Weekend® - Macau Daily Times

Weekend Times
20
Food for health
Christmas food history
FOOD and drink play a significant role
in Christmas celebrations since ancient
times. the feast starts on Christmas day
and continues till the Epiphany.
in China, as a great percentage of the
Chinese population is not Christian, Christmas Day
is not a major holiday. the main winter festivity, in
China, is the Chinese New Year celebration. in spite
of this, Christmas celebration is becoming popular,
especially in big cities, where we can find Christmas
trees and other decorations on the streets. the
Christian children hang up muslin stockings on the
hope that Dun Che Lao ren, the Chinese version of
santa Claus, will visit them and leave gifts. a similar
trend can be observed in Japan, where the potential
commercial of the Yuletide season has also emerged.
While in China and taiwan Christmas is a private
celebration, in macao and hong Kong December 25
is a public holiday by western influence.
special Christmas food varies, around the world,
with the different cultures and their influence on
food. the turkey is often regarded as the traditional
Christmas meal, but it appeared on the Christmas
menu only in the sixteenth century. Prior to turkey,
swan, goose, peacock or boar were been associated
with the Christmas feast. her majesty Queen Victoria,
had, for her Christmas buffet, amongst other
delicacies, beef, boars head, and woodcock pie.
Nowadays, a large variety of dishes are enjoyed.
in Western culture, Christmas day is time to spend
with family, all together, having a special meal with
delicious food and desserts. instead of turkey, some
families prepare roast chicken, barbecued pork or
kid goat. there is an excessive consumption of fat,
sugar and salt rich foodstuffs. a special Christmas
meal with salted dry-cod fish, boiled potatoes and
cauliflower, eaten at midnight on Christmas Eve, is a
tradition in Portugal. in Norway, cod and pork chops
are part of the Christmas meal, eaten at Christmas
Eve. traditionally, farmers leave a bowl of gruel in
barns, on Christmas Eve, for the magic Gnome who
protects their farms. in United Kingdom, Christmas
pudding and mince pies containing a typically preserved
apple, dried fruits, spices and vegetable short-
by Eugénia Santos Silva
ening are consumed on Christmas meal. in south
hemisphere, Christmas is during the hot summer
season and lunch is often a steak and chicken or
prawns barbecue and ice cream as dessert, may be
at the beach.
Each year during Christmas/New Year holiday season,
many people change their eating, drinking, exercising,
working and travelling patterns. these behavioral
changes may affect health, especially those