New Year is a special holiday, shrouded in miracles, magic and symbols. One of these symbols is the New Year's table. In different countries of the world, people believe that special holiday foods can bring happiness in the new year and traditionally prepare these dishes. Let's see what food will be on the New Year's table in different countries.

England

Not a single traditional New Year's holiday in England is complete without plumpudding, which consists of lard, bread crumbs, flour, raisins, eggs and spices. Before serving, the pudding is poured with rum and set on fire, which makes the holiday even brighter. It is also traditional to serve stuffed turkey with vegetables and gooseberry sauce. Turkey with vegetables is considered a traditional dish and delights guests at any holiday.

America

The idea is also considered a traditional American dish, but unlike the English one, American turkey is prepared differently. In very simple terms, the turkey is stuffed with all the products that are “lying around” in the refrigerator. Usually these are cheese, garlic, prunes, apples, cabbage, beans, mushrooms, and spices.

Austria, Hungary

In these countries, serving poultry at the holiday table is a bad sign. Superstitious residents of these countries believe that if you serve a bird at the festive table, then happiness can fly away. Traditional Austrian cuisine is rich in its delights. So, you can serve schnitzel, strudel at the holiday table, and you can also prepare traditional fish salad in Austrian style. In Hungary, it is customary to serve traditional bagels at the holiday table - poppy seed and nut rolls, which migrated from Jewish cuisine.

Denmark, Sweden

Cod is considered the main New Year's holiday dish for the Danes. This dish symbolizes happiness and wealth. Lutefiks, a fish dish made from dried cod, is always served on the Swedish holiday table.

Germany

Herring is considered an integral and symbolic dish of the German holiday table. It is believed that herring will definitely bring happiness in the coming year. Traditional and no less important dishes on the holiday table are Sauerkraut - stewed sauerkraut with sausages, Eisbein - boiled pork knuckle and, of course, many types of German sausages. (each region has its own varieties).

Israel

It is important to note that in Israel the New Year is celebrated in September. The New Year's holiday table of Israeli residents has a number of its own rules. The main rule is that bitter, sour and salty dishes are kept away. The table is set with sweet dishes. Also on the table are usually honey, dates, pomegranates and apples. Challah - a holiday pastry - is dipped in honey. This tradition is followed by many people. In this way, the Israelis “sweeten” the coming year. Boiled fish, baked apples, cabbage, and beets are also served on the festive table.

Holland, France

On the Dutch holiday table you will definitely find deep-fried donuts and salted beans - one of the main national dishes - especially for the New Year. In France, a traditional New Year's table is not complete without roasted chestnuts, oysters, beautifully decorated sandwiches with goose pate, cheeses and, of course, French wine.

Poland

In Poland, you can count exactly twelve dishes on the New Year's table. And not just meat! Mushroom soup or borscht, barley porridge with prunes, dumplings with butter, chocolate cake for dessert. A must-have dish is fish. In many countries it is considered a symbol of family happiness and prosperity.

Czech Republic and Slovakia

A similar set of dishes is present on the New Year's tables of housewives in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. True, they prefer pearl barley porridge, and strudel is a must - a puff pastry with apples, the pride of every good housewife.

Romania, Australia, Bulgaria

Among the many traditional dishes presented on New Year's tables, you will definitely try a special pie. Its peculiarity is that one of the guests will definitely find a coin, or a nut, or a peppercorn in a piece of pie. The lucky owner of the find will start a family next year.

Japan

On December 30, the pre-holiday table always includes mochi - small cakes made from boiled rice, which are made with fruit and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Long noodles must be present on the New Year's holiday table. The longer it is, the longer the life of the participants in the feast will be. Tables often contain seaweed, fried chestnuts, peas, beans, and boiled fish; these ingredients are the key to happiness, success in business, health, and tranquility.

Spain, Portugal, Cuba

In many countries - Spain, Portugal, Cuba - the grapevine has been considered a symbol of abundance and a happy family hearth since ancient times. Therefore, the inhabitants of these countries eat twelve grapes at midnight when the clock strikes, according to the number of strokes of the clock. With each grape they make a wish - twelve cherished wishes for each month of the year.

Italy

In Italy, it is also customary to serve grapes, nuts, and lentils at the New Year's table as a symbol and guarantee of longevity, health and well-being.

Tibet

The people of Tibet have a cute New Year's custom. Housewives bake mountains of pies with a wide variety of fillings and present them to all friends and strangers. The more you give away, the richer you will be!

Belgium

In Belgium they eat veal sausage with truffles, boar meat, traditional cake, and wine.

In this article we will talk about national dishes on the New Year and Christmas holiday table. But first, a short introduction about whether it is customary to celebrate the New Year in all countries of the world.

