When we see images of 16th Century Tudor Christmas feasts, it is easy to assume that everyone in England was celebrating in this way. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Above you will see one of the dishes at the feast of a wealthy family.... walnuts dipped in gold leaf. In the background you will see dried fruits and bread shapes.
Below you will see a sweet dish covered in dried fruits and decorated with rosemary sprigs. There was little protein at the table and many sweet dishes.
Queen Elizabeth 1st, 1558 - 1603, Henry 8th's daughter by Anne Boleyn, was well known for her sweet diet ... and very bad teeth and skin.
As the title suggests this was traditionally eaten in wealthy homes on 12th night, 5th January. It was eaten more in 18th Century Georgian times though than Tudor.
It is a traditional fruit cake but the difference was that a bean and a pea were hidden in each half of the cake. The people who had a slice containing the pea and the bean were the King and Queen of the party for the evening.
The higher ranking servants and guests not invited to the higher table would eat a different, cheaper feast. It was still more food than most would generally eat.
In the picture below you will see black pudding/ blood sausage, red cabbage, barley, baked apple.
Mutton, rye bread and pastries containing animal offal would also have been on the table. There was more protein e.g. eggs - and very little sweet dishes.
In Tudor times, it was regarded very lowly not to give hospitality to the poor and beggars at Christmas time.
The poor would have been given a meal if they called at the big house . They would have eaten with the lower or lowest servants.
Looking at the pictures below you will see that the poor would have had a huge plate of vegetables - e.g. sprouts, cabbage, turnips, swedes, eggs, brown bread, herbs and onions. There were no sugary treats.
By our modern standards, the meal with the vegetables and no sugar would have been the healthier option.
34 votes
Our modern Christmas celebration is shaped more by the Victorian influence than the Tudor as I noticed in a previous article.
I was fascinated by today's visit and the very visual display of social differences even so far back, was a stark reminder of how people lived and endured centuries ago in England.
Comments
DerdriuMarrinerMar 10, 2022
Elsewhere, and the computer is about to go down, so I can't check it, I asked about the practice of rush-ing (= putting rushes on floors) in regard to the film The Last Duel, which is set in the late 14th century.
You and Frank discussed the possibility of wizzley-ing an article on rushes. I never got back to that article to say that I think it's a great idea. I hope big brother ;-D or little sister ;-D writes such an article.
Oops, here goes the computer!
VeronicaJan 7, 2022
https://wizzley.com/rushbearing-at-grasmere-in-the-english-lake-district/
VeronicaJan 7, 2022
This is possibly my most favourite place locally to visit. It is the highlight of my Christmas but has been shut for Covid 19 for the last two Christmas times
Regarding your questions
The English way of celebrating Christmas seems generally from Victorian times and follows Victoria's German husband's, Prince Albert's traditions. The tree idea is Germanic.
This harks back however to Iron Age Britons' traditions of burning a tree at Yule ( midwinter ). The remnant of this celebration is a Yule log, a delicious chocolate concoction. I made one for Christmas Eve and made sure my beloved friend/ big brother Frank got a large slice. He had to be quick because our Irish nephews in law would have eaten it all!
Middle English folk would have had reed flooring. I shall add a link to " rush " bearing i.e. reeds below for your information.
DerdriuMarrinerJan 7, 2022
So many -- if not all ;-D -- of your articles I go back to. This is among my favorites, what with the images so clear that I feel everything's on my table.
Previously, I meant to ask you why was it that Victorian Englanders decided upon the full tree as opposed to branches here and there? Was it a tradition that they saw somewhere else, what with lands overseas here, there, everywhere?
Also, somewhat related, somewhat not, what was it that Englanders used to put on their floors? Was it reeds?
VeronicaOct 19, 2018
VeronicaOct 19, 2018
frankbeswickOct 19, 2018
frankbeswickOct 19, 2018
Another nourishing part of a fish is the eye, which is rich in vitamin C.
VeronicaOct 19, 2018
Thank you. It was a very informative day out which suits me just fine.
My husband's ancestors were North sea fishermen and used to give their children cod cheeks which were left over when the fish was filleted and sold . Now, I see cod cheeks on fine restaurants menus.
katiem2Oct 19, 2018
VeronicaFeb 1, 2018
frankbeswickJan 31, 2018
VeronicaJan 31, 2018
frankbeswickJan 31, 2018
VeronicaJan 31, 2018
The poor had ale and water.
Thank you for posting.
DerdriuMarrinerJan 31, 2018
VeronicaDec 23, 2017
frankbeswickDec 23, 2017
VeronicaDec 23, 2017
Parsnips score a whopping 97 for spiking blood sugar . Compare this to cabbage, lettuce, mushrooms, onions which score only 10. pasta 54 and watermelon 80. bananas 58.
This high sugar has an adverse effect on the pancreas. We should be restricting our intake of high GI foods.
frankbeswickDec 22, 2017
VeronicaDec 22, 2017
Parsnips have a huge sugar content .
frankbeswickDec 22, 2017
frankbeswickDec 21, 2017
I hear it said that Henry the Eighth loved the Cornish winter favourite, starry gazy pie, which is now made with fish and potatoes. As potatoes were not in Britain then, I suggest that the recipe used parsnips rather than potatoes, for at that period parsnips supplied the bulk carbohydrates for the diet. It was often made into chips.Turnips are also a possibility for this recipe.Swedes would not have been eaten, as they were only introduced to Britain in 1800.
VeronicaDec 20, 2017
frankbeswickDec 20, 2017
VeronicaDec 20, 2017
VeronicaDec 20, 2017
Firstly your job sounds fascinating and exciting. I had heard of an Alaska Gold Rush but did not know that gold deposits were still to be found. Thank you for that knowledge.
Secondly, it irks me somewhat that the poor in Tudor England , 16the century, were literally starving to death. Meanwhile in the great houses, the wealthy were showing their wealth by having food covered in pressed gold leaf merely for show.
frankbeswickDec 20, 2017
john111Dec 20, 2017
VeronicaDec 19, 2017
VeronicaDec 19, 2017
Exactly so . I do think that the poor man's diet was healthier to be honest.
It all looks rather splendid though. I find it very interesting to see how people celebrated hundreds of years ago.
frankbeswickDec 19, 2017
TolovajDec 19, 2017
VeronicaDec 6, 2017
Multi ethnicities are part of who and what we are. Like you, i don't deny mine; I celebrate them.
VeronicaDec 6, 2017
frankbeswickDec 6, 2017
blackspanielgalleryDec 6, 2017
frankbeswickDec 4, 2017
Common food among the poor was boiled umbles, which were the intestines of deer slaughtered for venison.Sometimes this was put into a cheap pie, hence the saying, eating humble pie.Pigs' trotters, which were a favourite in Lancashire, were also an occasional source of meat for the English poor.
You are completely right that our modern Christmas tradition is derived from the Victorian period.
VeronicaDec 4, 2017
Fortunately, their line died out as none of Henry's three children had children so the Tudor line ended with Elizabeth 1st. Our present family are not descended from Henry 8th.
frankbeswickDec 4, 2017
When you speak of potage containing weeds, please note that weed means plant, and there are many edible weeds. Your mention of acorn bread is informative. The technique is to blanch the acorns for many hours to extract the unpalatble elements, and then crush them into a coarse flour, which can then be baked.