Christmas, 7 January 2020
A Christmas greeting at the start of a decade, and a note on the dish that decides the evening.
A happy Christmas to everyone marking it today.
Twelve dishes, meatless, in an order that varies by family but not by much. I have eaten this meal in a good many houses now and I have concluded that the evening is decided by the kutia, which is served first and is unlike anything else on the table.
Boiled wheat, poppy seed, honey, sometimes nuts. It is not a dessert and not a course. It is closer to a formal opening — the plate that says the meal has begun and that everyone present, including those who are not, is being fed.
Households that make it carefully tend to run the whole evening carefully. That is not a rule, but I have not found many exceptions.
Peace to your house, and a good evening tonight.
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