January 1 – New Year begins according to the Gregorian calendar. But there are countries on the world map in which the New Year begins at a completely different time. Or this date is not given the status of a holiday or weekend. Which countries don't celebrate New Year?

For example, Muslim countries do not celebrate the New Year, since marking the change of dates is alien to Islam in principle. Muslims can go to a restaurant or home dinner on this day at the invitation of friends, but rather out of respect.

Some countries living according to the Persian calendar celebrate the New Year - Navruz - on March 22. For example, Iran, Afghanistan. And for this occasion, specific national dishes are prepared.

In some countries with a Persian cultural heritage, both holidays (January 1 and March 22) are celebrated, but they are given different meanings. For example, in Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Albania and Macedonia.

In Israel, the New Year - Rosh Hashanah - is celebrated according to the Jewish calendar and occurs in the fall. And on January 1, only immigrants from the former USSR celebrate the New Year.

In Asian countries, rich in their national holidays and rituals, January 1 is treated evenly. For example, in South Korea, January 1 is a day off, but you should not expect magnificent celebrations; they will take place later - on the day of the Korean New Year - Seollal, which is established according to the lunar calendar.

A similar story is in China. There are no noisy celebrations and public festivities on January 1. And the Chinese New Year (Chunjie), which falls from January 21 to February 21, is already celebrated on a grand scale, with fireworks, processions and a traditional family dinner.

It is no secret that in the Catholic part of Europe and America, greater importance is attached to Christmas, which is celebrated on December 25, and all the main efforts and festive preparations are aimed at this holiday. The New Year is celebrated more modestly and in the format of parties with friends.

And in countries located on the territory of the post-Soviet space and professing Orthodoxy, the New Year is celebrated earlier than Orthodox Christmas (January 7), and, as a rule, more magnificent feasts are organized on New Year's Eve from December 31 to January 1. This has been the tradition since the times of the Soviet Union, when the authorities banned religious holidays and people began to celebrate the New Year on a grand scale.

Gathering around the holiday table with the whole family is a wonderful tradition! The New Year's festive table is one of the symbols of the holiday. Some countries have developed their own superstitions about what needs to be put on the table to attract happiness, prosperity, good luck in the coming year, and what dishes are best avoided. The recipes for some traditional dishes have not changed for centuries!

Let's go with you on a gastronomic journey across countries and see what dishes are present on the Christmas and New Year's tables in the countries celebrating these holidays!

What do people eat on New Year and Christmas in different countries?

Italy

Christmas is the most important and anticipated holiday of the year in the Catholic part of Europe! But, probably, the strongest emotions and adherence to traditions are in Italy, where almost the entire population professes the Catholic faith. In addition, it is in Italy that the Vatican is located, where the Pope holds a festive mass.

Snack stars

After the Christmas Mass, Italians gather at home to celebrate.

In each region and family there is a certain established order. Some people prepare a Lenten eve dinner and then host a sumptuous holiday dinner the next day. For some, one smoothly flows into the second. For the Lenten table, they usually cook (eel or cod) with spaghetti. For a gala dinner, housewives offer either cold cuts, sausages, tortellini (Italian dumplings) in broth.

For dessert there are Italian pies: panettone (a cake with dried fruits, reminiscent of an Easter cake) and pandoro (“golden bread”), e, as well as dried fruits and nuts.

Traditional Italian cookies - Biscotti

But it is not customary to treat people to apples, since they symbolize original sin.

Christmas festivities smoothly flow into New Year's. Italy is a country of fun, so the New Year is celebrated noisily and cheerfully here.

The same Italian dishes are present on the New Year's table. Traditional fish and seafood. It is believed that fish roe eaten on New Year's Eve will bring wealth.

Pork dishes are a must: pork legs and sausage - which symbolize moving forward. But chicken dishes are avoided.

Also, nuts, lentils, etc. are placed on the table as a symbol of health and longevity.

Traditional holiday baking also has a place on the New Year's table.

They raise a glass to the New Year not with champagne, but with Italian wine!

England

For the British, Christmas is a family holiday with many traditions and customs. It is believed that how you celebrate Christmas is how you will spend the next year, so everyone tries to have fun from the heart and set a rich table.

As a side dish - baked vegetables or potatoes. My favorite sauces are the sauce from...

For dessert you will be served plum pudding. This is a traditional holiday dessert in Great Britain and Ireland. To prepare it, use bread crumbs, prunes, raisins, almonds, and honey. Making pudding is considered a family tradition and its recipe can be passed down from generation to generation. It is usually prepared in advance - 2-4 weeks before the holidays. When serving, flambé - pour cognac or rum over it and set it on fire.

