It’s hard to believe nowadays, but for a time during the 17th century, Christmas festivities were banned throughout the country. No feasting, no traditional Christmas foods such as mince pies and plum porridge (the precursor to Christmas pudding), no time off work, no games, no church services and no decorations. Instead life had to carry on as if it was a normal working day.
Why? Parliament at that time was largely comprised of Puritans who disapproved of the excesses of Christmas and all of its pagan superstitions and influences. They were determined to ‘purify’ the Protestant church and so in 1647, Christmas was banned.
Up until then, Christmas had been one long celebration, lasting not only through the twelve days of Christmas but often continuing until Candlemas at the start of February.
Lighting the Yule log on Christmas Eve was the start of the festivities. As the log burned the feasting would begin with special Christmas ale and mince pies or shred pies as they were known - the filling then included shredded meat as well as dried fruits and spices.
On Christmas Day, the feasting continued with various pies and other dishes made from beef, mutton, pork, veal, goose, capon, turkey, cheese, spices, apples, dried fruit and nuts. Wealthier families would have swan, heron, conger, sturgeon and peacock on their Christmas table. In the larger houses, elaborate jellies and subtleties were also popular. Subtleties were dishes created to look like something else. So, a cooked peacock would be reassembled in its own skin and feathers to look as though it was still alive or marzipan would be crafted into intricate castles or plates of fruit.
Twelfth night was the largest and liveliest celebration over the Christmas period. Wealthy families would have a Twelfth Night cake which contained a bean and a pea hidden inside. The person who found the bean became King for the night and whoever found the pea became the Queen. The King then ruled the party and usually ordered everybody else to play numerous pranks and forfeits.
Much to the Puritan’s indignation all the celebrations were fuelled with copious amounts of alcohol. As well as drinking the strong Christmas ale, different mulled drinks would also be served. Lambs Wool was a popular drink made by heating ale, spices and cooked apples. The custom of wassailing, was particularly frowned upon by the Puritans as the revellers filled their wassail bowls with spiced beer, cider or wine and went around the houses singing in the hope that their bowls would be topped up: ‘our wassail bowl is made of the rosemary tree and so is your beer of the best barley’. If that didn’t work they tried this more to the point version: ‘call up the Butler of this house, put on his golden ring, let him bring us a glass of beer and the better we shall sing’. If the householders refused to give the rowdy, drunk revellers any more alcohol, their departing songs warned that misfortune would beset the household over the following year.
The ban was finally lifted when Charles II was crowned King in 1660 and many Christmas traditions were reinstated once more.
© Suzie Banks 2010
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