiday
In Japan, the New Year’s holiday, called Oshogatsu, is the most important time of the year. People prepare for the coming year by paying debts and finishing up business matters. People also clean their houses or apartments thoroughly. On Omisoka, New Year’s Eve, many people eat toshikoshi soba, or “year-crossing noodles.” Eating this soup with its extra-long, thin noodles as the new year begins is supposed to ensure a long life. At midnight, Buddhist temples ring bells or gongs 108 times, symbolically getting rid of peo-ple’s cares and worries. On New Year’s morning, families put on their best clothes and gather to toast the new year with a drink of otoso—spiced sake, or rice wine.
Chinese Typical Dishes
In China, as in Japan, the new year is a time for new beginnings. The Chinese also make sure that debts are paid, houses are clean, and pantries are well stocked before the big day arrives. Many people buy new clothes and get their hair cut. They also buy gifts such as flowers or food for friends and relatives.
On New Year’s Eve, close relatives try very hard to come home for a reunion feast so that the family can welcome the new year together. Chinese cooks prepare the luckiest foods and most exotic delicacies for this feast. Typical dishes include a whole fish or chicken, representing unity and prosperity; long noodles for long life; coin-shaped clams and mussels for good fortune; and hardboiled eggs to symbolize the togetherness of the family. On New Year’s Day, boiled dumplings are a common treat.
Jewish Holiday
Important religious and secular holidays also fall during this time. No matter what the reason for a holiday, food plays an essential role in the festivities. The Jewish holiday of Passover commemorates the exodus (escape) of Jews from Egypt in biblical times. Chicken stuffed with oranges, an Israeli favorite, is commonly served during this time of year. A matzo layer cake may follow for dessert.
Christmas Eve
In countries with large Christian populations such as Italy, France, Spain, Poland, England, Mexico, Norway, Denmark, and Ethiopia, Christmas and Easter are the most important celebrations. In France, families attend Christmas Eve Mass before partaking in a meal called le réveillon, which literally means “to wake up to a new day.” Restaurants stay open all night serving the feast, which may consist of oysters, sausages, wine, baked ham, roast chicken, salads, fruit, and pastries. In Paris, celebrants enjoy a bûche de Noël, a cake shaped like a Yule log, for dessert. Roasted goose or turkey and chestnuts are popular main courses in different regions of the country.
In Ethiopia, where the population includes both Christians and Muslims, Christmas is celebrated on December 19 in accordance with the Ethiopian calendar. Although Ethiopian Christian kids don’t look forward to a visit from Santa Claus, they do decorate a Christmas tree and receive presents from friends and relatives. Ethiopians light candles and listen to Christmas music. Families dress in white cotton robes, handmade for the holiday, and go to church. Christmas dinner features roast lamb, rice, vegetables, and a special holiday bread called hebyasha.
The tradition of giving wrapped presents during Christmastime carries over into food preparation, too. Scandinavians, for example, serve rice pudding containing one almond for dessert on Christmas Eve. Whoever finds the almond has the honor of handing out gifts after dinner.
Easter is the most sacred holiday of the year for devout Roman Catholics in countries such as Spain, Italy, and France. In Spain, the celebrations of la Semana Santa, or Holy Week, begin on Palm Sunday and end on Good Friday—the Friday before Easter Sunday. Holy Week processions are solemn. Massive floats carry huge, elaborate figures of Jesus, Mary, and major saints. Some floats show scenes from the story of Jesus’ life. The floats, many of which are lit with candles, are carried on the shoulders of a group of men. It is considered an honor to help carry a float. Walking next to the carriers are hundreds of people holding long candles and wearing long robes. The procession is accompanied by drum rolls and people clanking chains on the pavement.
During Holy Week, Spaniards also enjoy holiday feasts. Some traditional dishes include pure de cuaresma—a soup made with white beans, potatoes, leeks, carrots, and onions—and cordero pascual, a main course of leg of lamb with gravy on the side. This dish is often served with potatoes or white beans.
La Pasqua, or Easter, is the most important religious holiday for Italy’s many Roman Catholics. It is also a time to celebrate the arrival of spring. Many people give their homes an especially good cleaning before Easter. Another custom is to buy new shoes and wear them for the first time on Easter Sunday.
