We British love a tradition, and arguably one of our finest (and gastronomically arduous) is that of the Christmas dinner. Just imagine – steaming, tender turkey; fluffy, flavoursome stuffing; a boatload of rich hot gravy and a huge pile of Brussels sprouts, which may still be a huge pile of Brussels sprouts by the end of the meal. There’s many a household where any suggestion of changing the menu for Christmas dinner would be tantamount to blasphemy – but there’s always a Christmas trip on European river cruises if you’re looking for something other than turkey with all the trimmings:
France
Some of our neighbours across the channel have their main festive meal on Christmas Eve after midnight mass, making Christmas Day rather than Boxing Day the realm of picking at the leftovers and bemoaning the caloric excesses of it all. Here the proud, meaty centrepiece to emerge from the oven for the big meal tends to vary between regions and even between families, but tends towards the rich and the gamey. Take that ghostly hand and wander into Monsieur Crachet’s house and you might find stuffed rabbit served with with foie gras, chestnuts and oysters – and replacing the stodgy and delicious Christmas pudding, the equally stodgy and delicious buche de Noel; a cream-filled sponge roll, covered in chocolate and made to look like a log.
Spain
Much like France, there’s a tendency in Spain to eat the main meal before Christmas Day. Many families dine before attending the late-night church service, but the meal itself is something of a family banquet and can last for a couple of hours or more. Here the crowded family table might boast a formidable selection of cheese or chorizo appetisers, followed by a fish and shellfish soup which makes an appearance at many Spanish celebrations. An hour or so of family chat should create some room for the main course, which could be anything from roast lamb to Rioja-style cod with a hot tomato sauce. Turron, that other Spanish favourite, is an almond nougat regularly served for dessert. Christmas presents in Spain don’t arrive until the Epiphany on 6th January, where the three kings put Santa out of a job – so Christmas Eve is more about making merry in cafes and bars, and celebrating ‘the good night’.
Germany
Our fellow festivites in Germany agree that Christmas Day is the age-old preserve of the Christmas dinner, and what a Christmas dinner – Rhine cruises may allow you to dine on roast goose, or golden brown roast carp with herbs and lemons, served with with roast spuds, kale and red cabbage. Prepare yourself the night before with a lighter meal of assorted wurst, accompanied with coleslaw or potato salad – but know that the sequel to your dinner on Christmas Day could involve a huge, sugar-dusted slab of stollen accompanied with some artistic marzipan creations, often shaped like “good-luck pigs” for New Year.
Czech Republic
Sail through the Czech Republic on Danube or Elbe river cruises and you may find Christmas dinner to be a little more superstitious than you’re used to. For one, Christmas dinner is only generally served after dark, once the first star has come out – a reminder of the star which guided the three kings to the stable where Jesus was born. The culinary proceedings often start with mushrooms and fish soup, while roast carp (having been picked out live from the market days before and maybe even kept in the bathtub) takes pride of place. For dessert, expect a generous slice of strudel – and after a few songs to follow dinner, baby Jesus himself is believed to leave the presents under the tree.
There are of course many more culinary traditions all across Europe; Swedish families tuck into fish, cold cuts and meatballs with potatoes, while the people of Poland often dine on twelve courses, from herring to creamy mushroom sauce, as a reminder of the twelve aspostles. Dutch Christmas dinners are much like British ones, where piles of vegetables and potatoes surround cuts of roast beef, pheasant or duck; while Finland and Romania tend towards ham and pork, served with vegetable casseroles and sarma (mince-filled cabbage leaves) respectively.
European river cruises at Christmas can open up a whole world of festive dining and merriment, giving you a chance to see some of the continent’s most beautiful cities and countryside at the most celebrated time of the year. So wherever you’re dining this Christmas, cheers, santé, salud, skal, prost, noroc and na zdravi!