Sweet sponges, fish and curried goat – it’s Christmas dinner around the world

Scots love a classic turkey dinner on Christmas Day, but it seems that, while we’re piling our plates high with pigs in blankets, there are some countries that do things a little bit differently.

Online holiday firm Travelbag have decided to explore some of the weird and wonderful global traditions for Christmas dinner. Take a look and see if any of these dishes could tempt you away from what you know best.

Using the Post Office’s annual long-haul holiday report as a basis for a ‘Christmas Dinner around the World’search, they have focused on long-haul destinations to see what those far and wide are doing for Christmas.

Christmas is special at KFC in Japan

The report, which details the price of tourist staples across a range of countries, including dinner for two with wine, sun cream, insect repellent and a variety of drinks, highlights the disparity between countries and where to go to get the best deals. As well as telling us how much a three-course dinner costs around the world, and as it’s the festive season, the report inspired us to highlight what others can expect on their plate on Christmas Day.

The survey found that the US, the UK and Australia are pretty similar, though the weather in the southern hemisphere makes Christmas dinners down south a bit more interesting, celebrating on the beach and adding a sizzle to the turkey by throwing it on the barbeque.

It seems that most countries stick to what they know best, with their native dishes making an appearance at Christmas, such as baklava in Greece and tamales in Mexico, whilst places like Dubai opt to celebrate for a classic, world-renowned brunch.

Some you may expect but others are guaranteed to make you do a double take – and you’ll be most surprised by Japan…

Christmas info graphic