Almost every country in the world has a national independence day holiday that commemorates the date that country came into existence as an independent nation. It is a special day of national pride that each country celebrates with patriotic parades, songs, homage to the founders, and of course, traditional food and drink.

Nationhood is actually a relatively new concept. It all began with The Age of Enlightenment, a movement that began in Europe during the late 1700s. The Enlightenment’s ideals of democracy – equality under the law, separation of church and state, and individual liberty – encouraged colonial independence throughout the world in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The results of these powerful ideas were first reflected in both the American and French revolutions – when a monarchial form of government was replaced by a republic empowered by the people.

During another “Age”, the European Age of Exploration (1400s-1600s), Europeans, especially Spain, Portugal, Holland, England, and France – sailed the world in search of new lands for their country, indigenous peoples to convert, and riches to be found from gold and the spice trade.

The end result of this ruthless quest for riches was slavery and ultimately uprisings leading to bloody conflicts in all the countries they colonized. Those conflicts eventually led to full-fledged revolutions where colonists were defeated and sent home, leaving a new and self-governing nation behind. The pride each nation has in the people who sacrificed their lives for their liberty is celebrated annually with a day dedicated to national and personal independence.

A big part of those celebrations are gathering with friends and family to eat and drink traditional foods special to their country. MHT offers you menus and recipes that four different countries might serve on their Independence Day. It’s a fun way to change things up a bit while experiencing some new and amazing cuisines.

HAITI

Haiti became a free country on January 1, 1804. As France’s most profitable colony, its plantation economy depended on a brutal system of slave labor. Following an insurrection that grew to a full-fledged revolution, Haitian slaves along with gens de couleur libres (free people of color) defeated the French military and declared Haiti an independent republic. Haiti was the first black-led republic and the first of many Latin American countries to triumph against European domination.

After freedom, it became time to celebrate and eat. The dish that symbolizes Haitian independence is Soup Joumou, a traditional soup that the French slave masters wouldn’t allow them to eat as they considered it a delicacy. After the Haitians threw the French out, this once forbidden soup became the symbol of independence and freedom.

A Haitian Independence Day Menu

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BRAZIL

Brazil celebrates its independence from Portugal in 1823 on September 7th. Brazil is the only country in South America that is not Spanish-speaking. This is the result of a 1500s treaty between Spain and Portugal that split the newly discovered Americas between them. Portugal claimed the huge territory in the west, Brazil, and Spain everything to the west of that.

Brazilian cuisine is a unique contribution of indigenous peoples, imported slaves, and Portuguese explorers. Brazil’s national dish, feijoada, is basically Portuguese bean stew made with Brazilian black beans and leftover parts of the pig. Over the years, sausage, ham, and other meats have replaced the pig snouts, hoofs, and ears of yore.

The meal that Brazilians eat on Independence Day is an ultimate combination of historical cuisines that represent the country. Feijoada and pão de queijo have their roots in Portugal and farofa and couve a mineira from Africa. The Cachaça (fermented palm sugar alcohol), the basis of the national drink, Caipirinha, is made only in Brazil.

A Brazilian Independence Day Celebration Menu

Dish	Course	Description
Pão de Queijo	Hand Food	Cheese bread
Caipirinha	Drink	Cachaça alcohol & lime cocktail
Feijoada	Main	Black bean and pork stew
Farofa	Side	Fried manioc grains
Couve a Mineira	Vegetable	Collard greens
Brigadieros	Dessert	Chocolate fudge balls in sprinkles

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KOREA

The March First Movement, also called Samil Independence Movement, was a series of demonstrations for Korean national independence from Japan that began on March 1, 1919 in the Korean capital city of Seoul and soon spread throughout the country. The movement was begun by Korean cultural and religious leaders who, after almost 10 years of Japanese rule, drew up a Korean “Proclamation of Independence” and then organized a mass demonstration for that day. On the appointed day, the leaders, hoping to bring international pressure on Japan to end its colonial rule over Korea, signed and read their proclamation in Seoul and all over the country. Centuries of suppressed anti-Japanese feelings were released in one great explosion, producing mass demonstrations for years in many parts of the country and forming the largest national protest rallies against foreign domination in Korean history.

