Christmas pudding begain as a spicy 14th century ‘porridge’ called frumenty. In the Middle Ages it was made by boiling beef and mutton with raisins, currants, prunes, wines and spices and then eaten as a fasting dish in preparation for Christmas

Quakers regarded plum pudding as ‘the invention of the scarlet whore of Babylon’

By 1595 frumenty was evolving into plum pudding, having been thickened with eggs, breadcrumbs, dried fruit and given more flavour with ale and spirits. Just as it became the customary Christmas dessert, along came those killjoy Puritans again. They banned it as a ‘lewd custom’, describing its rich ingredients as ‘unfit for God-fearing people’.

George I, who having loved plum pudding, thankfully re-established it as part of the Christmas feast in 1714. By Victorian times Christmas puddings looked and tasted like the ones we have today.

Tradition states that puddings should be made by the 25th Sunday after Trinity and prepared with 13 ingredients to represent Christ and His Disciples. Every member of the family must also take turns to stir the pudding with a wooden spoon from east to west, in honour of the Three Kings.

Setting light to the brandy signifies Christ’s passion, while a decorative sprig of holly represents His ‘Crown of Thorns’

Putting a silver coin in the pudding is another age-old custom that is said to bring wealth, health and happiness to whoever finds it.

Once upon a time the christmas turkey didn’t exist… Swan sandwich anyone?

Digging into the historic origins of the modern-day Christmas dinner reveals a fascinating spread of New World food discoveries and changing lifestyles.

Christmas today without roast turkey on the menu is unthinkable. But before the time of Henry VIII you would have been lucky to see one. Turkeys are natives of America and only came to Europe after the continent’s discovery. It was about 1585 before the turkey joined all the various other meats on the table. And you’d have to wait another two years for the Brussels sprout to make an appearance.

Henry VIII gave us permission to get royally stuffed and sleep it off on the sofa

With all this gluttony taking place, Henry VIII sensibly made it law that on Christmas Day nobody could partake in any energetic sports, other than archery. This activity was seen as essential to maintaining the country’s military strength and fitness.

The rich would have dined on venison, goose, and with the king’s permission, swan. By curious coincidence, the first thing Elizabeth I ate after the victory of the Spanish Armada was a Christmas meal of roast goose. She then ordered all her subjects to cook goose every year as a fitting tribute to the English sailors who fought off the Spanish.

Goose, however, was an expensive luxury. So the Church (never ones to miss a commercial opportunity) offered a fixed price for the poor of 7 pence for a roasted goose – about a day’s wages.

Roast peacock and wild boar were an opportunity for wealthy families to show off. The cooking process tended to make the boar’s head go all pale. So soot and pig’s grease were applied to bring back a more lifelike appearance, while roasted peacock was stuffed back into its original skin and feathers … mmm!

When Queen Victoria came to the throne, roast beef was traditional Christmas fare in the north, while for southerners; goose was still the hot favourite. Poor people made do with rabbit. The royal family dined on royal swan. It was only by the end of the 19th century that turkey farming took off and turkey became affordable and popular.

Turkeys in stylish leather shoes used to walk from Norfolk to London

Hundreds of years before the likes of Bernard Matthews gobbled up the business, unsuspecting turkeys used to set off in October for the 80-mile hike from the Norfolk farms to London to be fattened up and slaughtered by December!

Two world wars turned Christmas dinner into a spartan affair. For one thing, food was rationed. The National Federation of Women’s Institutes, now known as the WI, was set up during the First World War. Their Christmas recipes made the most of dwindling supplies, with: apple, orange and sultana chutney, cheese soufflé bites and ‘bread and butter’ pudding.

When World War II was declared, the Ministry of Food estimated that only one family in ten would get turkey or goose for their Christmas dinner that year. A lot of food became ‘mock’, including: fake ‘turkey’ made from lamb, plus pretend ‘cream’ and ‘marzipan’.

“As far as Christmas fare is concerned, there’s no chance of turkey, chicken or goose - not even rabbit. A little mutton is the best we can hope for.” Vere Hodgson

Extra ‘option points’ were given to help people celebrate with occasional luxuries such as tinned goods, dried fruit and sweets. Housewives across the land would press their ears against the radio as their festive ‘points’ allowance was announced.

Forced enterprise led to innovative recipes. A Christmas savoury pie could be concocted from a tin of American pork sausage meat, plus a scrounged bit of beef fat from the butcher for the pastry crust. By June 1944 the air strikes over Britain lessened and families started indulging again. When the swinging 1960s arrived you could order a frozen turkey from the milkman.

Fresh cranberries, sage and onion stuffing and novel ways with sprouts have come in and out of fashion. But even now, the traditional Christmas dinner has remained remarkably unchanged. Piles of washing up and somehow finding room for figgy pudding will always be part of the course!

So what are your plans for Christmas? Will your table be groaning under enough courses to keep Queen Victoria happy? Maybe you’ll be foregoing the traditional turkey for roast goose? Whatever your thoughts and ideas, spread some cheer on the forum.