Christmas traditions are bountiful around the globe, though the way locals celebrate vary from country to country and even family to family.

However, one aspect of Christmas celebrations that is universal, from Japan to the United States, is food. Nothing brings family, friends, and a community together better than food, drink, and warmth.

By taking advantage of our experienced chefs at Catering by Michaels this holiday season, you can have a stress-free Christmas and a bounty of delicious food.

With more than 40 entrees from Whole Roasted Leg of Lamb and Apple Cider Glazed Spiral Sliced Ham to Turkey Tetrazzini and Wild Mushroom Pot Pie, you’ll find the perfect centerpiece for your holiday celebrations.

Then, it comes down to sorting through our ample selection of appetizers and side dishes.

You can dive into the deep end with seafood by nibbling on our Holiday Seafood Spectacular, Grilled Jumbo Shrimp Sampler, or Smoked Salmon Display. Or, you could mix things up with our Winter Panzanella Salad, Vegan Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes, and a Spiced Bourbon Nut Mix.

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Love is in the air from Thanksgiving to Valentine’s Day! Did you know that December is the most popular month to get engaged? It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise: the glamour of the holidays and coziness of the impending cold weather inevitably bring people together. Getting engaged in December means that you can start your new year off in engagement bliss and focus your New Year’s resolutions on wedding planning!

According to WeddingWire, 6 of the 10 most popular dates to get engaged occur in December. This has a lot to do with extensive time off for the holidays. The most popular engagement dates include: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years’ Day, and Valentine’s Day.

During the holidays, you want to make full use of your holiday time off to enjoy. Most couples that get engaged in December use the time to celebrate the big news with their families. Those that can’t wait might use these extra days off as an opportunity to get ahead of the planning process and all it entails: finding a wedding planner, scouting out venues, and starting to think about the all-important food that will be served on the big day.

The average couple hires about a dozen different vendors to help with their wedding day: the cake, photographer, flowers, and so on. With so many options and limited time to kick it all off without a hitch, many default to vendors who are upfront with need-to-know information and who are great with communication.

Here are the top 5 biggest planning challenges:

• Determining budget and guest size
• Making decisions
• Keeping track of expenses
• Knowing you’re on the right track
• Finding vendors

At Catering by Michaels, we pride ourselves on our ability to bring together many different aspects of the wedding planning process. Working as your caterer, we connect with many other wedding vendors to create a beautiful event: your photographer, the venue, designers, and so on.

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We love catering Jewish holidays and celebrations, like Hanukkah, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur.

This year, Passover begins on Tuesday, April 11th. The eight-day festival is a commemoration of the Jewish people’s freedom from slavery in Egypt. Food is especially important in the observance of this holiday. When the Jewish people left Egypt, they didn’t have time to wait for their bread to rise, so they ate unleavened bread. That is why matzo is eaten during Passover.

Catering by Michaels’ Passover menu includes unique takes on traditional matzah such as Apple Matzo Kugel, Matzo Crusted Mozzarella Sticks, and Honey Pecan Matzo-crusted Chicken. Of course, everyone’s favorite Matzo Ball Soup is also available.

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New Years is about a fresh start and new beginnings. It’s the perfect time to reflect on all that has occurred throughout the year and resolve to make changes in the new year that lies ahead. And while grandiose displays of fireworks and countdowns are typical among many New Year’s Eve celebrations, there’s something to be said about staying in and hosting your own affair. Plus, it’s the safest way to celebrate!

Drawing inspiration from our recent feature in Modern Luxury (see page 78!), we’ve put together a few quick and easy tips for hosting a New Year’s Eve party at home with all the major necessary food groups to focus your holiday spread around.

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Twinkling lights, sleigh bells ringing, and a jolly man decked in a red suit and white beard are all familiar images of many who celebrate Christmas here in the United States. For others around the world however, the holiday can evoke thoughts of pinatas filled with candies and coins, goblins, and even a half-goat, half-demon called upon to punish naughty children. These global traditions may not always make it stateside, but there are certainly others with International origins.

People have celebrated Christmas in some way, shape, or form worldwide for 2,000 years. Starting in the fourth century as a remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ in Christianity, adoption spread from Egypt to England to Scandinavia and more by the end of the eighth century. The first ‘Christmas trees’ found roots in Germany with the decoration of evergreen trees having been a tradition previously in German celebrations of the winter solstice.

Another popular decorative plant—the poinsettia—was brought to North America by the American minister of Mexico in 1828. With its vibrant red and green flowers, poinsettias are often also referred to as the Christmas Star and Christmas Flower. It is said to symbolize good cheer and success, and can be found in homes throughout the holiday season.

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