Traditional Christmas foods and the stories behind them

Christmas season is here and so is the time to enjoy Roasted Goose, binge eat Gingerbread cookies, sip on Eggnog, have a big slice of Fruitcake and suck on some colourful Candy Canes. While these food items are synonymous with Christmas, have you ever wondered how these foods became such an integral part of the Christmas celebration? Read on to know the interesting stories behind some of the most popular Christmas foods.

Baking gingerbread cookies and making gingerbread houses are an intrinsic part of Christmas celebrations. But do you know that this tradition became popular because of Queen Elizabeth I? It is said that to entertain her dignified guests, the Queen would offer them gingerbread shaped to resemble their likeness.

It is also said that the gingerbread houses were made popular by The Brothers Grimm, who wrote the story of Hansel and Gretel. The fairy tale had a large gingerbread in which the wicked witch used to live.

‘J’ shaped candy canes with a sweet peppermint flavour is everyone’s favourite during Christmas. It is said that candy canes were made in the shape ‘J’ to resemble the first alphabet of Jesus. It is also said that the white color of the candy embodies the purity of Christ, while the red color embodies the blood of Christ. The peppermint flavour of the candy cane too has a reason, as it is said to represent the purity of Jesus.

Another legend says that these candies were first made in Cologne, Germany at a Catholic cathedral in 1670. A choirmaster at the cathedral used to bend candy sticks into crooks and gave them to kids to keep them quiet during the Christmas services.

Made by combining eggs, sugar and alcohol, one is bound to wonder how did this festive drink become such an iconic holiday staple? Eggnog was once considered a drink for only the wealthy. In those days, milk and eggs were too expensive and were only the food items for the wealthy. This recipe is said to be derived from a British drink called posset, which contained hot milk, spices and wine. It wasn't until around the 18th century that eggnog made its American debut and has been associated with Christmas since then.

Dried fruits and sugar were expensive imports back in the time. Using them in large quantities was reserved only for usage on special occasions like Christmas and weddings. The traditional fruitcake is first soaked in alcohol and then set aside. The alcohol not only infuses a strong aroma in the cake but also preserves it for long. Fruitcakes are an important part of the Christmas celebration and are often exchanged as gifts.

Stuffed Goose is another integral part of the Christmas dinner and has an interesting story behind its association with the festival. Back then, families that lived off the land had to choose carefully which animals to eat on special occasions because hens provided eggs and cows milk. That’s why geese were cooked because they only laid eggs seasonally.