The Christmas season is here and we’re all beginning the much-anticipated, sometimes stressful and often-times expensive process of ‘decorating’ for the holiday. From the balsam wreath on the front door to the strings of garlands, lights and, of course, the TREE, it can be an exhausting and exasperating project.
Today, however, we seem to have grown away from the traditional freshly-cut fir tree decorated with ornaments that have been collected over the years, or handed down from generation to generation. Instead, we seem to have gravitated toward artificial trees, with trendy decorating themes, that change each year … which is fine, I guess. But I’m a traditionalist. For me, every tree is unique in its imperfection, and every ornament should have a story to tell. Of course, I’ve been guilty of that last minute box-of- a-dozen-red-balls purchase, but be assured those are the last ornaments to go on the tree, if they make it there at all.
But, why a tree? When did we decide to bring this outdoor living plant indoors and decorate it? And why December … not January or February? There are so many traditions that we keep alive today, but why?
Let’s start with Adam and Eve. This parable, with which we are all familiar, signifies life and family, and takes place in the “Garden of Eden” where we find the symbolic “Tree of Life”. Whether you follow this doctrine or not, in Medieval times, European Christians did, to the point of bestowing sainthood on Adam and Eve. During that period, every saint was honored with their special communicant service or Mass … St. Thomas had Thomasmass, St. Michael had Michaelmass, Christ had Christmass, etc. The commemorative Mass of St. Adam and St. Eve was on December 24th, the day before the celebration of the birth of Christ (Christmass).
In other parts of the world, pagan groups believed that evergreens symbolized eternal life. While other plants and trees died, the evergreen tree remained continually alive. Because of this phenomena, evergreens were revered. These Pagan civilizations also considered the sun a living god and were fearful of the darker winter months when the days were their shortest. Many pagan groups would, beginning on the shortest day of the year, December 21st, hang evergreens over their doors and windows to keep away evil spirits, and celebrate the slow return of the Sun’s strength.
Now let’s combine the Christian tradition with the Pagan belief. It seems the worshiping of evergreens and, in particular, the fir tree, collided with the conversion of both the Christian and Pagan rituals. There are some who believe that the church tried unsuccessfully to drive the tree cult out of people’s consciousness. Ultimately, instead of ‘fighting them’, the church decided to ‘join them’ and incorporated the decorated evergreen tree, called a ‘Paradise Tree‘, into the religious celebration of the Christ child.
It was actually the Scandinavians who were the first to bring the evergreen tree inside the home and decorate it. And it was the Germans who were the first to light the tree with candles. They decorated their Paradise Tree with apples to represent the Garden of Eden, cookies to represent the Eucharistic host and candles to represent Christ lighting up the world. There is, however, a legend which says it was Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer, who was the first to add lighted candles to a tree. While walking home one evening, Reverend Luther was amazed by the brilliant stars twinkling in the heavens. To recapture that scene for his family, he tied lighted candles onto the branches of the tree in his drawing room.
Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their children decorating a Christmas Tree.
It was well over a hundred years before this tradition of decorating and lighting a “Tree” spread to other parts of Europe and became widely accepted. Contrary to popular believe, it was not Prince Albert, but Queen Victoria’s grandmother, German-born Charlotte, who brought this German custom with her to England when she married King George III. Reports were that Queen Charlotte had an evergreen tree at Windsor Castle, which stood in a large tub in the middle of her drawing room. It was decorated with fruit and lit by candles, with plenty of toys for the children, who were completely enchanted by the spectacle. This decorated TREE became an annual tradition for the Royal family.
It wasn’t, however, until Queen Victoria and Prince Albert began celebrating Christmas with a decorated tree that the rest of Britain adopted this concept of celebrating Christmas. Wanting to emulate everything this Royal couple did, by the end of the 1850s it was a well established Christmas custom to have a decorated evergreen tree in the home of all Brits. It is also believed that Victoria and Albert were the first to have manufactured decorations for their Christmas tree, imported from Germany. Each year, Albert continued to spread the tradition by donating trees to schools, army barracks and royal estates. A tradition which continues to this very day.
