An English Christmas Eve
by awindram
[tweetmeme source=”awindram” only_single=false] Christmas Eve is bringing to the fore my inner conservative. This is normally the day where I seal myself off from all but a select few and indulge in a Christmas of my own making and my own nostalgia. But as I’m spending Christmas in New York and accordingly having to deal and conform to Christmas traditions that are not my own or of my own making, I am finding that, though there is still an abundance of tinsel and Christmas trees everywhere I look, I am not feeling as Christmassy as I might. The problem is, and I had never before realised it, is my notion of Christmas is a pecuilarly English one.
Thankfully, the internet can provide a little Christmas Eve comfort.
As provost of King’s College, Cambridge, M.R. James would entertain his friends each Christmas Eve with a ghost story. Trying to read “oh, whistle, and I’ll come to you, my lad” on the E train might not be a perfect replacement for a roaring fire, but it’ll have to do. Failing that, there’s is Jonathan Miller excellent adaptation with my favourite Michael Horden performance.
Christopher Lee reading as M.R. James.
A little Dickens.
From the BFI’s you tube page the earliest known film adaptation of A Christmas Carol.
And thanks to the BBC iPlayer, Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College, Cambridge.
I really relate to the sentiments expressed in your post although I’m American, not English: it comes from spending so many Christmases in the UK. Although homesick at first, I came to prefer the English way of celebrating to the American version. I guess I should thank Queen Victoria for this? With the help of Albert, one assumes, she was able to put together a pretty irresistible package of Christmas traditions for the nation to emulate: trees, cards, gift giving, carols, Boxing Day…
I also found it something of a relief to be able to wish people a Merry Christmas without fearing the wrath of the politically correct. Now that I’m back in America, I still don’t feel entirely comfortable saying “Happy Holidays!”
And another thing I miss, every single year without fail, are mince pies. I used to love their spicy fruity smell and taste: the perfect comfort food for winter solstice!
Thanks for sharing your compendium of traditional British Christmas readings, programs, and even a ghost story. It’s too late for this year, but I’m clipping for next…
I make my own mince pies now. Easier than you’d think. In place of suet I use some butter.
Recipe, please? If not too much trouble…
No trouble at all. It’s pretty much all cribbed from Delia Smith’s complete cookery course.
Mincemeat Mix Recipe:
I coarsely chop (though that’s optional) 12oz raisins, 8oz golden raisins and 4oz cranberries (feel free to mix and match the amounts to suit your own taste)
Place all that into a bowl and add a handful (I”m not a great one for measurements) of slivered almonds.
I grate the rind of 2 lemons and 2 oranges into the bowl and then add their juice to the mix.
Add 1/2 tsp of grated nutmeg
Add 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
Add 2 tsp of ground all spice
I peel an apple and grate it (yes, you read that right. I grate the apple) into the mix
Add 8oz of soft brown sugar
Add 2oz (or about half a stick) of butter.
Mix it all together.
Put it in the oven, making sure it’s covered in aluminium foil) at a little over 200F for three hours.
After three hours take it out of the oven. Stir the contents and add to it six table spoons of brandy.
Put in the fridge for at least 12 hours to allow the flavours to fuse together.
With the pastry, it’s just a basic short crust. The only thing I do differently is I like to add some grated orange rind in with the flour and butter.
p.s. Speaking of recipes, I note that Jennifer Eremeeva, who keeps the blog Dividing My Time: Finding the Funnier Side of Life in Russia, and often writes for major print media like The Washington Post, has just now posted this message on her site:
Happy New Year Readers!
Hope you are having a good one! If you aren’t, here is a nice tip: if you make Bloody Marys with Aquavit and Clamato instead of vodka and tomato juice, they are a.) much better and b.) cure the bite a lot better. Which is about all the wisdom I’ve gleaned over this holiday season.
*****
This reminded me of the Clamato discussion we had on your blog last year. Perhaps Clamato comes into its own on Jan. 1?
I don’t think it’s ever possible for Clamato to come into its own. I stand by my original description of it as tasting like the churned stomach juices of a Maine fisherman.