Traditional ones with dried fruits and nuts are also prepared in advance.

The sweet table is quite varied, on it you will find shortbread and almond cookies, shortbread and sweet rolls. Of the strong drinks, the British prefer - punch and English spiced ale, the cup of which is traditionally raised for health and well-being!

The New Year is celebrated with cheerful groups in pubs or at home, but without a magnificent feast, with alcoholic drinks and light snacks.

In New Zealand, Australia and other countries that were English colonies, the traditions of celebrating Christmas, including culinary ones, were adopted.

America

And on New Year's Day they make do with snacks and drinks, indulging in fun. They prefer strong alcoholic drinks and...

There are many versions of the origin of the world’s first cocktail, including the most romantic. But they are all somehow connected with the “cock tail”. It is confirmed in writing that the cocktail was first mentioned in 1806 in New York, in the reference book “Balance and Columbian Repository”, where the following definition of the cocktail was given - “A stimulating liqueur consisting of any alcoholic drink with the addition of sugar, water and bitters from herbs."

Among the New Year's cocktails that are popular among Americans are:

Red Currant Champagne - a cocktail of champagne and red currant or cranberry puree;

Ginger Sparkler – champagne, ginger slices and sugar;

Champagne Punch and Sangria – punches and sangria with various berries and fruits;

Cranberry Sparkler is a non-alcoholic cocktail made with cranberry puree, orange juice and sparkling water.

The cuisine of the southern states also shows influence from Latin cuisine. The Christmas table may include a tamal, a dish of meat and corn that is cooked in corn leaves.

Canada

In the English-speaking part of Canada, Christmas dinners are similar to English and American ones.

The main dish of the table is turkey. It is served with potatoes or mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce.

For dessert - pudding. Baked traditionally.

It is obvious that in the French-speaking part of the country the traditions of France dominate.

France

In France, the main holiday of the year is Christmas.

The whole family gathers for reveillon - dinner on Christmas night - on December 24 and indulges in a feast almost until the morning. refined and varied, replete with a large number of vegetable dishes, cheeses that are famous throughout the world, high-quality wines, .

Needless to say, Christmas dinner turns into an elegant feast.

The French are gourmets; the festive table always includes delicacies: foie gras (goose liver), oysters, king prawns, and others, as well as French cheeses and roasted chestnuts.

A number of dishes have a ritual past and symbolize one or another action.

A traditional dish on the French table is poultry, goose or duck, cooked with a special delicacy, stuffed, for example, with champignons, goose liver or truffles, marinated with the addition of various spices and baked.

Another traditional dish is the festive rooster, the caplan, which is raised and fed in a special way for its larger size and more delicate taste.

Another tribute to tradition is the Christmas log - Buche de Noel. There was an ancient custom of burning a Christmas log, dating back to paganism, when the arrival of the winter solstice was celebrated by burning the log. Nowadays no one burns the log, but the tribute to tradition remains, and the log appears on Christmas night in the form of a sweet roll on French tables. The French also have territorial gastronomic features of the Christmas table.

Le pain calendeau is a Christmas bread traditional in the south of France, part of which is usually given to the poor.

In Provence, it is customary to serve 13 desserts (according to the number of 12 Apostles and Christ), which include all kinds of sweets and dried fruits.

And, of course, they wash down all this variety with French wine and champagne. What else is there in the homeland of the drink?

Belgium

European countries that border each other and have common historical roots have similar cultural and culinary traditions.

The cuisine of Belgium has absorbed much from French, Austrian and German.

The Belgian festive table includes meat dishes, with a special role given to pork (it is considered the most prolific animal).

Among the sweets, which are in many ways similar to all European ones, one can note the Christmas wreath - a ritual cookie with almond filling, sprinkled with almonds and candied fruit, in the shape of a ring. , which the Belgians consider their national product, can be found here all year round, even on the New Year's table.

Germany

Christmas in Germany is the most awaited holiday of the year. Preparations for it begin in advance. Already in November, Christmas markets begin to operate in cities. There you will find all the attributes of Christmas, decorations, souvenirs, try traditional spicy mulled wine, and other national treats.

A few weeks before Christmas, the Germans prepare (Stollen) - a traditional Christmas cake. To prepare it, raisins and dried fruits are soaked in cognac or rum in advance, and after baking, the stollen is generously sprinkled with powdered sugar and sent for storage to ripen until Christmas night.

On Christmas Eve itself, or Holy Night (Weihnachten), German families gather around a richly laid festive table.

As in many other European countries, the main dish on the festive table is roast goose. It can be prepared with apples and prunes, or with dumplings, and each family has its own signature recipe.