This special day is celebrated every year with parades, readings, songs, and endless food. Traditionally cold noodles and hot stews are eaten. Big family and neighborhood parties are held all over Korea, north and south. Lots of hand foods are usually served and accompanied by a never-ending stream of steamed rice, marinated beef dishes, and the pickled vegetable salads called belacan.

A Korean Independence Day Celebration Menu

Dish	Course	Description
Jumuk Bap	Hand Food	Coated rice balls
Galbi	Main	Marinated beef short ribs
Ssamjang	Condiment	Spicy BBQ Dip
White Rice	Side	Steamed short grain rice
Kimchii	Pickles	Spicy fermented cabbage
Kongnamul-muchim	Salad	Cold marinated sprouts
Sigeumchi-namul	Salad	Sesame spinach salad
Hotteok	Dessert	Sweet stuffed pancake

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GREECE

Greek Independence Day is celebrated every March 25 since the start of the War of Greek Independence began in 1821. Greece had been part of the Ottoman Empire since 1453 and was eventually separated years after the war began with the help of Russia, Great Britain, France.

Left behind by the Turks and Egyptians of the Ottoman Empire were the savory and sweet phyllo pastries that are responsible for famous Greek dishes like spanakopita and Greek baklava. Synonymous with Greek Independence Day celebrations is Bakaliaros & Skordalia, a wonderful combination of batter-fried codfish and mashed garlic potato dip.

A Greek Independence Day Celebration Menu

Dish	Course	Description
Spanakopita	Hand Food	Flaky spinach and feta phyllo pies
Lahanosalata	Salad	Cabbage salad
Bakaliaros	Main	Batter fried codfish
Skordalia	Side	Mashed garlic potato dip
Prasorizo	Side	Rice with leeks
Baklava	Dessert	Phyllo pastry with honey and nuts

“Why is this night different than all others?”

First of The Four Questions

Every spring (April 22nd this year), Jews around the world observe Passover, the Jewish holiday that celebrates the Exodus from enslavement in ancient Egypt. There are many timeless Passover traditions that are shared by Jews everywhere, but the food served at this holiday varies by region.

The reason for these different foods is the majority of Jews (80%), called Askenase (Hebrew for “Germany”), initially settled in Eastern Europe and Germany. The Sephardic (Hebrew for “Spain”) Jews were exiled from Spain and Portugal during the Inquisition of the late 15th century to northern Africa and parts of the Mediterranean. The dietary rules for Passover and in general of the Ashkenazi Jews are very rule bound, especially when eating Kosher and “Kitniyot” (no grains and seeds, rice, corn, and peas). Sephardic Jews have no such restrictions and as a result, their Passover Seders reflect the exciting cuisines of their home countries. In addition to some of the more interesting Passover customs shown below, three different Passover Seder menus are offered here. You can experience these tasty recipes at home for the holiday, Jewish or not.

Matzoh (Mott-zuh)- Matzoh is one of the most iconic elements of Passover. During the Exodus from Egypt, the Jews fled so quickly that there was no time to waste waiting for bread to rise Instead, they ate unleavened matzah in their desperate escape from slavery. Jews eat matzoh in honor of their ancestors, and to celebrate their freedom. This special unleavened bread is kept on a separate matzah tray.

Finding the Afikomen – At the start of the seder, three pieces of matoh are piled next to the seder plate. The middle piece is removed and broken in two. The larger piece, called the afikomen, and is meant for desert after the seder. It is wrapped in a cloth and hidden in the house as a game for the children to find.

Elijah – An extra wine glass is set on the table as an offering to the prophet Elijah, whose spirit visits homes on Passover. At the end of the Seder, it is customary to pour wine into Elijah’s glass and open the front door so his spirit can visit the home.

