Chinese Food on Christmas - Do You Do It?

[Pam R]

So Saturday night, I'm watching SNL for a few minutes. The cartoon featured a Jewish Christmas: AKA - what do Jews do on Christmas?

Sunday morning, on my way to work, CBC radio had a piece on the Jewish people and their love of Chinese food. Especially at Christmas time.

Last night, a friend phoned me to see if we should get together a group of people to go out for Chinese food on Christmas Eve (or day).

It's SUCH a stereotype. But it's based on such fact.

Are you a Chinese food on Christmas sort of person? I'm wondering just how many of us out there, who don't celebrate Christmas, really do partake in a Chinese meal...

Any other traditions?

[Carrot Top]

The idea is spreading even to the Goyim, Pam.

My ex's family (half French-Canadian Catholic/half English High Anglican) used to have Chinese food for Christmas. Every year - on the day *after* Christmas.

That apparently makes it uh, "kosher" shall we say?

Karen

[ScorchedPalate]

Not Jewish, but... the last couple of years we've been travelling at Christmas, and the best options for meals have been Chinese. This year, we leave for a 3.5-week trip on Christmas day, so we'll probably have Chinese food for dinner on Xmas Eve, since I don't want to cook the night before we leave.

There's a thing here in SF called Kung Pao Kosher Comedy: Tribe-centric standup performances on (and around) Christmas in a Chinese restaurant, complete with full meals at the early shows.

(edited for a typo)

Edited December 21, 2005 by ScorchedPalate (log)

[Jason Perlow]

Yes, we do it, consistently. Although now we are branching out to other forms of Asian cuisine on the 25th, such as Vietnamese, Thai, Sushi, or Indian. I've even managed to have Korean food on Christmas, as unlikely as that sounds.

[gini]

It's really depended where we were living.....

In NJ, yes, we went out consistenly, always to a place in Ridgewood, but I can't remember the name of it now. Then, we stood in line for what seemed like forever to see a movie.

In Canada, no, we went to Spa Eastman, but really, I would go there anytime I could get away.

In Paris and Geneve, no way, we were always took the opportunity to spend it with family nearby - in a non-religious way.

Now, back in the states, we're going to a spa again (NH) for Christmas this year (yay! an extra day off from work, let's go to a spa! ), but I think in the future we'll probably hit Chinese. It really comes down to not wanting to cook because we're in the cooking-for-other-people business. So we need to go out, but what's open that's not a traditional Christmas Ham Dinner? (Or Turkey? I forget which one is traditional.) Ahha! Chinese! But as Jason notices, other choices have become more readily available.

Anyway, Pam R, I wholeheartedly advocate making a spa trip a new Christmas-for- the-Jews tradition chez vous. It's probably about as far removed as we've been able to get from the whole hubub of the holiday, which is important to us.

[HeatherM]

Like a few others who have posted, I'm not Jewish, but I usually go out for Chinese on Christmas eve with my parents, my brother and his family & in-laws. My Mum decided years ago that Chinese was going to be tradition because she cooked a big Christmas dinner every year, and didn't want to have to do the same thing the day before also.

I also have other friends (again, not Jewish) who are planning on Chinese for Christmas day this year, a departure from their usual Mexican (they're not Mexican either!)

[I_call_the_duck]

I'm Chinese, and I was actually looking forward to doing something that wasn't Chinese, but since we had an "American" Thanksgiving, it's back to Chinese food. Or in our case, just food.

[Pam R]

It really comes down to not wanting to cook because we're in the cooking-for-other-people business.  So we need to go out,

You can say that again.

Anyway, Pam R, I wholeheartedly advocate making a spa trip a new Christmas-for- the-Jews tradition chez vous.  It's probably about as far removed as we've been able to get from the whole hubub of the holiday, which is important to us.

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oddly enough.. since we're in a kosher/jewish food business, we're catering several christmas dinners (turkey, not ham ). So getting away isn't an option.

But you're right... I think the tradition comes from the fact that Chinese restaurants are the ones that are open.

Jason: I'd love to go for Sushi... but I don't think any restaurants are open around here.

it's back to Chinese food.  Or in our case, just food. 

[Katie Nell]

We do it too and also not Jewish. Usually, we're so tired and worn out by Christmas night, that we order Chinese and watch "A Christmas Story!" I like this tradition a lot!

[Rachel Perlow]

I also have other friends (again, not Jewish) who are planning on Chinese for Christmas day this year, a departure from their usual Mexican (they're not Mexican either!)

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Hmm, Mexican for Christmas sounds unusual, I think because a lot of Mexicans are Catholic, and you would think they wouldn't be open on Christmas. Like many have said...

I think the tradition comes from the fact that Chinese restaurants are the ones that are open.

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you need a restaurant to be open in order to go there. So Chinese isn't as much a tradition, as a necessity!

For quite a number of years, my family and another family we were close with would go to Atlantic City every year for Christmas. It's the least crowded time of the year, when all the Jews and Asians go play blackjack. I was just slighly underage at the time, but I had no problems getting in to the casino, as long as I stuck to slot machines. However, my (same age) girlfriend was much younger looking, so for the first couple years we usually had to hang in the arcade.

I remember feeling very grown up the first time I was of age and had a weekend in AC with my dad and I got to go to the craps table with him for the first time (I won too). Then we had dinner at the fancy restaurant at the hotel, with tableside Ceasar salad, etc. But that's a story for another thread.

[Cleo]

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas for this Jew without seeing a movie in the afternoon and having Chinese food for dinner.