Potatoes and vegetables are served as a side dish. In addition to goose, stewed cabbage (Sauerkraut) and fried sausage or pork knuckle (Eisbein) are always served.

It is also a must on the Christmas table.

And this is no coincidence, since fish is an ancient symbol of Christianity.

In general, everything that is served on the table on Christmas evening is symbolic. There is a tradition of serving seven or nine dishes for the “holy supper.” Mainly cereals, seeds, and other products that represent new life - wheat, peas, beans, nuts, poppy seeds, caviar, eggs. And wheat porridge seasoned with butter and honey is credited with magical properties. thorough and good, like everything German. Many recipes have survived to this day unchanged since the Middle Ages.

In pre-Christian times, Germanic peoples celebrated the winter solstice, which fell around the same time. Therefore, many dishes retained their recipes, but acquired a new meaning and became Christmas dishes.

Originally, traditional German baked goods were gifts to the pagan gods, who were placated with gingerbread, marzipan, and fruit pies.

And now baked goods are always present on tables in the form of stollen, gingerbread and gingerbread houses.

It is popular in eastern Germany, which shows the influence of the national gastronomic culture of its eastern neighbors.

Austria, Hungary

Also, Wiener schnitzel, which has gained worldwide popularity, can be served.

And, of course, pastries for which Austrian cuisine is famous. It can be classic, Linz tart, Sacher torte and others.

In Hungary, it is customary to serve traditional bagels - poppy seed and nut rolls - at the holiday table.

Norway, Sweden, Finland

Let's look at the north of Europe, the Scandinavian countries, and see how Christmas is celebrated in Finland, Norway and Sweden.

Christmas is also the main holiday of the year for them. Each of these countries has its own peculiarities of celebrating this event.

Finland is a place where the fairy tale about Santa Claus becomes reality. After all, it is here, in Lapland, that Santa Claus resides (in Finnish – Jolupukki).

Christmas Eve takes place approximately the same as in other European countries: church service, meeting with relatives, festive table.

The main Christmas dish in Finland is pork ham. Garnish with baked vegetables: potatoes, carrots, rutabaga. Finns prefer beetroot salad (similar to ours) among cold appetizers.

Milk rice porridge with almonds is always present on the table. According to legend, whoever gets it will have good luck and good health in the coming year.

Many baked goods are prepared, including traditional ginger biscuits and puff pastries with plum jam.

The traditional drink of the winter holidays is spicy glögg, which is very similar to mulled wine.

Norway also has a respectful attitude towards Christmas and touching traditions.

While preparing the festive dishes, do not forget to leave a plate with treats for the Norwegian Santa Claus - Julenissa, and also feed the birds. The holiday is quiet and family-like.

Fish is a must on the festive table: a cod dish called lutefix and herring.

Pork ribs, roll and sausages. Garnish: mashed potatoes.

And for dessert - rice cream with nuts and 7 types of cookies.

In Sweden, there is now a tendency not to bring the religious component of the holiday to the fore; Christmas for the Swedes is a period of “seasonal greetings”, an occasion for relatives and friends to gather, to exchange wishes and gifts.

As in all Scandinavian countries, fish dominates. The Swedes have this fish casserole - “Jansson's Temptation”. The filling of the Christmas table is traditional for the Scandinavian peoples - pork (ribs, ham, jellied meat); pickled herring and cod; sweet rice porridge, gingerbread cookies and saffron buns, which they start baking here on the feast of St. Lucia (December 13).

Russia

Russia occupies a huge space from the Baltic in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east, and from the White Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south. Need I say how diverse the traditions and cuisine of the nationalities inhabiting the country are?

For example, in the cuisine of northerners there is a lot of sea fish, rye pies, and mushrooms. It is similar to Scandinavian cuisine. On the Don they cook game, eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, and much of the cooking was adopted from the Turks. And in Siberia and the Urals - among the Tatars and Udmurts. phenomenally diverse!

Culinary traditions have undergone significant changes in the course of historical events. These include Peter’s reforms, when elements of Western European culture, life, and culinary traditions were borrowed. Under Peter I - in Holland and Germany. And under Catherine II and Alexander I - France.

The Soviet era also shaped certain tastes and laid down the culinary traditions of entire generations of people.

And despite the fact that under Peter I the transition to the Gregorian calendar took place and a decree was issued to celebrate the New Year on January 1 and decorate the house with Christmas trees, it was during Soviet times that this holiday acquired a dominant role, displacing Christmas.

Calendar-wise, the New Year comes earlier than Orthodox Christmas (January 7), so it accounts for larger-scale celebrations.

The New Year's table matches the scope of the holiday and the breadth of the Russian soul. Abundance of cold ones - from pickles (

Garnish: mashed or baked potatoes and vegetables. When it comes to dessert, this could be it!

