I Am Santa Claus

Well I know of two small people who are VERY excited that Christmas Eve is here because they only have one more day to last until a certain tubby gentlemen with a thing for reindeer pays them a visit - or so they hope!

This post's title isn't a personal confession, but a reference to a brilliant parody of Black Sabbath's Iron Man track. So, in expectation of the fat man's house invasion on this not so snowy Christmas Eve, sit back and enjoy this existential treatise on the nature of the gift-giver the Chinese call 'Christmas Old Man'...

NORAD Santa Tracker 2009

It's not long to the big day now and preparations are moving up a gear - at least they are in the Green household! But what my children (and I'm sure children all over the world) are looking forward to in particular is the arrival of a certain tubby gentleman with a bulging sack.


You can follow Santa's progress across the globe on Christmas Eve via NORAD's official Santa tracker here.


But while you're waiting for the night of 24 December, why not enjoy this short video of Santa's 2008 journey around the world?

Snapdragon

Snapdragon was a popular parlour game from the 16th to 19th centuries. It was played during the winter, particularly on Christmas Eve or Twelfth Night. Brandy was heated and placed in a wide shallow bowl; raisins were placed in the brandy which was then set alight.

The aim of the game was to pluck the raisins out of the burning brandy and eat them, at the risk of being burnt. Other treats could also be used. Of these, almonds were the most common alternative or addition, but currants, candied fruit, figs, grapes, and plums also featured. Salt could also be sprinkled in the bowl. In one variation a Christmas pudding is placed in the centre of the bowl with raisins around it.

Did you know...?

In The Winter's Tale, Shakespeare used the word 'snapdraon' as a verb, to describe a moment when a ship at sea is instantly swallowed up by a storm.

Snapdragon is also mentioned in Alice Through the Looking Glass where Alice meets the peculiar Looking-Glass insects. One of them is the Snap-dragon-fly, with a body made of plum-pudding, its wings of holly leaves and its head a raisin burning in brandy. It lives on frumenty (a traditional Christmas porridge) and mince pies, and nests in a Christmas box.

Happy St Nicholas Day!

Yes, that's right, today is the feast day of St Nicholas - a.k.a. Santa Claus!

In many countries around the world St Nicholas is the main gift giver. In some places he arrives in the middle of November and moves about the countryside, visiting schools and homes to find out if children have been good or bad. In others he comes in the night and finds carrots and hay for his horse or donkey along with children's wish lists. Small treats are also left in shoes or stockings so the children will know if he has been by the lack thereof in the morning.

In some countries it is St Nicholas' day that is the prominent gift-giving day and not Christmas itself. Parties may be held on the evening of 5 December with shoes or stockings being left out for the saint to fill when he visits during the night.

Did you know...?

Santa has approximately 31 hours in which to deliver all his gifts on Christmas Eve, thanks to the different time zones and the rotation of the earth, and assuming that he travels from east to west.

You can find out more about the origins of one of the world's most popular saints in What is Myrrh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas - available now!

The Supersizers Eat... Medieval

In the BBC series The Supersizers Eat... restaurant critic Giles Coren and writer and comedian Sue Perkins experience the food culture of years gone by. Last night they went back to medieval England to live the life of a Lord and Lady in their country manor.


It was up to Anglo-Saxon lookalike Martin Blunos (who also just happens to be a Michelin-starred chef) to cook all their food for the week, which included everything from roast cockentrice - a creation made from the forepart of a chicken sewn to the rear of a piglet - to peacock, coqz heaumez (helmeted cock), suckling pig, boar's head and hippocras.


Now, it just so happens that recipes for a number of things they ate can be found in What is Myrrh Anyway? So, if you fancy finding out what frumenty tastes like for yourself or you're curious about the health benefits of hippocras (a.k.a. ypocras) then why not pick up a copy today?


There was also much discussion - mainly with monks - about fasting and what the Medieval mind considers to be fish. This is also covered in What is Myrrh Anyway? as Christmas Eve was a fast day, and fish could be eaten on fast days.

