Banquets, revels, and feasts In this post you will learn about the dishes that people prepare in regions where Spanish is spoken. Do you know why Christians celebrate the Nativity in December? Some theories say that ’ birthday occurred in a different time of year. Was this date set to make the most of the end of the year break and to have some time off with family and friends? Maybe so. The digital magazine Ancient Origins explains that the emperor Constantine the ​ ​ Great chose December 25 to celebrate Nativity because there was already a celebration that honored a roman god. During those days, people participated in festivals, gift exchange parties, and banquets. This is how the tradition of celebrating Christmas and New year got started, including banquets, revels, and feasts. During these days, special dishes are served and there are favorite recipes for all tastes. The majority of these dishes are prepared only in the month of December. Below you will read an account of the most common dishes prepared for Christmas and New Year in and Latin America.

The main course Both in Spain and the the main course consists of roast pork, turkey or baked ham. Many coastal regions offer fish as the main dish in their banquet. In Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina and Chile, people make a barbecue or grill to celebrate. Since their Christmas happens in the summer, the feast is served outdoors and the meat is accompanied by cool dishes. They prepare potato and vegetable salads, meat rolls, lots of fruit and ice cream. Roasted suckling pig is another common dish in the Andes and also in the Caribbean. Several neighbors come together to prepare and share a communal dinner, taking advantage of all parts of this animal. The Tamale is a dish prepared all throughout America. Although it can be eaten at any time of the year, it is a favorite dish for Christmas. There are made out of meats, vegetables, and also tamales for dessert. Some are wrapped in corn, plantain, or other types of leaves. Mexican tamales are famous for their variety and color. This particular dish changes name according to its preparation, and the places where it comes from: In Argentina, it is called , in Venezuela, , in Honduras and ​ ​ ​ ​ Nicaragua, it is called nacatamal. ​ ​ Other side dishes In Peru and Ecuador drinking and coffee is a tradition on Christmas day. In Spain, small dishes or garnishes are very important. It is also customary to include cannelloni and Alicante nougat on the menu. There are drinks prepared exclusively during the holidays, such as rompopo, fruit , and champurrado. The variety of recipes prepared to celebrate the end of the year festivities is so great, that we made an alphabetical list of Christmas dishes. We hope you enjoy it. Happy Holidays!