Cleaning the House – Before Passover begins, it is customary to clean the house. The idea is to go into the holiday with a clean slate to ensure a successful Passover.

Telling the Passover Story – The Jewish people, led by Moses, asked the Pharaoh to free the Jewish slaves, and were denied. As punishment against Egypt, God sent ten plagues to convince the Pharaoh to release the Jews (Blood, Frogs, Lice, Flies, Pestilence, Boils, Hail, Locusts, Darkness, and Killing of the firstborn). The pharaoh repeatedly refuses Moses’ pleas to “let my people go”. With each denial, God unleashes a different plague on the Egyptian people. As a result, God sent the last plague, which would kill the firstborn male in each household.

The Jews were instructed to mark their doors with the blood of a sacrificed lamb so that the Angel of Death would pass over their homes. With this last plague, the Pharaoh finally relented, and the Jews were free to began their exodus from Egypt. The holiday of Passover commemorates these events.

Recognizing Persecution Today – The Jewish people have a long history of being persecuted. Passover is seen as a holiday to not only reflect on that persecution, but to recognize the oppression of people everywhere.

Hosting a Seder – The Seder is the foundation of Passover. Jewish people around the world gather on Passover to have a Seder. A typical Seder is comprised of a dinner as well as reading through the Haggadah (Passover prayer book), which includes the story of Passover and various prayers to recite during the Seder. In addition to a multicourse meal, it includes acknowledging each of the plagues set upon the Egyptians. The Passover Seder Plate is the centerpiece of the Passover meal. The symbolic foods placed on the plate are integral to the telling of the Passover story. .

Passover Seder Plate

The different foods on the Passover Seder plate each serves the purpose of retelling the story of Exodus. The symbolic foods of the Seder Plate come together to create an atmosphere which reflects upon, sympathizes, and celebrates the tragedy and triumphs of the Jewish ancestors and their Exodus from Egypt.

Name	Symbol	Represents	What To Use
Zeroa	The Shank Bone	Pesach or Passover sacrifice: Jews leaving homes in Egypt	Roasted chicken neck, leg bone, or lamb shank bone
Beitza	The Egg	Representative of mourning and tears from being unable to to stop the destruction of the Temple. It also celebrates Spring, renewal, and rejuvenation.	Hard boiled eggs or haminados (eggs cooked over low-low heat for 5 -6 hours with water, onion skins, coffee grounds, tea leaves, and a splash of oil and vinegar).
Maror	The Bitter Herbs	Reminder of the bitter slavery and exile in Egypt	Grated horseradish wrapped in lettuce leaf
Chazeret	The Lettuce	The bitter enslavement of ancestors	A romaine lettuce leave
Charoset	The Paste	Symbolic of the mortar used when being forced to build Egyptian storehouses.	The are many variations based on finely crushed fruit, dried and fresh, red wine, and nuts. (See MHT’S Charoset recipe below).
Karpas	The Vegetable	Alludes to the backbreaking labor forced on ancestors	Parsley which is dipped in salt water and eaten.
	The Salt Water	The tears shed by ancestors enslaved for so long	1 tbsp salt in 1 cup water for dipping vegetable and egg in before eating

Passover Seder Menus

Below are three separate Passover Seder menus: Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and a “best-of” (in MHT’s opinion) combination of the two.

Askenase	Sephardic	Suggested Mash-up
Chopped Chicken Liver	Syrian Muhammara	Chopped Chicken Liver Spread
Matzoh	Matzoh	Matzoh
Gefilte Fish	Israeli Chopped Salad	Israeli Chopped Salad
Matzoh Ball Soup	Fava Bean Soup	Matzoh Ball Soup
Braised Brisket with Fruit	Moroccan Chicken with Olives	Chicken with Olives, Garlic and Lemon
Sweet Potato & Carrot Tzimmes	Spanish Spinach with Raisins & Pine nuts	Spinach with Raisins & Pine Nuts
Potato Kugel	Persian Rice	Persian Rice
Ashkenazi Apple Charoset	Turkish Date Charoset	Turkish Date Charoset
Chocolate Macaroons	Turkish Tishpishti (Walnut Cake)	Chocolate Macaroons

