CHRISTMAS FOOD
I wonder if you have ever stopped to think why it has become traditional to eat certain foods over the Christmas period.
Every country that celebrates Christmas has its own special food, but probably none more so than the English! Preparation for the Christmas pudding usually starts on Rogation Sunday (often called Stir Up Sunday), when the collect begins with the words Stir Up O Lord - but it is referring to the wills of the people not the Christmas pudding! The Italians have a lovely saying to describe a person who is busy. They say, “He has more to do than the ovens of England at Christmas!”
We certainly seem to get through a vast variety of food over the Christmas period, but nothing like the quantity which was consumed during the middle Ages! Enormous feasts were prepared, and they usually commenced with a boars head, richly decorated, its mouth usually stuffed with an apple, and carried with great ceremony to the high table of the Lord of the manor.
There is even a Boars Head carol!
The boars head in hand bring I, Bedeck'd with bays and rosemary. I pray you, my masters, be merry Quot estis in convivio.
I wonder if you have ever stopped to think why it has become traditional to eat certain foods over the Christmas period.
Every country that celebrates Christmas has its own special food, but probably none more so than the English! Preparation for the Christmas pudding usually starts on Rogation Sunday (often called Stir Up Sunday), when the collect begins with the words Stir Up O Lord - but it is referring to the wills of the people not the Christmas pudding! The Italians have a lovely saying to describe a person who is busy. They say, “He has more to do than the ovens of England at Christmas!”
We certainly seem to get through a vast variety of food over the Christmas period, but nothing like the quantity which was consumed during the middle Ages! Enormous feasts were prepared, and they usually commenced with a boars head, richly decorated, its mouth usually stuffed with an apple, and carried with great ceremony to the high table of the Lord of the manor.
There is even a Boars Head carol!
The boars head in hand bring I, Bedeck'd with bays and rosemary. I pray you, my masters, be merry Quot estis in convivio.
There was a huge change demanded by the Puritans when they ruled our country, and the order of Christmas Day was fasting – not feasting! You can imagine how unpopular this was, and when the King was restored there were great celebrations and much feasting yet again.
In many households pork was the main meat eaten at Christmas. This was due to the fact that the pigs had grown fat on the acorns and nuts they had foraged for during the autumn months. This was often followed by roast peacock.
It wasn’t until the first half of the sixteenth century that turkey was available in England. Turkeys first came from America, and it was a sailor, William Strickland, who first brought the birds into this country. By the end of the sixteenth century turkeys were being served at table. By the early seventeenth century they had replaced the peacock as the meat to eat at Christmas dinner.
In many households pork was the main meat eaten at Christmas. This was due to the fact that the pigs had grown fat on the acorns and nuts they had foraged for during the autumn months. This was often followed by roast peacock.
It wasn’t until the first half of the sixteenth century that turkey was available in England. Turkeys first came from America, and it was a sailor, William Strickland, who first brought the birds into this country. By the end of the sixteenth century turkeys were being served at table. By the early seventeenth century they had replaced the peacock as the meat to eat at Christmas dinner.
Plum pudding is so called because long ago it contained prunes (which are dried plums). Today the prunes have been replaced with currants, raisins and sultanas, but the other ingredients (Suet, eggs, breadcrumbs and spices are still used.)
Mince pies used to be called mutton pies because they contained finely chopped or minced mutton as one of their main ingredients! We no longer use mutton, but shredded suet and other ingredients remain unchanged.
Traditionally mince pies were an oval shape which was to remind people of the manger in which Jesus was laid. An old book states that mince pies were eaten quietly as people were to think about the Baby Jesus! This is probably why people today make a silent wish when they take the first bite, and why others consider it unlucky to cut a mince pie!
Traditionally mince pies were an oval shape which was to remind people of the manger in which Jesus was laid. An old book states that mince pies were eaten quietly as people were to think about the Baby Jesus! This is probably why people today make a silent wish when they take the first bite, and why others consider it unlucky to cut a mince pie!
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