Christmas food can vary from family to family and culture to culture as traditions get passed down, altered and updated.

Throw A Log On The Plate

Desserts alone include everything from puddings, candy and cookies, but it's the Buche de Noel that really takes the, um, cake.

Buche de Noel translates to "Christmas" or "Yule log." A chocolate cake is rolled up with buttercream frosting inside and topped with little mushrooms made of meringue.

The beautiful desert originated in Paris in the 1890s and graces many tables today -- homemade or bakery-bought.

Feast On Fish

An Italian tradition is the Feast of Seven Fishes. Seven different seafood dishes are served on Christmas Eve. The tradition has Roman Catholic roots, believing to represent the seven sacraments.

Not all families want to prepare seven different fish dishes, so many opt to eat out. Many Italian restaurants take pride in being a part of a yearly tradition.

Noggin'

What would the holidays be without eggnog? The rich drink dates back to the 14th century with posset. Posset conspicuously didn't include eggs until later.

Throughout time, eggnog became a different type of rich. Eggs and milk were expensive until American colonies had access to their own dairy and eggs. Eggnog took off, adding various liquors as the years went on.

Commercial eggnog is pasteurized, but doesn't contain much actual egg. If you're making your own this holiday, the FDA warns to use pasteurized eggs -- alcohol does not kill food-borne pathogens.

What foods and drinks do you consume during the holidays? Upset about the lack of fruitcake in this post? Share below!

Read More:

• Yule log for today's busy times (Chicago Sun-Times)
• Feast of the Seven Fishes embraces holiday food traditions (Pittsburgh Tribune)
• Eggnog: Everything you need to know (CNN)