MHT’s Passover Recipes

A Turkish Feast for Christmas eve? Confused? At my Hungry Traveler, every Christmas eve we get together with old friends to celebrate the holidays. This non-denominational holiday meal, made by mostly Jewish folk, is planned by none other than MHT himself, Peter Banhazl, and focuses on a specific country or region’s celebratory dishes to create a feast. Past feasts have included Scandinavia, Emilia Romagna, Italy, and many other delicious cuisines from regions and countries from all over the world.

Sandwiched between the endless salads, dips, and hand-foods of Turkish meze, and the ending of mythical sweets with names like Turkish Delight, sat a main course of red lentil soup followed by heaping platters of lamb and chicken with perfectly matched side dishes of rice pilaf and soft flatbread. All this amazing food was complemented from start to finish by Turkish beer and wine. Here’s the menu from the event, and the recipes to share the incredible foods and drinks of Turkey.

“Afiyet Olsun (May you be Happy and Healthy Eating this Food)”.

A Turkish Saying

Host a Turkish Feast: The Menu

Meze

• Baba Ganoush – Eggplant Dip
• Middle Eastern Humus – Chickpea-Tahini Dip
• Turkish Piyaz -White Bean Salad
• Kayseri Manti -Turkish Tiny Dumplings in Garlic-yogurt and Caramelized Tomato sauces 
• Turkish Gozleme – Spinach and Feta Filled Flatbread
• Damascus-Style Cheese Borek in a Tray

Drinks – Turkish Raki (anise-flavored aperitif), Narince (white wine), Efes Pilsen (beef), Turkish reds (wine) and frothy yogurt drink (ayran)

Main Course

• Kirmizi Mercimek Corbasi – Turkish Red Lentil Soup
• Tavuk Doner – Chicken Doner Kebab w/ Garlic-Yogurt sauce
• Bazlama -Turkish Yogurt Flatbread (wrap for Doner Kabobs)
• Turkish Carrot Rice Pilaf
• Ali Nazik – Eggplant-Yogurt Foam with Lamb Crisps

Dessert

• Lokum – Turkish Delight 
• Kunefe – Turkish Sweet Cheese Pastry
• Irmik Helvasi -Turkish Semolina Halva 
• Sekerpare – Turkish Semolina Cookies in Syrup

Cook a Turkish Cuisine with MHT’s Recipes:

Birthday celebrations vary depending on where you are in the world. From beheading a cake in Denmark, dressing in drag in Germany, and getting your nose “greased” with butter in Canada, birthday traditions around the world are celebrated with more than just a cake with candles. Memorable foods join with unique traditions to make for a real good time, wherever you may be in the world.

Checkout these unique birthday traditions. Many of the great recipes for many of these dishes can be found below:

United States – All About YOU

Birthdays in America are pretty self-centered affairs. Everybody comes to your party to bring you presents, watch you open them, sing “Happy Birthday to you,” while you blow out the candles and make your secret wish. Every family has their own special cake for this occasion.

Canada – Nose Greasing

This is an Eastern Canadian tradition. Anywhere and anytime, a parent or sibling will surprise the birthday boy/girl by slathering butter all over their nose. According to legend, a greasy nose makes it difficult for bad luck to stick to the birthday boy/girl in the year ahead.

Australia – Fairy Bread

Birthdays in Australia all include that 3 ingredient culinary masterpiece made from white bread slathered in butter and covered in colorful rainbow sprinkles, known down under as fairy bread.

England – Find the Coin

British birthday parties are similar to Americas (or is it the other around?). In England, however, it’s common to place coins inside of the cake as a symbol of future wealth.

Ireland – Head Bumps

On a child’s birthday, several sturdy adults hold the birthday boy or girl upside down by their ankles and gently bump the top of their head on the ground for each year they’ve lived plus one for good luck.

