Whether goose, duck, fondue, raclette or something completely different: Christmas is always a feast for the palate. Among all the festive recipes in Germany, one stands out: potato salad with sausage. We took a look at what it’s all about.
Could it be more festive?
Year after year, a festive meal is one of the main reasons we’re excited for the holidays. But while many Germans feast in abundance on Christmas Eve, elsewhere a rather modest meal is served: potato salad with a sausage. If you are not familiar with the custom, you might not recognize anything Christmas-like about it at first glance. But where does the custom come from, which after all is observed by just over a third of Germans year after year?
The obvious answer lies in the Christian nature of the festival. The liturgical year provides for a period of fasting not only before Easter, but also before Christmas. And that doesn’t end until Christmas, not on Christmas Eve. So it’s not a big feast, but a simple meal. This also explains the tradition of eating carp on Christmas Eve, because fish is allowed during Lent. Besides, potato salad – whether it’s the northern or southern German variety – is perfect for preparing in advance, which makes for a little breathing space during the hectic days before the festivities.
It’s all about the sausage
But what about the sausage? It is definitely not a fish, no matter how you look at it! This is probably, as they say, for technical reasons related to its production. In the past, people always slaughtered animals that could not have been fed in the coming winter. And many Germans were no more papist than the Pope, so the sausage was added to the Christmas dinner.
And as is so often the case with traditions, they sometimes outlive their original purpose. The pre-Christmas period of fasting is hardly observed anymore, but potato salad with sausage remains. Thanks to meat-free substitutes, it is now even completely in line with the Lenten fast.
