Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-12-28
Old CHRIsCMAs FARE.
How tOur English Ancestors GOrgcd
Themselves.

True to their Saxon origin, our English
ancestors saw in every holiday an occa-
sion for feasting. Plenty to eat aud drink
was their idea Of festival, no matter how
sacred might be its associations. The
fast-iays of the English were few their
feast-days were many. The best day Of
all, and the iolliest, was Christmas ; they
then not only lined their stoinachs with
good cnpon, as did Shakespeare's justice,
but stuffed themselves with all sorts of
rich, nourishlng food and strangely COM
pounded puddings and pies. The week
before Christmas was occupied in filling
the larder with capons, hens, turkeys,
geese, ducks, venison, beef, mutton, pork
pies, mince-pies, puddings, nuts, plums,
sugar and honey. The wine-cask and the
ale and the cider barrels were put on tap,
and beverages were mixed that would puz-
zle modern bartender. An italian pro-
verb, existing 300 years ago, says, "He
has more business than English ovens at
Christmas"
Noblemen and squires kept open house.
All comers were welcomed, and lord aud
subject were that day put on level by
the grace of hospitality. Even titled
ladies' were so sprinkled by the day.
spirit that all the starch was taken out of
their manners, though their ruffles might
be rs stiff as ever.
The first of the Christmas dishes served
up at the manor-house dinner was the
boar's head. On dish of gold or silver,
it was borne into the banqueting hall,
amid the flourish Of trumpets and the
songs of knights and ladies', who followed
in stately procession. Spread around it
| were rosemary and bays. An apple or an
| orange graced its mouth. and mustard was
| its sauce.
The fancy cooks Of Boston and New
York tlatter themselves that they are ar
tistic and original when they put roasted
ducks and grouse on the table arrayed in
| their natural feathers But 800 years ago
Christmas dinners i'll England were orna-
| mented with a roasted peacock, resplend-
ent in his feathers, variegated tail and
gilded beak. Sometimes piece of cot
ton, saturated with spirits, was put in its
beak and lighted before the carver began
his work on this 'food for lovers and
meat for lords.
The celebrated plum-pudding-the
pride of an English Christmas illus
trates the theory of evolution. At firs.,
it was plum-porridge made from mutton
boiled in broth, thckened with brown
bread, in which half-boiled raisins, cur
rants, prunes, cloves, mace and ginger
were mixed. The whole was thoroughly
boiled and served with the meats. From
that mess came forth that glory Of the tn.
bic, an English plum-pudding.
| Tie well known mince-pie, whose inter
ference with the digestive organs has
given it the name Of the devils pie, is
IN ancient and popular Christmas dish
Mince-pies were formerly made of meats
tongues, chickens, egg, sugar, currants
lemon and orange peel, with various
spices. The crust was oblong, in the
form of coffin in imitation OF the man
ger where the Holy Child was laid. The
ingredients were supposed to refer to the
offerings Of the wise men.
Neither the Puritans nor the Quakers
would eat mince-pies, on account of theil
association with the observance OF Christ
mas.