We have come to the third stop on our trip to visit Desert Mission families and learn about their unique Christmas celebrations, and this week our focus widens and all of our senses are engaged. That’s because this week we are visiting four different families to sample the special foods they enjoy as a part of their Christmas meal and explore how our holiday experience is shaped by the foods we eat.
We’ve talked about the benefits of family dinner in prior posts, sharing how meal rituals create a sacred space around the dinner table, deepen connections between family members, and even provide a sense of shared identity to those who break bread together. Holiday meals elevate all of these benefits; Jo-Ann Do put it beautifully in her article about the importance of holiday meal rituals: “As we gather around the table to partake in these rituals, we are not just sharing a meal; we are sharing our history, our values, and our love.“
Undoubtedly this is why so many of the traditions submitted for this “Christmas Around the World” series revolved around food:
Pat R’s family eats paprikash chicken every year to honor Pat’s mom’s Hungarian roots. They also bake and decorate sugar cookies together, then eat them for Christmas Eve dessert.
Patty K has fond memories of her Grammy’s homemade steamed suet pudding with hard sauce, a New England specialty that was a family Christmas favorite for many years.
Ida F’s extended family continues a 150-year-old tradition of serving the Feast of the Seven Fishes each Christmas Eve, a practice that has Biblical significance as well as historical significance for the families of Italian immigrants.
Craig Y’s family has enjoyed Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole every Christmas for decades – ask him to show you a picture of it and you’ll see why they keep coming back for more.
Each person described their family’s favorite dish with language so vivid one could almost taste it. But the flavors are a bonus – it’s the power of the food to connect us that makes these traditions so special. So this year, if your family already has a holiday meal ritual, do it with intention. Let different family members help prepare or serve it, tell stories about the ritual’s history, and really savor the experience. If you don’t have a ritual, create one that is specific to either what you eat or how you eat, and commit to continuing it in the years to come. If you’d like to try one of the recipes shared here and see if it’s a good fit for your family, we can help you find the right person to ask.
Your family gathering may include folks from different backgrounds, whether they’re extended family or chosen family. If that’s the case, consider encouraging people to bring a dish that has special meaning for them AND the story that goes along with it – now it’ll be a part of your holiday meal ritual with each other. And in 150 years, your descendants can tell the story of how their family’s most treasured Christmas tradition began!
We’d love to hear about your family’s Christmas meal rituals, past, present, or future! Share them with us on Facebook or Instagram.