Tangerines and champagne are another symbol of the New Year!

Now imagine that this whole set can also be complemented by regional and family traditional dishes and drinks!

For people holding the Nativity fast, “resisting” is a serious test.

But all the more joyful is the celebration of Christmas and the Christmas meal!

A traditional dish for Christmas is kutia - a dish of wheat with honey, poppy seeds, raisins and nuts.

Since the times of Rus', pork dishes have always been served on the Christmas table: sausages, jellied meat and even roasted pig. In addition, other meat dishes were prepared: goose with apples, hare in sour cream, lamb.

An indispensable dish for Christmas, as for all holidays, were pies: open and closed, kulebyaki, rasstegai, kurnik, saiki, shangi, as well as. We washed it down with mead and sbiten.

The sweet table included all kinds of gingerbread, marshmallows, cookies, and brushwood.

Many of these dishes are still prepared today, perhaps not on such a grand scale...

The common history of Russia with the peoples of Ukraine, Belarus and the countries of Eastern Europe professing Orthodoxy makes the traditions of celebrating Christmas and New Year, including culinary ones, similar.

Our gastronomic journey is coming to an end, although the list of countries and the study of their traditions can be continued endlessly!

The history and traditions of the countries of the world, despite regional characteristics, have a lot in common! New Year and Christmas are warm family holidays. The main thing is not what you put on the festive table, but who will gather around it to wish each other happiness, health and prosperity in the coming year!

Kristina Belko

Hello! My name is Christina. When I was a little girl, I loved looking at my mother’s cookbooks and making plasticine dishes for my dolls. Now I am a mother of two kids myself and I really love pampering them with different goodies. Finding interesting recipes and sharing culinary wisdom has become an exciting hobby for me. I draw inspiration from my family, books and walks around the beautiful city of St. Petersburg. I choose tasty and healthy food for my family. When preparing, I use simple and accessible ingredients, often using a double boiler. I love Russian cuisine, I believe that it is part of our history and culture. Also, our menu often includes dishes from national cuisines that have proven themselves all over the world. The recipes that I offer you are loved by my family and friends. I hope that you will like them and bring them to your table! I will be happy to answer your questions, accept comments and suggestions! Leave your comments on the site or email me [email protected] and @kristinabelko on Instagram.

If you are planning to celebrate the New Year in the comfort of home, gathering guests at a large festive table, then this article will help you prepare for the celebration and prepare treats that will not leave your guests indifferent. Considering that the coming year is the year of the horse according to the eastern calendar, let us remember the magnificent tradition of preparing dishes that this symbol likes. A horse is not a picky animal, a herbivore, but treating guests to light salads and vegetables and fruits is not enough. Let's keep in mind that the presence of such treats must be present on the table in order for the year to be successful. Let's see what is traditionally served on the New Year's table in different countries of the world. With a variety of traditional dishes, you are sure to find something to your liking.

England

Not a single traditional New Year's holiday in England is complete without plumpudding, which consists of lard, bread crumbs, flour, raisins, eggs and spices. Before serving, the pudding is poured with rum and set on fire, which makes the holiday even brighter. It is also traditional to serve stuffed turkey with vegetables and gooseberry sauce. Turkey with vegetables is considered a traditional dish and delights guests at any holiday.

America

The idea is also considered a traditional American dish, but unlike the English one, American turkey is prepared differently. In very simple terms, the turkey is stuffed with all the products that are “lying around” in the refrigerator. Usually these are cheese, garlic, prunes, apples, cabbage, beans, mushrooms, and spices.

Austria, Hungary

In these countries, serving poultry at the holiday table is a bad sign. Superstitious residents of these countries believe that if you serve a bird at the festive table, then happiness can fly away. Traditional Austrian cuisine is rich in its delights. So, you can serve schnitzel, strudel at the holiday table, and you can also prepare traditional fish salad in Austrian style. In Hungary, it is customary to serve traditional bagels at the holiday table - poppy seed and nut rolls, which migrated from Jewish cuisine.

Denmark, Sweden

Cod is considered the main New Year's holiday dish for the Danes. This dish symbolizes happiness and wealth. Lutefiks, a fish dish made from dried cod, is always served on the Swedish holiday table.

Germany

Herring is considered an integral and symbolic dish of the German holiday table. It is believed that herring will definitely bring happiness in the coming year. Traditional and no less important dishes on the holiday table are Sauerkraut - stewed sauerkraut with sausages, Eisbein - boiled pork knuckle and, of course, many types of German sausages. (each region has its own varieties).

