During the holiday week at my child’s school they have a wonderful tradition of  “Christmas Around The United States.” Each teacher sets up a table that represents a certain part of the country and the children learn about that region’s way of celebrating the holidays. They learn about the culture, history, and also get to sample some of the food that is prepared for Christmas. One of the greatest varieties of traditions comes in the taste of the Christmas feast. As I walked around the tables with my child there were many interesting things I learned and I hope you enjoy the trip as much as I did.

The abundance of pine trees and mountains in the Pacific Northwest make this area postcard perfect. One thing that seems to dampen the picture is the rain and grey skies. But this does not slow the celebrations down. There are many attractions that can be enjoyed indoors like the market, indoor carousel rides, and a trip to the city to visit the big screen. So many great movies are introduced at Christmas time and this part of the country leads the way when it comes to viewing them. The menu highlights salmon as the main dish. It is cooked and smoked in a variety of ways and side dishes include stuffing, cakes, and pies that are all complemented with apples, ground nuts and spices.

When one thinks about a snowy white Christmas with Santa and sleigh sunny California just doesn’t come to mind. It’s kind of hard to sleigh ride at the beach. For Californians this is the way they like it and have creatively come up with their own traditions. A popular substitute is an old-fashioned parade at the nearest marina or harbor. The boats are decorated and lighted and as the lights glow off the water they create a mystical scene. Added to holiday table scene are many local fresh products that include avocados, asparagus, artichokes, garlic, figs, dates, persimmons and sprouts. This regions’ agricultural diversity allows for a wide-variety of health-conscious foods that are not so common outside of California. Due to Spanish roots there is also a flavoring that includes burritos, quesadillas, and seafood tacos. Hawaii is off the coast and includes a mix of traditions but one thing for certain is the most celebrated feast features pig, turkey or fish served up teriyaki style, and all set up in a luau feast.

The Southwest area includes Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. When we think of this part of the country we picture a sandy desert but some areas are high in elevation and get a lot of snow. In these areas people spend a lot of time outside building snowmen and playing in the snow. Almost everyone in the Southwest carries on the tradition of lighting farolitos along walkways. We are familiar with these but know them as luminaries and consist of tea-lights placed inside paper bags.  A study done by allrecipes.com shows that this area loves to cook and also enjoys the taste of fruitcake. Fruitcake is a mixture of a lot of different ingredients that go well together. This is definitely the case when it comes to culture in the Southwest. Native Americans settled in this region and introduced traditions from Spain, Mexico and other ethnicities. Christmas is colorful in this region and the food is full of spices. Some hot, some cold but all added to salsa, chili con queso, rice and beans, pozole, stuffed peppers and taquitos. So when you are ready to taste the treats make sure you have a glass of water nearby.

The Midwest consists of the center of the country east of the Rocky Mountains. Areas of this region enjoy all four seasons so many of the foods are based on what is available or “in season.” It is commonly called the “breadbasket of America.” The climate is perfect for growing crops and there is an abundance of farmland. It is known for its diverse culture and draws its roots from European and Scandinavian cultures. Family-style meals filled with down home cooking are set on tables throughout the Midwest. Usually a variety that includes meats or meat pies called pasties, relishes, bread pudding, roasts with potatoes, potato bread known as lefse, cranberry sauce, plum pudding, and topped off with pumpkin pie and gingerbread cookies.

Moving down on the map the weather starts to heat up in the South. This area knows how to sit back and relax. The weather is mild so there is no hurry to get the shopping done before the first snow falls. The population is made up of different people who came to the region in a variety of ways so the outcome is a mixture of goods including grits, breads, fried foods including Southern fried chicken, cornbread, okra, black-eyed peas, collard greens and of course gumbo and jambalaya. Favorite desserts include sweet potato pie, pecan pie and key lime pie. So regardless of what your taste buds are hungry for, the Southern cuisine ranges from sweet to spicy with something for everyone.

When one thinks of the Northeast a warm fuzzy feeling seems to settle in. The first Pilgrims arrived in this area in the early 1620’s so history is abundant. Many festivals are celebrated to mark the founding of various milestones in our country’s heritage. The towns are picturesque throughout the year but seem to shine at Christmastime. Rich architecture and antique styling creates an old-fashioned landscape that many of our ceramic Christmas villages replicate. Old buildings, general stores, churches, ice-skating rinks and of course the town tree all surrounded by snow-covered trees. What more could one want for Christmas? At the heart of all this is gathering together to share in the Christmas menu which for breakfast includes blueberry pancakes or waffles topped off with maple syrup and for supper baked honey ham, mashed potatoes, cabbage, apple, cranberry and walnut salad, buttermilk biscuits, washed down with either hot cranberry punch or a glass of eggnog. In some of the harbor cities a variety of seafood dishes are served including lobster, oysters, clams and a cream based chowder made with all three and combined with potatoes and celery. An interesting fact about New Englanders is that they consume more ice cream than any other region of the country. Now that sounds good!

Now that we are done learning about all the regions of the United States, one thing for certain is no matter where you live and there is a large gathering of people, there is always food. The United States is referred to as the “melting pot” where all traditions blend together. But from coast to coast as everyone celebrates the holidays it is very evident that certain regions have their own specific style. Regardless of where you live old traditions are continued and new ones are created. Whatever the region the most important thing is to celebrate and enjoy!

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