ISRAEL
Sufganiyot
and a very
Kūčios (pronounced “cooch-yos”) is the Lithuanian take on the traditional Christmas Eve feast. To prepare for the meal, Lithuanian families will thoroughly clean their homes and reconcile differences with other family members as symbols of physical and spiritual cleansing. The meal itself includes 12 meatless and dairy-free dishes such as beet soup, herring, cranberry pudding, biscuits, and apples. Because of Kūčios’ emphasis on deep family traditions, many Lithuanians will tell you they look forward to Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day.
VENEZUELA
Hallacas
A holiday staple for Venezuelans, hallacas (pronounced “hayacas”) are similar to tamales with meat and veggies wrapped in corn dough and plantain leaves. As one of Venezuela’s oldest food traditions, Venezuelan families gather to chop, mix, and prepare large batches of the dish’s savory fillings. Individual family recipes vary, but common hallaca ingredients include pork, chicken, raisins, olives, onions, and capers.
CHILE
Cola de Mono
Kūčios (pronounced “cooch-yos”) is the Lithuanian take on the traditional Christmas Eve feast. To prepare for the meal, Lithuanian families will thoroughly clean their homes and reconcile differences with other family members as symbols of physical and spiritual cleansing. The meal itself includes 12 meatless and dairy-free dishes such as beet soup, herring, cranberry pudding, biscuits, and apples. Because of Kūčios’ emphasis on deep family traditions, many Lithuanians will tell you they look forward to Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day.
Kūčios (pronounced “cooch-yos”) is the Lithuanian take on the traditional Christmas Eve feast. To prepare for the meal, Lithuanian families will thoroughly clean their homes and reconcile differences with other family members as symbols of physical and spiritual cleansing. The meal itself includes 12 meatless and dairy-free dishes such as beet soup, herring, cranberry pudding, biscuits, and apples. Because of Kūčios’ emphasis on deep family traditions, many Lithuanians will tell you they look forward to Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day.
ETHIOPIA
Doro Wat
JAPAN
KFC
LITHUANIA
Kūčios
PHILIPPINES
Puto Bumbong
FRANCE
Réveillon
Happy Holidays
SOUTH AFRICA
Braai
Kūčios (pronounced “cooch-yos”) is the Lithuanian take on the traditional Christmas Eve feast. To prepare for the meal, Lithuanian families will thoroughly clean their homes and reconcile differences with other family members as symbols of physical and spiritual cleansing. The meal itself includes 12 meatless and dairy-free dishes such as beet soup, herring, cranberry pudding, biscuits, and apples. Because of Kūčios’ emphasis on deep family traditions, many Lithuanians will tell you they look forward to Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day.
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LRW’s Global
Kūčios (pronounced “cooch-yos”) is the Lithuanian take on the traditional Christmas Eve feast. To prepare for the meal, Lithuanian families will thoroughly clean their homes and reconcile differences with other family members as symbols of physical and spiritual cleansing. The meal itself includes 12 meatless and dairy-free dishes such as beet soup, herring, cranberry pudding, biscuits, and apples. Because of Kūčios’ emphasis on deep family traditions, many Lithuanians will tell you they look forward to Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day.
Kūčios (pronounced “cooch-yos”) is the Lithuanian take on the traditional Christmas Eve feast. To prepare for the meal, Lithuanian families will thoroughly clean their homes and reconcile differences with other family members as symbols of physical and spiritual cleansing. The meal itself includes 12 meatless and dairy-free dishes such as beet soup, herring, cranberry pudding, biscuits, and apples. Because of Kūčios’ emphasis on deep family traditions, many Lithuanians will tell you they look forward to Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day.
Kūčios (pronounced “cooch-yos”) is the Lithuanian take on the traditional Christmas Eve feast. To prepare for the meal, Lithuanian families will thoroughly clean their homes and reconcile differences with other family members as symbols of physical and spiritual cleansing. The meal itself includes 12 meatless and dairy-free dishes such as beet soup, herring, cranberry pudding, biscuits, and apples. Because of Kūčios’ emphasis on deep family traditions, many Lithuanians will tell you they look forward to Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day.
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Kūčios (pronounced “cooch-yos”) is the Lithuanian take on the traditional Christmas Eve feast. To prepare for the meal, Lithuanian families will thoroughly clean their homes and reconcile differences with other family members as symbols of physical and spiritual cleansing. The meal itself includes 12 meatless and dairy-free dishes such as beet soup, herring, cranberry pudding, biscuits, and apples. Because of Kūčios’ emphasis on deep family traditions, many Lithuanians will tell you they look forward to Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day.
