The festive season is here and is well on the way. *cues* It’s the most beautiful time of the year. There is not one mall and store I’ve entered that is not filled with large Christmas trees decorated with shiny balls and ornaments. Traditionally, Christmas is a Christian holiday that commemorates the birth of Jesus. However, globally, Christians and non-Christians come together to celebrate this day. Christmas is a joyful occasion of celebrations with friends and family and, of course, a lot of food.
The food traditions in households differ in every country. Quite surprisingly, Kentucky Fried Chicken is the number one food for Christmas in Japan. As one of the biggest Kentucky fans, this is my ultimate dream. In England, it’s tradition to have a Christmas Pudding set alight with brandy just before serving. Serving fruitcakes is standard for families in the United States of America. For the Philippines, the main attraction of their Christmas dinners is roasted pork.
My mother and a few of my young aunts gather the night before Christmas in my household to prepare the various foods discussed and assigned. It’s an entire event—music on, aprons on and cutting boards out. The sickest jams vibrate through the whole house. Brenda Fassie and Mariah Carey, the works! It’s tradition every year to have a seven colours meal with salads – potato salad and green salad with various starches – garlic bread, yellow rice, vegetables – spinach, butternut alongside meats – roasted chicken and beef, with desserts – peppermint tart and trifle. I love it here; South Africans and great food are in the same WhatsApp group.
Before assuming too much, I set out to find out which Christmas food and dessert traditions are present in the lives of my fellow South Africans down the road from our house. Sis Phumeza from the bright white house said that food is at the heart of their Christmas celebrations, saying, “We love beef, and it’s always on our table. Beef meat is an unwavering fixture on our menu”. (Unsurprisingly), she said, “Equally essential are the Choice Assorted biscuits that have become an integral part of our festive spread.”
Bab’Chumani at the corner house shared, “We believe that food brings a family together, and there is no greater way to do that without a seven colours meal”. In true South African style, this consists of chicken, rice, beetroot, butternut, spinach and corn. “This is followed by jelly and custard dessert at the end of a meal. With Bakers Choice Assorted at the end of the day”. We both giggled at the dessert because if you know, you know. What hold do these biscuits have on us as South Africans?!
Going from house to house, I eagerly anticipated when anyone would mention a braai! At one of the houses with small barking dogs, the daughter Sarah noted, “For Christmas, it’s tradition for my dad to braai with two beers next to him while on the job.” For dessert, she said, “One tradition is my grandmother’s trifle. My favourite dessert to have after stuffing myself with the seven-colour plates.”
Christmas is undoubtedly one of my favourite times of the year when it comes to food, and one thing is for sure: a seven-colour plate will always be a winner. Delicious.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas with loved ones filled with love, laughter, presents, fulfilment, and happiness. I wish you all the Christmas miracles you’ve been hoping for.
Tell us: What are your favourite Christmas foods and traditions that your family follows?
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