The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-12-09
Ancient Christmas Feasting.

Ancient Christmas Feasting.
The Christmas of our great-great grand
fathers was very unlike the Christmas of
today, being celebrated with boisterous-
ness and abandon quite as distasteful to
our modern ideas as their wonderful dishes
would prove to our palates. In the British
Isles the religious services which ushered
in the season were only prelude to the
wild feasting and revelry which was con-
tinued with undated vigor until Candlemas
Day.
In those ''good old days every dish
placed upon the festive board had a pecu-
liar significance of its own, and was invested
with a halo of time -honored associations
and ancient traditions.
Plum pudding, our favorite Christmas
dessert, is undoubtedly the evolution of the
ancient plum pottage, or porridge, which
was then always served with the first course
of Christmas dinner This ancient dainty
was made by boiling beef and mutton in
broth thickened with brown bread, with
raisins, currants, prunes and spices added
when it was alf-cooked, and the whole
stewed together.
The peacock was the bird "par excel
lence'' of the festival, great skill being
necessary on the cooks part to serve it in
correct style. 1t was generally preferred
when roasted, but the peacock pie was also
held in high esteem, and we may readily
believe that it was at least very orna-
mental dish. From one side of the crust
which covered the pie the bird s rich
plumed crest appeared, while from the other
protruded the gorgeous spreading tail.
When roasted properly, the bird must have
appeared even more beautiful. The skin,
with the plumage attached, was carefully
stripped off, and the bird, stuffed with
spices and sweet herbs, was roasted to a
turn. 1t was then sewn up in its gorgeous
feathers, and a piece of cotton saturated
with spirits was placed in its beak, which
had been richly gilded. Before serving,
the cotton was lighted, and the fairest lady
present bore the dish to the table, where
it was the especial privilege of the most
honored guest to carve it. Another won
derful dish held in high favor was the
boar's head This was served with great
pomp and ceremony, the tusks piercing
bright red apples, while between them an
orange was laid, the whole garnished with
an abundance of sauce. In the old baronlal
halls this dish was served with the music
of MINISTRIES, the flourish of trumpets and
the chanting of carols. The tallest and
lustiest of all the guards was selected to
bear it to the board. Various accounts
have been given of the origin Of this ancient
custom. 1t is generally supposed to have
originated with the Romans, who were ac-
customed to serve the wild boar, whole or
in parts, as the first dish at their feasts.
During the Norman era the whole boar
was also favorite festivaldish in England,
and was then most gorgeously ornamented
with gilt and paint.
This dish was superseded by Drawn,
which was the flesh of the wild boar chopp
ed, seasoned, and compressed into rolls
rather similar to the modern sausage.
Huge mountains of it were taken to the
markets during Christmas week, and were
easily and quickly disposed of. An Eng
fish lady gives the following recipe for pre-
pairing Drawn: "Soak the head in salt
and water over night, scrape and clean it
well, removing brain and eyes; boil until
tender enough to remove the bones easily;
when quite tender, pick meat from the
bones, chop fine, seasoning to taste with
red and black pepper, cloves, mace, nutmeg
and salt; mix well together, and put in a
press, letting it remain until cold
In those days, as now, the banquet would
have been considered incomplete without
the Christmas pie, which was also anciently
served with minstrelsy, but without the
carol, the latter honor being accorded to
the boar head only. This Christmas pie
was quite bill of fare in itself, as fish,
flesh and fowl were all to be found in happy
unison beneath its ample crust. We read
that Sin the twenty sixth year Of Henry
Ill the sheriff Of Gloucester was ordered
by that monarch to procure twenty salmon,
to be put into pies at Christmas; and the
sheriff of Sussex ten brawns, ten peacocks,
and other items, for the same purpose p"
Even so late as 1886 Christmas pie pro-
nounced most excellent was made after the
following recipe Take one pheasant, one
hare and one capon, two cartridges, two
pigeons and two rabbits, all boned, and put
into paste in the shape of bird, with the
livers and hearts, two mutton kidneys
force meats and egg-balls, seasoning, spice
catsup and picked mushrooms, filled up
with gravy made from the various bones. "
In the Newcastle Chronicle of January 6,
1770, there is description of a Christina
pie nearly nine feet in circumference. The
learned Doctor Parr says of the mince pie
that it should more properly be called ''tht
Christmas pie, the term "mince'' having
been given to it in derision by the Puritans
indeed, in the seventeenth century the eat
ing of this pie became test Of orthodoxy
opium broth was Popish, and mince pie
Oh, that was fat idolatry.''
The ancient mince pie was baked in tn
form of manger, the crossed bands at tn,
top being additionally considered to resem
BILE the manner in which child is secured
in its crib. Its savory contents had, it i
supposed, some reference to the offering
of the Magi in the manger at Bethlehem
1t was called ''the Christ cradle, and rep
resented combination of wholesome meats
fruits and sweetening that made Who'll
highly acceptable to ALL
"Henry, if were young man lk
you and expected to have to make my Owl
way in the world some day should try t.
make my expenses come within my in
| come.
"Father, if I were as rich as you ar
and had only one son I'd try to bring hi