Z is for...Zzzz

It's all over for another year and time to finally relax. Enjoy what you have been given and the people around you. Before you know it Christmas will be here again so enjoy the rest of this year while you can.

Y is for...Yuletide

The presents are wrapped (and probably now unwrapped), dinner is cooking and the crackers are ready to be pulled. So, as that great Surbiton resident Margo Leadbetter of The Good Life said, “Yuletide Felicitations” to you. Thank you for reading the blog over the past year, posting your comments and entering the challenges and giveaways. I hope you all have a happy and peaceful Christmas.

X is for...Xmas

It's simply a modern lazy way of writing Christmas and a way to take the 'Christ' out of Christmas. Or is it? The origin of the 'X' in Xmas does have a significant link back to Jesus. At first glance the 'X' is the symbol of a cross which needs no further explanation. The New Testament was written in Greek and Christ is written XPIΣTOΣ . Clearly the first two letters are X and P. Put together the Greek letters chi (c or C) and rho (r or R) form the chi-rho monogram of ☧. Over the years this has been shortened to just X.

The use of X as an abbreviation for Christ spread over the years. Once Johannes Gutenberg had invented the printing press with moveable type in the 15^th Century the abbreviation to Xmas became a necessity as typesetting was a very long and expensive process. This was approved by the Church for use in religious books and pamphlets and soon this was also used in newspapers and other publications. However, just like the abbreviation Mr is still pronounced Mister, Xmas should be said as Christmas and not X-mas.

W is for...Wreath

A Christmas wreath is a symbol of a welcoming home and therefore is most commonly found on the front door of a house. As with many Christian rituals it pre-dates the birth of Jesus and has it origins in pagan and Roman times. A light surrounded by a circle of evergreens was made in the hope that the dark days would end and the light and life of spring would soon come. The Romans used wreaths as a sign of victory to be worn on the head. Sometimes afterwards they would be hung on a door.

In Christianity a wreath was first used to start the Advent period and the coming of Christ. The evergreen plant and leaves used symbolise the natural world and the everlasting life. A circular shape is used to represent God as stated in Revelation 22:13, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first & the last.” A candle is lit at least each Sunday in the four Sundays preceding Christmas Day with the final white candle, representing the birth and purity of Jesus, is lit on Christmas Day.

As with many Christmas customs wreaths were thought to be too pagan and also too Catholic for the Puritans during Oliver Cromwell's reign and were banned. Once the monarchy was restored wreaths were allowed again at all times of the year. The hanging a wreath on a front door is still popular today. While evergreens are still used, either fresh or artificial, other designs with baubles or pompoms have also become fashionable.

V is for...Victorians

It maybe 2013 but the way Christmas is celebrated owes very much to the traditions and customs that were popularized in the 19^th Century. The establishment of a nationwide postal service and higher literacy rates meant that sending letters became much easier and much cheaper. The first commercial Christmas card is credited to Henry Cole in 1843. Once printing technology improved and the introduction of the halfpenny postage rate the sending of Christmas cards became accessible to everyone.

It is often thought that it was Prince Albert who introduced the Christmas tree to Britain but it is more correct to say that he popularized them. The Georgian monarchs of the 18^th and early 19^th Century had Christmas trees but their German ancestry meant they were not universally popular in Britain and so their customs were not copied among their subjects. Prince Albert would have had Christmas tree when he was a child back in Germany as was the norm. It was an illustration published in 1846 showing him with Queen Victoria and some of their children by a fir tree adorned with candles and decorations that made a Christmas tree a must for every home both in Britain and on the East coast of America.

Giving presents at one time was reserved for New Year but with the Victorians making Christmas more of a celebration gifts started to be exchanged earlier. At first they were just tokens of appreciation, such as fruit, nuts and homemade trinkets, and they were hung on the tree. As the age of commercialization took hold shops started promoting goods especially for giving as Christmas presents which could be wrapped and placed under the tree.

Other Christmas traditions that the Victorians popularized were crackers, mince pies made with fruit rather than meat, eating of turkey rather than goose or beef, singing of carols, Father Christmas, Boxing Day – indeed having any time off at Christmas, and entertaining a large number of relatives. Many people over the next couple of days will probably be blaming the Victorians for these customs rather thanking them.

U is for...Unexpected Guests

You think you have got everything sorted, presents wrapped, cards written and posted, and then comes the knock at the door. Who can it be? You open the door to find them on your the doorstep – they are the Unexpected, Uninvited Guests. So you remembered to send them a card but for some reason they have turned up at your house and worse of all they are banishing a gift and you have nothing to give back in return. Awkward.