Christmas in Japan goes hand-in-hand with KFC fried chicken. The custom started back in the early-70s as a clever marketing opportunity: with no established Christmas traditions in the country, KFC positioned its brand as the traditional Christmas meal. Today, millions of Japanese place KFC holiday orders weeks in advance and wait in long pick-up lines at local stores, where they’re greeted by the iconic Colonel Sanders dressed as Santa Claus.
Holiday Food Tour
Kūčios (pronounced “cooch-yos”) is the Lithuanian take on the traditional Christmas Eve feast. To prepare for the meal, families will thoroughly clean their homes and reconcile differences with other family members as symbols of physical and spiritual cleansing. The meal itself includes 12 meatless and dairy-free dishes such as herring, cranberry pudding, beets, biscuits, and apples. Because of Kūčios’ emphasis on deep family traditions, many Lithuanians will tell you they look forward to Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day.
VENEZUELA
Hallacas
For Filipinos, puto bumbong is the culture’s most sought-after holiday delicacy. This sweet treat is made of glutinous purple rice that’s soaked overnight in water, packed and steamed in bamboo tubes, and then served on banana leaves with a sprinkle of coconut. It’s typical for vendors to line up outside churches and serve puto bumbong to hungry churchgoers as they file out from early dawn Christmas mass.
There are feasts—and then there’s réveillon! This Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve gorgefest is a long, elaborate, and luxurious meal featuring escargots, lobsters, foie gras, smoked salmon, and much more. The meal typically culminates in a “bûche de Noël,” which is an irresistible cream-filled cake rolled into the shape of a Yule log. While this extravagant tradition originated in France, it has spread to a select number of other countries such as Brazil, Belgium, and Canada.
With decades of experience sharing insights in almost 90 countries around the world, LRW knows firsthand how holiday celebrations vary from one culture to another. But the one thing they all have in common is FOOD!
Whether it’s grand family feasts or seasonal twists to local delicacies, food has a magical power to bring people together like nothing else over the holidays.
Explore our interactive map to discover some of the globe’s most extraordinary and mouth-watering holiday culinary traditions.
And no matter where you live or how you celebrate, all of us at LRW wish you a…
In South Africa, the holiday season falls in the dead of summer. So just like Americans celebrate the 4th of July with outdoor barbecues, many South Africans celebrate Christmas with their own outdoor barbecue feasts known as braai. A typical braai is heavy on meats such as boerewors (thick sausages), lamb, and duck. For those with vegetarian appetites, there are braaibroodjies, which is the South African take on grilled cheese with tomatoes and onions.
In Ethiopia, doro wat is THE go-to food for Christmas, which the country actually celebrates on January 7, based on the Ethiopian Orthodox Church calendar. Members of the church will end a 40-day vegan fast leading up to Christmas with this rich and spicy chicken stew. Ethiopians enjoy the dish with injera flatbread, which can be used as a delicious edible spoon that soaks up the wat’s juicy flavors.
VENEZUELA
Hallacas
Ask any American about the most traditional Hanukkah food, and they’re likely to say latkes, or potato pancakes. But in Israel, latkes have yielded the title of top Hanukkah delight to sufganiyot, which are deep-fried doughnuts filled with jelly, cream, or custard. Bakeries all across Israel ramp up production of these sweet treats during the holiday season, and it’s estimated that Israelis consume 18 million sufganiyot in the weeks before and during Hanukkah.
VENEZUELA
Hallacas
Delicious New Year!
A holiday staple for Venezuelans, hallacas (pronounced “hayacas”) are similar to tamales with meat and veggies wrapped in corn dough and plantain leaves. As one of Venezuela’s oldest food traditions, Venezuelan families gather to chop, mix, and prepare large batches of the dish’s savory fillings. Individual family recipes vary, but common hallaca ingredients include pork, chicken, raisins, olives, onions, and capers.
When you think of holiday drinks, you probably think of eggnog. But in Chile, they enjoy a similar concoction named cola de mono. This popular libation is not unlike a White Russian, with a milk base mixed with cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, and a popular South American spirit called aguardiente. Literally translated, the name means “monkey’s tail.” And while it’s unclear where the drink got its name, Chileans agree that it will have you swinging throughout the holiday season!
VENEZUELA
Hallacas
VENEZUELA
Hallacas
LRW’s Global
VENEZUELA
Hallacas
Holiday Food Tour
VENEZUELA
Hallacas
VENEZUELA
Hallacas
VENEZUELA
Hallacas
