Nothing signifies the Christmas season like a steaming gingerbread spice latte, a
holiday assortment of cookies and endless mouthwatering chocolates. My family of
seven consumes an astounding amount of food throughout the course of the holiday
months. With Christmas parties, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and
New Year’s Day, a lot of eating transpires from late December to early January. My
family’s Christmas menu includes ham, homemade almond mashed potatoes and
savory lasagna—to name a few. Dessert changes from year to year, but homemade
sugar cookies, cheesecake and chocolate fudge are staples in our annual menu.
Holiday food is not only significant in my household, but also in families across a
variety of cultures. Jews celebrate Hanukkah with traditional treats like latkas and
sufganiyot, foods cooked in oil to indicate the miracle of the burning oil. Atheists
celebrate the Winter Solstice by feasting on fall harvest foods, including hunted
game, berries and potatoes. Regardless of religious affiliation, the holiday season is
the perfect time to indulge in winter’s tastiest treats.
