December 24
Ceremony of the Yule Candle in the Yorkshire Dales:12 candles were lit on Xmas Eve & the household would hold them alight for 10 minutes. Then all but one were blown out, the remaining candle was left to light the cutting of the cheese. All the family were given a piece of Christmas cheese & a Yule Cake (a fruited spiced drop cake, like a rock cake) The candle was alight for the rest of the night. #Folklore #FoodFolklore #Foodways #FestiveFoodFolklore #FestiveFolklore @folklore

December 23
Iceland has so many wonderful Christmas traditions however some people are less fond of one of their more famous ones. Fermented skate is traditionally eaten on 23 December also known as ‘Þorláksmessa.’ On this day the shops stay open later and it is a tradition to share this delicacy with family & friends. It is definitely an acquired taste but is one that very good for clearing the sinuses.
#Folklore #FoodFolklore @folklore #FestiveFoodFolklore #FestiveFoodways #FestiveFolklore

December 23
Iceland has so many wonderful Christmas traditions however some people are less fond of one of their more famous ones. Fermented skate is traditionally eaten on 23 December also known as ‘Þorláksmessa.’ On this day the shops stay open later and it is a tradition to share this delicacy with family & friends. It is definitely an acquired taste but is one that very good for clearing the sinuses.
#Folklore #FoodFolklore @folklore #FestiveFoodFolklore #FestiveFoodways #FestiveFolklore

December 22
During the Middle Ages, rosemary was spread on the floor at Christmas because it repelled evil spirits. The scent drifted through the home and It was said that anyone breathing the fragrance on Christmas Eve would receive happiness during the coming year. I would love if this could happen in my home but I feel modern practicalities might reduce my enjoyment & the cat would eat too much of it.
#Folklore #FoodFolklore #Foodways #FestiveFoodFolklore #FestiveFoodways #FestiveFolklore

December 22
During the Middle Ages, rosemary was spread on the floor at Christmas because it repelled evil spirits. The scent drifted through the home and It was said that anyone breathing the fragrance on Christmas Eve would receive happiness during the coming year. I would love if this could happen in my home but I feel modern practicalities might reduce my enjoyment & the cat would eat too much of it.
#Folklore #FoodFolklore #FestiveFoodFolklore #FestiveFoodways #FestiveFolklore @folklore

December 20
St. Thomas Eve was once one of a number of nights for divination. A popular ritual was to peel a “St. Thomas Onion”, stick it with 9 pins & put it under your pillow, hoping that you would dream that night of your future husband. A more determined form of the ritual was to cut the onion into four, whispering over the segments the name of the one you hoped/expected to propose. #Folklore #FoodFolklore #Foodways #FestiveFoodFolklore #FestiveFoodways #FestiveFolklore @folklore

December 20
St. Thomas Eve was once one of a number of nights for divination. A popular ritual was to peel a “St. Thomas Onion”, stick it with 9 pins & put it under your pillow, hoping that you would dream that night of your future husband. A more determined form of the ritual was to cut the onion into four, whispering over the segments the name of the one you hoped/expected to propose. #Folklore #FoodFolklore #Foodways #FestiveFoodFolklore #FestiveFoodways #FestiveFolklore @folklore

December 19
As well as being naturally dressed in festive colours, it is believed to bring good luck if you eat an apple on Christmas Eve. Also If you slice an apple in 1/2 on Xmas day and it reveals a star, you will have health & happiness for the year ahead. Some also believe you can use the pips on St Thomas Eve to foretell a wedding.
#Folklore #FoodFolklore #Foodways #FestiveFoodFolklore #FestiveFoodways #FestiveFolklore @folklore

📷 https://unsplash.com/@moritz_photography

December 19
As well as being naturally dressed in festive colours, it is believed to bring good luck if you eat an apple on Christmas Eve. Also If you slice an apple in 1/2 on Xmas day and it reveals a star, you will have health & happiness for the year ahead. Some also believe you can use the pips on St Thomas Eve to foretell a wedding.
#Folklore #FoodFolklore #Foodways #FestiveFoodFolklore #FestiveFoodways #FestiveFolklore @folklore

📷 https://unsplash.com/@moritz_photography

December 18
Juniper is wonderful & not just because of gin: the branches offer protection & at midwinter, if you dream of picking the berries, there’ll be prosperity ahead. People once offered bread to the tree to encourage the tree spirit to heal small children.
At one time people would also pick an apple at harvest & save it to eat at the midwinter solstice to bring health.
Folklore #FoodFolklore #Foodways #FestiveFoodFolklore #FestiveFoodways #FestiveFolklore @folklore

