Thinking about Christmas celebrations without considering food is almost impossible. We know that from house to house, from culture to culture, Christmas meals have a special touch that distinguishes them from any food we eat in everyday acts. The magic of the social dimension of eating lies in the meanings we give to food depending on the occasion in which it is shared by a community. Christmas banquets are an example of this shared sense.
For instance, how is it that turkey is indisputably associated with Christmas celebrations regardless of the country where it is celebrated? Why are romeritos a typical Christmas and Lent dish in the central region of Mexico? Why do we find sweets and desserts in different cultures that are typically prepared and consumed during the Christmas season?
To understand the origin of romeritos, we cannot detach ourselves from the evangelizing past of colonial Mexico. Many anthropologists agree that Christmas is one of the few religious festivities that has transcended its original connotation to become a civil celebration, and sometimes even a secular one, that goes beyond religious beliefs. However, romeritos did have a religious origin, as it is said to be one of the dishes born in convents as a way for nuns to economize, given the lack of meat to create a festive dish. Since it lacked meat, it also adapted well to Lent.
In almost every culture, we find sweets and desserts typical of the December season: buñuelos, panettone, gingerbread, speculoos cookies, Christmas logs, to name a few examples. The common indicator is that the taste of sweetness has been associated with reward, and in the origin of many of these foods, with the reward for having behaved well throughout the year. During Christmas, these foods are among the most gifted among friends worldwide.
Times change and, possibly, in a few centuries some Christmas dishes will emerge and many others that are no longer consumed will disappear from the collective imagination that links them to Christmas.
Thus, we can understand that what we consume and associate with Christmas banquets today had a historical origin with social characteristics that explain its current consumption. Within families, there are recipes for salads and meats that sometimes transcend generations but are only eaten during these times and are unknown outside the family. Some may prefer to save time in the kitchen and opt for commercial alternatives. Either way, the Christmas banquet occupies a prominent place during these times, because food has been and will continue to be a means of social cohesion.
Originally published in El Economista
— This article was originally published in Spanish by Liliana Martínez Lomelí. Translation generated with AI from the original text.