A very ancient custom observed every Christmas Eve at Dunster, in Somerset, is the burning of the ashen faggot. This custom is believed to be more than a thousand years old. Before entering the fray in the battles in Wessex in 878, the West Saxon warriors built fires of ash branches to warm themselves at night. They discovered that ash was the only fuel that would burn when green. The worthy mean and women of Dunster still contine burning the faggot, though it is now a prelude to nothing more fierce than a battle for partners at a dance. The kissing bunch suspended from the ceiling----a circler of greens made of hoops studded with candles and embellished with apples----was originally a simplified kind of manger setting complete with wax figures of the Holy Family. In many ways, it was the forerunner of the Christmas tree since it also served as a safe place to store small gifts prior to Christmas, when they were poked out with sticks by the eager children. The chief ornament of the kissing bunch is alwasys a cluster of mistletoe and the ceremony surrounding it today is univesally popular with all ages. No country in Europe has more effectively introduced Christmas customs to other lands that Germany, whose Christmas-keeping burghers transported their beloved symbol, the decorated evergreen tree, all over Europe and America in the 19th century. They endowed it with a kind of missionary zeal, and everyone who saw the Christmas tree learned to love it and made it a part of his own Christmas. Each year since WW II, the people of Oslo, Norway, have sent to London a huge native spruce which is set up, lighted and decorated, with great ceremony in Trafalgar Square. It serves as a token of Norway's appreciation for Great Britain's cooperation during the war and adds another ever-green link to the chain of tradition which ornaments the symbolic tree in many lands.
From the time of assembling the makings to the mixing and stirring, cooking, and final serving of tasty dish is a long stretch----a matter of weeks. Plum pudding are made in quantity and kept in the larder for several years. Wishes are made while the pudding is stirred, and all the family may habe a hand in it if they choose. It is an old-time practice to wrap coins or trinkets (especially for the children) and to put them in the pudding as harbingers of good luck for their finders. Decorated with holly and brought to the table surrounded by a halo of flaming brandy, the pudding is the crowning glory of the Christmas dinner, and few traditions relating to good eating are enjoyed more generally beyond the shores of England than plum pudding. Small mince pies, the size of tarts, are popular as treats for the carol singers who appear on Christmas Eve and during the holidays, and for visitors as well. Since it has been a long-cherished notion that the twelve days of Christmas represent the twelve months of the year, everyone is eager to eat at least twelve pies to assure an entire year of food fortune. A roll made with bits of sausage rolled in a flaky crust is another seasonal delicacy. Christmas cake, often made as early as September, calls for ample amounts of citron, marzipan, many kinds of candied peel----orange, lemon, grapefruit----and other ingredients, the whole topped off with brandy. The result is a rich concoction that keeps well for a long time, covered with almond paste and a handsome sugar frosting, prettily decorated. Usually the first sampling is at teatime on Christmas Day. Dinner on Christmas Day features turkey with chestnut stuffing or served with sausage and bacon rings. Brussels sprouts and cauliflower are almost certain to be on the menu. Boxing Day, the first weekday after Christmas, a kind of prolongation of Christmas Day, is so-called from the practice of giving boxes of food, gifts, and money to tenants, tradesmen, and those who render service in any way. During the 16th century, Boxing Day was of special interest to the English court. It is said that Queen Elizabeth depended heavily on her subjects for annual gifts of petticoats, furs, and other items to replenish her wardrobe. She is believed to be the first woman to have received a pair of silk stockings at Christmas. Boxing Day also bids well for the roving troupes of carol singers, groups of youngsters, and the unfortunates of the community. |
