Christmas Food and Fun.
Most
of our present day Christmas traditions can trace their origins back to
Victorian era when things like decorating a tree, sending greeting cards, and
attending special church services became widely practiced.
But before Victorian times, the Christmas season was all about food and fun.
During
the Georgian and early Regency Eras, bad weather and the prospect of impassable
roads sent the upper classes scurrying away from dreary London before Christmas
to family gatherings and house parties in the country.
House Parties.
Over the weeks of December and January, house guests played games, ate lavish feasts, and found ways to have fun and pass the time during snowstorms, especially in the Georgian era when rollicking parties were normal. In the early Regency years however, celebrations became a little more subdued and staid.
Before
Christmas Eve, people of all classes ventured out to cut evergreens which were
used to decorate churches and homes, doorways, banisters, mantles, and
chandeliers.
Holly, laurel, ivy, and misteltoe were collected for 'kissing
boughs'.
Celtic belief held that mistletoe had magical powers and could heal wounds and increase fertility. Gentlemen agreed that mistletoe was magical because it allowed them to lure a woman beneath a bough, pluck a berry, and claim his one free kiss. When the berries were gone, no more kisses were given.
Celtic belief held that mistletoe had magical powers and could heal wounds and increase fertility. Gentlemen agreed that mistletoe was magical because it allowed them to lure a woman beneath a bough, pluck a berry, and claim his one free kiss. When the berries were gone, no more kisses were given.
Games
Games
were organized to pass the time when guests were housebound and there were a
lot of plays, pantomimes, and amateur theatricals. Young ladies played musical
instruments to entertain and often the gentlemen would sing or assist by
turning the pages of sheet music.
Apart
from the usual cards, charades, and dancing, lots of games were played. Or on
Christmas Eve there might have been Mummers Plays which were all-male acted
stories of good triumphing over evil.
 |
| Snap-dragon from Book of Days (1879) by Robert Chambers (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Raisins were put into a large, shallow bowl, brandy poured over them and ignited. All the lights except the fire were put out players tried to reach through the flames to grab as many raisins possible.
This is the song for the game:
"Here
he comes with flaming bowl,
Don't be
mean to take his toll.
Snip!
Snap! Dragon!
Take care
you don't take too much
Be not
greedy in your clutch.
Snip!
Snap! Dragon!
With his
blue and lapping tongue
Many of
you will be stung.
Snip!
Snap! Dragon!
For he
snaps at all that comes
Snatching
at his feast of plums.
Snip!
Snap! Dragon!
But Old
Christmas makes him come
Though he
looks so fee! Fa! Fum!
Snip!
Snap! Dragon!
Don't `ee
fear him, be but bold.
Out he
goes, his flames are cold.
Snip!
Snap! Dragon!
And
in between the fun came the feasting, with Georgian households making the
traditional Twelfth Cake, though as the Regency progressed, Twelfth Night
almost dwindled away. Regency families might still have the large cake, but
elaborate costumes and excessive drinking stopped until those sort of colorful
pageants returned with the Victorians.
Festive Food
On
the menu was generally mince pies and perhaps a
goose or a piece of beef, depending on the family's wealth and status.
Mince pies were not made of fruit mince as we do now, but of offal or meat such
as bullock's tongue cooked with spices, orange peel, and wine and then used to
fill pastry cases.
Another
Christmas specialty was a Yorkshire Christmas pie which would be filled with
turkey, goose, a hen, or perhaps woodcocks, partridge, or pigeons.
And after the main courses, came the Plum Pudding, mixed on Stir-Up Sunday according to each family's recipe and then boiled in a cloth.
Most families had some sort of celebration, though the poorer ones, such as those in Dicken's Christmas Carol, had neither the time or money to celebrate. For many, especially the ones left in cold and miserable London, still had to work at Christmas.
The Viscount's Pleasure House
In my new release, The Viscount's Pleasure House, Justin wants nothing more than to sell his themed pleasure houses and gather what's left of his family around him once more and lead a normal life. Perhaps he can even persuade Chrissie that he's no longer a rake, but a man who wants a family of his own.
Food or Fun For You?
What about you? Do you celebrate the Christmas season with family?
Do you have a big gathering where you eat and play games?
Hope you have time to enjoy some of these other articles about the customs of Christmases past.
Merry Christmas to all.
From,
Suzi Love
Related articles about Christmas Traditions, Food and Fun.
5 comments:
MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!
Lovely post Suz. I think I would love the games and traditions of the old days. It seemed to be more personal and the meaning with the activities and rituals.
Will enjoy your book over the holidays.
I have yours and others of these new Historical Releases in my reader. Just have to get to them all.
What a tremendously talented bunch of writers you all are :)
Fun post, Suzi!
I'd never heard of the game Snap Dragon. I wonder how many people burnt their fingers!
And merry Christmas to you!
Thanks ladies for dropping by. Aren't those old traditions fascinating?
And yes, I think there would have been lots of fingers burned during Snap Dragon.
Hi Suzi,
Sorry I'm late but thanks so much for the wonderful post on festive food and fun. I LOVE Christmas food and always seem to need an afternoon nap before having another serving for dinner:)
I also LOVE having fun but have never heard of the game Snap Dragon.
Super congrats on your new release. The Viscount's Pleasure House sounds deliciously HOT!
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