Favorite foods enjoyed by Americans for any given holiday, season, or special occasion will likely include some ethnic dishes, given the many ethnic groups that reside in the United States. Despite this melting pot cuisine, there are some similarities in dishes that will be a part of most meals during celebrations such as Christmas.
Christmas in the United States comes almost one month after another big holiday, Thanksgiving, in which the traditional meal typically consists of a turkey as the main dish. This also carries over into Christmas as roast turkey is one of the main dishes served for Christmas dinner. Unlike Thanksgiving, which is solely devoted to turkey, Christmas dinners may also include other birds or poultry. These include roast goose or duck. Roasted ham may also be served. Cranberry sauce, vegetables, pumpkin pie, and a plum pudding or fruity Christmas pudding for dessert tops off traditional Christmas dinners. Mince pies and pastry that is filled with a mixture of chopped, dried fruit may also be added to the menu. For drinks with Christmas dinner, a bottle of champagne is very popular, as well as wine.
Before Christmas Day and the big dinner arrives, there's also another type of food that Americans enjoy in large quantities during the Christmas season. The consumption and sales of candies, gingerbread, and other cookies and holiday treats increases tremendously during the holidays. Just as department stores seek to attract shoppers to purchase Christmas gifts, candy manufacturers also put out special boxes of candies for Christmas and the holiday season.
A survey done in 2004 by the National Confectioners Association found that many adults derived much pleasure at Christmas from giving and receiving candies and other treats. In their responses, the survey participants said that giving decadent boxes of chocolate to friends and family, placing candy canes on the Christmas tree, and hiding candy treats in Christmas stockings were favorite ways to give and receive candies, cookies, and treats during the holidays.
Sweet treats remain popular at Christmas despite the constant message about dieting that is present every day in the media, on billboards, and from some food manufacturers. At Christmas time, people feel free to enjoy the festive season without constraints; but they also know that they can enjoy candies and cookies that are health-conscious by eating those that are targeted to the low-carb dieter or those that are sugar-free, fat-free, or both.
Cookies that are enjoyed at Christmas are often home-baked and usually include gingerbread items. The tradition of gingerbread cookies at Christmas is also believed to have originated in Germany and was brought to America by German immigrants. German bakeries began baking very fancy gingerbread houses, with icing as edible snow and other decorations, after the Grimm Brothers published their children's story, Hansel and Gretel. That story had a description of a house that was made of bread, a roof of cake, and windows of barley. The popularity of these creations gave rise to cookie cutters that were made in a variety of shapes, enabling small gingerbread cookies of various shapes to be baked at home. Some of these cookies had the shapes of little people and animals and were used to decorate Christmas trees.
More than one hundred years ago, German homes in Lancaster County, in Pennsylvania, would have cookies as tall as one foot high used as decorations in their front windows. The cookies were often giant gingerbread men and women that had colorful rows of buttons and big smiles. Passersby were cheered and intrigued by the sight and brought the idea to their homes on a smaller scale.
Being able to enjoy special dishes, candies, cookies, and other goodies during Christmas and the holidays adds a sweet flavor to the season and also helps to create warm and cherished memories.
Christmas in the United States comes almost one month after another big holiday, Thanksgiving, in which the traditional meal typically consists of a turkey as the main dish. This also carries over into Christmas as roast turkey is one of the main dishes served for Christmas dinner. Unlike Thanksgiving, which is solely devoted to turkey, Christmas dinners may also include other birds or poultry. These include roast goose or duck. Roasted ham may also be served. Cranberry sauce, vegetables, pumpkin pie, and a plum pudding or fruity Christmas pudding for dessert tops off traditional Christmas dinners. Mince pies and pastry that is filled with a mixture of chopped, dried fruit may also be added to the menu. For drinks with Christmas dinner, a bottle of champagne is very popular, as well as wine.
Before Christmas Day and the big dinner arrives, there's also another type of food that Americans enjoy in large quantities during the Christmas season. The consumption and sales of candies, gingerbread, and other cookies and holiday treats increases tremendously during the holidays. Just as department stores seek to attract shoppers to purchase Christmas gifts, candy manufacturers also put out special boxes of candies for Christmas and the holiday season.
A survey done in 2004 by the National Confectioners Association found that many adults derived much pleasure at Christmas from giving and receiving candies and other treats. In their responses, the survey participants said that giving decadent boxes of chocolate to friends and family, placing candy canes on the Christmas tree, and hiding candy treats in Christmas stockings were favorite ways to give and receive candies, cookies, and treats during the holidays.
Sweet treats remain popular at Christmas despite the constant message about dieting that is present every day in the media, on billboards, and from some food manufacturers. At Christmas time, people feel free to enjoy the festive season without constraints; but they also know that they can enjoy candies and cookies that are health-conscious by eating those that are targeted to the low-carb dieter or those that are sugar-free, fat-free, or both.
Cookies that are enjoyed at Christmas are often home-baked and usually include gingerbread items. The tradition of gingerbread cookies at Christmas is also believed to have originated in Germany and was brought to America by German immigrants. German bakeries began baking very fancy gingerbread houses, with icing as edible snow and other decorations, after the Grimm Brothers published their children's story, Hansel and Gretel. That story had a description of a house that was made of bread, a roof of cake, and windows of barley. The popularity of these creations gave rise to cookie cutters that were made in a variety of shapes, enabling small gingerbread cookies of various shapes to be baked at home. Some of these cookies had the shapes of little people and animals and were used to decorate Christmas trees.
More than one hundred years ago, German homes in Lancaster County, in Pennsylvania, would have cookies as tall as one foot high used as decorations in their front windows. The cookies were often giant gingerbread men and women that had colorful rows of buttons and big smiles. Passersby were cheered and intrigued by the sight and brought the idea to their homes on a smaller scale.
Being able to enjoy special dishes, candies, cookies, and other goodies during Christmas and the holidays adds a sweet flavor to the season and also helps to create warm and cherished memories.
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