Does breakfast on Christmas Eve count?
How funny. I had a conversation with a few friends this week (non-Asian and non-Jewish) about their annual Christmas Day traditions of having Chinese food for lunch or dinner.
But not breakfast/dim sum?
I didn’t know it was a tradition. I watched A Christmas Story (for the 99th time) while wrapping gifts last night. This film is about as Americana as it gets. They did indeed end up eating Christmas dinner at a Chinese restaurant… “the Christmas we were introduced to ‘Chinese turkey’”.
Side bar: it’s a funny and comforting scene, but is it a tad racist?
Cath -
We are a dim sum for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day family. Have been so for years if not decades.
Combination of, I am jewish so, yes, I grew up with, if you wanted restaurant food for Xmas day, the best bet was Chinese. And also? We are in LA, our families are thousands of miles away, so much better to have wonderful food, in bounty and rejoice, then to cook a whole turkey and pretend it’s all the same. So we get enough dim sum to have it for dinner that day as well and, the morning after. Our version of holiday leftovers.
And Robert? After our old school Rowland Heights place closed, we found a specific place in Arcadia, have been going there for a few years and this Xmas? Saw a significant increase in, well, round eyes like us. Haven’t read that NYT article yet - but I will.
I love it.
Happy, I’d rather have dim sum over turkey any day.
Cath -
I get the best of both worlds. Dim sum for the holidays and then? I pick up the sale turkeys and roast or braise them after the holiday, with way less pressure. Have a meal or two and then? Make giant batches of turkey soup to share and/or freeze.
One of my dearest friends in Los Angeles had never heard of turkey soup (aka turkey carcass, after thanksgiving soup. Maybe it’s a midwestern thing?) But after she had a batch? Almost as good as having my late father’s roast turkey. So it’s a new/old way to celebrate that makes me happy.
Best of both worlds indeed. Enjoy.
