Bread and Grains

• One of the most important Christmas Eve foods is kutya, a sweetened porridge dating back to the 4th century A.D. You may make this from wheat berries cooked with honey, walnuts, dried berries and poppy seeds; it can also be made with raisins and almonds, and with barley or rice instead of wheat berries. A common folk belief is that eating kutya on Christmas Eve helps the celebrant remember his ancestors on that night. Serve flatbread served with honey and chopped garlic and small biscuits called bobalki to accompany the main dishes. In Ukraine, braided bread called kolach or pagach is a common addition to the table, and is often served decorated with lit candles.

Fish Dishes

• For the fish dishes, serve cod, shrimp, and pickled herring with onions, which are all present at the traditional Holy Supper table. In Russia carp is the most common type of fish served, either baked or as a cold dish preserved in aspic. You may also want to serve fried sole or bluefish, herrings with beets and onions, or smelts.

Vegetables and Legumes

• Use a wide range of fruits, vegetables and legumes to include in dishes at the Holy Supper. Cook peas, lima beans and kidney beans with garlic, salt and pepper. You can serve pierogi, small Russian dumplings stuffed with vegetables or potatoes.

  You can include potatoes at the supper either as cold potato salad or cooked with chopped parsley and butter. Potato pancakes or boiled potatoes with dill are also served. Prepare mushrooms either as a sauteed side dish or, more commonly, as mushroom soup; or include the classic Russian red cabbage soup, borscht. Serve cabbage either sauteed or stuffed with other vegetables such as tomatoes and sauerkraut. You may serve green peppers stuffed with rice.

Fruits and Sweets

• Serve fruits of all kinds, plain or cooked in special dishes. You may include figs, dates and oranges as well as any local seasonal fruits. You may want to make a special soup called uzvar, which is composed of dried apples, pears, and plums. Another traditional dessert you can serve is kisel, a soft pudding-like dessert made from red currants. You may also want to include poppy seed cake, fruit vareniki (dumplings), fruit strudel and nut pudding.