How different was the Tudor Christmas? I recently wrote of how the modern English idea of Christmas was set down by the Victorians. So what would it have been like previously?
In Tudor times, 15th and 16th C, houses would not have been decorated until Christmas Eve as it was considered bad luck. The decorations would have been woodland evergreens such as Holly, Ivy, Mistletoe, Box and Laurel. The idea of the Christmas tree was brought to Britain in Victorian times.
Advent was a time of fasting with no meat, cheese or eggs eaten throughout. The first post-fasting big meal, if indeed fasting was observed was Christmas dinner and so the tradition of having a Christmas dinner developed.
The Tudor idea of healthy eating though would not match up with ours.
Would the Tudor festive fayre have been to our taste? Here's a few recipes to whet the 21st Century appetite.
(Thanks to National Trust for their ideas. )
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Comments
Derdriu
The bread was placed there as an offering to the pagan gods for a good harvest so was given to the most important person
Veronica, What kind of bread was placed at the bottom of the wassail cup, what became of it and why was it placed there?
Four mince pies! With my waistline? Wish.
In which case, you may have a mince pie or 4 at my house on Christmas Eve without fear of arrest. :)
Cromwell's puritan government passed the law, but after the Restoration it passed swiftly into abeyance. It is as enforceable as the Plantagenet law which enacts that English and Welshmen practice archery for two hours every Sunday.
Here's a Christmas addition to the page .
Is it still illegal for Brits to eat mince pies on Christmas Day?
This is quite true. Enjoy.
I found this old Tudor Christmas law above which laughably is still in force today.
Is there somewhere online that your books can be bought ?
Yes, I wrote two booklets on them, one on honey drinks, which is still in print, and one on apple drinks. I have an article on Wizzley on drinks made from honey, where my honey drink book is advertised.
There were no potato chips, but people still had chips made from parsnips, and people in the Celtic realms [Scotland, Ireland, Wales and parts of Western England], used a potato substitute,Silverweed, which you could easily use in the same ways as potatoes. Sadly,in Ireland people replaced silverweed with potato, which should have been an extra rather than a replacement, and the famine ensued when the potato crop failed. Had they backed up with silverweed starvation would not have happened. Silverweed was used in the British Isles for many generations before potato came to our shores.
Pizza is not unhealthy,it is Italian peasant food and is really just bread with some sauce. I love it, especially when it has pepperoni or chorizzo.
You are both right in what you say although food then was possibly healthier than it is now. No burgers, pizzas, chips, mayo etc.
I will happily combine what I enjoy of both food traditions. The Wassail was delicious. I think Frank has written a book on Olde English drinks ? You would have enjoyed the Wassail I had last Sunday at Little Moreton Hall .