Denmark – Flags and Heads

Kids celebrate their birthdays with a cakemen (Kagenand) or cakegirls (Kagekone), small highly decorated cakes shaped like a human. To begin the birthday celebration, the birthday kid lops the off the head of cake to the screams and cheers of their family and friends. If you’re not married by your 25th birthday, you’ll be doused with cinnamon, if you are not married by 30, pepper mixed with eggs it is.

Germany – Dress in Drag

An old tradition in parts of Germany, men not married by 30 are to sweep the steps of city hall dressed in drag and look for a virgin to kiss. A birthday cake is made for guests by the birthday person for this occasion.

Hungary – Ear Tugging

A relative or friend tugs the birthday kid’s earlobes for each year they’ve been alive. As the tugging is taking place, a simple birthday rhyme is recited or sung.

Mexico – Pinata

Kids’ birthdays in Mexico revolve around smashing a paper mache animal to free all the candy inside for all the other kids to feast on. Tres Leches cake or Chocoflan is usually served.

Argentina – Sandwiches

Party food, especially for birthdays, is Sandwiches de Miga. this popular sandwich is made with 3 thin slices crust-less white bread, mayonnaise, slices of ham, cheese, and lettuce. Chocotorta is a fan favorite that is found at most kids’ birthday parties.

Brazil – Ear Tug and Egg Tossing

In an ear tugging ritual similar to Hungary, the accompanying Hungarian birthday rhyme is replaced by tossing eggs and eating brigadeiros.

Ghana – Communal Breakfast

Birthdays are an excuse for the whole community to get together for brunch and to share bowls of Oto, mashed yams and caramelized onions topped with a hard boiled eggs.

Jamaica – Antiqued

Birthday tradition is to have people doused with flour from head-to-toe on their birthday. The end result is folks looking like a dusty antique statue. A tri-colored cake in black, green, yellow (Jamaican flag) is proudly served at birthdays.

India – Head Shaving

On a child’s 1st and 3rd birthday, the tradition is to shave their heads. Birthdays are also special days where kids get to wear new, colorful clothes to school in lieu of a uniform. Birthday parties have balloons filled with confetti, and foods like biryani and payesh or kheer rice pudding are served. Departing guests are each given a sweet by the birthday boy or girl.

China – Two is the New One

The Chinese celebrate a child’s date of birth as their 1st birthday. On their “second” birthday bash (other’s 1st), it’s tradition to layout toys in front of the toddler to select one. The first toy selected is supposed to reveal an aspect of their personality or future interest.

Foods served have important symbolism for the youngster, Longevity noodles are always present, symbolizing a long and healthy life. Eggs symbolize birth or a new start, so it is of paramount importance for red eggs to be served to guests during an important birthday. The color red symbolizes prosperity and good fortune.

South Korea – Pregnant Moms

Miyeok-guk is a seaweed soup served for breakfast on birthdays. It is said to replenish nutrients so mothers eat it daily during pregnancy. It continued during the child’s birthday to ensure a healthy life.

Vietnam – One Birthday for All

Birthday days are not recognized in Vietnam. Instead, everyone’s birthday starts on Tet, the Vietnamese New Year. Banh Chuoi (Vietnamese Banana Cake) is a birthday favorite.

North Korea and Saudi Arabia – Prohibited

They’re not allowed to celebrate birthdays in these countries…

Scandinavians’ take their Christmases very, very seriously. Home cooks begin cooking and baking a month in advance with everything culminating in a massive feast on Christmas eve. The five Scandinavian (or Nordic) countries of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland all share a harsh climate, long winters, and strong traditions, especially around Christmas foods

My Hungry Traveler got together for Christmas in 2022 with friends and family and cooked up a Scandinavian feast. Here is a guide on how to through a Nordic feast, either for Christmas or any special occasion:

Swedish Christmas Smorgasbord (Julbord) – The typical Swedish Christmas feast includes a variety of dishes, served in a buffet known as julbord. Held on Christmas Eve, these dinners are filled with traditional Swedish dishes, including warm dishes like meatballs in cream gravy, potato-anchovy casserole, salmon, pickled herring, cheese, and cold cuts. Danish rye bread open face sandwiches (smorrebrod), and a few Finnish starters like beetroot salad, creamed salmon soup, and Karelian pies served alongside Scandinavian schnapps, Aquavit, and mulled wine called Glogg. This is the beginnings of a true Scandinavian Christmas feast.

