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CHOP SUEY SONG CHRISTMAS SPOOF MOVIE
Chinese food, on the other hand, is virtually dairy-free.īut the Jewish tradition of Chinese food and a movie Christmas Day isn’t the only reason Christmas is the busiest day for Chinese restaurants around the country. Jewish law prohibits the mixing of milk and meat, which, for example, Italian cuisine and Mexican cuisine both do. Why eat Chinese food on Christmas?įor American Jews, part of the appeal is that while all Chinese cuisine isn’t kosher, it’s safer than some other immigrant cuisines. 25), and you can find them with a quick Google Maps search of your city. Many Chinese food restaurants are open during the holidays (including Dec.
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RELATED: Break Out Your Very Merry Thinking Cap For These 53 Spirited Christmas Riddles Where do you find Chinese food open on Christmas?įortunately, you should have no shortage of options if you’re thinking about creating a Christmas spread consisting entirely of Chinese cuisine. And so, Jews eating Chinese food on Christmas became a tradition not only because restaurants weren’t open but also because it provided a sense of community and a secular way to celebrate during the holidays. References as far back as 1899 point toward American Jews eating lunch at Chinese restaurants on Sundays when Christians would flock to other nearby restaurants after church. So, there were many Chinese restaurants in close proximity to the Jewish community. But eating Chinese cuisine during the holidays actually has deep historical, sociological, and religious roots.Īt the turn of the century, Jews and Chinese were the two most prominent non-Christian groups of immigrants in New York, where the tradition is believed to have started. Or maybe it was that funny holiday scene in A Christmas Story - when Ralphie’s family eats Peking duck at Bo Ling Chop Suey Palace after the dog eats their turkey dinner - that cemented the idea of Chinese food on Christmas for you. You’ve probably seen movies depicting Jewish American families (and especially Jewish New Yorkers) eating at Chinese restaurants on Christmas. Is Chinese food on Christmas a thing?Ĭhinese food at Christmas isn’t just a tradition it’s an institution. We watch the movies airing on television.Īnd we order Chinese food. My husband and I have both added beloved traditions from our own childhoods into the Christmas Eves that we spend with our own children now. Our family is still young, so we are still in the early stages of forming traditions. I have a family of my own and, since Christmas Day is spent mostly out of our home visiting our extended families, I like to keep Christmas Eve just the four of us - my husband, our two children, and me. Now that we are all older, our Christmas traditions have changed. Then we would eat it in front of the television while we watched whatever Christmas movies were airing. He wasn’t much for cooking, so we would order Chinese food on Christmas.
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But if it was my dad’s turn, there was no church and there were no poofy dresses. We would all snack on appetizers and cookies my grandmother made while listening to Christmas music and open our stockings, then change into matching pajamas and go to bed. If it was my mom’s turn for Christmas, we went to evening mass on Christmas Eve with our grandparents before coming home in our red and black dresses. It started when my parents got divorced and my sisters and I would alternate who we spent the holidays with every year.
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