Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-25
who inherit their Christmas customs ana
bill of fare
Founding of Custom from the Eng
in Ancient Britain. Dece mher %

bill of fare
Foundinp of Custom from the Eng
in Ancient Britain. Dece mber Is
was a pagan feast day in Britain Gen.
turtles before the ancient Britons were
converted to Christianity. Bede is au-
thority for the statement that "the an
cient people of the Angli' celebrated De-
cenlber % as the beginning of their new
year, and he insinuates that the night of
that day was given over to doubtful cere-
monies, which were called modranecht,
or mothers night. Either from modesty
or his natural Indifference to pagan do
ings Bede fails to describe the ceremo-
MES in question. The jolly times around
the Christmas board were put under the
ban by an act pushed through parlia-
ment by the Puritans in 1914, on the
ground that it was heather festival
The day was observed by feasting until
Charles II revived the custom of feast
ing. although the Scots adhered to the
Puritan view until long afterward.
The Christmas feasts of the early Sax
ons were horrible orgies, in common
with all their feasts, but the Christmas
dinner OF the English people today rs
about what it has been for generations
. hot spiced ale, called waSSail, from
ancient times: baron of beef, roast
turkey stuffed with forcemeat, roast duck
| or goose stuffed with sage and onions,
plum pudding with brandy, mince pie,
neacock pie more wassail and then snap
dragon, which is brandy poured over
raisins and set afire.
Peacock pie is always put at the end
of the table 1t is profusely decorated
with the beau
Peacock Pie Always tiful but now
at End of the Table. happy BIRDS
head and neck. All the plumage, the cause
of the peacock's proverbial vanity, is at
tached, the magnificent tail covering all of
that part of the table. The popular Christ
mas beverages, wassail, is always drunk
hot and is served in a huge bowl. Mine
host or We honored guest drinks first and
then starts the bowl around the able
with the words, 1T is the ancient foun-
tain of good feeling, when all hearts
meet together" This quaint custom has
been handed down from the days of the
Saxon, for it is recorded that the fair
Rowena came into the presence of King
Vortigern with a cup Of gold filled with
wine and said as she bowed low: .Waes
hazel twassaiD hlaford cyning." The mod
ern English version of this is: BE of
health. lord king.
How many in England and the United
States who eat their fill of plum pudding
every December % know its legend? 1T
is supposed to signify the threefold Of
fering of the magi-gold. frankincense and
myrrh. Then there is the mince pie 1t
is supposed TO represent the sacred man
ger of Bethlehem In the old days
favorite deicacy was yule dough,
which meant fiat cakes made in the shape
of a baby, with the hands folded on the
breast, the eyes being represented by cur
rants. pleasant custom in the north
of England and Scotland which has fallen
into disuse is that which obligates the
wealthy folk to serve to all their poor
neighbors and tenants an immense meat
pie fashioned like a coffin. In some Sec
tons the shape taken is that of a pig,
around which lighted candles are placed
so as to be in front of each guest.