Even last year, when my daughter was only 9 weeks old, we kept the tradition going with tag-team movies and dinnner. My parents went to see a movie early in the day, then came to my place to babysit in the afternoon. My husband and I went to see "Million Dollar Baby" and we went out for Chinese. My parents just ordered in their Chinese to my apartment.

This year, however, my parents will be out of town on Christmas day, so we will still have the Chinese food for dinner, but won't get to see the movie. If it doesn't rain, we're thinking of taking my daughter, now 1, to the Central Park Zoo. Maybe a new tradition?

[Rachel Perlow]

Jason and I composed a little ditty last year that many of you might find interesting, click.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Jason and I composed a little ditty last year that many of you might find interesting, click.

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It was so good then and is even more hysterical now, upon a second reading! Thanks, Perlows ...

Since this year Hanukkah's first night coincides with Christmas, we are having a Hanukkah dinner here at my house for family and guests .. next year though? Chinese!

[Toasted]

Not of Jewish faith but vegetarian. I spend the week before Christmas making food for Christmas Eve. We spend the night with our best friends and their kids. On X-mas day we always order Chinese because I am so sick of cooking! I let the kids order anything they want and we eat it while watching a family movie. Oh, and the kids get soda which is a huge treat for them. It's really fun and takes away all the pressure of making the big "Christmas Dinner" and then cleaning it all up.

[Pam R]

Would ordering in dinner tonight and going for Dim Sum tomorrow be overkill?

[mizducky]

I suppose everybody's seen this time-honored parody floating about the Net, but in case there are a couple of people who missed it, here is the classic "Night Before Christmas Jewish Chinese Restaurant Parody". Enjoy!

[Jason Perlow]

Obviously a slow news day at Yahoo and AP Newswire:

NEWSFLASH! Chinese Food Popular During the Holidays

[Pan]

I had Chinese food today, but more because I was a bit under the weather (Are people ever "over the weather"? But that discussion is for another site, I suppose...) and it hit the spot. Delivery from Congee Village: Squid/Ginger Congee, 1/2 House Special Chicken, Lotus Root in Red (called "Special") Bean Sauce. With 1 rice, enough for 3 meals.

[castironchef]

Since I was child, when we decided that mom needed to have fun on Christmas, too, we don't do a traditional Christmas dinner. (That's for Christmas Eve.)

Instead, we go out and what's open? Chinese restaurants. Not much of anything else. So now, going for Chinese on Christmas day is a family tradition.

[mizducky]

Obviously a slow news day at Yahoo and AP Newswire:

NEWSFLASH! Chinese Food Popular During the Holidays

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Heh. I know that Kowloon joint mentioned in the article. It's one of a number of restaurants along that stretch of Rte. 1 housed in outrageously over-the-top buildings. Check out the Tiki Madness of Kowloon!

[I_call_the_duck]

Mentioned before that we're Chinese, so food is what we ate for Christmas this year. This year, mom went all out, and made stuff that we don't normally see when she cooks for the entire family. My brother and I helped with some of the final steps, but the majority of the credit goes to mom.

The menu was as follows:

soup

steamed flounder in ginger-scallion sauce

curry chicken

shrimp with walnuts

squid with pickled greens

sticky rice

bamboo-wrapped chives and shrimp

Dessert

apple pie

blueberry pie

pannetone

peppermint bark

assorted tarts

chocolate cake

Now the funny thing about this was the mention that Chinese restaurants are open on Christmas. Mom, having made sticky rice, didn't think that we needed white rice. But psycho sister's spoiled brats will only eat white rice, so we sent my brother out to buy a couple of quarts, thinking it will be faster than to just make some. It turned out that he had a hard time finding a place that was open!

[Jason Perlow]

Obviously a slow news day at Yahoo and AP Newswire:

NEWSFLASH! Chinese Food Popular During the Holidays

←

Heh. I know that Kowloon joint mentioned in the article. It's one of a number of restaurants along that stretch of Rte. 1 housed in outrageously over-the-top buildings. Check out the Tiki Madness of Kowloon!

←

Ah. A classic Polynesian-style American Chinese restaurant. Talk about a real friendly dinosaur.

We have a restaurant very similar to that in Queens, thats been in existence since 1953 -- King Yum. I wasn't aware any other east coast Polynesian-style restaurant actually predated it or was still in operation. That Kowloon looks like a real time warp, I'll have to make a pilgrimage to it someday.

King Yum has the distinction of ultimate convenience to the Jewish customer, since it is less than half a block away from the local Synagogue, the Hillcrest Jewish Center.

[Cleo]

If it doesn't rain, we're thinking of taking my daughter, now 1, to the Central Park Zoo

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Well, it did rain here in NY, so we changed our plans and ended up in Coney Island at the New York Aquarium.

And we definitely had a Jewish Christmas as far as meals were concerned...Hotdogs at the original Nathan's for lunch, and then (after lighting the menorah), Chinese food for dinner. Yum!

[cakewalk]

When did the "Chinese food and a movie" become the Jewish Christmas day vogue? I don't remember it at all from when I was growing up. Then I lived overseas for about 20 years, and I remember my first Christmas when I got back to the States, that's what everyone was talking about (and doing.) I felt like Rip Van Winkle. When I was a kid I remember we used to visit non-Jewish families in the neighborhood (yes, there were a few ) on Christmas day, and as an adolescent I also used to spend the day with a good friend and her family. Maybe my neighborhood just wasn't with it. Anyway, this year it was "Syriana," but then I went home for dinner. Not that there was much to eat, since I had no leftovers.

[coughy]

We went to the movies on Christmas eve for the first time this year and it was packed. We followed the crowd after the movie right to the Chinese restaurant. It was great!