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History of the term Christmas
Origins
The term "Christmas" derives from a phrase first recorded in 1038; Christ's
Mass, referring to the mass of followers "The Christ" collected in his travels.
The celebration on December 25th is traditionally referred to as been the birth
of Christ, although is not considered to be the actual date of birth.
In early Greek versions of the "New Testament" the letter X is the first letter
of Christ and in the late middle ages the letter X was used as an abbreviation
for Christ. This lead to an abbreviated version of Christmas known as "X-Mas"
Epiphany
In the early middle ages and dates prior Christmas was often overshadowed by
the festival Epiphany and it's prominence only began to increase after
Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in December 25th, 800 AC after such
it was much more widely celebrated.
Epiphany as a celebration occurs on 6th of January, twelve days after Christmas
to celebrate the arrival of the three magi ("Wise Men") baring their gifts for
the child Jesus.
The Festival
Prior to Charlemagne's crowning and the growing popularity of Christmas the
custom of gift-giving was traditionally affiliated more with Epiphany and was
viewed as a much more cheerful occasion.
Christmas on the other hand was a time of quiet, and solemn occasion marked by a
special mass at the church calling for prayer and good will for the coming year.
With it's growth in popularity many celebrations were combined on Christmas Day
including that of Epiphany, burning of a yole log and a large feast.
King Richard II of England hosted a Christmas feast in 1377 at which
twenty-eight oxen and three hundred sheep were eaten. |
One tradition that developed over time in the Middle Ages was to eat Mince Pies
during the twelve days of Christmas up until Epiphany in the new year.
The pies would always contain three ingredients, Cinnamon, Cloves and Nutmeg, to
represent the three gifts given by the Magi and it was considered good luck to
eat one a day during the twelve days.
Ingredients
1 quantity puff pastry
450g/1lb mincemeat
1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt
55g/2oz caster sugar
60ml/2fl oz milk
Preparation & Cooking
1. Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas6.
2. Roll out the pastry until it is 2mm thick. Stamp out 24 7.5cm/3inch rounds
with a pastry cutter and put in the base of 2 patty trays.
3. Fill each case with 2 tsp mincemeat and brush the edges with a little milk.
4. Stamp out 24 6cm/2½ in rounds for the lids and put on top of the mincemeat,
sealing to the edges of the bases. Brush the egg wash over the pies and sprinkle
with the caster sugar.
5. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown and cool or serve warm.
6. If you make them in advance, store in an air-tight tin and re-heat when
needed.
Recipe Source:
BBC
Foods
Image Source: freefoto.com |
Image (C) Lucianne.com |
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Christmas Customs
In the High Middle Ages when Christmas was becoming more and more popular as a
festival a number of customs were followed as part of the celebration.
Feasts
A medieval banquet varied with soups and stews, birds and fish, bread and
puddings and even meat depending on how much the family could afford.
Many families saved what little they could simply for the Christmas celebration
and the feast that traditionally followed as a way for everyone to get together
by a small fire to keep themselves warm over the winter.
The tradition of Turkey didn't come until the late middle ages in the sixteenth
centaury and was introduced from America as an inexpensive bird to buy and
fatten.
A common drink accompaniment to a Christmas Feast was "Wassail" coming from the
Old English word waes hael, which means "Be Well" or "Good Health".
A strong, hot drink (usually a mixture of ale, honey, and spices) would be put
in a large bowl, and the host would lift it and greet his companions with "waes
hael," to which they would reply "drinc hael," which meant "drink and be well."
Gift-Exchange
Typically the exchanging of gifts was between those with a legal
relationships (i.e. tenant and landlord) than between close friends and
relatives.
This was likely to keep on good terms with an employer or landlord to keep a
source of income, and shelter over the winter; and the fact many homes could not
afford to buy gifts.
In homes where people could afford thread or wax; dolls would often be
hand-sown for children, while candles crafted for the adults both been an
inexpensive gift.
Decoration
The use of trees during Christmas has been around since even in the early
medieval age. An elm or fir tree was typically used in richer homes and
churches and decorated with apples and paper flowers on Christmas Eve.
Holly, Mistletoe and Ivy were also common decorations. Holly
was relatively inexpensive and easy to find and could often be
seen hanging from doorways at any number of locations.
The three plants all held a special meaning to Druids of the era,
been a host to good spirits or an ingredient in recognizing witches and
protecting against the plague in the late middle ages.
In sixteenth-century Germany, it was the custom for a fir tree decorated with
paper flowers to be carried though the streets on Christmas Eve to the town
square, where, after a great feast and celebration that included dancing around
the tree, it would be ceremonially burned.
Yule Log
One custom in many cultures was to burn a Yule Log during the twelve days of
Christmas.
Druids would bless the log and keep it burning for twelve days after Christmas
until the Epiphany festival and use the remainder of the old log to light a new
one in the following year.
The Vikings would begin burning the Yule Log and carve runes over the flame
representing unwanted traits (such as ill fortune or poor honor) that they
wanted the gods to take from them.
Entertainment
Entertainment at Christmas in the medieval era was almost entirely run by
the Church. A wide array of pantomimes were hosted not only in the Church but
also Public Houses and generally in relation to the spirit of Christmas,
including the visit of the three wise men to Jesus.
Carol Singers were also common among the poorer side of villages. They would
sing Christmas Carols anywhere they could in hopes of a coin to help feed
themselves over Christmas, a tradition that became much more popular in the late
middle ages and that continues today. |
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