What your family eats for Christmas is always the right thing, because you've had the same celebratory meal for years and years, and you don't have those foods the rest of the year. For those same reasons, people around the world celebrate Christmas with foods that may be very different. In Texas, it's tamales. In Japan, It's Kentucky Fried Chicken. In eastern Europe, it's a fish that has been swimming in your bathtub for a few days. And the sweets that go along with the holiday vary, too. In Scandinavia, you have to placate a variety of mischievous legendary spirits, so children in Denmark leave out risengrød, a special rice pudding with cherry sauce, almonds, and whipped cream to please the nisse (elves) who may otherwise cause trouble for the household. Read about that and several other Christmas food traditions at Atlas Obscura.
(Image credit: cyclonebill)