[HPforGrownups] Christmas Dinner in England (long and tedious)

[Neil Ward]

No: HPFGUIDX 7047

> The kind I have to write about, I guess.  This is what I have so far
> on the menu for this particular Weasley Christmas dinner:

...[details cut]...

This is ambitious of you, Ebony!  I know a few people have responded
already, but I thought I'd add my two pen'orth.  You should also read the
recent threads on Christmas dinner, where some of us Brits went into great
detail about the average Christmas blowout.

Those who are bored with the minutiae of seasonal British habits, should
skip the rest of this... :-)

- I don't regard prawn cocktail as a Christmas thing, although it is a
starter as Michelle (I think) described.  On the other hand, I can't think
of anything else we would have as a starter...  I think the prawns are
served with a Marie sauce or Thousand Island dressing (basically a
pink/tomato mayonnaise) - and in a dessert glass lined with crispy lettuce
and, perhaps, other salad vegetables.  It would normally have brown bread
and butter triangles on the side.  It's nothing special (not that I'd eat it
anway).

- The idea behind a Christmas cracker is that two people pull it - it makes
a bang - and the person who gets the larger half of it gets the contents,
which would include a party favour (trinket), a paper hat and a really
stupid joke on a slip of paper.  The more upmarket ones would contain gold
jewellery and such things, but I think the Weasleys would have a bogstandard
version (possibly magical variety).  It's important to wear the hats, so
that everyone looks equally stupid.

- Turkey is the traditional Christmas meat here.  It's served with stuffing
and bread sauce (a sauce made from bread, what did you expect) and/or
cranberry sauce.  In my family beef was prepared for the Boxing Day (26th)
meal or for eating cold for Christmas tea, but I have seen it served as an
alternative to the turkey.  I guess ham would be good too.

- You missed out potatoes!!  As Penny pointed out earlier, us Brits eat
loads of 'em.  Mashed and roasted potatoes would be served. The sprouts are
fine and there might be another vegetable, such as peas or carrots.  The
parsnips would normally be roasted. There might be chipolatas or mini
sausages as well, and people often lay bacon strips on the turkey (it's
quite a gutbuster, this meal).  Bread?  If you can squeeze a bit more starch
past your lips, I guess so,

- Note: Mincemeat pies - use "mince pies" (just to be clear, mincemeat is a
mixture of dried fruits and suet).

- Christmas pudding is also made from dried fruits: it's a moist fruit/suet
sponge pudding mix which is steamed over boiling water for about 4 hours.
It would normally contain a small coin (the person who gets that can make a
wish) and would be doused in brandy and set alight at the table.  It's
served with brandy butter, cream, custard, whatever.  BTW, I like
fruitcake... no comments please.

- Alcohol.  Children can legally drink alcohol from the age of 5 here, but
the British are rather less tolerant of children drinking at the meal table
than other European countries.  The older children might be given wine, but
the younger ones probably not.  The Christmas pudding and Christmas cake
would be steeped in brandy or sherry, but I think the kids could be allowed
that!

- The meal would be served on Christmas Day, lunchtime or evening according
to habit.  The mince pies would probably be eaten during the day.

- Potluck? Probably not for a meal like this, but traditions vary from
family to family.  It's more likely that the relatives would help out with
the preparations or bring other things, such as chocolates, nuts, dates or
turkish delight...

Okay, I've done this Christmas dinner thing to DEATH now.  Perhaps I should
write a fanfic based entirely on mealtimes and get it out of my system.

Good luck Ebony!

Neil

_____________________________________

Flying-Ford-Anglia

"Ron, full of turkey and cake and with nothing
mysterious to bother him, fell asleep almost
as soon as he'd drawn the curtains of his
four-poster."

[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]