Christmas Dinner in England

[Scott]

No: HPFGUIDX 7032

Hey Ebony!  

It's good to have you back! If you searched back messages then you 
know I instigated this thread all to recently...

> 6)  Please explain the Prawn Cocktail, Christmas crackers, and 
> Christmas pudding.  The description I have of Christmas crackers 
> is "we pull the crackers and take turns reading the jokes and 
sharing 
> the toys.  Throughout the meal you must wear your paper crown from 
> the crackers."  This sounds very nice, but I'm still confused... 
> right now the mental picture I get is of a cross between Cracker 
Jack 
> and a Burger King kid's meal crown.  Help, please.

This I think is an easy misconception on the part of us Yanks. Until 
a few years ago I'd never heard of them. Christmas Crackers are in 
fact not food at all. They are tube like things which resemble logs 
and when pulled make a cracking or popping sound, thus the name 
Cracker. They usually contain little gifts or trinkets of some sort.  
You can find more info as to their effect in Harry Potter in message

http://www.egroups.com/message/HPforGrownups/6553 
 
> I understand the Christmas pudding is filled with coins and charms, 
> soaked in brandy and flamed.  Is this correct?  My experience with 
> flaming food is sadly only flaming cheese--we have a large Greek 
> community here.  Is the concept similar?

I've never had flaming cheese but it sounds good! 

About Fruitcake- Isn't it called Christmas Cake in the UK?  (Or is it 
called that here too and I didn't realise it?)

Also you mentioned the alcohol and whether kids drink it.  I'm not to 
sure about England but in many other parts of Europe I could order 
wine with every meal. This is decidedly more common in Europe than in 
the states so I'd say yes but I'm not positive.

Scott

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"I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in 
fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your 
mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the 
here and now?  Reality leaves a lot to the imagination." - John 
Lennon 

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