We’ve all got our favorite holiday traditions, many of them involving a favorite dish that you love to eat every year… but why have some of these traditions stuck, and where do they come from? Here are some things you probably don’t know about your favorite holiday foods:

Goose is the traditional main dish.

Today, roast turkey is the main dish in most holiday dinners, but the traditional main dish is actually roast goose. This was a big part of many celebrations owing to geese’s migratory nature; they would reappear during harvest time and would therefore be served to celebrate the winter solstice. They later became the main dish in both Christmas and Hanukkah dinners.

Fruitcake was intended to last all year.

Love it or hate it, fruitcake is a classic holiday food that will be around forever—literally. Fruitcake was originally intended to last a long time thanks to the preservative power of sugar and alcohol. Traditionally, it was meant to be saved until the next harvest and eaten then for good luck.

Candy canes were created to keep kids quiet in church.

According to legend, candy canes were invented in the 1600s when a choirmaster ordered candies shaped like a shepherd’s crook to be handed out to children at church so that they would stay quiet. Our favorite canes didn’t get stripes until much later.

The first pumpkin pies were baked in a pumpkin.

If pumpkin pie is your favorite holiday dessert, you’re not alone. The forerunner to the pumpkin pie was enjoyed by the Pilgrims. After the Native Americans introduced pumpkins to them, they created a custard by filling a hollowed out pumpkin with milk, honey, and spices and baking it.

What’s your favorite holiday dish? With winter holiday traditions going back to the Middle Ages and beyond, there’s probably a unique history associated with every classic dish you love!