German settlers to the new World took the custom of decorated Christmas trees with them as early as the 17th century. By the 19th century, Christmas trees were popular not only in the new World, but in the rest of Europe. Missionaries took the custom of Christmas and decorated trees with them to China and Japan. So by the 20th century, the tradition of a decorated evergreen tree in your home to celebrate Christmas had become a socially accepted custom.
Whether you’re a traditionalist like me, or someone who follows the annual decorating trend, did you ever think that by putting up and decorating your Christmas tree, you would effectively be transforming your living room into a place of pagan ritual?
Merry Christmas!
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References: Prevail Magazine, Time Magazine, Royal Central,
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Very easy to get to, the fastest and most fun way is by hovercraft (which, of course, we did). A quick ten-minute ride floating over the ocean and you’re there! The hovercraft docks in the small hamlet of Ryde. Now a little down-on-its-heels, this once thriving beachfront community still boasts a grand lady of a hotel, The Royal Esplanade. An impressive Victorian structure, built in 1865, on the site of what was Kemps Original Royal Baths.
During Victorian times, men and women were segregated at the beach. To be seen in your bathing costume was scandalous! Bathing Machines allowed an individual to enter, in their street clothes, on land, at one end … change into their bathing costume … and exit from the other end … stepping down into the sea. If you wished to use a Bathing Machine, you would go to a waiting room, pay your fee and your name would be put on a list. First come … first serve. While waiting, of course, you’d have a cuppa, read the newspaper or chat with other customers. It was very social. Friends of the same sex would go together, or family members could share a Machine.
Most people could not swim. If the person using the bathing machine was not a strong swimmer, he or she could request a ‘dipper’. A dipper was a strong swimmer, of the same sex as the customer, of course, who would assist the customer in and out of the ocean, or teach them how to swim. Additionally, a cord might be tied around the customer’s waist and then tied to the end of the box, making sure he or she was not ‘carried out to sea’.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had a bathing machine (which has been recently restored and is on display at Osborne Beach). The Queen’s bathing machine was quite ornate with not only a front porch, but curtains, and a toilet.
The BATHING MACHINE might be a throwback to Victorian times, but given our bulging Covid-15 populace, and the fact that its already February and we’re still social distancing, it could quite possibly make a comeback this year.
When I think of it now, why was this manufactured substitute for mother’s milk the recommended method and why was it referred to as “formula”. A name which has stuck to this very day. Did a marketing genius decide the name “formula” would comfort the then new mother who only wanted to give her newborn all the nutrition and love it needed, or was it just a tag name that ‘stuck’.
The scene was actually quite disturbing when you consider that should the lactating new mother be chosen she would have been required to give up nursing her own infant in order to be available at a moment’s notice to feed the infant of the Queen. Queen Victoria was not alone in her decision. For many aristocratic women of those times, this was quite a common occurrence. Because of the necessity of wet nurses, for some poorer women, it was actually a means of providing an income for their families … yes, a career choice. But by the early 1900s, with the introduction of modern and scientific ways to feed infants, the career of wet nursing had pretty much disappeared.
Baby “formulas” continued to be improved and, with the introduction of evaporated milk in the 1910’s, began to be widely commercially available. Milk corporations began funding clinical studies which suggested that babies fed with evaporated milk formulas thrived “as well as breastfed babies”. Soon there were dozens of companies manufacturing these products. The best known of which was Nestle. Nestle’s advertisements said it was better for babies than milk, for “impure milk in hot weather is one of the chief causes of sickness among babies.” Their most effective marketing campaign was giving away free samples. Another company, Mellin’s, combined this offer with free handbooks on proper infant care. Not only did these handbooks convince new mothers of the reasons to feed their infants “formula”, they convinced many doctors as well.
Within the year, baby number two was on the way and despite her earlier protestations, Victoria was becoming less and less interested in political matters. Meanwhile, Albert, a dedicated husband and father, took a greater role in handling matters of State, especially regarding slavery, working conditions and education, as well as the arts and sciences. Unfortunately, Albert suffered his whole life with, what we know today as Crohn’s disease.
