Different traditions – These Christmas menus are served in our neighboring countries

In Switzerland, festive meals such as “Schüfeli”, fondue chinoise or raclette are preferred at Christmas. However, there is no “traditional” Christmas dinner in Switzerland. In contrast to other countries, where a very specific menu is on the table at Christmas. We’ll show you which nations have which traditional Christmas foods.

For Germans, potato salad and sausages are at the top of the list at Christmas. However, there are differences in the preparation. In the north, potato salad is more popular with a mayo sauce. In southern Germany they prefer it with bouillon, oil and vinegar. According to a survey by statista.com, 34 percent of those questioned eat this dish on Christmas Eve.

But poultry is also very popular with Germans. Roast duck comes in second place and roast goose in third place. But two Swiss dishes are also very popular with Germans on Christmas days. According to the survey, raclette and fondue take fourth and fifth place.

Since the Catholic tradition forbids eating meat on the evening before a religious holiday, almost everything on Christmas Eve for our southern neighbors revolves around fish and seafood. A traditional dish, for example, is spaghetti alle Vongole. This pasta is made with clams. Instead of a tomato sauce, olive oil is used in this dish. On December 25th, on the other hand, there is plenty of meat on the Italians’ plates.

These meals usually consist of several courses. It starts with antipasti such as salami, raw ham, olives, peppers, artichokes, cheese and much more. But even in Italy, the food differs from region to region. The main course mostly consists of meat, a roast is almost mandatory, as idealista.it writes.

Haute cuisine is also the top priority in France at Christmas. The “Réveillon” is a long dinner and is derived from the French word “Réveil”, which means alarm clock and means “to stay up until morning”. This “Réveillon” usually starts with oysters or salmon and foie gras (goose liver).

Many French people have a “Dinde aux marrons” for their main course on December 24th, a turkey stuffed with chestnuts, like france.fr writes. Duck à l’orange is also often served. It’s a roast duck breast in an orange sauce. The dishes are traditionally accompanied by white wine or champagne. For dessert there is a “Bûche de Noël” in France.

Austrians like it more rustic at Christmas. “Goose” is often served like this. The goose can be served stuffed, glazed or just fried. If it is filled, the Austrians mostly use apples, chestnuts, onions or prunes, as Gutekueche.at writes. Red cabbage, bread dumplings or dumplings are served as an accompaniment to the goose.

But the sausage soup is also at the top of our neighbors’ Christmas dishes. This is usually enjoyed together with sauerkraut. In Austria there are different traditions from state to state. For example, because of its proximity to Switzerland, the Vorarlbergers probably have raclette at Oberst on the menu.

The Spanish like to start their Christmas dinner with tapas. These range from Ibérico ham, olives, various types of cheese to seafood. It usually continues with a soup. The most popular are the Catalan stew or the garlic soup. Trout soup is also popular in the Balearic Islands.

The main course is traditionally accompanied by a roast, as spain.info writes. This can consist of lamb or turkey. Often there is also fish or oysters. Potatoes and red cabbage are often served as side dishes. Almost the most important thing for Spaniards, however, is the dessert. The classic is the so-called “turrón”. These pastries originally come from the Arab world. It is made from honey, sugar and egg white with roasted almonds or other nuts.