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. Read more