Chinese Food Crash Course – Why It’s Popular During the Holidays

The holidays are quickly approaching, which means you’ll spend more time with family during get-togethers and reunions. And during these events, you’ll always find a table full of delicious food. But another way Americans spend Christmas Day is at Chinese restaurants, making it one of the busiest times for Chinese restaurant owners. But why is that?

According to Google Trends, hundreds of people search for “Chinese food” or “Chinese restaurant” during Christmas week than other weeks in the year. And as for food orders, according to GrubHub, Chinese food deliveries increase by as much as 152%.

If you’re curious to know why Chinese and Christmas is an iconic combination, keep reading. This Chinese food crash course will tell you why everyone wants to eat Chinese food during the holidays. Let’s get to it!

Brief history of Chinese food on Christmas day

Because of non-Christian immigrant communities, Chinese food became the go-to meal during the holidays. Since immigrants from other cultures don’t celebrate Christmas, they found that during this time, they can make up for lost time with their families and found that Chinese restaurants were open on Christmas day.

These families would spend hours in Chinese restaurants tasting and eating various dishes, especially because most Chinese restaurants were inclusive and had a welcoming environment during this time.

Besides that, Chinese restaurants are relatively affordable for families and sometimes even offer family-style meals to promote sharing.

A holiday alternative

Since the holidays call for doing various alternative activities with your family, some people have already created a go-to list of activities they do during Christmas day. And one of the top alternative activities is “eating Chinese food.”

If you’re feeling pretty social, you’ll find plenty of company at top Chinese restaurants where you can bring your big family to.

Popular Christmas day Chinese dishes

If you want to jump into the tradition of eating Chinese food during Christmas day, it pays to know the dishes that people love during this time.

Many people order big dishes to share with the family, like the savory General Tso’s Chicken, Sesame Chicken, or Crab Rangoon. Some people enjoy eating smaller dishes like egg rolls, dims, and potstickers. For flavor explosions and to stay warm, people love to get sweet and sour chicken, hot and sour soup, and wonton soup. These dishes pair well with Chinese fried rice and finished off with a cup of glorious hot tea.

Conclusion

While this tradition was made popular by immigrants years ago, this tradition quickly spread and instantly became a hit during the Christmas season. So whether you celebrate Christmas or not, it’s still a good idea to try this modern tradition and head over to a top Chinese restaurant and enjoy the great Chinese cuisine that many people love. Don’t be surprised if you see the restaurant packed with people; instead, stay and wait—you’ll have mouthwatering food and bonding experiences with your loved ones.

Are you looking for the top Chinese restaurant in Houston? Check out Ocean Palace Restaurant. We have been around since 1999 and continue to serve delicious Chinese seafood and dims to our guests. Book a table today!