Now you could spend the Christmas period with the lights off and car parked round the corner to try and fool people you have gone away but such extreme measures are not required. The solution to this easy – have a couple of spare presents to hand to offer and a selection of gift bags to put them in if needed. Select some items you would be happy to eat, drink or use yourself if nobody turns up. If they come do just pop the bottle of wine or box of biscuits into the gift bag and everything is sorted. No waste and no panic. You don't have to spend a fortune if you don't want to. If you have a stash of homemade jam, jelly or chutney these make perfect little gifts and actually one made with love. If you haven't got time to whip up a batch of preserves perhaps try this recipe for handmade hot chocolate mix from Victoria at A Kick at The Pantry Door.

Remember though, just because Christmas Day may have passed you still may not be safe. Unexpected, Uninvited Guests have nothing better to do between Boxing Day and New Year's Day. This is a particularly dangerous period as they will be on lookout for victims to try and offload their unwanted tat they got given. You have been warned...

Hot Coronation Turkey - T is for...Turkey

Hot Coronation Turkey

The fresh turkeys should be starting to appear in the shops in the next couple of days. It's often thought that eating turkey for Christmas dinner is a relatively new trend in the UK and one adapted from the American custom of having a turkey at Thanksgiving. It is true that turkey is far better suited to mass rearing as they can bred in a similar way to chickens while geese need far more freedom and land. However, there are reports of Henry VIII being the first British monarch to have had turkey as part of his Christmas feast.

Of course one of the attractions of turkey is that it can feed a houseful but there always seems to be leftovers no matter how well you judge the size. For this purpose we like to have this Hot Coronation Turkey which works equally as well with leftover chicken as well.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 Onion, finely chopped

½oz (15g) Butter

1tbsp (15ml) Mild Korma curry powder

8oz (225g) Mango Chutney (My preferred variety is Sharwoods)

10oz (300g) Greek yoghurt

2tbsp (30ml) Mayonnaise

1½tsp (7.5ml) Tomato purée

About 10oz (300g) Cooked turkey/chicken, diced

Cooked rice to serve

Method

1. In a large saucepan cook the onion in the butter until soft.

2. Add the curry powder, stirring for one minute.

3. Add the chutney and heat through.

4. Stir in the yoghurt, mayonnaise and tomato purée and heat until almost boiling.

5. Add the turkey or chicken and cook gently for about 15 minutes.

6. Serve with the cooked rice.

Cranberry and Orange Stollen - S is for...Stollen

Cranberry and Orange Stollen

Is it a cake or is it a bread? Whatever classification you want to put it in Stollen is full of lovely Christmasy flavours such as dried fruits, nuts, marzipan and mixed spices. Stollen is of course German in origin and there are mentions of it from the 15^th Century. The first Stollen were very unexciting and quite bland tasting. At that time in Germany the Advent period was a time of fasting similar to Lent. No butter was allowed and the recipe of the time contained no fruit or marzipan. Over the years this has developed into the Stollen we like to eat today.

Most Stollen recipes require the fruit to be soaked in rum overnight. Not being a drinker I wasn't sure we had any rum in the house (apparently we do so I've been told) so in order to plump up the fruit a bit I decided to use the juice and zest from the orange we had brought back from a Christingle service. I've also cut down on the amount of butter and sugar used. 

Click here for a printable recipe.

Ingredients

Juice and zest of 1 Orange

2oz (55g) Dried Cranberries

2oz (55g) Candied peel

2oz (55g) Sultanas

14oz (400g) Strong white bread flour plus extra for dusting

½ tsp (2.5ml) Salt

½ tsp (2.5ml) Mixed spice

2oz (55g) Unsalted butter, diced into small cubes

2 tbsp (30ml) Caster sugar

½ oz (10g) Easy-blend dried yeast

7 fl oz (200ml) Lukewarm milk (1 minute in the microwave)

1 Large egg

1oz (28g) Blanched almonds, chopped finely
5oz (140g) Marzipan

Method

1. Put the dried fruit in a bowl along with the orange juice and zest. Stir and then set aside.

2. Sift the flour, salt and mixed spice into a large bowl and then rub in the butter.

3. Add the sugar and the yeast and stir all the ingredients together.

4. In a separate bowl or jug add the egg to the milk and beat well.

5. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the milk and egg. With a spoon (I use a soup spoon!) stir all the ingredients until it comes together to form a dough.