Danish Main Course – After standing around stuffing oneself, it’s time to sit down at the table to a nice warm soup and to begin the serious eating! The two most common types of meat served at a Danish Christmas dinner are pork roast (flæskesteg) and roast duck (andesteg). Sides almost alway include sweet and sour red cabbage and caramelized potatoes. A gravy made from pan drippings and red currant jelly round out the plate.

Scandinavian Christmas Desserts – Baking is a fine art year-round in Scandinavia. But come late November, the serious Christmas baking begins. Danish and Norwegian home cooks bake at least seven different kinds of cookies — a carryover from the 19th century when the number reflected a family’s wealth and status. Scandinavians’ especially love the ritual of gathering around the living room coffee table to enjoy after-dinner coffee and a dazzling array of cookies, cakes, and rice pudding with whipped cream and cherry sauce.

In almost every culture there is a belief that the dead should be honored, be it out of respect or a fear of ghostly retribution. In some cultures, there are holidays set aside specifically to commemorate the dead, which vary from reserved veneration to a killer party. Listed below are some of the major festivals around the world. Scroll down to see the recipes for the essential dishes from four of the major festivals: Mexican (Dia de Los Muertos), the Philippines (Undas), China (Hungry Ghost Festival), and Japan (Obon Festival).

Mexico- Dia de La Muertos (Day of the Dead)

Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday that’s celebrated on the first two days of November. Its purpose is is to celebrate the lives of deceased relatives when their spirits are believed to return to this world. Although similar to Halloween and All-Saints/All-Souls days in time of year and focus on thy deceased, Dia de los Muertos’ is neither rooted in pagan or Christian beliefs. Its origins go back to an Aztec harvest celebration. While American Halloween sees spirits as as scary and something to be warded off, Day of the Dead is based on receiving the souls of dead relatives with joy and hospitality. It is not meant to be ghoulish, but rather a grand celebration of the deceased. Graves are swept and offerings (Ofrendas) of Pan de Muertos (Bread of Dead), foods the loved in life, marigold flowers, and photos of the deceased. The traditional foods of this joyous occasion always include breads and pastry, sugar skulls, and other foods the deceased favored in life.

Dia de Los Muertos Foods

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China – Hungry Ghost Festival

Food has always played a big role in Chinese holidays, but during the Hungry Ghost Festival, food takes center stage. Paper money (Joss) is burned at the beginning of the month-long holiday so that the spirits have money to spend while wandering the earth. By the 15th of the month they have mostly run out of money. That’s when the Hungry Ghost Festival occurs. The festival entertains them and provides them with food, supplies, and more money. The festival not only entertains them but wards off the evil intentions of disgruntled spirits by appeasing them with gifts and their favorite foods in life. For the orphaned dead, basic foods like rice, Mantau (steamed buns), fruits (pineapple means good luck), and sweets are left outside of the house. For ancestors, a large meal of their favorites is held on the 15th, the one day they are given a day to visit their living descendants. Their favorite dishes are served and 2-3 empty place settings are set out for them. Paper lanterns are lit and floated away to guide the spirits back to the afterlife. Besides the offerings placed outside the home to appease the wandering souls, the main feast often includes the following foods:

Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival Foods

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Japan – Obon

A traditional Buddhist festival, Obon commemorates lost ancestors, whose spirits are believed to come back during Obon to visit living relatives. The Obon festival is not solemn and often involves the Bon Odon dance to welcome the spirits as well asfireworks, games, and feast on traditional foods. It is also one of the few times you can find Japanese street vendors serving up popular Obon foods.

