A Tudor Christmas - Christmas Day

25th December - The Great Dat Of Feasting

The majority of the population attended Church on Christmas morning, then spirits lifted, would venture home to a traditional dinner. The type of celebration a family did depended if they were rich or poor. For those that lived in the town, they would be able to see pageants and ceremonies. Everyone though did have the tradition of visting family then drinking and eating whatever they could afford to. Christmas Day was a time for feasting, dancing, singing, watching plays and included various religious observations. It would begin with 3 Masses and the chanting of Christ's genealogy, as the congregation held lighted tapers. 

Henry VIII held most of his Christmases at Hampton Court, where he often held many ceremonies. He held Mass in his closet before he went on procession to the Chapel Royal for matins (a Christian service of morning prayer, especially in the Anglican Church). Everyone put on their best clothes and finery at Christmas, the King wore entirely new clothes, royal attendants and servants were given new attire and liveries. If they were lucky they might be granted a pension from the King. For Henry's first Christmas in 1509 he spent a whopping £7,000 just on food, which today is equivalent to £4.6 million.

A Christmas dinner was served in honour of Nativity and after the various religious observations had been followed. Plum porridge was a firm favourite, it was said to line the stomach for the rich food that was to follow. This is were the idea of Chistmas Pudding came from as the Victorians changed the recipe. The festive favourite that was eaten by all classes was brawn, this was made from the fatty cuts of boar or pork soaked in red wine (in modern times it is calf's or pig's head pressed in a tub with jelly, much less appealing). It was said that beef was the choice of meat everyone wanted for Christmas. 

For the rich and nobility, the first course was most commonly a boars head. Henry would eat his alone in his chambers. It would still contain it bones, was stuffed, covered in mustard, dressed in herbs, fruit and with an apple in its mouth. It would then sometimes be painted in bright colours and the tusks covered in gold leaf. Because boar slowly became extinct, it was only reserved for the nobles and would be a status symbol. Once done it would be brought to the table in great ceremony and a carol was sung:

“The boars head in hand bear I,

Bedeck’d with bays and rosemary,

And I pray you, my masters, be merry

Quo testis in convivio.

Caput apri defero

Reddens laudes Domino

 

(Lo, behold the head I bring

Giving praise to God we sing)

 The boar’s head, as I understand,

Is the rarest dish in all this land,

Which thus bedeck’d with a gay garland

Let us servire cantico

Caput apri defero

Reddens laudes Domino

 

Our steward hath provided this

In honour of the King of Bliss;

Which on this day to be served is

In Reginensi atrio.

Caput apri defero

Reddens laudes Domino”

After the boar would become a grand procession of rich gamey meats, which would include larks, partridge, quail, beef, mutton, hens, capon and veal. This would again be presented with ceremony. The poor on the other hand didn't have much meat, most would eat pork or whatever bird they could get their hands on. Turkey was first mentioned in 1526 when 6 birds arrived in Bristol from the New World. By the 1530's the bird had been domesticated and was sold in markets 10 years later. Whatever was left would either be given away to the poor or used at a later date. 

Christmas pudding was also popular, at the time it was a suet pudding. Mince pies were also well known, made with leftover shreeded meats. Compared to the ones we have today, they were much bigger and would be cut with a spoon, the first piece given to the youngest person who would then make a wish. Once dinner was done, everyone would then go on to enjoy and celebrate the other festive pleasure that were on offer.