The spirit of Christmas is all about giving and sharing – not only gifts but time well spent with the ones that matter to you most. What better way to get together than over a sumptuous feast? Much like other people in different parts of the world celebrate Christmas Day, the English get together on the day itself for a huge meal. Christmas Dinner is usually the main event and is held in the middle of the day or in the early afternoon.
Each family has its own version of the Christmas Dinner but the traditional fare includes roast turkey, brussel sprouts, roast potatoes, and of course the renowned English pudding for dessert. Serving turkey on Christmas Day can be attributed to Henry VIII, who is said to have first eaten the bird on this day. A tradition associated with turkey for Christmas Dinner is the pulling of the wishbone by two people. The person who gets the larger part of the wishbone can then make a wish and wait for it to come true.
Today, there are countless variations to roast turkey. A huge favorite among many is to stuff it with a rich and nutty concoction. Of course, there has to be enough cranberry sauce as well as bacon strips and lots of hot gravy.
Another traditional associated with the Christmas Dinner is the placement of crackers alongside each dinner plate at the table. These crackers are meant to be a joke – you pull on them and colorful tokens come out.