The most traditional Christmas food in many English-speaking countries is roast turkey served with stuffing, gravy, roasted potatoes, and Brussels sprouts. Other widespread, historically significant items include plum pudding, mince pies, glazed ham, and, in many regions, festive cookies or cakes.
Traditional Christmas foods are very similar to Thanksgiving and consists of roast turkey, turkey stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce and pies such as apple or pumpkin. Other non-traditional main dish favorites are ham, roast beef or lasagna.
Turkey is the most popular Christmassy meat. Roast potatoes are our top trimming, closely followed by carrots, then the all-important gravy, pigs in blankets, and stuffing. Plum pudding is the most Christmassy dessert.
We've gathered together all the fixings for a traditional British holiday feast, featuring classic dishes like holiday roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, braised red cabbage, and pureed parsnips, plus classic English Trifle and Christmas plum pudding. And for fun, don't forget the Christmas crackers for the guests!
Although there are rumours that Henry VIII was the first person to eat a turkey on Christmas Day. Before turkey was commonplace, goose was the bird of choice. Swan and pheasants routinely made their way to the Christmas dinner plate too. The wealthier families were treated to a roasted wild boar or even peacock.
Some Puritans objected to the celebrations as there was no mention of such things in the Bible, and therefore couldn't be justified as they were not rooted in scripture. Many also felt that the Christmas festivities had simply become too drunken and debauched. Presbyterians in Scotland had outlawed Christmas in 1640.
What is the most popular Christmas meal in the UK?
The most popular UK Christmas dinner centers on a roast turkey, accompanied by classic trimmings like roast potatoes, gravy, stuffing, pigs in blankets, and Brussels sprouts, with cranberry sauce and Yorkshire puddings also essential for many, forming a traditional festive feast. While turkey dominates, roast chicken, beef, or ham are common alternatives, and vegetarian/vegan options like nut roasts are increasingly popular.
What was the original Christmas dinner in England?
In medieval England the main meat served with Christmas dinner was wild boar! Through the 16th and 17th centuries goose or capon was commonly served, and the rich sometimes dined upon peacock or swan.
What does the British royal family eat for Christmas?
The turkey and plum puddings remain at the British royal family's annual Christmas luncheon at Sandringham, as does (at least during Queen Elizabeth II's reign) the boar's head.
Santa loves his white milk and cookies, but after stopping at every child's home, give Santa Claus some flavored milk for a tasty surprise. Or switch out the milk for some holiday eggnog! Put your own twist on holiday traditions this year with your family.
1. Turkey. Let's admit it, a whole turkey is the best and most traditional meat for Christmas dinners. Originally gracing our plates in the 16th century, popular history tells of King Henry VIII being the first English monarch to have turkey for Christmas.
According to Crestline's latest Christmas food survey, roasted potatoes are the nation's undisputed holiday MVP, with 91% approval. Scalloped potatoes slide into second (because one potato format is simply not enough), followed by roast beef, red velvet cake, and ham.
We eat turkey at Christmas due to a combination of royal endorsement (Henry VIII, Queen Victoria), Charles Dickens popularizing it in A Christmas Carol, and its practicality as a large, economical bird for feeding big family gatherings, with its popularity booming in the Victorian era and becoming mainstream after WWII due to better availability and affordability. Before turkey, goose, peacock, or swan were common, but turkey offered more meat and was a better alternative to cows (milk) or chickens (eggs).
In medieval times, Christmas was celebrated with grand feasts featuring roasted meat on a spit and lavish treats. Over the centuries, this changed, and turkey became the favourite dish for many families in Europe. The evolution of the Christmas dinner reflects how people, customs, and food have changed through time.
A Christmas dinner is typically very similar to a Thanksgiving Dinner. Other types of poultry, roast beef, or ham, are also used. Pumpkin or apple pie, raisin pudding, Christmas pudding, or fruitcake are staples for dessert.
A traditional British Christmas dinner centers around roast turkey with stuffing, served with crispy roast potatoes, gravy, and a variety of vegetables like Brussels sprouts (often with bacon/chestnuts), carrots, and parsnips, plus essentials like "pigs in blankets" (sausages wrapped in bacon) and cranberry sauce, followed by rich desserts like Christmas pudding or mince pies.
For Christmas Day the feast featured eight different meats, demonstrating the status of the household. The shopping list for such a feast included a whole wild boar, three beef cattle, two calves, four doe, four pigs, eight partridges, two geese and over 60 birds (mostly hens).
Roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, dinner rolls, and pumpkin or pecan pie form the classic American Christmas meal.
What do people in England do at 3pm on Christmas Day?
At 3 PM on Christmas Day in England, many people traditionally gather to watch the Monarch's Christmas Speech (formerly the Queen's Speech) on TV or radio, a long-standing tradition, while for others, it's a popular time for serving their Christmas dinner, enjoying festive films, or taking a post-meal walk.
From 1644 to 1660, Christmas was actually banned in Britain! Oliver Cromwell was a Puritan and believed that anything fun, like music or dancing, were sinful. The English rioted over it, but the Scots didn't celebrate Christmas at all from 1640 to 1958!!
Judaism. Jewish theology rejects the divinity of Jesus and that he is the true Messiah, therefore Judaism does not include a Christmas celebration. Many Jewish texts express negative sentiments about Christmas. Nittel Nacht is a term used in historical Jewish literature for Christmas Eve.
