Experts: Christmas dinner still important

MONTREAL, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- The menu might have changed and families might be smaller but Christmas remains among the most important holidays, Canadian researchers said.

"It is sacred," Luc Brunet of the University of Montreal said in a statement. "It's part of our culture to come together to laugh and eat in a festive setting."

A survey showed that half of Canadians will travel over 200 kilometers, or 120 miles, to be with their families this holiday season, which is indicative of the importance of Christmas, Brunet said.

In fact, Christmas is becoming one of the few times many families eat together.

"As a result of the demands of the workplace, this is often the only time families come together other than around the buffet at a funeral," Brunet said.

Marie Marquis of the University of Montreal said there is less emphasis than there used to be on Christmas as a family occasion.

"People sat around with mismatched china, while people of different generations would come together and talk. Nowadays, people want a Martha Stewart table," Marquis said. "Kids are put on a separate table while adults have their own table. It's a shame."

People don't cook in general as often as they used to, Marquis said, but at Christmastime people do make an effort and dust off the old cookbooks.