Rainbow Chinese: The history of ordering Chinese Food on Christmas

December 23, 2020

We anticipate the coming of our busiest day: Christmas Eve, every year. This year is no different, though having an empty dining room is something new to us, as we always look forward to seeing all the familiar faces. Now we just need to be able to recognize you, wearing a mask, bundled up in winter clothes. If anything, we will recognize your order, as your tradition, is ours.

Chances are slim that Tammy will have time to visit with the guests outside the kitchen this holiday, and given today's chilly snow storm, she may just stay near the kitchen flames, wok in hand. You may catch a glimpse of her, but as of this writing, we have counted just the pre-orders for the Christmas Eve, and those numbers are on par with any busy Friday or Saturday. For that, we are thankful. The folks who ordered early, will be receiving a $10 credit toward their next purchase, via email. You still have until midnight tonight to place your Christmas Eve order, and qualify for the $10 credit. See website for fine print.

"It begins at the end of the 19th century, on the Lower East Side, where Jewish and Chinese immigrants lived in close proximity. The very first mention of American Jews eating in a Chinese restaurant dates to 1899, when the American Hebrew journal criticized Jews for eating at non-kosher restaurants."

Also, Joshua Plaut wrote of the origin of Jews eating Chinese food on Christmas: "It dates at least as early as 1935 when The New York Times reported a certain restaurant owner named Eng Shee Chuck who brought chow mein on Christmas Day to the Jewish Children's Home in Newark."

For more on this holiday tradition, check out the links below.

Vox: The history of Jews, Chinese food, and Christmas, explained by a rabbi

By Jamie Lauren Keiles

Huffington Post: This Is The Year To Embrace 'Jewish Christmas' And Order Chinese Food "Though all restaurants across the U.S. have suffered due to coronavirus shutdowns and restrictions, Chinese restaurants have been hit particularly hard."

NPR: Why Do Jewish People Eat Chinese Food On Christmas? Listen to Robert Siegel & Rabbi Joshua Plaut

CTV News: The history of Jewish families eating Chinese food on Christmas
(Video) by Marlene Leung

CNN: It's true. Everyone eats Chinese food on Christmas by Sara Ashley O'Brien

The Hundreds: Chinese Food and a Movie :: A Jewish Christmas Story By Jensen Karp *This article has expletives

The Atlantic: Why American Jews Eat Chinese Food on Christmas By Adam Chandler "Chinese restaurants were notably open on Sundays and during holidays when other restaurants would be closed, the two groups were linked not only by proximity, but by otherness. Jewish affinity for Chinese food “reveals a lot about immigration history and what it’s like to be outsiders,”

The top 10 Chinese food orders. according to GrubHub are:

We've linked to our menu items below.

General Tso's chicken

Crab Rangoon (not for the Kosher among us)

Sweet & Sour Chicken

Orange Chicken

Hot and Sour Soup

Pot Stickers (veggie dumpings) Fried Chicken Dumplings