Myths and Folklore: Holiday Meals and Foods

Most holiday celebrations have strong food traditions. Some of these foods come from traditional sources; others have been introduced by marketing but have become so associated with the holiday as to have become traditional. Most dry cereals now appear in the colors and symbols specific to major holidays. Christian-based holidays have permeated American culture, and, regardless of actual religious beliefs, many individuals participate in the foodways associated with them. Christmas includes candy canes, fruitcakes, seafood supper on Christmas Eve for many Italian Americans, brunch on Christmas morning, and turkey dinner on Christmas Day. Easter includes a wide variety of special candy (chocolate rabbits and eggs, jellybeans, and marshmallows in symbolic shapes) along with boiled and decorated eggs. Some ethnic traditions, such as paczki (paschke), an eastern European pastry similar to a jelly doughnut, are becoming more commonplace. In many cases these religiously based holidays overlap with seasons, and their foods reflect this phenomenon. Christmas celebrates winter with eggnog, hot chocolate, and other foods to warm one up; Easter foods celebrate spring and new life: dinner menus usually include new potatoes, young peas, and fresh asparagus.