Why do we celebrate a Jewish guy by eating ham?
How did we come to celebrate Christmas with ham in the United States? After all, Jesus was (or is, depending on who you ask, but that’s a topic for another day) Jewish. Since it is believed by many (all?) Christians that Jesus was a Jewish guy who lived a life without sin, we can extrapolate that he followed Kosher dietary laws. Kosher dietary laws which forbid the consumption of pork.
Call me crazy, but it seems weird to me that we would celebrate someone with a meal they couldn’t eat. If you think about it, it’s kind of rude. And for my Christian readers: He’s your messiah! Come on! Show some respect! You can’t celebrate someone who was crucified and died for your sins with a meal they could enjoy? Yeah, I know, he isn’t eating it, but still though.
Back to the question at hand: How did eating ham for Christmas become a tradition?
As it turns out, like with many Christian traditions, eating ham on Christmas has pagan roots. According to Chantal Martineau of Food Republic, eating ham on Christmas is a nod to the Norse God Freyr “who is associated with harvest and phallic fertility.” The Norse people would sacrifice a wild boar in his honor, presumably, in hope for bountiful harvests.
When Christians started celebrating Christmas on December 25th (which some claim was a ploy to convert Pagans to Christianity, as Winter Solstice is on December 21st) it made sense to combine some rituals and tempt/coerce the Pagans the Christians were converting to Christianity. So, there it is: the tradition of eating ham on Christmas was born.
As it turns out eating ham on Christmas isn’t so weird, after all. It’s simply a mixing of traditions. When you eat ham on Christmas, you aren’t weirdly celebrating a Jewish guy with ham. You’re honoring ancient traditions and rituals.
Curious about other Pagan roots in Christian tradition, like the Christmas tree? Check out 16 Pagan Christmas Traditions that People Mistakenly Credit to Christianity by Natasha Sheldon of the History Collection.
