KFC. Beetroot Soup. Shrimps.
Christmas meals can vary enormously from country to country.
Here we reveal ten popular Christmas treats around the world.
We think you’ll find the Claus tie fascinating…
KFC -Japan
Forget carving the turkey, millions of people in Japan feast on KFC fried chicken at Christmas
Instead of feasting on turkey, many Japanese enjoy buckets of KFC chicken during the holidays.
KFC meals have become synonymous with Christmas, with some diners ordering their meals weeks in advance.
The tradition started in the 1970s with a “Kentucky for Christmas” marketing campaign.
It was created by Takeshi Okawara, the manager of Japan’s first KFC, in an attempt to entice tourists and expats who couldn’t find a turkey to eat on Christmas Day, explains the BBC.
Now millions of people in Japan sit down to eat KFC at Christmas, ordered from stores with Colonel Sanders mascots outside.
Roscon de Reyes-Spain
Pictured is a donut-shaped cake eaten on January 6 in Spain called Roscon de Reyes
Christmas in Spain is a celebration. The celebrations begin in mid-December and last until January 6 – the day of Epiphany.
On the morning of this date, or the night before, it is traditional to enjoy a donut-shaped cake called Roscon de Reyes, which roughly translates to “King’s Cake.”
It is filled with cream, topped with candied fruit and hidden inside is a broad bean and a small toy. Find the toy and you’ll be lucky all year long, they say. Find the bean – and you foot the bill for next year’s cake.
Bulgogi and kimchi – South Korea
If you dine in South Korea at Christmas, you might find bulgogi or kimchi on the table (both are pictured above)
Instead of a traditional roast Christmas dinner in South Korea, you might find the table set with bulgogi – thin marinated slices of meat – or kimchi.
Other festive favorites according to Orientalmart are sweet potato noodles and tteokguk – a rice cake filled with meat or seafood and served with clear broth.
According to the website, many younger Koreans share the Christmas meal with their partners or friends and reserve New Year’s Day for family.
Oysters – France
Oysters are a popular Christmas tradition enjoyed in France, usually on Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, the French enjoy a nighttime celebration called Le Reveillon.
Family and friends come together to enjoy a luxurious spread, notes website Lou Messugo, this is usually accompanied by good wine and champagne.
The food includes a selection of seafood, including oysters, shrimp, crab and lobster. Smoked salmon, scallops and snails are also popular, the website says.
Pickled herring – Sweden
Swedes enjoy pickled herring at Christmas, along with beer spiced with cinnamon
The Swedes celebrate this at Christmas, known as Julboard, which literally translates to ‘Christmas table’.
The complicated affair usually involves pickled herring, according to Swedishfood.comalong with cold cuts, pâtés and terrines, hot dishes and desserts.
The buffet is often accompanied by a drink of glögg (Swedish mulled wine), a cocktail or julöl – Christmas beer spiced with cinnamon, orange peel and vanilla.
Shrimp – Australia
Aussies typically feast on around 22,000 tonnes of prawns during the festive season
Australian Christmas falls in the height of summer – too hot to toil in the kitchen.
A typical Christmas Down Under includes a barbecue with grilled meat, salads and lots of cool beer.
Seafood is also a popular Christmas tradition, according to the newspaper Marine Stewardship Council. Aussies typically feast on around 22,000 tonnes of prawns over the festive period – the equivalent of 10 Olympic swimming pools.
Stollencake – Germany
In Germany, the spiced and fruity Stollencake is typically enjoyed at Christmas
Germany is home to many sweet festive treats, including the spiced and fruity Stollen cake, known in Germany as Weihnachtsstollen or Christstollen.
The traditional festive bread dates back to 14th century Germany and was baked at Christmas in honor of monarchs and church clergy. Outlook Traveler say.
It is thought that the ‘hump’ of the Stollen symbolizes the camels that brought gifts to Jesus during the first Christmas.
“The preparation of fruits and raisins refers to jewelry and gifts given to Jesus at Christmas,” the website says.
Beetroot soup – Poland
Beetroot soup, or borscht, is a traditional appetizer usually enjoyed on Christmas Eve in Poland
The celebration of Christmas in Poland usually begins on Christmas Eve, with a supper known as wigilia.
The formal meal is celebrated and served on a table covered with a white tablecloth, according to the Polish Tourist Organization.
It features culinary customs such as beet soup or ‘borscht’, a traditional starter that can be served hot or cold, in addition to various types of fish, noodles and sweet treats.
Christmas pudding – UK
Christmas pudding has been a staple on British tables for years
The traditional British Christmas dinner often leads to debate about when to enjoy it and whether to eat it with Brussels sprouts or Yorkshire pudding.
But if there’s one thing the British can agree on, it’s Christmas pudding. The sweet dried fruit pudding has been a staple on British tables for centuries.
Diners can buy it at almost any supermarket – or prepare the mixture weeks before the big day.
Bibingka and puto bumbong – Philippines
Two rice dishes Bibingka (top) and Puto Bumbong (bottom) are eaten in the Philippines during the long celebrations leading up to Christmas Day
Bibingka and puto bumbong are popular desserts in the Philippines, especially during the Christmas season.
Bibingka is a spongy cake with a buttery taste, explains www.wazzuppilipinas.comwhile puto bumbong is a rice cake dessert, it notes, made from glutinous rice flour cooked in bamboo tubes, resulting in a purple texture.
Traditionally, the latter is served with grated coconut and brown sugar.