Monday 6 May 2013

What Make Christmas So Special?


Christmas is a magical time of the year. Streets are brought to life with eager shoppers buying gifts for loved ones, being illuminated by the beautifully lit festive decorations. Homes feel cosier, even in the freezing temperatures as the warm glow of fairy lights from the Christmas tree echo around the living room.

But the most important part of this tradition is the mouthwatering palette of delicious food served with family and friends on Christmas day. Weather you prefer the traditionally served turkey and ham, or the many vegetarian options, Christmas dinner is something to marvel at. So what is it that makes Christmas dinner so special?

“Tradition”, says Jill Barrett, who regularly cooks a festive feast for her extended family. “One of my favourite things to do is to have people around the table, family and friends chatting and having a good time.” She continues, “We live busy lives, we tend to eat by ourselves or go out to dinner. Everybody's rushing around so its a really nice tradition to have everyone sitting down and having the craic around the table.”

Christmas dinner is a nice time to relax and enjoy some company, but for many it can be a hectic time of the year. Jas Samra, who runs The Roost restaurant in Maynooth is understandably frustrated when it comes to Christmas dinner. “Because I work in the cooking industry, I hate cooking at home. I work right up until Christmas Eve, then right into Christmas dinner. Its like being back at work.” However she does share Jill's sentiment, “I do enjoy the whole family being together, its not as stressful as work, its more laid back.”

Jas who hails from India recounts, “I had more or less a strict upbringing, we weren't allowed any friends over for dinner, just immediate family.” Now however, her table is packed to the brim on Christmas with up to 19 people feasting on some delicious food, in which there's always enough left over for dinner on Stephens Day. “There's usually plenty, you never know who could turn up”.

As for the meal itself, Jill and Jas both tackle the task with different approaches. Jill is more of a traditionalist, “I would start with a melon or salmon with cream cheese, then a turkey with all the trimmings and for dessert, plum puddings and mince pies.”

Jas was brought up vegetarian by her mother. She recalls that, “it was always vegetarian food, she didn't allow meat into the house.” After growing up, half her family converted to meat while the other half are still vegetarian. This can prove to be challenging when it comes to serving Christmas dinner, “Christmas day is always difficult because half our family is vegetarian, we not only have the traditional turkey and ham in the works, but we need to have a vegetarian dish or two as well.” These dishes include, “Chapatis and curries, and on top of that there will always be the vegetarian chicken, sausages or burgers, because its not only the adults that are vegetarian, some of the children are as well.”

The task at hand can be a challenging one especially if there are 19 people lining the dinner table. However for Jas and her great experience in the cooking industry, it isn't really a difficulty in making the meal itself, “With me, its nearly mechanical. You know what to do and you just get on with it.” Its also a help being in charge of your own restaurant, “I get some menial tasks done in The Roost when I'm working. So on Christmas Eve, I'll have the vegetables ready, I just have to put heat on the next day and finish it off.”

Weather the food is traditional or not, it is the tradition of celebrating Christmas dinner with friends and family that makes it so special.

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