Kiviak is a gastronomical Christmas treat from Greenland and is made from the raw flesh of an auk which has been buried under a stone in sealskin for several months until it has achieved an advanced stage of decomposition.

Portuguese families eat a special meal of salted dry codfish with boiled potatoes at midnight on Christmas Eve, followed by the ‘consoda’ on the morning of Christmas Day, when extra places are set at the table for the souls of the dead. Food is offered to these souls to bring luck to the family during the forthcoming year.

In Belgium, Christmas breakfast is a special sweet bread called ‘cougnolle’ in the form of baby Jesus and the special Latvian Christmas Day meal is brown peas with bacon sauce, small pies, cabbage, and sausage.

People eat rice porridge or Yule porridge on Christmas Eve in Finland. A particular tradition is hiding a whole almond in the porridge. The one who eats the almond will be married the following year. In the evening, Finns eat a traditional Christmas dinner including a casserole containing liver, rutabaga (swede), carrot, and potato, with cooked ham or turkey. Some families serve a salad made from boiled beetroots, carrots, potatoes, apples, and pickled cucumber called ‘rosolli’, often served with herring.

Rock Ptarmigan, a gamebird in the grouse family, is a popular Icelandic Christmas dish. Due to its declining population, selling Rock Ptarmigan is illegal and hunting is restricted to October and only for personal consumption.

The traditional hallaca is served during the Venezuelan Christmas season. Hallaca is a mixture of beef, pork, chicken, capers, raisins, and olives wrapped in maize and tied with string.

How ever you celebrate your Christmas, we wish you happy puzzling and Christmas feasting!