Why is Christmas about food?

[charlottegrace1]

Mmm, is it me or does Christmas just fill your head with food? All the lovely boxes of chocolates, cakes and puddings in the shops, different cheeses and nibbles to tempt us, turkeys that would last a month under normal circumstances, cream in all shapes and forms and alchohol so we can all forget what we have eaten. Would we really enjoy Christmas any less if we had a tree, friends and family, a present and a green day/red day for lunch? Why do we feel the need to celebrate with food instead of something else like just having fun and a laugh?

Discuss lol.

 

[Claireloulou]

Well for us its more about a family meal as were all a bit spread out and only really see each other 1 maybe 2 times a year. So CHristmas brings up food but its about the big roast meal rather than the chocs and nibbles.

 

[mommyB]

Lots of religous festivals are traditionally feasts, but christmas and easter do seem to have got a bit out of hand!!
its true that its a time of year when famillies and friends get together-in many cases the only time.
I think many people indulge in competetive celerating!! have to out do each other, bigger and better christmases than each other.
We have a fairly traditional christmas, and my kids get spoilt wrotten, but one thing that i make sure we do is go to a carol service ,cos altho we are not especially religious i do want my kids to know the real meaning ie jesus not santa!!

 

[Julianne_julz]

I don't want to sound... well... "bah humbug" but I hate Christmas.

My Dad used to buy so much rubbish when we were young and everyone ate and ate not just Christmas day, but for a week or two. I hated it, we all did really but couldn't say it as it was HIS kitchen, not allowed near it so we put up with all the food. Anywho, he left my Mum 5years ago and since then we (4 sisters, partners, 5 nieces/nephews) don't really do it anymore. if we get together we don't really eat much, just a normal roast really. Its sad really because growing up with all that food, and not having a choice, now makes christmas about "think how much we used to eat!", not about enjoying a good meal with family instead!

So, in other words I don't like Christmas= sad.
Christmas isn't all eat eat eat= good. Lol

Sorry for my major rant, touchy subject! xxx

 

[Donnie46]

It's a religious feast and a big family get together too, so food always seems to take priority at Christmas - but then I suppose we needn't eat as much as we do, but eating has all come to be part and parcel of the Christmas festivities these days.

I for one am going to try and stay on plan this year- but then it is only me and DH this year, so it will be so much easier to plan my eating, plus as it's just the two of us I needn't buy as many syn 'naughties' as I would if the family was here.

 

[JestersTear]

Yep, it's because Christmas is a feast day in the Christian calendar and so, for years, we have celebrated it as such. Even before Christians came to Britain, there was mid-winter feasting and celebration, so the idea of food being linked to December is ages old x

 

[Toots]

Another Bah humbug here I'm afraid. Hate christmas - or at least what it has become- and I think the very mention of it should be banned and only allowed in the last 2 weeks in December.

Luckily my family are the same - so we don't feel the need to have a traditional dinner. Dad's a chef so am going to get him to make some yummy food using SW principles (ie throw my SW handbook at him and watch him go)

xx

 

[JestersTear]

This site is very interesting - just click to move onto the next page after you've finished reading x

BBC - History - Ten Ages of Christmas

 

[Julianne_julz]

I agree it's changed. They have Christmas stuff out in shops in September it's stupid and makes it all about food and spending money. I'm leaving this thread before I rant about shops lol. Xxx

 

[Ninja]

It's about having the things that you wouldn't normally indulge in or aren't available at other times of year.

I love nuts, but at Christmas we have a bowl full of all different kinds and a nut cracker.

We only have a punch at Christmas....or maybe New Years Eve.

We only have mince pies and Christmas pud with brandy butter or cream at Christmas.

My mum always likes to put on a small feast on Christmas eve and Boxing day. She makes her own sausage rolls and a very heavily laden sherry trifle and we wash it down with wine or other alcohol, crisps and dips, sandwiches and maybe a mince pie warmed up with clotted cream.

It's tradition in our family. A couple of us always take the kids out for a very very long walk on the beach to tire them out. Take them home and we all get stuck in with preparing the veg for the next day whilst having a tipple. We feed the kids whatever they want (normally a Mc D's as a treat), bath them and then bed. Mum prepares the tea feast whilst the rest of the adults sort out last minute wrapping, whilst having more tipples. Then after we've eaten and put all the pressies under the tree we normally have a game of something.....whilst having a tipple.

It's only a couple of days a year and we love it. We have other family traditions too such as the youngest kids help to hand presents out and reading the gift tags. Or on Crimbo's eve at midnight, we all open one present each, chosen by someone else. Only a small present normally out of the stocking. This is due to the family being part German, as it's traditional in Germany to open presents on Xmas eve.

 

[patrice]

I suppose it's due to it being a family get-together. My family always had a huge meal (mostly turkey with all the trimmings) and it was a chance to sit down together with the extended family. I now live 3000 miles from my family and my in-laws aren't big Christmas people. The past few years it's just been me and my husband so we don't have masses of food in the house.