Japanese Obon Festival Foods

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Philippines – Undas

Undas, the cousin of All-Saints Day, is a somber occasion that is balanced by the joy of meeting deceased relatives. Filipino families prepare food and bring it cemeteries to share along with sweeping and cleaning the gravestones. They also have a huge feast with the whole family, relatives, and friends consisting with the special dishes that their loved ones used to enjoy, which are also made to bring to their gravestones.

Filipino Undas Foods

Other International Celebrations of the Dead:

All Saints Day and All Souls Day (Christians and Catholics)

Considered a national holiday in many countries, All Saints’ Day (November 1st) has roots in early Catholicism as a festival to honor unknown saints and martyrs. The day after this—All Souls’ Day—is a more solemn holiday during which people commemorate the souls that are now in Purgatory. The prayers of the living are said to help speed the burning of minor sins in purgatory and to help sanctify souls for the entrance into Heaven.

Halloween (United States)

October 31, also called All Hallows Eve, has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. People light bonfires, don scary costumes, and visit neighborhood homes to receive “soul cakes” for the promise of praying for the dead. Not offering the visitors a treat would expose them to the tricks of malevolent ghosts. Brought to America during the mass immigration of Irish and Scottish immigrants, who brought All Hallow Eve traditions with them. In America, All Hallows Eve soon became Halloween, soul cakes became candy, and “soul caking” became trick or treating. This major holiday in America is now measured in billions ($6 billion in candy sales, $500 million on pet costumes, etc.), pumpkin carving, and dressing in costumes.

Pchum Ben (Cambodia)

This holiday is celebrated every year in Cambodia between mid-September and mid-October. Officially a 14 day festival, foods are prepared in the early morning to bring to pagodas for Buddhist monks to offer to the souls of the deceased. White is worn (Cambodian color of mourning) to remember ancestors. During the 15 days of Pchum Ben, the line between the living and the dead is thought to be at its thinnest. Cambodians believe that during Pchum Ben, spirits come back in search of living relatives, hoping to atone for sins from their past life.

Gai Jatra (Nepal)

This “festival of the cows” is one of the most popular holidays in Nepal and is held each year in August or September. Families who lost a relative in the last year lead a cow (or a child dressed as a cow, if no cows are around) down the village street in a procession. The cow is one of the most revered animals in Hinduism, and participants believe that the animal will help lead recently deceased family members into the afterlife. 

Chuseok (Korea)

Often compared to American Thanksgiving, Chuseok is Korea’s largest national holiday, and is celebrated throughout both North and South Korea. Marked with dancing, games and food, Chuseok is also a time for Koreans to honor their ancestors. The holiday is celebrated sometime in September or October. Traditionally, the celebration coincides with the fall harvest. During the three-day festival, the living give thanks to the dead for their part in providing bountiful crops. Families celebrate Chuseok by sharing the harvest with others, so the holiday is food-centric, with food prepared from the harvest and traditional Korean rice cakes are eaten. Koreans also visit and clean the graves of their ancestors.

Bread for the Dead (Switzerland, Austria, Ecuador)

In Switzerland (Bones of the Dead or Swiss Dry Bone) cookies are treats that are shaped as a pile of bones and are intended to offer to dead ancestors. In Austria, grandchildren are given “Allerheiligenstriezel,” a braided yeast bread, to commemorate the women who cut off their braided hair as a sign of mourning. In Ecuador (Guaguas de Pan) is a small bread shaped in the form of a baby and decorated with piped icing.

Famadihana (Madagascar)

Also called “Turning of the Bones,” this celebration is based on the belief that the spirit of the dead can’t fully go to the land of the ancestors until the body is completely decomposed, bodies are dug up every 7 years to be rewrapped in silk and carried around the tomb to live music before being buried again.

Qingming Festival (China)

Ancestor Day is a Chinese national holiday celebrated in April where families pay their respect by visiting the tombs of their ancestors and sweeping them clean.

