Retro Holiday Recipes

About Retro Holiday Recipes

Give your memory a workout with Retro Holiday Recipes: 15 multiple-choice questions with a mix of 11 easy, 4 medium questions, free to play right in your browser. Remember the special dishes that made holidays memorable? Test your knowledge of classic holiday cooking traditions! Expect to spend about 7 minutes; every question comes with an explanation, so you learn something even when you miss.

A few sample questions

1. 1. What classic holiday beverage, made with eggs, cream, sugar, and often rum or bourbon, was traditionally served at Christmas parties?

   Answer: Eggnog

   Eggnog was the quintessential Christmas party beverage, made from a rich mixture of eggs, cream, sugar, and spices, often spiked with rum, bourbon, or brandy.

2. 2. What was the iconic Thanksgiving side dish that Campbell's Soup Company created in 1955 using green beans and cream of mushroom soup?

   Answer: Green bean casserole

   Green Bean Casserole, created by Dorcas Reilly at Campbell's in 1955, quickly became a Thanksgiving tradition. Over 20 million families still make it each Thanksgiving.

3. 3. What was traditionally stuck into a baked ham for decoration and flavor during Easter and Christmas dinners?

   Answer: Whole cloves

   Whole cloves were stuck into the scored surface of a glazed ham in a diamond pattern, providing both a beautiful presentation and aromatic flavor.

4. 4. What colorful ring-shaped holiday fruitcake was often given as a gift and became the butt of many jokes?

   Answer: Fruitcake

   Fruitcake, dense with candied fruits and nuts and often soaked in brandy, was the most gifted holiday food item. It became famously joked about for being indestructible and re-gifted.

5. 5. What was the popular holiday cookie that was pressed through a cookie press into decorative shapes?

   Answer: Spritz cookies

   Spritz cookies, made with a butter-rich dough pressed through a cookie press into festive shapes like trees and wreaths, were a beloved Christmas cookie tradition in many households.

Things you'll learn along the way

• ✓Ocean Spray jellied cranberry sauce, which held the can's ridged shape when sliced, was on nearly every Thanksgiving table. Many families preferred it over homemade cranberry sauce.
• ✓Roasting in the oven, usually with a tent of aluminum foil and frequent basting, was the standard method. Many families also used a roasting pan with a lid or a brown paper bag.
• ✓Sweet Potato Casserole topped with marshmallows became a Thanksgiving tradition starting in the early 1900s when marshmallow companies promoted the combination in recipe booklets.