Occasions

What comes to mind when you think of Christmas? Presents! Decorations! Cosy family time! But let’s not forget the traditional Christmas feast. Regardless of culture, it’s a time everyone enjoys some gluttonous frivolity all around the world. But how did we come to associate certain dishes with these festivities? There’s a story behind each one!

GOOSES! GEESES!

Before turkey became popular, goose was the traditional Christmas meat. Those families who lived off the land had to choose which animals they’d eat on special occasions very carefully. Since hens provided eggs and cows gave milk, geese, which lay eggs only seasonally, were the best option.

TASTY TURKEY

Is there any other form of poultry most associated with Christmas dinner? Even though we usually associate turkey with American Thanksgiving, this bird was actually introduced to England in the 16^th century. Despite being poorly adapted to the English climate, as well as typically being a dry, bland meat, turkey quickly became the meat of choice for Christmas. As healthcare improved over the years, large rural families had more mouths to feed, so the traditional goose was no longer enough. Turkeys were relatively cheap to raise and grew to a great size, so it was the perfect choice!

In a way, the turkey tradition began with the working class, as more affluent families opted for game meats to exhibit their status. By the 18^th century, and thanks to being immortalised in Charles Dickens’ novella, A Christmas Carol (remember that heartwarming scene with Bob Cratchit?), the turkey became solidified in both British and American cultures.

HAMMING IT UP

Whether it’s glazed, baked, or served as cold cuts in sandwiches the day after, pork has been a staple at Christmas tables for ages. During Scandinavian Yule celebrations, a pig would be sacrificed to the Norse god of the sun, harvests, and fertility, Freyr. So too did the Ancient Romans, feasting on boar during Saturnalia.

Before explorer Sebastian Cabot supposedly introduced turkey to 16^th-century England, wealthy families opted for peacock or swan to demonstrate their affluence, while everyone else had boar. However, a boar’s head placed at the centre of the table still remained a tradition, most likely a holdover from pagan rituals.

The earliest instance of a boar’s head appearing in a recipe comes from Sabina Welserin’s 1553 German cookbook, which called for the boar’s head to be boiled, placed on a grate, drenched in wine, roasted, and constantly basted with more wine. It was then served with a black sauce made from wine, cherry syrup, sugar, ginger, pepper, cloves, raisins, almonds, and cinnamon. Yummy!

SUGAR, SPICE, AND EVERYTHING NICE

Yes, we’re talking about gingerbread! When the Crusaders returned from the Middle East in the 11^th century, they brought spices, sugar, almonds, and citrus fruits back with them. At the time, these ingredients were incredibly expensive and only used on special occasions. They were even used as currency at one point!

The concept of gingerbread men most likely originated from Catholic monks moulding the mixture into decorated figures of saints and religious motifs for saints’ days and festivals. As the prices of these ingredients dropped, they became more popular and were sold at county fairs.

It’s said that Queen Elizabeth I liked to have the likenesses of visiting dignitaries shaped into elaborate gingerbread figures, complete with gold leaf to showcase wealth. Ever since the Victorian era, it’s become a beloved tradition to make edible gingerbread ornaments to hang from one’s Christmas tree. And let’s not forget the classic gingerbread house! We feel like re-reading Hansel & Gretel by firelight now.

PUDDING, ANYONE?

The celebrated Christmas pudding originally began in the early 15^th century as plum porridge, a rather unappetising savoury gelatinous mixture that consisted of chopped beef or mutton, vegetables, dried fruit, breadcrumbs, wine, herbs, and spices. By the 16^th century, the meat and vegetables started to disappear from the recipe, eventually becoming a rich pudding served on feast days. By the 1670s, it became a Christmas staple. In fact, we still use pretty much the same recipe from the 19^th century, though some still choose to add suet as a nod to the original meat concoction.

During the Yule festival, this would have been set alight to symbolise the rebirth of the sun, as well as decorated with a sprig of holly to represent everlasting life in winter. We still do this! A silver coin was also placed inside the mixture for abundance. If you want to stay true to this tradition, try finding an old sixpence!

JUST A SMALL SLICE, PLEASE

The rich Christmas fruitcake also started as plum porridge, but by the 16^th century, butter was added, the oatmeal was replaced by flour, and finally eggs to hold it all together. In the Middle Ages, the original plum cake was made to celebrate Twelfth Night (5^th January), when the three wise men set out to see the baby Jesus. In fact, the spices are meant to symbolise their gifts to the infant, and a sweet treat with rare almonds and dried fruit was always welcome during the colder months. It was made in advance by those knowledgeable enough not to burn the expensive ingredients in primitive, temperamental ovens, then wrapped up and preserved in alcohol for a year.

Originally, this was a time of feasting, drunkenness, and debauchery. However, in 1870, Queen Victoria banned these festivities, deeming them inappropriate. Eventually, the almonds were replaced with marzipan, and it became fashionable to decorate the cake with a snow-covered landscape. A tradition states that all the family must take turns stirring the mixture in a clockwise motion with their eyes shut while making a wish!

