A Traditional English Christmas

Part One: Foods

Settlers from Great Britain overwhelmingly made up early colonial populations in North America, and this continued for may years. These  British settlers brought many of their Christmas traditions with them, and, like most customs, these too changed over time. However, many are still familiar to us, although some of the older ones may seem odd. Let’s take a look at a traditional English Christmas through the years beginning with the foods.

Food is always important in any culture, especially when it comes to celebrating. A traditional English Christmas dinner might include roast goose (or later turkey) with gravy, Brussels sprouts, roast potatoes, cranberry sauce (after colonization), and a rich stuffing with nuts. Sometimes it would also include the English version of pigs in a blanket, tiny sausages wrapped in bacon. Christmas pudding or Christmas cake was often served for dessert.

          

The Christmas pudding evolved from what once was called “frumently,” It’s a rich dessert filled with fruits and nuts and often doused in a flaming brandy. The Christmas cake became popular in Victorian times. This cake too has dried fruits, nuts, and a thick white icing. It’s often made about six weeks prior to Christmas.

A hostess might serve mincemeat pies a well. Despite the name, no meat is in the pie, although that may not have been true in ancient times. From the Victorian Era on, however, these pies have contained dried fruits, apples, spices, sugar, suet, and sometimes drizzled with sherry or brandy before baking.

       

Legend has it that King Henry VIII ate turkey at some meals, but turkeys didn’t become popular for Christmas dinners in England until the early 1900’s. In fact, I question the legend, since turkeys are native to the Americas. Pulling the wishbone to see who gets the longer piece and that person having good luck was a British superstition they brought to the New World, but it probably originated with the Romans and came from other fowls. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance Period, Christmas feasts were more likely to have meat pies as the main course. These pies held a variety of different meats. Later in England’s history, goose clubs became a common way for the poor to have a good Christmas meal. Like a layaway plan, the family paid a little on the goose or turkey each week, and by Christmas they would have it paid for.

Christmas crackers are likely not what we first envision. Instead of being a food, they’re a small paper tube placed beside each plate at the Christmas meal. Inside are favors, like a thin paper, party crown; a simple toy or gift; and a joke or riddle.

How many of these foods from a traditional English Christmas do you have at Christmas? What are some that are particular to your family? Sometimes it's fun to make our own traditions.

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