Pitru Paksha (India)

This two week tradition is when offerings of food and prayers are made to all the deceased. If the proper rituals and offerings are accepted by ancestors, wealth, health, and salvation are bestowed.

Hosting a memorable dinner party is about more than just serving up a few select dishes. At the core, it’s about delighting your guests in a full sensory experience- transporting them to another place by virtue of sight, smell, taste, sound, and touch.

If you really want to make a memorable experience, introduce your guests to the cuisine and customs of another culture. Spanish traditions lend themselves perfectly to a dinner party; meals in Spain are as much about spending quality time with friends and family as they are about enjoying delicious foods. By serving up a tapas-style dinner, you’ll delight your guests with a variety of delectable small plates and cheese board leading into a magnificent paella main course and then finishing with luscious desserts to create an intimate, comfortable setting where everyone can linger at the table long after the meal has ended.

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The brininess of olives, the earthy aroma of cured meats, and the complex pairings of robust wines—these flavors, combined with fresh ingredients and vibrant conversation, are the essence of what makes a Spanish meal so special. For Spaniards, how they eat is just as important as what they eat.

And while no dinner party would be complete without lively conversation, the Spanish have elevated socializing into an art form. It’s not uncommon for meals to last several hours, with anything under two being quite rare. The custom even has a name, sobremesa, which means “over the table”. Sipping wine or coffee long after the plates have been cleared is what defines a typical Spanish dinner—and no recreation would be complete without it.

MHT is excited to present how a host can create the type of dinner party experience you’d encounter in the heart of Spain:

Wine

Greet your guests with a glass of Fino Sherry and then move to a glass of Spain’s champagne, Cava. No Spanish meal is complete without a thoughtful wine pairing​.​ Complement your feast with a glass of full-bodied ​red, which is perfect alongside the savory flavors of meats and cheeses.

For a taste of all that Spanish wine has to offer, try serving wines that blend of grapes from across Spain, especially from the regions of Priorat and Rioja. Sangria is wine mixed with fruit that is all Spanish and perfect for pairing with paella.

Spanish wines also provide the perfect base for a dinner cocktail. Mix a light and refreshing ​tinto de verano by blending a Spanish red with lemon soda and serving over ice.

Tapas

One thing that makes meals so unique in Spain is the variety of the menu, and there’s no easier way to taste a bunch of dishes than through a creative and robust tapas menu. Greet guests with a platter of imported jamón ibérico, lomo​, ​cecina, anchovy-stuffed Manzanilla green olives, Manchego cheese, and marcona almonds. Add a few slices of a crusty baguette, olive oil, which is used as an accompaniment in almost every traditional Spanish dish, along with a little remoulade and romesco sauce.

Complement the cold foods with a course of small plates of delicious warm tapas. There are literally 100s of tapas recipes to choose from, both cold and hot. And, of course, keep the wine flowing.

The Main Course

Paella is the principal dish of a Spanish feast. While it’s normally cooked in a wide, shallow pan over an open flame, you can improvise with whatever pot or pan you have on hand—just be sure to use a medium grain rice (like Bomba from Valencia) and fresh seafood and vegetables. A side of Cataluña’s spinach with pine nuts and raisins is a perfect complement to the complex flavors as paella.

If any of your guests are vegetarian, a second vegetarian paella with a spicy garlic sauce is perfect. Another excellent option is a Spanish potato and onion ​casserole​, tortilla Espanola, which is typically served as a tapas but fits perfectly as a vegetarian entrée.

Dessert

Before dinner draws to a close, delight your guests with something sweet. A refreshing Valencia orange sorbet is the perfectly clean ending to cut through the decadence of your meal if you can find some. A classic flan or a sweet flourless almond cake are especially nice and traditional.

Crucially, don’t overlook the most important element of a Spanish meal: sobremesa, the custom of lingering at the table well after a meal has finished to hang out with family and friends, chatting and enjoying each other’s company.