THE OG DINNER PARTY – A CRASH COURSE
Story by Ceilidh Price
There’s a chill in the air, all the Airbnbs are fully booked, and a young couple from Nazareth have just been told the only available “suite” is out back with the livestock. Next, cue a cow-side delivery, a celestial birth announcement, and before you can say mulled wine, it’s the most talked-about dinner party in Bethlehem.
Welcome to Dinner at the Manger, where the lighting is divine, the dress code is “dusty robe chic,” and everyone brought something… interesting.
THE MENU: BETHLEHEM’S BEST FARM-TO-STABLE DINING
Forget roast turkey and truffle mashed potatoes — Mary’s menu is minimalist, sustainable, and entirely locally sourced. In Bethlehem in the year 0 BC, that would have looked something like this:
Barley flatbread, fresh from the roadside hearth (break it, share it, repeat). For your dinner party: you’ll find a diverse selection of flatbreads at middle-eastern bakeries like Azar and Arya bakeries.
Olives and olive oil, we love a “good fat” feast. For your dinner party: get your olives at Kalamata Grocery on 11th St. S.W. and your olive oil at Soffritto or The Cookbook Co. Cooks.
Lentil stew, slow-cooked over a modest fire and seasoned with thyme, garlic and the faint aroma of hay. For your dinner party: try the lentil soup at a Taste of Yemen or the lentil and spinach soup at Aida’s Bistro.
Figs and dates for dessert, which are the original energy bites before marzipan and shortbread took over the holidays. For your dinner party: shop the local farmers’ markets for a wide variety of seasonal local and imported produce.
Drinks? Think rustic hydration. Clay jugs of water, perhaps a splash of watered wine if you’re not shepherding later. For your dinner party: check out Le Creuset’s water jugs at Zest Kitchenware.
THE GUEST LIST: COME AS YOU ARE
The shepherds arrive first – still in work clothes, smelling faintly of grass and goat, but bringing heartfelt enthusiasm (and a wool blanket or two, because that manger draft is no joke).
The angels, fully satiated on manna from heaven, pop in briefly for a photo op, all wings and high notes, then vanish before dessert. Typical.
Then come the wise men, fashionably late, after following the worst GPS system in history — a single star.
No RSVP, no seating plan, just a room where everyone belongs exactly as they are.
THE VIBE: PRESENCE OVER PRESENTS
Despite the chaos of oxen, lamb, shepherds and some kid with a drum, it’s a gathering food writers dream about. It’s unpretentious, communal, and impossibly meaningful. There’s no charcuterie board, no sourdough starter talk and definitely no “Is this gluten-free?”
Just shared bread, a baby in a feed trough and the quiet understanding that this meal — however humble — would alter history.
It’s the kind of gathering where showing up matters more than what you bring, and the table feels sacred simply because everyone is there.
WISE GIFTS: FOR THE GASTRONOME
So, what do you bring to a baby shower slash miracle supper when the hosts already have, possibly, the most honoured guest in history — the infant Jesus?
- Gold – Edible gold leaf is the garnish no one tastes but everyone Instagram’s. Perfect for your Christmas pavlova or that one over-the-top latte you regret ordering. Find it at any cake decorating supply store.
- Frankincense – Food-grade frankincense can be used to bring an earthy, spicy element to teas, marinades or desserts. Look for organic, food-grade resin or oil at the Light Cellar.
- Myrrh – Myrrh makes for a great bitter. Craft cocktail folks might use it in a smoked old fashioned called The Holy Spirit. Find it at The Botanist in Calgary.
THE FINAL COURSE
If we hosted this dinner party today, the table would be curated to perfection, the lighting warm and “candlelit neutral,” and the playlist heavy on indie Christmas covers.
But Mary and Joseph had the authentic recipe for a perfect feast: good company, gratitude and one miraculous centrepiece.
That’s what we call a heavenly meal.
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