Varying culinary trends have transformed our idea of a traditional Christmas dinner. Most youngsters aren’t leaning into the typical roast game dinner and are willing to try trendier and different Christmas foods.
But let’s admit it: our grandparents have a fixed idea of a Christmas dinner, and they’re not deviating from their concept anytime soon. This means we’ll see the same Christmas dinner we’ve seen for decades.
Here are 12 foods you’ll always find at a boomer’s Christmas dinner:
Green bean casserole
We all experienced a temporary phase of hating green bean casserole. Kids never understood the appeal, and although we’ve grown to like it, we still don’t know why a green bean casserole is an integral part of Christmas.
Yet our grandparents keep making this food because it promotes their idea of a traditional Christmas dinner. Boomers love piling thick spoonfuls of green bean casserole and will probably make it until their last breath.
Cranberry sauce
Cranberry sauce is one of the most critical components of a Christmas dinner. You might not like cranberry sauce, but your parents will still find a way to pour it over their freshly roasted chicken dinner.
Our parents grew up eating traditional Christmas roasts with cranberry sauce, so they’re unwilling to let the tradition die. We’ll eat our parents’ cranberry sauce well into adulthood and might even pass on the idea.
Dinner rolls
Although dinner rolls are simple, most youngsters don’t find them as attractive as the older generation. This is why we’ll find every boomer parents’ Christmas table lined with plates of dinner rolls.
Dinner rolls are light and fulfilling, so they’re perfect for Christmas. Ironically, kids love dinner rolls, so new parents won’t have to run after hungry kids, hoping they’ll eat something.
Mince pies
Many people dislike mince pies because they combine sweet and savory components. Its creative taste can be off-putting for youngsters, but older people love to dive into these sweet-salty snacks.
Mince pies are a classic Christmas delight, so boomers aren’t willing to drop this dish. They want to make their Xmas as traditional as possible, so they’ll make loads of mince pies, even if they turn into leftovers.
Eggnog
Credited as the only Christmas beverage, eggnog is a delightful drink that you’ll find on your boomer’s Christmas table. This sweet, milk-based drink is perfect for tying off your dinner.
Despite its countless benefits, younger generations aren’t interested in eggnog because of varying culinary trends. Fancier and more aesthetic drinks have replaced eggnogs, so we’ll only see this beverage at older people’s houses.
Fruitcake
There’s nothing better than cutting into a freshly baked fruitcake straight out of grandma’s kitchen. Despite most of us obsessing about fruitcake and its delicious taste, the food is gradually losing popularity.
Our parents and grandmothers love spending time in the kitchen whipping delicious foods, so they won’t mind baking a fruitcake. Younger folks are more eager to try aesthetic and unique foods, so a classic fruitcake won’t be on their mind.
Shrimp cocktail
Shrimp cocktails are one of the most iconic Christmas foods. Although they’re widely loved by most, younger generations aren’t interested in maintaining the old aesthetic, so we see this delightful dish phasing away.
This is why we’ll only see shrimp cocktails on Christmas: our grandparents and parents refuse to let the trend die out. They find shrimp cocktails fancy, appealing, and delightful.
Brussel sprouts
This Christmas dish was every kid’s nightmare. We never understood why our parents served Brussels sprouts at Christmas; unfortunately, we’ll still see this food at Christmas.
While we may blame our strong dislike for Brussels sprouts on why we don’t serve them on Christmas, we must understand why our grandparents do. Brussels sprouts are a healthy and nutritious addition to them, so they won’t abandon the dish.
Waldorf salad
A delightful mix of celery, apples, grapes, and walnuts, Waldorf salad has been a traditional Christmas food for decades. While we may appreciate its unique flavor combination, we must understand the salad has an acquired taste.
Its acquired taste is why most youngsters refuse to eat or make this salad on Christmas. Of course, our parents and grandparents have their minds; they find this salad delightful, so they’ll keep serving it.
Ambrosia salad
You may never find an ambrosia salad beyond your boomer parents’ house. This is because ambrosia salad has long lost appeal to recent generations, so it no longer appears on menus.
Despite its lack of popularity, boomers continue making ambrosia salad because it ties them down to cherishing memories and nostalgic Christmasses spent with their friends and families.
Christmas pudding
Youngsters will take one look at a Christmas pudding and reject it. We must admit that not-so-pudding pudding can be off-putting for most people, mainly because it contains countless undesirable ingredients.
But our parents and grandparents grew up eating it, so they’ll keep it on the Christmas table to keep the tradition alive. Christmas pudding is a cherishing and nostalgic food for boomers, so they’ll make it until their last breath.
Roasted turkey
While we’re willing to compromise the core parts of a Christmas dinner, our parents refuse to back down. A roasted turkey or other game bird is a primary part of Xmas dinner, so we’ll find it served every Christmas, even if you don’t eat it.
Our grandparents or boomer generation refuse to stop serving roasted turkey because they find it appealing and aesthetic. Older generations have always maintained a classic Christmas image; nothing conveys it better than roasted turkey.
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This article was first published at Spatula Desserts.
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