December 16
Fish is important in many European Christmas meals including the Italian Feast of the 7 Fishes & the Carp tradition in the Czech Republic. Carp was purchased to eat for the Christmas Eve meal & scales of the fish were placed under plates on that evening to ensure health & prosperity. It was also said that if you carried a scale from the Carp eaten at Christmas in your pocket, you would have a year’s good fortune
#Folklore #FoodFolklore #FestiveFoodFolklore #FestiveFolklore @folklore

December 15
The Ceremony of the Christmas Cheeses is celebrated by Chelsea Pensioners annually by cutting a large cheese in honour of a cheesemaker who supplied cheese to feed the war veterans over the 1692 festive period. Cheese has been donated every year since by cheese companies all over the UK.
#Folklore #FoodFolklore #Foodways #FestiveFoodFolklore #FestiveFoodways #FestiveFolklore @folklore
📷 Royal Hospital Chelsea

December 14
Wassailing takes place around Christmas time in the apple producing counties: for a good harvest, cake soaked in cider is put at the foot of a tree & cider is poured round. Toasts are made to the tree & shotguns fired. This is intended to drive away evil spirits & wake the spirit of the tree into life for a new year.
#Folklore #FoodFolklore #Foodways #FestiveFoodFolklore #FestiveFoodways #FestiveFolklore @folklore
🎨 Henry Vizetelly‘s Christmas with the Poets

December 13
On this day I feel I must present saffron buns which are baked for St Lucia Day in several Scandinavian countries. These buns - (Lussekatter) are supposed to resemble cat’s tails wrapped around each other. St Lucia is celebrated as a symbol of light in the dark of the year.
#Folklore #FoodFolklore #Foodways #FestiveFoodFolklore #FestiveFoodways #FestiveFolklore @folklore

December 12
The people of the Nordic countries eat a special version of their rice porridge at Christmas. They put a solitary almond in the bowl on Christmas Eve. In Iceland, Denmark, The Faroe Islands and Norway you get a present from the Yule Lads if you receive the almond in your portion and in Finland and Sweden, receiving the almond in your means you will have luck through the year.
#Folklore #FoodFolklore #Foodways #FestiveFoodFolklore #FestiveFoodways #FestiveFolklore @folklore

Just in case you have a posset pot of your own and would like to explore this tradition see below for a recipe for Snow Posset (very appropriate today) from Complete Housewife or Gentlewoman’s Companion - E Smith 1773

#Food #FoodFolklore #FestiveFoodFolklore #FestiveFolklore #FestiveFoodways #Foodways

December 11

It was once normal at New Year or Twelfth Night to prepare a warm posset made of milk, ale, eggs, currants & spice into which the hostess put her wedding ring. All at the party took a ladle of posset & tried to fish out the ring to ensure a marriage in the new year.

#Folklore #FoodFolklore #Foodways #FestiveFoodFolklore #FestiveFoodways #FestiveFolklore @folklore

📷 The Geffrye, Museum of the Home, London

December 10
In Yorkshire & other Northern counties women made special cheeses for the festive season & ceremonially crossed the cheeses before they could be tasted on Xmas Eve to keep the devil away. This was usually accompanied by accompanied by a steaming wassail bowl full of spiced ale brimming with lamb’s-wool (fluffy baked inside of apple).
#Folklore #FoodFolklore #Foodways #FestiveFoodFolklore #FestiveFoodways #FestiveFolklore @folklore
📷 English Heritage

December 8
It used to be considered unlucky to cut either the Christmas cheese or Christmas cake before Christmas Eve. They must both then last through the 12 days of Christmas but be eaten by 12th Night. I’m struggling to not eat all the lebkuchen by next weekend so they must have had a will of steel or a particularly large cheese and cake.
📷 Cheese Loft Cafe

#Folklore #FoodFolklore #Foodways #FestiveFoodFolklore #FestiveFoodways #FestiveFolklore @folklore

December 7
It was once believed that the weather for late December to late March, could be foretold from the breast-bone of a Christmas goose. The more discolouration present when the bone was revealed after cooking indicated an increase in storms & bad weather in those months.

#Folklore #FoodFolklore #Foodways #FestiveFoodFolklore #FestiveFoodways #FestiveFolklore @folklore