Today I’m starting a series of Christmas food traditions around the world. In my series I will not only explore the traditions of Christmas, but also other holidays around that time. My main focus is Christmas because that is what we have always celebrated in my family. At the same time I want to acknowledge Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and others too, so stay tuned.
This idea was born after I received an email from a friend with ties to Canada. He thought the topic would be interesting to post on Multiculti Cooking and included the link of an article on the Calgary Herald website: A non-Christian guide to Christmas. Follow the link to learn more.
This article appealed to me because I grew up celebrating holidays of all religions in our community. There is a unique tolerance for different religions and traditions in Suriname where a Synagogue may be located on the same block with a Mosque, or a Protestant church down the street of a Catholic church. We used to join our friends and neighbors to share in their holiday traditions and food, learning about other customs around us.
The world is a big playground, and if you want to learn more about special food traditions, be sure to come back and check out what I am digging up. I’ll keep adding links to new entries below.
Part 1: Sea Urchins
Part 2: Stollen, Glühwein and Lebkuchen – Germany
Part 3: Sinterklaas – Belgium & The Netherlands
Part 4: Latkes on Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights