1. Buffet inspiration
“Our holiday meal at my maternal grandmother’s house with all the cousins was a Chinese-inspired buffet. She made spare ribs with jarred sauce, there were egg rolls, chicken fried rice, and so on. But in the middle of the table there was always fresh cheese from the Fromagerie La Chaudière (my grandparents are from the Beauce region) and cucumbers. It was a great mix of so many tasty things! And now, at my parents’ house, we often enjoy Chinese hot pot on Christmas.” – Geneviève, graphic designer and accessory stylist
WORLD CUISINE
Low-Fat Egg Rolls
2. Seafood party
“My father-in-law is Portuguese and my mother-in-law comes from the Gaspé region, so at Christmas we enjoy a huge seafood feast: lobster, crab, oysters (raw and cooked), Portuguese-style shrimp, snails, mussels with ginger, etc. It’s a tradition every year and we stick to it. Everyone is always in for a treat!” – Marjolaine, customer service representative
3. Under the sun
“For the New Year, I fly with my family to Florida. Away from the cold, we eat giant scallops as our main course and Key lime pie (my favourite!) for dessert. There’s no question of changing the menu!” – Maude, content and creative director
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Coquilles St. Jacques
THE BEST
Key Lime Pie
4. Meal in a jar
“On December 25, my boyfriend and I are together at home, just the two of us. We eat a jar of Canard Goulu cassoulet, with a fine bottle of wine and a big green salad. Simply heat it up, and it is so comforting and delicious. It reminds us of France, a place we love a lot (and that we can’t wait to visit again!).” – Caroline, art director
5. Festive fried chicken
“When I was young, Christmas Eve was spent at my grandparents’ house, where we had a big feast at midnight. Before the party, while we waited for the late meal, we always had supper at KFC for fried chicken.” – Marie-Pier G., editor
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Fried Chicken
6. International destination
“On the evening of January 1, we get together with my in-laws for a feast inspired by an international destination. It’s a potluck, so everyone cooks a dish inspired by that year’s country, be it India, Mexico or Greece.” – Alexandre, digital content and social media manager
7. Go fish
“At my in-laws’, we don’t eat meat the day before Christmas. It’s an old religious tradition that comes from our great-grandmother. So, on Christmas Eve, we always eat fish and seafood, like pasta with squid, grilled shrimp, breaded sole and cod (dried and desalted), served with vegetables. We’ve carried on with this tradition because we really enjoy the menu!” – Michèle, computer graphic designer
8. Taking it easy
“We tend to have a huge party on New Year’s Eve, so the day after, we mostly take it easy and refrain from cooking. So we order St-Hubert chicken and eat it while watching the previous evening’s “Bye Bye” sketch comedy show in our pajamas!” – Julie, digital director
9. Merry paella
“On New Year’s Eve, it’s all about my dad’s paella! We place the large pan at the centre of the table and everyone helps themselves. There’s squid, mussels, shrimp, chicken, sausage and, of course, saffron. It truly is the best.” – Isabelle M., project manager
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Paella
What are some of your annual holiday traditions? Share them with us in the Comments section below this article.