Vegetarian Menus on Holidays and Festivals

Cultures around the world celebrate special occasions with special foods. Sharing a holiday or festival meal with friends and family is a tradition shared by people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and lifestyles. Many holiday meals can be simply adapted to a vegetarian diet, while other traditional feasts and festivities focus on foods or dishes that are vegetarian to begin with. No matter what the event, the vegetarian diner can easily celebrate with a sumptuous meal.

Many Jewish holidays feature vegetarian dishes. Some of these foods symbolize events in Jewish history. For example, Passover cake is made with matzo, a flat, unleavened bread representing the hardships endured by Hebrews in ancient Egypt and the last meal Hebrew families shared before they fled from Egypt to escape slavery. Kosher dining—eating according to rules stated in religious documents—also influences Jewish holiday foods. One rule forbids eating meat and milk together, which can result in meals that are meatless but rich in dairy products. Shavuot, the holiday in remembrance of the Biblical figure Moses receiving the Torah (a holy book of the Jewish faith), is celebrated with a variety of dairy foods, while meat and fish are avoided. A popular dish at this celebration is blintzes—thin pancakes filled with cottage cheese or farmers’ cheese.

Dietary rules also govern the followers of Hinduism. Most Hindus don’t eat any meat, so many of the foods of their special occasions are vegetarian. In India, treats for the luminous Diwali (the Hindu festival of lights) include khir, a sweet rice pudding prepared with rice, milk, nuts, and an array of spices; and halva, which is a rich dessert made with butter, grated vegetables, chopped nuts, honey, and dried fruit. The Holi festival, celebrating the arrival of spring, features puran poli, sweet stuffed bread made with beans or lentils; gujjia, deep-fried pastries filled with nuts or raisins; and samosas, flaky crusts filled with spicy curried potatoes.

Like Hindus, Muslims (followers of Islam) obey a set of rules regarding diet. Some meat is allowed, but many Muslims believe that Muhammad, the founder of Islam, preferred to eat mostly vegetables and grains. During Ramadan, the holiest Islamic month, Muslims fast (neither eating nor drinking) from sunup to sundown. Meals during this month are simple and often meatless. Before dawn, a light breakfast such as porridge or bread and fruit is eaten. After dark, families share another meal which might include dates, bread, and soup. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, and many dishes at this feast are vegetarian. Spicy curried vegetables, hearty dishes of rice, potatoes, and lentils, and a range of sweets are enjoyed after the long fast.

Some Christian holidays also have long-standing vegetarian customs. Many Roman Catholics observe fasts, during which they may not eat any meat.The Polish Christmas Eve dinner, or Wigilia, is entirely meat-less.Traditional dishes include borscht (beet soup), potatoes, and noodles with poppy seeds. Catholics in Italy also eat a meatless meal on Christmas Eve, enjoying pasta dishes and soups, though many cooks include fish on the menu. Other beloved foods of Christian holidays are sweets. In Germany, Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a stollen, or fruit loaf, while in Mexico buñuelos are essential. These sweet fritters with cinnamon syrup are served on cracked or chipped plates, which diners break for good luck when they are finished eating. For Easter, bakers around the world prepare tempting breads, such as English hot cross buns (sweet buns with a white cross of icing) and Russian kulich (a tall, cylindrical sweet bread topped with white icing). Italians enjoy colomba pasquale, a dove-shaped bread studded with dried fruit or nuts, while Greeks celebrate with tsouréki, braided sweet bread decorated with hard-boiled eggs dyed red.

Many Asian countries have large Buddhist populations. Although not governed by strict dietary rules, some Buddhists are vegetarians. Others follow a vegetarian diet on certain days of the month, and many holiday dishes are meatless. One of the year’s biggest events is the Lunar New Year, and a host of special food is associated with the festival. In Japan people eat toshikoshi soba (“year-crossing noodles”) near midnight on Omisoka (New Year’s Eve). Eating this soup with its extra-long, thin noodles as the new year begins is supposed to ensure long life. Long noodles are a popular dish for the Chinese New Year as well, and a must-have in Chinese homes is the traditional
New Year’s cake, made with sweet rice flour and decorated with festive red dates.

Many countries hold secular (non-religious) festivals dedicated to farming and food. Harvest festivals take place all over the globe, from the yam festival in the African nation of Ghana to sugarcane harvests in India and grain festivals in Europe. In Kenya the Masai celebrate the beginning of the rainy season in April with feasting, dancing, and singing. In Japan a whole calendar of ceremonies honors the planting, ripening, and harvesting of the rice crop.

No matter what the occasion or the country, food plays an important part in celebrations around the world. These events can be chances to participate in an old custom, expand culinary horizons, or create new food traditions. Whatever the case, the adventurous vegetarian diner need never look too far for a satisfying delicacy.