Chinese Food

First off, let's tip our hat to the most noble and venerable of Jewish December 25th traditions: the ritual consumption of a whole lot of Chinese food. While there are many explanations for how this special relationship between Hebrew and Moo Shu came about, including the proximity of Jewish and Chinese neighborhoods in New York City in the 1900s, an even simpler explanation prevails: Chinese restaurants are pretty reliably open on Christmas Day.

Of course, this only applies to actual authentic Chinese restaurants, so if you were planning to hit up Mr. Chow, P.F. Chang's, or Rock Sugar, you're out of luck. But why would you want to do that, anyway? Here's a thought: since you have nothing to do (and nobody's on the roads), get in your car and drive to the San Gabriel Valley, which is home to a massive Chinese population and quite possibly the best collection of Chinese food anywhere in the United States. Hit up the world famous (no, really) dumplings at Din Tai Fung, brave the insanely spicy awesomeness of Hunnan Chili King, or bend the rules a bit and snag some crispy, savory egg rolls and a words-can't-describe-how-good-it-is BBQ pork Banh Mi sandwich at Banh Mi My Tho. Or, if you feel like staying a little closer to home, Chinatown institution Empress Pavilion will be open, serving their always satisfying Dim Sum.

[image via]