Israel

It is important to note that in Israel the New Year is celebrated in September. The New Year's holiday table of Israeli residents has a number of its own rules. The main rule is that bitter, sour and salty dishes are kept away. The table is set with sweet dishes. Also on the table are usually honey, dates, pomegranates and apples. Challah - a holiday pastry - is dipped in honey. This tradition is followed by many people. In this way, the Israelis “sweeten” the coming year. Boiled fish, baked apples, cabbage, and beets are also served on the festive table.

Holland, France

On the Dutch holiday table you will definitely find deep-fried donuts and salted beans - one of the main national dishes - especially for the New Year. In France, a traditional New Year's table is not complete without roasted chestnuts, oysters, beautifully decorated sandwiches with goose pate, cheeses and, of course, French wine.

Poland

The traditional Polish New Year's table has 12 dishes. An old Polish tradition is to eat a piece of herring while the chimes are ringing. It is believed that the spicier the herring. The more successful the year will be. Fish is considered an obligatory dish, especially carp - a symbol of family happiness.

Romania, Australia, Bulgaria

Among the many traditional dishes presented on New Year's tables, you will definitely try a special pie. Its peculiarity is that one of the guests will definitely find a coin, or a nut, or a peppercorn in a piece of pie. The lucky owner of the find will start a family next year.

Japan

On December 30, the pre-holiday table always includes mochi - small cakes made from boiled rice, which are made with fruit and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Long noodles must be present on the New Year's holiday table. The longer it is, the longer the life of the participants in the feast will be. Tables often contain seaweed, fried chestnuts, peas, beans, and boiled fish; these ingredients are the key to happiness, success in business, health, and tranquility.

The rapid and intense rhythm of life of modern man inexplicably affects the already fleeting time, speeding it up. It would seem that as soon as the series of New Year holidays has passed, it is time to begin autumn preparations for the upcoming winter celebrations.

Modern cooking from different countries is characterized by widespread eclecticism and interpenetration. As a result, the cuisines of the peoples of the world are enriched with seemingly unusual traditions, becoming more interesting and refined.

In turn, the modern New Year's table is completely different from the festive table of our childhood, organized by our parents as a result of the battle over the deficit. Today we have access to previously unimaginable products, from which it would be a sin for a good housewife not to prepare an original New Year's table for her friends and loved ones using amazing traditional New Year's dishes from different countries that have been tested both by time and by people.

For example, the British prepare Christmas plum pudding from dried wheat bread, different varieties of raisins, cherries, apples, almonds and candied fruits. Lemons, oranges, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and star anise are added to it. It is remarkable that these prim people created a whole New Year’s ritual from serving food - the finished pudding is doused with a mixture of rum and liqueur, set on fire and, while burning, impressively marches to the table.

Conservative Americans do not betray their own traditions, but gather families around a stuffed turkey, and our Bulgarian neighbors cannot imagine their New Year's table without moussaka, consisting of meat, mainly lamb and a variety of vegetables: eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, cabbage, potatoes and others. The great thing is that all the ingredients are put into the moussaka at the same time, leaving the hostess time for other pre-holiday chores. Of course, like any other Balkan dish, moussaka is decorated with a fragrant bouquet of herbs and spices. Bulgarian gourmets add sour cream to the finished dish.

The Dutch serve New Year's Eve rabbit stewed in wine, to which they add onions, lard, sour cream and herbs, and the Danes stuff the duck with apples, prunes and raisins for the New Year, adding festive notes in the form of brandy and cranberry jelly.

India, famous for its unique culinary traditions, celebrates the New Year with raita - okroshka prepared according to the national recipe and biryani - pilaf with lamb, vegetables, fruits, nuts and famous Indian spices. A light dessert with ginger whipped cream.

Reckless gluttons, Italians especially indulge their souls at the table on New Year's Day. In particular, a festive table is not complete without the very special Kotekino sausage, which is prepared exclusively for the New Year and served in a loaf. What makes the dish especially piquant is the fact that in addition to fatty pork sausage, pears, shallots and juniper berries are wrapped in the dough. This Mediterranean blend is generously infused with Italian herbs, brown sugar, vanilla and red wine vinegar.

After having a snack, the inhabitants of the Apennines proceed to the main dishes - Giampone, which is a baked pork leg stuffed with meat, as well as baked seafood. Even on holiday, no self-respecting Italian can do without pasta, which has become a national idea.

On this day, Mexicans prefer to give up burritos and treat themselves to a baked young pig with a side dish of rice, sweet peppers and black beans, as well as snacks from a variety of vegetables and cheese. Tequila is always served as an alcoholic drink. For dessert, Latin Americans happily devour simple flatbreads made from their usual corn flour.

