How Americans celebrated Christmas dinner in 1918 during World War I

When Americans sat down to Christmas dinner in 1918, the meal wasn’t just a celebration; It was an act of patriotism.

During World War I, the U.S. Food Administration urged households to economize on wheat, sugar, meat and oil so more food could be shipped to troops overseas, and promoted a cookbook called “Win the War in the Kitchen” filled with rationing-friendly recipes.

Today, the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City preserves this cookbook through its online exhibit. “The Wage of War: From the Home Front to the Front Lines.”

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“If we want to win, everyone needs to help,” the cookbook proclaimed. “Fats are the most valuable thing in this war,” he added, noting that the army needed fats both to feed soldiers and to produce glycerin for explosives.

Even sugar was important: “It is part of your WAR SERVICE to save an ounce or so a day.”

The cookbook received contributions from food companies, American Red Cross dietitians, women’s auxiliaries, and magazines of the time; Figures such as Herbert Hoover, then head of the US Food Administration, and President Woodrow Wilson also supported it.

Lora Vogt, the museum’s vice president of education and interpretation, said it was driven by patriotism.

Christmas still required meals that felt special.

“Hoover helped lead the nation not by saying, ‘The government mandates this,’ but instead by saying, ‘Every single American family has the opportunity to support our nation and support American ideals by changing the way you eat,'” Vogt told Fox News Digital.

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While wartime substitutes like carrot coffee, soybean loaf, and calls to “make every day fish day” filled daily meals, Christmas still called for meals that felt special.

Below are seven dishes that appeared on some 1918 American Christmas tables.

Even Christmas meals require creativity to keep report card goals on track. (National World War I Museum and Memorial)

1. Flavor tray

Before charcuterie boards dominated social media, the centerpiece of the holiday table was the relish tray filled with pickles, celery, carrots, olives, nuts and fruit. The offerings were inexpensive, based on canned foods, and did not require wheat, meat, or sugar.

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“This was the charcuterie tray before charcuterie trays came out,” Vogt said.

2. Maple syrup cake with maple frosting

“Americans consume more sugar than other people, more than is actually good for them,” the cookbook said.

Americans were cooking wheat with buckwheat, rye and corn flour to keep it for the soldiers. (National World War I Museum and Memorial)

Home cooks have been encouraged to skip the frosting and instead sweeten the cakes with maple syrup, honey or molasses, finding a festive solution by making a maple syrup cake with maple frosting.

3. Corn fritters

Corn fritters feature in a World War I cookbook as an example of a simple, wheat-saving side.

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The book stated, “Millions of people who have never tasted wheat get along very well. Being content with less wheat will not harm us.”

Vogt said the recipe is still good today: “If you come home from work one day and say, ‘I don’t have anything to cook,’ you can just put it together.”

Buckwheat chocolate cake offered an alternative to wheat-based baking. (National World War I Museum and Memorial)

4. Buckwheat chocolate cake

Buckwheat, rye, cornmeal, and oatmeal were introduced as alternatives to flour, and World War I cookbooks urged families to rethink their cooking methods.

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Buckwheat chocolate chip cake offered a real treat while honoring the conservation message, and Vogt even made them as brownies.

“I can actually prove it…they are solid,” he said.

5. Puritan stuffed turkey

During World War I, Americans used turkey fat to flavor meatless stuffing. (iStock)

The Puritan filling of the cookbook didn’t call for any real turkey meat—just turkey fat.

Made from cornmeal, oatmeal, stale bread, chopped nuts and turkey drippings, the stuffing was designed to be economical and festive.

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As Americans prepare to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary, Vogt said the recipes offer a look at a traditional holiday menu that includes many elements that are still familiar today.

6. Meat: possum, tongue and wild duck

Wartime recipes encouraged families to view holiday meals as an act of patriotism. (National World War I Museum and Memorial)

During the World War I era, some meats were more practical, regional, or even celebratory.

The cookbook included a variety of meats, from chicken and turkey to venison, rabbit and squash, while some families were served possum, tongue or wild duck.

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Cookbooks from the early 1900s show the “beautiful intersection of the fantastical fabric of America” ​​reflected in the meats that appeared on holiday tables as families relied on regional and cultural traditions and used every part of the animal, Vogt said.

7. Plum pudding

The classic Christmas plum pudding was a popular dessert even in wartime. (iStock)

While plum pudding remained one of the most popular Christmas desserts of the period, the spirit of the Sugar Plum Fairy still found its place on World War I tables.

Households relied heavily on dried fruits such as prunes, raisins, and dates.

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“While the ingredients and preparation of the food were important, it was about the memories of who you brought around the table,” Vogt said.

As one soldier wrote in letters preserved in the museum archives, he added that American soldiers abroad ate whatever was available abroad, sometimes even snails in Paris and donuts from Salvation Army tents.