Category Archives: Religon and Occasions

Christmas Pudding

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Christmas Pudding

YUUM – PUUUDDING!

  • Christmas pudding originated in medieval England in the 1420s.
  • Christmas pudding is also known as plum pudding or plum duff.
  • A typical Christmas pudding contains sugar, treacle, suet, raisins and spices.
  • Christmas pudding traditions had a Roman Catholic influence, with puddings made with 13 ingredients, representing the 12 apostles plus Christ and was stirred from east to west to remember the magi.
  • Christmas pudding is traditionally cooked on a Sunday, 4-5 weeks before Christmas.

Christmas Pudding, Holly, Leaves, Fake, Round, Circular, Brown, Fruit Cake, Ten Random Facts

  • Christmas pudding was traditionally steamed in a cloth, although pudding basins are now often used.
  • Christmas pudding is often hooked on a hook to dry after steaming, until Christmas day.
  • Christmas puddings are traditionally decorated with holly or skimmia, and usually served hot with custard.
  • Even though the Christmas pudding  is known as a ‘plum pudding’, the pudding has no plums, instead it has raisins, which in old Victorian times were called plums.
  • Coins (and sometimes other trinkets) were commonly cooked in the pudding mix, and whoever was lucky enough to have a coin in their slice of pudding got to keep the coin.
Bibliography:
Christmas Pudding 19 November 2012 , Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_pudding>

Holly

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Holly

Oh, the rising of the sun and the running of the deer, the playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir.

  • Holly is generally a slow growing, evergreen or deciduous tree, shrub or climber.
  • Holly have fruit called berries or drupe, and are slightly poisonous to humans, but are commonly eaten by birds and other wildlife.
  • The colour of the leaves of holly are green, and the fruit are red; brown or black, and more uncommonly, yellow or green.
  • ‘Illex’, the proper name for holly, means holm or evergreen oak.
  • Holly is mainly found in North and South America and South East Asia.

Holly, Illex, Fake, Green Leaves, Red Berries, Single, Ten Random Factsf

  • At least two species of holly have become extinct quite recently, and many are struggling to survive.
  • Some species of holly are used in tea due to their caffeine content, and traditionally the wood of some species was used to make special Scottish bagpipes.
  • Holly has been a symbol of Christianity since medieval times, representing the blood and thorns of Jesus Christ.
  • Druids wore holly on their heads because they believed it had magical powers.
  • There are a lot of superstitions, beliefs and symbolism traditionally associated with holly and as a result, it has become a common, Christmas decoration.  It has been used in celebrations for centuries.
Bibliography:
Holly 19 December 2012, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holly>

Christmas Lights

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Christmas Lights

Lights are pretty… at Christmas.

  • Christmas lights are mainly used around Christmas time and usually come in a ‘string’ of 50 or 100, or other quantities.
  • Christmas lights originally were candles on a tree but in the late 1800s, electric Christmas lights were invented.
  • Christmas lights are also known as fairy, twinkle, holiday, mini or Italy lights.
  • In December 1882, Edward H Johnson, vice president of the Edison Electric Light Company at the time, was the first known person to decorate a Christmas tree with electric Christmas lights, which he had custom made for the purpose.
  • Christmas lights replaced most Christmas candles in the 1930s.  Prior to that, they were too expensive.

Christmas Lights, Yellow, Red, Blue, Green, wire, Christmas Tree, Spikey Star, Ten Random Facts

  • Christmas lights were originally dull and boring looking but soon looked exciting and pretty.  Modern technology has seen the invention of amazing sets of lights.
  • Many people put up Christmas lights on their house and in there backyard and many families come to see them. This tradition in America is called  ‘Tacky Light Tour’.
  • Although Christmas lights were made for Christmas, these types of lights have been used for many occasions, most notably Halloween.
  • The region of Shijiao, China recycles over 9 million kilograms (20 million pounds) of discarded Christmas lights every year.  They recycle every part of Christmas lights, to make an assortment of things, including the soles of slippers.
  • The tradition of Christmas lights started in North America.
Bibliography:
Christmas Lights 17 December 2012, Wikipedia,<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_lights>

Christmas Stocking

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Christmas Stocking

Stuff it full of presents, please.

