English Christmas Traditions - Andrea Downing

ENGLISH CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS
Andrea Downing
http://andreadowning.com


It never ceases to amaze me how Christmas traditions have changed and evolved over the centuries, along with the Christmas meal. In England, where I've spent a great deal of my life, Christmas, of course, meant tree-dressing—a tradition which grew popular during the reign of Queen Victoria when Her Consort, Prince Albert, brought the idea from Germany. It also meant Christmas crackers, those rolls of paper that would 'pop' on pulling each end to reveal a small gift, a funny hat and a joke. Many families found the game of Charades a good post-prandial pastime, while gathering round the telly for the Royal Christmas Message was also part of the day. No doubt the younger generation has laughed all this off in favour of watching sport!

Many Christmas traditions regarding decorations were originally ideas the Christians garnered from pagans. For instance, the use of holly and ivy—as per the carol—came from celebrating the Winter Solstice and warding off evil spirits. Holly was 'converted' to represent the crown of thorns, and in an English Calendar from 1866 is shown to represent the month of December. Ivy is said to represent our need to 'cling' to the Lord. Ivy, in ancient Greece, was Cissos, a nymph who danced wonderfully before the god Dionysus at a feast, and dropped dead at his feet. Dionysus was so moved by this, he turned her into the plant that embraces everything near it. Mistletoe, that lovely excuse for a good smooch, was sacred in the Dark Ages, particularly with the Celts and Teutonic tribes. Druids had a ceremony incorporating the plant, and it was suspended from the ceiling to ward off evil spirits. Some churches banned it because of this association but the custom of kissing under it took hold in England, having arrived with the Norse as a sign of love and friendship.

Playing the modern game of Charades probably had something to do with the English tradition of Pantomine at Christmas, an idea that evolved from the Italian Commedia dell'Arte. More British was wassailing—from the Anglo-Saxon meaning "good health"—a custom of drinking something akin to the American Eggnog over the holiday period, and 'mumming,' which came from pagan times. Basically, it is dressing up and being silly but it evolved into going door to door to beg. Christmas Mummers now put on skits to raise money for charity.

The idea of Christmas cards started in 1843 in Britain, shortly after the introduction of the penny post when the common man could, at last, afford to use the postal system. Christmas crackers came along shortly after, in 1850, started by a London candy-maker. But it is the Christmas feast that is truly steeped in tradition and sums up the family coming together to celebrate this day. Mrs. Beeton, in her Book of Household Management, from 1861, tells us that the "common turkey is a native of North America, and was thence introduced into England, in the reign of Henry VIII" and "…about the year 1585 it began to form a dish at our rural Christmas feasts." Mince pies, which actually started by being made with 'mince' or chopped meat but evolved into small pies of dried fruit, are quite delicious and eaten throughout the holiday period. But it is the Christmas pudding, which, to me, is the pinnacle of Christmas traditions.

A steamed suet pudding of raisins, currants and other preserved fruit marinated over months in brandy, it is put alight at the feast with a final dousing of liquor and served swimming in custard, or crème anglais if you prefer the fancy name.

Sadly, for my English family at the Faringdon Ranch in Loveland, the Christmas meal was left sitting when a blizzard blew in and the cattle needed tending. But I like to think the cowpunchers might have at least returned, however much later, to that liquored-up pudding which keeps for months.

I'm happy to give one digital copy of Loveland to someone randomly chosen, tba on my website January 7th. Just go to http://andreadowning.com/about/ and leave your name and email address in the comment box to be in the running—and Merry Christmas!

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My thanks to:

The Book of Household Management, Beeton, Mrs., Isabella, 1861, ebook 2003, Project Gutenberg

Folklore and Symbolism of Flowers, Plants and Trees, Lehner, Ernst and Johanna, Tudor Publishing Company, New York, 1960.

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