Category Archives: Christmas 2016: Food and Feasting

Christmas 2016: Holidays are coming…

Posted on December 23, 2016 by readinghistory

by Darius Wainright and Dafydd Townley Television adverts are often emotive. From the numerous Go Compare commercials to the festive John Lewis tearjerker, they make us laugh, cry or yearn for the advert free haven that is the BBC. One … Continue reading →

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Christmas 2016: Victorian Plum Pudding

Posted on December 21, 2016 by readinghistory

by Prof Kate Williams Christmas Pudding is when the British Christmas dinner becomes theatre – as the pudding is brought in, drenched in brandy and set alight – and the diners dive in to find the silver sixpence… But Christmas … Continue reading →

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Christmas 2016: Sugar and Spice and All Things…

Posted on December 19, 2016 by readinghistory

by Dr Richard Blakemore [1] Samuel Pepys, the famous diarist of the mid-seventeenth century, enjoyed Christmas (as we learned in the third post of our Christmas 2016 series).  In 1661 he recorded spending a merry evening with friends; five years … Continue reading →

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Christmas 2016: Indulgent Georgian Drinking (Chocolate Wine)

Posted on December 16, 2016 by readinghistory

by Dr Ruth Salter There are many indulgent foods that are synonymous with Christmas today, but two of the key ones must surely be chocolate and alcohol.  True, the turkey and its trimmings are Christmas classics, but it’s those festive … Continue reading →

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Christmas 2016: The History of the Humble Mince Pie

Posted on December 12, 2016 by readinghistory

by Prof Helen Parish Some 400 million mince pies are consumed in the UK every year. A large number of them are left at the foot of chimneys around the world in anticipation of a visit from Santa Claus, but … Continue reading →

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