  • A Christmas stocking is typically a sock or sock shaped bag.
  • Christmas stockings are traditionally hung on Christmas Eve, ready to be filled secretly with presents during the night, which are usually opened the next morning.
  • Santa is said to put gifts in Christmas stockings, for good boys and girls.
  • There is no written history of the Christmas stocking, although there are many legends of how the stockings came about.
  • The Children’s Society produced the largest Christmas stocking made in December 2007, and measured 32.56 meters (106 feet and 10 inches) in height and 14.97 feet (49 feet 1 inch) in width, and contained 1000 presents.

 Christmas Stocking, Angel, Embroidery, Cross-Stitch, Girl, Pretty, Ten Random Facts

  • Christmas stockings are traditionally placed near a fireplace, although some people place them under their Christmas tree or hang them on the end of their bed.
  • Christmas stockings were traditionally filled with food to eat, and sometimes small gifts.
  • The Christmas stocking tradition started in Europe.
  • Christmas stockings traditionally have the owner’s name written on them, so that Santa knows which presents belong to each person.
  • Christmas stockings were originally plain socks, but soon, stockings made especially for the purpose of holding gifts, were designed.
Bibliography:
Christmas Stocking 10 December 2012, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_stocking>

Fruit Mince Pie

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Fruit Mince Pie

Fruity, mincey, piey.

  • Fruit mice pies are also known as mince, minced, mutton, shrid or Christmas pies.
  • Fruit mince pies are small pies that are filled with delicious, fruit mincemeat.
  • The fruit mince pie originated in Britain and the list of ingredients have been in use since the 13th century.
  • The modern fruit mince pie is typically 5-7.5 cm (2-3 inches) in diameter.
  • The filling of fruit mince pies usually contains raisins, sultanas, apricots, glacé cherries, candied citrus fruit peels, apples, nuts and spices.

 Fruit Minced Pie, Mutton Pie, Christmas Pie, Criss-Cross pattern, circular, Ten Random Facts

  • Fruit mince pies often have shaped or patterned pastry tops, often in the shape of a star, to represent the star of Christmas.
  • Fruit mince pies were traditionally a more savoury pie which included meat.
  • Fruit mince pies have been part of Christmas celebrations since the 16th century.
  • Fruit mince pies were historically coffin or cradle shaped, instead of the usual circular shape that we see today.
  • Fruit mince pies typically include three spices – cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, to represent the three gifts given to baby Jesus Christ.
Bibliography:
Barrow M, 2010, Mince Pies, Festivals and Celebrations, <http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/xmas/mincepies.htm>

Advent Calendar

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Advent Calendar

Who doesn’t like advent calendars…

  • Advent calendars are used to count down to Christmas.
  • Advent calendars typically have openings that may hide pictures, poems, stories and/or small gifts and food items.
  • The origins of the advent calendar comes from 19th century Germany, were Lutherans counted down the first 24 days of December.
  • Some advent calendars count down to Christmas by lighting candles and are called advent candles.
  • The first advent calendar was produced in 1851 and was handmade.

Advent Calendar, Christmas, Flowers, Presents, 24 days

  • Although advent calendars normally have 24 openings, some calendars have up to 31 or 32, for New Years Day.
  • Although advent calendars are usually used for Christmas, sometimes advent calendars are used for other celebrations or long awaited activities.
  • Advent calendars have ‘advent’ in their name since they are used at the start of the Advent, the Christmas season.
  • The first printed advent calendar was printed between 1902 – 1908.
  • To conserve paper, the production of advent calendars ceased during World War II.

Make cheap, eggstraordinary advent calendars at Imagine. Make. Believe!

Bibliography:
Advent Calendar 12 December 2012, Wikipedia,  <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_calendar>
Verlag, R n.d., History of the Advent Calendar, Sellmer Verlag,  <http://www.sellmer-verlag.de/history.htm>
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