With the Christmas season coming upon us, the time for joy, togetherness and
indulgence comes with it and most importantly the cherished traditions of a UK
Christmas dinner. In the article below we will be looking at a typical English Christmas
dinner and the traditions that have led to some of your favourite menu items.
A traditional Christmas dinner consists of Christmas pudding, pigs in blanket and bubble
and squeak to name a few, but did you know that in his novel A Christmas Carol,
Charles Dickens popularised the traditional English Christmas in 1843. While in the
novel they ate goose, apple sauce, potatoes, stuffing and pudding, we have stuck to
similar traditions but added some modern twists.
In the spirit of tradition and food Gala Bingo has curated a top 13 classic British foods
list with some traditional British favourites that can be added to your next Christmas
menu which can be found here.
Today we enjoy a variety of foods at Christmas, such as pigs in blanket. The dish
consisting of small sausages wrapped in bacon is served as a side dish in the United
Kingdom and Ireland. In the UK they are also referred to as kilted soldiers and, it is said
that the dish dates back to the 1600s where manual labourers would stuff meat into
dough for a quick meal.
For those with a sweet tooth the origins of Christmas pudding can be traced back to the
14th century known as a porridge called “frumenty” which had beef, mutton, raisins,
wines, currants and spices was a staple and would be eaten around Christmas time.
The frumenty which was more like a soup would eventually go through many names
and changes to eventually become what we know as the sweet pudding we enjoy today.
Another traditional food loved around the Christmas period is bubble and squeak. The
dish dates back to the 18th century and is a very popular dish that can be made from
your Chritsmas leftovers. The name originates from the sound that is made when the
ingredients are fried.
Although some traditions and history associated with these foods may not be proven as
fact, it is still nice to think that they are alive and well today.