The Germans are also not averse to eating delicious food at the festive New Year's table. On this day, on the tables of real burghers you will find salmon with cream, along with spinach and lemon zest, baked in golden brown dough with spicy pink pepper, aromatic mustard potatoes and fried carp. For dessert, people in Germany prefer nut pie and marzipan cake with cream or meringue.

Of course, it is impossible to imagine the Norwegian New Year's table without fish dishes. On this day, Scandinavians serve a unique salmon soup with vegetables, cream, herbs and croutons. But their New Year’s menu is not limited to fish alone - it traditionally includes stewed meat ribs with various fantastic sauces and cozy, homemade mashed potatoes.

In Portugal and Spain, grapes play a special role on New Year's Eve, making 12 cherished wishes before devouring the next berry.

Leisurely Finns are also not averse to having a hearty snack to warm up on a frosty winter holiday. On the New Year's table they traditionally have chicken legs marinated in fruit vinegar with garlic, spices and mustard. The remarkable thing is that such legs are prepared on skewers, involuntarily reminding us of the transience of time and the inevitable arrival of summer with its kebabs. A must-have cold appetizer in Finland is the national dish of many peoples of the north, Sugdai - marinated fresh fish of fatty varieties.

Culinary connoisseurs who gave the world their great cuisine, the French stun the imagination with exquisite delicacies prepared for the New Year's table. The holiday menu necessarily includes snails, goose pates, excellent cheeses, famous spicy French soups and specially prepared turkey. Traditionally, a pre-marinated turkey is baked in white wine for several hours in the oven with vegetables and aromatic herbs.

The Swedes spare no time in preparing the traditional national New Year's dish called Kropkakor. To do this, a kind of dough is prepared from a mixture of boiled potatoes, ham and bacon, from which balls are subsequently rolled and boiled in salted water.

It is not surprising that New Year's table dishes in Japan have their own sacred meaning. On this holiday, for centuries, the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun have decided, first of all, to wish other people long life. On the menu, longevity is symbolized by long buckwheat noodles - soba.

To ensure that guests at the table in the coming year are not exposed to any illnesses, a dessert made from black soybeans, which symbolize health, is served on the table. In order to bring happiness and good luck to all those gathered in the New Year, it is customary to include chestnut and sweet potato puree in the traditional Japanese New Year's menu.

Modern world cuisine offers many recipes and traditions, by familiarizing yourself with which you will diversify your own celebrations and acquire new traditions and rituals that are specific to your large and friendly family.

Miracles happen on New Year's Eve! You can go on a trip without even leaving home. It is enough to prepare a traditional holiday dinner from some distant country, such as Japan or Mexico. Or put one of the exotic dishes on the New Year's table: buckwheat soba noodles, stuffed duck, whole baked carp, chocolate-covered turkey, bread pudding or just ginger cookies...

China

Dumplings, noodles, peach broth and dishes made from five types of vegetables or grains, symbolizing 5 separate types of happiness, certainly appear on the Chinese New Year's table. Chestnuts represent profit, a whole fish - abundance, shrimp - joy and happiness, chicken - prosperity.

At this time, peach and apricot trees, tangerines, almonds, and watermelons bloom - their red, sweet pulp symbolizes good luck in the coming year.

Dumplings are made with pork filling, cabbage and onions. Usually a coin or a precious stone is placed in one, and the finder will have great luck in the coming year. Long strings of noodles are perceived as a symbol of long life.

The Chinese are very sensitive to the colors of the festive New Year's table - only rice can be white on it. You must try all the dishes, otherwise you will not be happy.

It is a Chinese custom to cook whole fish on New Year's Day, which is considered a symbol of strong family ties. They also cook the chicken, also whole - with head, tail and paws - this symbolizes family unity.

On New Year's Day, the Chinese always eat a vegetarian dish called “yai”, with the addition of various seasonings.

Japan

To welcome the deities who bring good luck and happiness, during the Japanese New Year, "oshogatsu" prepare original dishes that are preferred and approved by the gods. The special New Year's cuisine, osechi ryori, includes not only offerings to deities, but also simple dishes that all Japanese eat during the three-day traditional holiday.

There are different versions of osechi, from traditional to modern and even exotic for Japan (Italian, French, Chinese cuisine), but they are all based on the main principle of “hozonshoku” - preserved food.

In Japan, housewives prepare food for the New Year from products that they believe bring happiness: they believe that seaweed brings joy, fried chestnuts - success in business, peas and beans - health, boiled rice - tranquility, herring caviar - family happiness and many children, noodles, like the Chinese, are a symbol of long life. Therefore, soba (noodles) must be uncut, since the longer the noodles, the longer our life.

Philippine Islands

?On the Philippine Islands, people prepare a lot of different foods on New Year's night; the more food, the better, since a rich New Year's table is considered to be the foundation for an equally rich and well-fed coming New Year.