Victoria was heartbroken. She did not attend her husband’s funeral and threw herself into mourning, referring to herself not as the Queen, but as the “brokenhearted Widow”. Dressed now only in black, with no adornments, for four years she was unwilling to appear in public. Then around the fifth year, although Victoria still continued to insist she was weak and feeble, politically, she slowly came back to being the force she was before marriage.
Historians have been able to trace the origins of “Chocolate”, which is the result of roasting the ground beans of the cacao plant, back to as early as 1900 B.C. in Mexico, Central America and South America. The Mayans and Aztecs used the pulverized seeds of the cacao plant, together with water and chili pepper, to brew ceremonial drinks. They actually believed the cacao bean had divine and magical properties, which made it suitable for use in the most sacred rituals of birth, marriage and death. The word “Chocolate” comes from the Maya word “xocoatl” which means “bitter water”.
It’s hard to know who to credit in the mid-16th century with introducing Spain to the cacao bean and the “hot beverage” that was made from it. Was it the explorer Christopher Columbus, the conqueror Hernán Cortés, or was it the returning missionary Dominican friars? Whoever it was certainly made an impression on the Spanish court. This hot, bitter beverage made from the pressed blocks of dried cacao beans and hot water became a hit with Spanish aristocracy, but only after they began adding honey or sugar to it. They found it most enjoyable when mixed with milk and flavorings such as vanilla, cinnamon, ground cloves, allspice and chilies.
Back in England, it was an entrepreneurial Frenchman now familiar with this wonderful elixir who, wanting to elevate the chocolate experience in London, removed it from the bawdy coffee house atmosphere and in 1657 opened the first “chocolate house”. As always, the wealthy elite were the only ones who could afford this luxurious experience. Tea was very dear, selling at 
h paved the way for the solid chocolate we all know and love. This also resulted in making chocolate affordable to everyone. And in 1830, J. S. Fry and Sons, a British chocolate maker, is credited with making the first solid, edible chocolate candy bar.
them in British import stores. They can be a bit pricey, but if cooking is not your ‘thing’ or you don’t have time, be sure to pick one up. They are delicious!
Cut the pound of dried fruits up into even-sized pieces. Kitchen shears or scissors is the easiest way to do this. Make sure all the pieces are about the same size.
Put the mixed fruits into a bowl and pour the liquor over. Mix well, cover and let steep overnight or up to a week. I used a sweet liquor made from the tamarind fruit. Soooo good!
The next day, or later that same day, combine the dry ingredients and spices in a small bowl. In another bowl, mix together the brown sugar, orange peel, orange juice, honey and melted butter.
Beat in the eggs one at a time. The batter will appear to have curdled. Not to worry. Add the dry ingredients and mix well.
When combined, add the steeped fruits and nuts and mix to combine thoroughly. If the batter is too wet, add more flour. Now you can add the “lucky charm”. Put a large pan of water or steamer on to boil. Place a saucer in the bottom to keep the pudding mold from touching the bottom of the pan. Generously grease the pudding mold(s).
Pour the batter in the prepared mold or bowl, pressing the mixture down and tapping it to get rid of any air bubbles. Then wrap it with a layer of parchment paper and foil so that it is completely watertight. It will rise a bit and needs room at the top.
It’s also important to trim away any excess parchment paper and foil. You don’t want any steam traveling into the mold and making your pudding soggy.
Put a small plate upside down inside the pan to keep the mold/bowl from touching the bottom of the pam. Then place the mold into the pan of water. The water should come at least halfway or more up the side of the bowl or mold.
Bring the water to a boil, cover tightly and steam for 5 to 7 hours, checking every now and again to make sure the water hasn’t bubbled away. The longer you let it steam, the darker it will get. After 5 to 7 hours, remove the mold carefully and let it cool completely. Discard the paper and foil and rewrap with fresh. Store in a cool, dry place or the refrigerator for up to four weeks.
