Megan and her family usually make their own Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, but with rising prices, they've had to rely on free food from local food pantries this holiday season. But this year, rising food costs and general economic pressures will make their table a little less bountiful. “But the one thing they continued to do was to make Christmas dinner our cultural celebration of the year. Food prices have increased nationally as much as 4% year over year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many Mainers have had to rely on area food pantries for their holiday meals for the first time this year.

Source: CNN December 23, 2025 03:18 UTC