Tibet

Tibetan housewives bake mountains of pies with various fillings for the New Year and treat them to everyone, friends and strangers, because the more you give away, the richer you will be!

In some provinces of Tibet, on New Year's Eve they traditionally eat sheep's head with a side dish of vegetables and sauce. It is believed that a head on a festive table is an auspicious sign.

England

In England, the traditional Christmas food is pudding and stuffed turkey with a vegetable side dish of Brussels sprouts. The turkey is traditionally stuffed with chestnuts, grated breadcrumbs and sage, and served with a wonderful sauce made from gooseberries, cranberries or cream.

Pudding is made from bread crumbs, flour, lard, raisins, eggs and various spices. Before serving, the pudding is doused with rum, set on fire and placed on the table flaming.

In England, if you are invited to visit for the New Year, you must bring bread, coal and a pinch of salt with you, which symbolize food, warmth and prosperity.

USA

In America, stuffed turkey is also considered a traditional dish. The turkey is stuffed with everything that is lying around in the refrigerator: bread, cheese, prunes, garlic, beans, mushrooms, apples.

But the traditional New Year's dish for the inhabitants of the New World is considered to be a dish with the cynical name “Lame John” - pork ham with red beans. In the southern United States, they believe that to be happy and rich in the New Year, you need to eat peas or beans while the New Year's clock strikes. You can often hear that peas, greens, and cabbage symbolize money.

Mexico

Despite the fact that Mexico is the country of burritos, nachos, and fajitas, Mexicans prefer to bake a young pig for the New Year. It is served with a side dish of rice baked in the oven with black beans and sweet peppers.

Mexicans usually serve a lot of vegetables and lettuce, as well as pacio, serano and jalapeno stuffed with hard cheese. For dessert - simple baked goods made from corn flour. Mexicans stuff turkeys the same way. Beans, corn and other vegetables and, naturally, do not spare the fiery hot sauce with chili peppers. Another signature dish they have is chocolate covered turkey.

Italy

?Among the traditional dishes, the New Year's table must include homemade cappelletti, truffles, smoked salmon, campone, turkey, almond cakes, steamed cod or perch in white wine, small dumplings - tortellini with pasciutto ham and cream sauce.

But the main dish of the New Year's table is homemade pork sausage “kotekkino”. It is cut into small circles and served with a side dish of corn grits and stewed lentils. For dessert, Italians prepare pannetone cake with dried fruits inside, reminiscent of Easter cake, decorated with raisins and candied fruits.

In Italy, it is customary to serve grapes, nuts, and lentils at the New Year's table as a symbol and guarantee of longevity, health and prosperity.

Spain

?The Spaniards set a rich table, on which sweets are a must: cookies with cumin, almond cakes. They eat roast lamb, shellfish, turkey, suckling pig, and sherry. In Spain, it is customary to eat twelve grapes at midnight, according to the number of strokes of the clock. With each grape you make a wish - twelve cherished wishes for every month of the year, which will definitely come true!

Germany

In Germany, the centerpiece of the table is goose with red cabbage and potato and bread balls. Be sure to serve a brightly colored dish with apples, nuts, raisins and pies. The symbolism here is as follows: the apple is the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, the nuts with their hard shell and tasty core symbolize the mysteries and difficulties of life.

In Germany they say: “God gave the nut, and man must crack it”. ?If there is herring or carp on the New Year's table, it will bring happiness in the coming year.?

Poland

In Poland, traditionally there are 12 dishes on the table, and none of them should be meat. Definitely fish! The main holiday treat is carp, a symbol of family happiness and prosperity. And also - mushroom soup, borscht, barley porridge with prunes, dumplings with butter, and for dessert - chocolate cake.

A must on the table is strudel - a puff pastry with apples, the pride of every good housewife.

Norway

According to tradition, at Christmas in Norway you need to have 7 baked goods. The most common Norwegian flour products:


Kransekake - a pie made from rings folded into a pyramid
Julekake - Christmas round bun with raisins, Fattigman - brushwood, Krumkaker - waffles, Mandelkake - almond pie.

Pepperkaker - gingerbread cookies.
?

India

In India, New Year is celebrated with biryani pilaf and okroshka. Biryani pilaf is, of course, made from lamb. Kishmish, cashew nuts, green peas, pineapples, green peas and a large number of local spices - cumin, cloves, coriander, turmeric, cardamom are added to rice and carrots. Spices give the rice several colors, which is why the dish looks very festive and “elegant”.

The pilaf is served with raita - an Indian okroshka made from kefir, tomatoes, potatoes and cucumbers. For dessert they prepare lasi - curdled milk whipped with ginger and sugar.