That is why a simple dish is served – for example, carp, because fish is the symbolic fasting meal. However, the most popular dish throughout the country is potato salad with sausages ; according to a 2016 survey, that is what almost one in two Germans eat on Christmas Eve.
What is the traditional Christmas Eve meal?
Here in the United States, traditional Christmas meals usually consist of a turkey or a roast, a glass of eggnog , and plenty of festive cookies. But this is one holiday that is celebrated across the globe, and a typical Christmas dinner looks very different in other countries.
What do German do on Christmas Eve?
Christmas Eve (Heiliger Abend) is celebrated in Germany on December 24. It is the last day of Advent and the start of the Christmas season. Many people spend the afternoon and evening decorating Christmas trees , attending church services, eating traditional dishes and opening Christmas presents.
What do Europeans eat on Christmas Eve?
Now the only rule with the Christmas Eve meal is that people eat well, and usually extravagantly. Lobster is very common, and a roast of some sort is essential, usually lamb or a suckling pig. In addition, most families will also have soup, usually fish stew, and an abundance of other seafood, cheeses, hams, and pates.
Why is Christmas called Weihnachten in German?
The German word “Weihnachten” is Nordic/Germanic and has its origins in Middle High German: “wihe naht” (consecrated or holy night). ... To celebrate the coming “rebirth” of the light, they used candles and evergreen wreaths, items that are still part of the Christmas observance today.
What are the 7 fishes for Christmas Eve dinner?
Typical feast
The meal's components may include some combination of anchovies, whiting, lobster, sardines, baccalà (dried salt cod), smelts, eels, squid, octopus, shrimp, mussels and clams .
Is eating fish on Christmas Eve a Catholic tradition?
Each of the 20 regions has a different culinary tradition for the cena della Vigilia, or Christmas Eve dinner. ... The ancient tradition of eating fish on Christmas Eve dates from the Roman Catholic custom of abstinence from meat and dairy products on the eve of certain holidays, including Christmas.
What do you serve on Christmas Eve?
- Scallop tostadas >
- Saucisson and quick-pickled pear skewers >
- Haggis Croquettes with apple and mustard sauce >
- Goat's cheese & truffle pesto twists >
What do European horses drink on Christmas?
Then they drink.
One seasonal specimen that's more likely to inspire nightmares than visions of sugar plums is the Mari Lwyd of South Wales , a festive, skeletal horse spirit with a penchant for rhymes.
What does Germany call Santa?
Traditionally, Santa Claus, or Weihnachtsmann in German, does not drop down chimneys and deliver gifts the eve of Dec. 25 in Germany. Instead, the Christkind or Christkindl, an angel-like creature with blond hair and wings, brings gifts to families on the eve of Christmas.
What happens on the 6th of December in German?
Each year on December 6th, Germans remember the death of Nicholas of Myra (now the Anatolia region of modern Turkey), who died on that day in 346. He was a Greek Christian bishop known for miracles and giving gifts secretly, and is now the patron saint of little children, sailors, merchants and students.
Does Santa exist in Germany?
Der Weihnachtsmann is the name for Santa Claus or Father Christmas in most of Germany today. ... You can even rent a Weihnachtsmann in most larger German cities. The term “Weihnachtsmann” is a very generic German term for Father Christmas, St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus.
What are the 7 fishes for Italian Christmas Eve?
Typical “fishes” include baccalà (salt cod), frutti di mare (shellfish), capitone (eel), calamari (squid), scungilli (conch meat) and vongole (clams) . Fried vegetables are also a popular accompaniment to the fish; expect fried artichokes, pickled vegetables, fried squash blossoms, and other treats.
What is the name of the special meal eaten late at night on Christmas Eve in France?
The culinary highlight of the French year is not for most families on Christmas Day, but late on Christmas Eve, and traditionally begins once folks have returned from midnight mass. The feast is called “ Le Reveillon” , meaning “awakening” or “wake up”, because it normally goes on until the early hours of the morning.
Who eats fish on Christmas Eve?
Christmas Eve is one of the days where practicing Catholics were to abstain from eating meat, and fish is one tasty alternative. On Christmas Eve, Italians would eat fish that was cooked in oil instead of butter. Many also wonder why Italians eat 7 different types of fish on Christmas Eve.
Is Christmas Eve a fast day in the Catholic Church?
Going back even further, for most of Christian history, Christmas Eve—the vigil of Christmas—was, like the vigils of every major feast, a day of fasting and abstinence , designed to heighten the joy of the feast to come. ... But such abstinence is voluntary under the current law of the Catholic Church regarding abstinence.
