Another Dec. 25th tradition: Head out for Chinese food

Originally posted Dec. 24, 2008

On Dec. 25, thoughts about food naturally turn to mince meat pies, eggnog, a turkey dinner - or, sometimes, Chinese food.

Chinese restaurants are among the few that are open on Christmas Day, and many are packed with patrons, especially non-Christians for whom the holiday is just another day.

"For years, I've told everyone my best day is always Christmas Day," said Emily Crell, who owns Forbidden City in Virginia Beach.

Crell, a restaurateur for 30 years, said customers have already made reservations for Christmas Day. "I'd highly recommend, even for two people, that they call ahead," she said. "We'll be busy."

The notion of Chinese restaurants as the dining-out option of last resort on Dec. 25 was captured in the 1983 movie "A Christmas Story," in which a family orders duck at a Chinese eatery after a neighbor's dogs steal their Christmas turkey.

The scene was borrowed from real life - lots of restaurants are closed for the holiday. The reason Chinese restaurants remain open is part economics, part Chinese work ethic.

"We have a big restaurant, we have a lot of overhead, so we keep the door open all year," said Daniel Zhang, who owns DW's Grill Mongolian BBQ in Virginia Beach. "Actually, Christmas Day for us is like Mother's Day, it's so busy."

Another reason Crell stays open: "For us, Christmas is not a big thing - we're all Buddhists," she said.

Restaurant owners say their Christmas Day crowds include singles, members of the military far from home, travelers and bored young people fleeing from family get-togethers.

In recent years, Crell has seen more patrons, especially from India.

"We have all different nationalities, but most are not Christian or Catholic, so they just don't just celebrate," she said.

For one Jewish family, "it's Chinese food and a movie," Rabbi Israel Zoberman said of his household's Dec. 25 tradition.

"It's hard to find restaurants that are open on Christmas Day, and it just so happens that it seems a number of Chinese restaurants are always open," said Zoberman, who leads Congregation Beth Chaverim in Virginia Beach. "That's when fellow Jews see each other," he said.

Zoberman, who grew up in Israel, called it "a uniquely American Jewish experience my wife and I cherish."

For 15 years or more, some members of Ohef Sholom Temple in Norfolk have gathered on Christmas Eve at a Chinese restaurant. The gathering typically draws 35 or 40 people from a variety of synagogues and social circles.

"We wouldn't be sitting down to a traditional Christmas dinner as most Christian people are doing, but we do want to have our own form of family and fellowship," said Alan Troy, a temple member since 1976. "It's just fun."

Steven G. Vegh, (757) 446-2417, steven.vegh@pilotonline.com