REVEALED: Christmas Tables & Traditions Across The World

SWEDEN

Sweden celebrates with a Scandinavian feast called a ‘Julbord’ which typically begins with cold fish dishes followed by meats, hot food and dessert.
They hold this celebration on Christmas eve rather than Christmas day.
Each course is followed by a shot of aquavit, which is an alcohol made from herbs and botanicals. It is served frozen in long-stemmed shot glasses and works as a palate cleanser and digestif during the Julbord.
Someone does a toast at the table followed by ‘snapsvisa’ which is a short chant describing how much the table will enjoy their aquavit. Once the song is over, everyone takes a shot of aquavit!
The Swedish BBC broadcasts ‘Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul’ (Donald Duck and his friends wish you a Merry Christmas) at 3pm sharp and it is tradition to watch this every year.

USA

America saves its Turkey for Thanksgiving celebrations and instead cooks a ham or roast beef on Christmas day.
Their dinner is similar to a British roast, with vegetables, potatoes and cranberry sauce.
Sweet dishes range from pumpkin pie to marzipan and coconut cake.
Although not a table tradition, Americans often thread popcorn onto a piece of string and place it on the tree as decoration.
Gingerbread houses are a popular American sweet treat often placed on the table.

AUSTRALIA

Australians usually decorate their houses with bunches of ‘Christmas bush’ which is a native Australian tree with small green leaves and cream coloured flowers.
As Christmas day falls in the middle of Summer for Australians, their Christmas day meal is typically a barbecue with seafood such as lobsters and shrimp along with traditional English foods.
They don’t celebrate with a formal dinner or Christmas table set up, and instead, eat outside and usually spend their day at the beach.
They also sometimes use Christmas crackers Christmas pudding but they’re also a fan of cold foods and desserts such as pavlova and trifle – probably due to the sky-high temperatures!

MEXICO

Christmas Eve is known as ‘Noche Buena’ and is the main family day in Mexico.
Popular Christmas dishes include Pozole (a thick soup made with hominy, chicken or pork and chillies topped with greens), roast turkey and pork, tamales, potatoes and shrimp.
Ensalada Nochebuena is a special Christmas Eve salad served as a side with the main.
Fried pastries called Bunuelos are sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and eaten as a dessert.
People drink a warm Christmas punch made with fruit or Rompope (an egg nog-like drink with rum).

THE UK

Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December in the UK with a roast turkey dinner and all of the trimmings.
A British Christmas dinner is estimated to be a whopping 2,128 calories in total!
Brussel sprouts and pigs in blankets are Christmas specialities and tables are decorated with Christmas centrepieces, Christmas crackers and candles.
Cracker jokes and hats are a massive British tradition shared around the table, and bucks fizz is a popular drink to accompany the meal.
Desserts are usually trifle, Christmas pudding or Mince Pies.
Traditional Christmas pudding is usually set alight and served with brandy cream.

JAPAN

Christmas isn’t celebrated religiously in Japan, but more as a way to spread happiness.
Christmas Eve is thought of as a romantic day where couples spend together and exchange presents, similar to how Valentine’s day is celebrated elsewhere.
Their main meal is fried chicken after a 1979 ‘Kentucky For Christmas’ campaign made KFC the go-to dish for Christmas!
Parties are usually held for children with lots of dancing and games, and a Japanese Christmas cake is eaten for dessert.
Visiting Disneyland Tokyo is also a popular way to celebrate Christmas watching parades and seeing the decorations.