Christmas Eve Dinners are often large feasts. Because Christmas is a global holiday, Christmas Eve traditions, including the types of dinners served and eaten, vary largely from country to country and culture to culture.

For example, in America some families prefer a meal similar to a Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes, while others dine on kielbasa (Polish sausage), cabbage, soup, ham, casseroles or lasagna. Still others prefer ham, or even going out to a restaurant for a meal fancier than one would want to prepare at home.

While goose is a traditional main dish on Christmas day, the traditional Christmas Eve dinner in German is carp. The tradition of eating carp on Christmas Eve dates back to the Middles Ages. Many sweets are enjoyed on Christmas Eve, including marzipan and Lebkuchen.http://www.learn-german-online.net/learning-german-resouces/weihnachten_en.htm

For a different take on Christmas Eve dinner, the Ukrainians observe the Holy Supper, a a meatless 12-course meal to recognize the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. Hay is present, usually under the table, as a reminder that Jesus was born in a manger. Three loaves of braided bread, Kolach, are placed in the center of the table to represent the Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit). Portions of the meal are kutia (honey-sweetened boiled wheat), beet soup (borsch), fish, sauerkraut and varenyky (a potato and onion dumpling).Suite 101: Holy Supper

In some parts of France, families gather on Christmas Eve for a feast known as "le reveillon." This Christmas Eve dinner is traditionally served after everyone returns from Midnight Mass. These long, leisurely reveillon Christmas Eve dinners may include champagne and other various cocktails, an assortment of appetizers (including foie gras) and entrees such as escargots, oysters and dishes of duck and/or goose. In addition, ham or fish may also be served.http://www.expatica.com/fr/leisure/dining_cuisine/french-christmas-its-all-about-the-food--35242.html?ppager=2

The reveillon tradition is also observed in many homes in the New Orleans, Louisiana, area - which is heavily influenced by French Creole cooking and tradition.http://frenchquarter.com/dining/reveillon.php

In Sicily, residents may dine on traditional area dishes such as eel, along with pasta dishes and sweet breads. Another Sicilian Christmas Eve dinner tradition is the serving of Torrone - a type of candy dessert that is similar to nougat.http://www.worldofchristmas.net/christmas-world/index.html

Traditional Italian Christmas Eve dinners are similar to those in Sicily - with families gathering around festive tables adorned with different dishes made from fish. Why fish? Italians who are Catholic observe Christmas Eve as a "day of abstinence" - meaning no consumption of meat.http://italianfood.about.com/od/menues/a/aa121698.htm Known to some as the "Feast of the Seven Fishes," Italian Christmas Eve dinners incorporate a variety of different kinds of fish into savory dishes for all to enjoy.

In Poland, Christmas Eve, or "Wigila," is observed with an elaborate Christmas Eve dinner celebration that begins with the breaking of a blessed bread waver (in keeping with Catholic tradition). This is followed by the serving of a variety of different kinds of soups, along with sauerkraut dishes, stuffed cabbage, fish (particularly carp) and other traditional Polish dishes. One caveat: none of the dishes served in Poland on Christmas Eve usually include meat.http://www.polishcenter.org/Christmas/WIGILIA-ENG.htm

While what you serve is ultimately up to you, here are suggestions of some possible dishes to get you started:

1. Salad
2. Green Bean Casserole
3. Christmas Ham
4. Christmas Turkey
5. Christmas Stew
6. Christmas Goose
7. Prime Rib
8. Yorkshire Pudding
9. Christmas cupcakes
10. Fruitcake
11. Mashed potatoes with gravy
12. Sweet Potato Casserole
13. Homemade rolls
14. Eggnog