#2: Ham

Ham is one of the most popular Christmas foods to eat, along with turkey, as it creates a mouth-watering taste.

The tradition of eating ham on Christmas day is believed to have begun among the Germanic people as a tribute to the god of boars, harvest and fertility, Freyr.

According to some folklorists and historians, eating ham at a Christmas meal was a "tradition [that] was initiated in all probability on the Isle of Britain by the Anglo-Saxons, although our knowledge of it comes substantially from medieval times....[In ancient Norse tradition] sacrifice carried the intent of imploring Freyr to show favour to the new year. The boar's head with apple in mouth was carried into the banquet hall on a gold or silver dish to the sounds of trumpets and the songs of minstrels."

This shows us the tradition behind ham, and its reasons for being a traditional meal at Christmas lunches and dinners.