A variety of foods is associated with the Easter season. During Lent, the forty-day period before Easter, most Italians do not eat certain foods, such as meat and rich desserts. On Good Friday, hot cross buns, which have a cross of white icing on top, are a popular snack. Simple meals of fish or pasta are usually eaten on Good Friday and Holy Saturday. But on Easter Sunday, most families eat a large midday meal. Roast lamb is a traditional main course, representing spring and innocence. Eggs, barley, and wheat are also symbols of spring and rebirth, so breads are a very important part of Italian Easter celebrations. A sweet bread in the shape of a dove, called la colomba pasquale, is a popular dessert. People also munch on tiny candy lambs made of sugary almond paste. Hollow chocolate eggs with surprises inside are given as presents to children and adults alike. On Easter Monday, know as Pasquetta or “little Easter,” families go into the countryside for picnics and fun.
French Traditions
The French have similar culinary traditions at Easter, or les Pâques. After Easter Mass, festivities continue at the family home with a four- or five-course meal, followed by dessert. Favorite Easter foods include foie gras—a goose-liver pâté—lamb, salmon, asparagus, new potatoes, and strawberries. Coffee, liqueur, and chocolates round out the meal.
For weeks before the Easter holiday, French bakeries churn out chocolates shaped like chickens, rabbits, fish, or bells. Some of the candies are quite elaborate. Most of the fish have scales, and some are even stuffed with tiny candy fish. A ribbon secures the big fish’s middle. When someone pulls open the bow, the tiny fish spill from the opening.
Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr
In Muslim countries of Africa such as Somalia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Guinea, Islamic holidays such as Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr are the most important days of the year. Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. It was during this time that Muhammad, the founder of Islam, received his first messages from Allah, or God. Muslims honor Allah during the month of Ramadan by fasting (refusing to eat or drink) from daybreak until sunset. After the sun goes down, families gather at home for a light meal before bed. The next morning, Muslims get up around 3:00 or 4:00 A.M. to eat breakfast before sunrise. At 7:00 A.M., on the last day of Ramadan, families dress in new clothes and go to their mosque (house of worship) to pray.
The celebration of Eid al-Fitr ends the Ramadan fast.The party lasts for three days. Most African Muslims don’t work during this time. People dress up in new clothes and exchange gifts with family and friends. Muslims in Somalia enjoy a big meal of rice, cake, orange juice, sampus (beef turnovers), and halwud. Families that can afford to slaughter goats, camels, or cows for the feast. But most African Muslims add just a little lamb to rice to make skudahkharis, a thick stew. In Tanzania, cooks mix green plantains with chicken broth to make
supa ya ndizi, or plantain soup. They usually eat this nourishing soup with a rice and fish dish called wali na samaki. In Senegal, chicken yassa is served on Eid al-Fitr. Senagalese Muslims also stuff lamb with raisins and couscous—tiny pieces of steamed semolina flour that are popular in northern Africa and the Middle East.
Most every culture holds festivals to give thanks for a bountiful harvest, too. In the Liguria region of Italy, an area known for its basil, the town of Pontedassio holds a basil festival in early June. Italians enjoy dishes such as pesto—a heavy sauce made with fresh basil leaves, olive oil, pine nuts, and parmesan cheese.
New life is cause for celebration in many cultures. When a child is born to the Yoruba in southwestern Nigeria, the family celebrates with a naming ceremony called Ikomo. Ikomo is believed to welcome the child into the community. A high priest, called the Baba Lawo, leads the ceremony. The child’s aunt gathers honey, water, and salt—foods that will be sprinkled on the baby’s tongue. The honey represents hope for a sweet, good life for the child. Water confirms wishes that the baby will be as mighty as the ocean. And salt serves as a reminder that life isn’t always good. Once the baby has tasted the foods, guests dab a bit of the mixture on their tongues. Then the oldest family member announces the baby’s name. The ceremony ends with a big feast that might include spicy kabobs, groundnut stew, and ginger-fried fish.
The recipes in this cookbook, which have been taken from the cuisines of countries around the world, could be used to form one single, splendid holiday feast. If you prepare them all, you’ll have a taste of the best the world has to offer on its most special days.
This article I have take from "HOLIDAY COOKING AROUND THE WORLD" compiled by Kari A.Cornell. (Introduction: Page 7-13)
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