What is Myrrh Anyway? - it's not just for Christmas!

NORAD Santa Tracker

The North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD), which is responsible for aerospace and maritime defence (for the US and Canada), has teamed up with Internet giants Google to make Santa's busy 24 hours visible online via the http://www.noradsanta.org/ site.

The big man in the red and white suit has already dropped off some some gifts in Russia, Japan, Fiji, North Korea, Australia and New Zealand, and will of course be heading to the UK later. So you'd better be good for goodness sake...

To follow Santa's progress for yourself, click here.

24 December - Christmas Eve!

Yes, it's almost here - only one day to go until Christmas Day! So, what does Christmas Eve itself have in store?

Well, traditionalists will be putting up their Christmas trees and other decorations today, whilst last minute shoppers will be panic buying, spending (on average) £33 on last minute purchases.

There are many traditions associated with this day, but some have long been forgotten. First there is the tradition of the Dumb Cake (a type of loaf!) which a young spinster would make in silence to help her determine the identity of her future intended.

Christmas Eve was considered a day of abstinence and, as such, was a day when traditionally fish was eaten rather than meat. It is also a day when younger parishioners attend a Crib Service at church.

Of course it is tonight when hopeful children (and some adults) hang up stockings (or sacks!) in the hope that Father Christmas might fill them to bursting with presents.

And some people attend Midnight Mass with churches welcoming in Christmas Day with a peal of bells (announcing the birth of Christ and the death of the Devil).

You can read more about these traditions (and a number of others) in What is Myrrh Anyway? which is still available from good bookshops until they close for Christmas later today.

What is Myrrh Anyway? makes the perfect Christmas stocking filler!

23 December - Posset, a traditional Christmas Eve treat

If you're anything like me, I'm sure you're up to your neck in preparations for Christmas. But amidst all the fuss and panic, why not take some time out tomorrow to enjoy a traditional Christmas Eve drink.

Posset was drunk on Christmas Eve to get the seasonal merry-making under way. It was made by combining hot milk with spices, lemon and sugar, as well as oatcake and bread. The posset was traditionally taken with a spoon. Good luck befell the fortunate youth or maiden who drew out the lucky coin (or even wedding-ring!) which had been dropped in the posset-pot!

During the 19th century, on Christmas Eve, it was the custom to offer each carolling guest a posset cup and a piece of apple pie or tart. This recipe serves 8-10.

Posset

4 cups of milk
4 tbs sugar

4 slices of toast

1 tsp cinnamon

4 cups of beer (preferably ale)

Heat the milk, sugar, and toast in a saucepan, taking care not to let it boil. Stir the cinnamon and beer together in a large bowl. Discard the toast, pour the hot milk over the ale and stir. It is best served still warm.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

Your mission, should you choose to accept it...

Click here to play.

Christmas Eve

One calendar month from today is Christmas Eve! But how much do you know about that particular date in the calendar?

For example, why is fish traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve?

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Why do children hang up stockings for Father Christmas at that time, when Saint Nicholas' Day is 6 December?

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What's a Dumb Cake, and what's it for?

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And did you know that you shouldn't actually put up your Christmas tree and other decorations until Christmas Eve?

The answers to all these questions - and more - can be found in What is Myrrh Anyway? available now from all better bookshops, and online at Amazon.co.uk.

Christmas Bees

Many people are familiar with the various traditions associated with Christmas Eve but there are a number of older legends that have been forgotten over time. One of these is specifically associated with midnight on Christmas Eve. At this time that bees supposedly hum their own hymn in praise of Christ.

Having never kept bees or been anywhere near a beehive at midnight on Christmas Eve I cannot confirm or deny this myth, but I think it's good that we don't explode every longer held belief associated with such a magical time of year.

And talking of superstitions surrounding bees, did you know that if a bee enters your home it is a sign that you will soon have a visitor? If you kill the bee, you will bring bad luck on yourself, or the visitor will be particularly unpleasant. And it gets worse; a swarm of bees settling on a roof is a sure sign that the house will burn down!

I wonder what our apiarian friends would make of this little number...