BÛCHE DE NOËL

Oh, you mean the Yule Christmas log? In ancient European homes, a large tree trunk was burned on the hearth for twelve days to symbolise the rebirth of the sun. Now, they’re rich chocolate sponge rolls layered with mousse or buttercream, covered in marzipan, dark brown frosting, holly leaves, red berries, and powdered sugar. The result is a delicious dessert that mimics a tree log!

WE MIGHT HAVE A SWEET TOOTH

There’s an amusing legend to how candy canes were invented. Originally white and straight, it’s said that in 1670, a choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral in Germany bent them to represent a shepherd’s staff and gave them to his charges to keep them quiet. The classic red-and-white stripes and peppermint flavouring were all added later in the 19^th century.

As colder weather settles in, is anyone else starting to feel a little bit festive?

We know it’s early, but if you, like us, want to get organised for Christmas this year, why not start planning now and have some fun with it?

Make yourself a hot chocolate, put on some cosy socks, and embrace that holiday spirit with our Christmas countdown checklist!

BUDGET

This is a highly personal topic, so tackle it first. Focusing on quantity can be great if you’ve got kids – the stars in their eyes after they see all those presents under the Christmas tree is priceless! However, Christmas can quickly get excessive, so setting a budget can help you feel in better control.

Whatever your preference, as the actor Jim Carrey rightly said: “No holiday should manipulate you to the point where you’re going into debt just to show someone you love them.” Small, thoughtful, tasteful gifts can really make someone’s Christmas, and at least you won’t have to worry about breaking the bank.

Do your research! Some DIY homemade gifts add that extra special personal touch. If the item is store-bought, provide a gift receipt with your present in case they’ll want to change it. If you’re really not certain what someone might appreciate, a gift voucher can go a long way.

PRESENTS

Ordering Christmas gifts online has become a great way to find all sorts of holiday bargains, including Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday sales. These are great ways of stocking up on stocking fillers, too.

When you’d normally have to think ahead about international delivery times, ordering from We Are Not A Shop’s eclectic mix of items makes things so much easier. Not only would you be supporting a small local business, but you’d also get your gifts delivered in no time!

WRAPPING

You’ve bought all your presents, so now it’s time to wrap them to protect the surprise! Practice a bit of frugality by going through all the leftover wrapping supplies from last Christmas, and then stock up on whatever you need, including wrapping paper, ribbons and bows, sticky tape, and those little name cards to attach to the presents.

If a lot of your gifts consist of toys for the kids, it’s also a good idea to stock up on batteries. Nothing kills a child’s innocent wonder like realising they’ll have to wait till Boxing Day to get their new toy working.

DECORATIONS

Of course, what home would be complete without a time-honoured Christmas tree? There are so many shapes, sizes, and colours to choose from nowadays that it can get pretty overwhelming. At the end of the day, choose a tree that really speaks to your soul and that can be incorporated well into your home.

Collecting all of the charming ornaments to adorn the tree with is also part of the fun. Some fairy lights are obviously a must-have. There are some lovely baubles made from all sorts of materials, too.

Decorations don’t have to stop with the tree! Rummage around in the garage, attic, or basement for that welcoming wreath to place on your front door or mantle.

FOOD

It’s time to start thinking about the traditional Christmas feast! This part can be especially daunting to plan. Whether you’re catering or making everything from scratch yourself, you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle if you sit down right now and think up a menu. Following a theme can simplify things a lot.

There are loads of delicious recipes available online that can be prepared months in advance, frozen, and taken out the night before. Perhaps you’re the kind of family where everyone will pitch in their own dishes, which would certainly amp up the community spirit of the holidays.

A successful display of scrumptious goodies will solidify your status as the foremost Christmas day host!

GUESTS

If you’re getting expecting a swarm of family members, carve out some time to give the house a decent clean-up from top to bottom. Air out the guest bedrooms and double-check any travel arrangements. Remember that this is a crazy time and people will be rushing at the very last minute, so if you suffer from anxiety, you’re going to want to be prepared.

Finally, put on some Christmas-themed music to fill the house with some lovely winter jollity, and your ambience is all set!

TRADITIONS

Having your own unique Christmas traditions provides you with something to look forward to for the holiday season. If you have a fireplace, light it up and huddle in front of it with some blankets and hot chocolate. Or else you might want to include a Christmas movie marathon of all your personal favourites.

Family photoshoots are also quite popular, as is sending out Christmas cards, whether physical or digital, to share some love with loved ones you won’t be able to spend the day with.

If there are kids in the house, you’ve got to leave out some milk and cookies for Santa Clause. He needs to be rewarded for all his hard work throughout the night, after all!

We recently learned of an Icelandic tradition known as jolabokaflod (“Christmas book flood”), where members of the household gift each other books on Christmas Eve and read together throughout the night. How lovely is that?

So, charge up the video camera and you’re ready to enjoy yet another memorable Christmas day!

What are some Christmas traditions you maintain with your loved ones? Do you have any tips and tricks to making the period leading up to the festivities easier? Let us know in the comments section below!