Christmas traditions

[wendymr]

Having lived in three different countries now, I'm becoming accustomed to seeing how Christmas traditions vary from one place to another. The differences aren't just transatlantic; growing up in Ireland, for example, traditional Christmas dinner was roast turkey and boiled ham with roast potatoes and vegetables. In England, from what I saw, it was

Comments

[un_sedentary]

I thought a lot of families did make turkey at their Christmas dinner. I was just thinking the other day how Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas dinner seem to be almost identical. But maybe I'm jumping to conclusions; with my history and Jewishness I'm really not an authority on this. *g*

I did not know there were no candy canes in the UK, though. And what is a Christmas cake?

(I do like candy canes, but I'm in agreement on pumpkin pie.)

[neadods]

And what is a Christmas cake?

A fruitcake, which is pretty much nothing but the butt of jokes, at least in America. Don't know about Canada.

[wendymr]

Ah, Christmas cake is yummy :) It's a fruit cake, definitely, but much richer than your standard type. As well as sultanas, raisins, nuts and so on, you also get citrus peel and cherries, and lots of alcohol - usually sherry and/or brandy, but alternatives are whisky, rum or Guinness.

The cake is usually baked a few months before Christmas, then wrapped in greaseproof paper and sealed in a tin, to allow it to mature (ie allow the alcohol to mature ;) ). Then, a few days before Christmas, you coat the top with almond paste - you can use commercial marzipan, but real almond paste is so much nicer. I'm trying to remember now how it was made - my mother always made her own. Ground almonds, water and, I think, an egg, but don't hold me to it. That's put on the cake, at least half an inch thick. Then once it's set you coat it with white icing - that's made by adding water to icing-sugar and beating it into a very stiff paste. That needs a strong arm! My father always used to make that. You'd then put the white icing on top of the cake,

[neadods]

Now I've got one of the Revels songs - Miss Hoolihan's Cake - running through my head.

I've never met a fruitcake I liked, but then, I'm not that fond of alcohol and most of the ones I've been fed are those nasty storebought ones. Someday, I'm going to try Alton Brown's "in defense of fruitcake" recipes.

There were plums and prunes and cherries/nutmeg and raisins and cinnamon too...

I'm afraid I'm just too American to "get" plum pudding. I've tried.

[bulky_monster]

My family doesn't really do a dinner these days, but back when we did, it was always turkey. I don't know what other people do anymore. It's hard to imagine all the work that parents must do, to arrange all this stuff for the 25th AND make a big turkey dinner.

But maybe with my history and atheism I'm no authority on it either ;)

Happy 25th!

[neadods]

It's hard to imagine all the work that parents must do, to arrange all this stuff for the 25th AND make a big turkey dinner.

When I was put in charge of the family cooking, I moved the turkey dinner to Christmas eve.

[bulky_monster]

That's what I always figured I'd do... I think it's nice, leaves the day free for visiting and relaxing.

[measi]

Lots of families in the States do make turkey for Christmas from the areas I've lived. I also see a lot of ham.

[wendymr]

Interesting. Turkey and ham is the Irish tradition (both of them together), but when I moved to the UK hardly anyone had ham with Christmas dinner. Chipolata sausages was the big thing... ick :P