Christmas food in the USA

Most Christmas customs in the United States have been adopted from those in the United Kingdom (though others have come from Italy, France, Scandinavia, and Germany). Accordingly, the mainstays of the British table are also found in the United States: roast turkey (or other poultry), beef, ham, or pork; stuffing (or 'dressing'); mashed potatoes and gravy; and squash or roasted root vegetables are common. Common desserts include pumpkin pie, plum pudding or Christmas pudding, and mince pies. In the South, coconut cake, pecan pie (in the picture on the left), and sweet potato pie are also common.

The centerpiece of a sit-down meal varies on the tastes of the host but can be ham, roast beef, or goose, particularly since turkey is the mainstay at dinner for the American holiday of Thanksgiving in November, around one month earlier.

Regional meals offer diversity. Virginia has oysters, ham pie (in the picture ob the right), and fluffy biscuits, a nod to its English 17th century founders.

The Upper Midwest includes dishes from predominantly Scandinavian backgrounds such as lutefisk and mashed rutabaga or turnip (in the picture).

In the southern US, rice is often served instead of potatoes, and on the Gulf Coast, shrimp and other seafood are usual appetizers, and Charlotte Russechilled in a bed of Lady Fingers (called just Charlotte) is a traditional dessert, along with pumpkin and pecan pies. 

In some rural areas, game meats like elk orquail may grace the table, often prepared with old recipes: it is likely that similar foodstuffs graced the tables of early American settlers on their first Christmases.