6. Flour a smooth surface well and start to knead the dough. The idea is to stretch the dough so don't worry being too heavy-handed. Do this for about 10 minutes – put the radio on or listen to some music as this will make the 10 minutes seem much shorter.

7. Once it is smooth form the dough into a ball and put back into the bowl. Cover and and leave in a warm place for about an hour to rise – I use a warm, damp tea towel and put it in my airing cupboard. You can also lightly oil some cling film and put it next to a window with the sun coming through, next to a warm radiator or next to a pre-heated oven.

8. Meanwhile prepare the marzipan by rolling it out into a sausage shape about 8 inches (20cm) long.

9. When the dough has doubled in size give it a couple of punches to release any air bubbles.

10. Flour the work surface again and knead the dough again.

11. Spread it out on the floured surface and the scatter the dried fruit, orange juice and almonds along it.

12. Fold it in and then knead again so all the fruit is equally distributed. It will be very sticky so keep flouring the surface.

13. Stretch the dough out so it measures about 9 x 7 inches (23x18 cm). Lay the marzipan in the middle and fold over each side to enclose it.

14. Press down lightly on the seam then turn over and place a greased baking tray.

15. Cover again with a tea towel or cling film and return to the warm place for about an hour until it has doubled in size again.

16. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 190°C/Gas mark 5.

17. Once the Stollen has risen bake for 25-30 minutes until it is golden and sounds hollow underneath. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

18. Once cool cover with foil and leave at least a day to mature. Before serving dust with icing sugar.

R is for...Reindeer

If it wasn't for Father Christmas' magical team of flying reindeer there wouldn't be any presents delivered. The original team of eight reindeer were named by Clement C. Moore in A Visit from St. Nicholas (better known as The Night Before Christmas) as Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen. In 1939 a story was written by Robert L. May for the American department store Montgomery Ward. It was a tale written in verse about a reindeer named Rudolph who was mocked due to him having a bright red nose. However, one foggy Christmas Eve Santa is unable to fly his sleigh but thankfully he finds Rudolph who is able to guide them. The story is now more famous thanks to it being turned into a song that was originally released in 1949.

This is the poem I wrote to leave out for when Father Christmas comes, leaving the reindeer waiting outside. You can put it in a clear cellophane bag or write it on an envelope but don't forget to put some oats and glitter in. The glitter is very important otherwise the the reindeer won't leave any sparkly trail in the sky!

A flash of silver across a starry sky.

Could it be Santa, his sleigh and reindeer?

It's been a long night and it's not over yet.

More toys to deliver and presents to give.

Have you been good?

Will your stocking be filled?

You've left a mince pie for Santa or a cookie or two.

But what about Rudolph and his reindeer friends?

Please leave them this food with a magical sparkle and help them keep flying until Christmas Eve ends.

Q is for...Queen's Christmas Speech

The Royal Family can be seen by many observers as antiqued and out of touch with the ordinary man and woman in the street. One thing they have always been surprisingly good with though is keeping up with the technological advances of the day. Since 1934 the reigning monarch at the time has broadcast a Christmas Message across Britain and the Commonwealth with the time being set at 3pm GMT.

The idea of sending a making a radio broadcast was suggested by Sir John Reith (Later known as Lord Reith). The 68 year-old King was unsure about the whole thing but was convinced after a visiting the BBC earlier in the summer. The first message was written by Rudyard Kipling and reached an audience of of up to 20 million people across what was still known as the British Empire. Sadly George V only got to do the broadcast once more before his death in January 1936.

It took a few years for the Message to become established. Since Edward VIII abdicated on 11 December 1936 no broadcast was made that year. The newly crowned George VI gave his first message on Christmas Day 1937 however no broadcast was made in 1938. It was the start of the Second World War that firmly made the royal Christmas message a yearly tradition.

When Elizabeth ascended to the throne in 1952 she continued this now established routine of sending a message across the Commonwealth on Christmas Day. More and more homes were having televisions in them and between 1952 and 1956 the speech was broadcast on both radio and television albeit with just sound. In 1957, on the 25^th anniversary of the first broadcast, pictures were shown for the first time as the Queen was shown talking from Sandringham House. Surprisingly in 1969 there was no message broadcast but a written statement was published in its place. In that year Prince Charles' investiture as Prince of Wales had been shown on television as well as a the documentary Royal Family and the Queen decided that she and her family had had enough television coverage for one year.

Each year the Message usually focuses a set formula of events. Royal births, marriages, deaths and anniversaries are usually touched upon. As are wars, conflicts and tragedies around the world and not just those affecting Commonwealth countries. As a devout Christian the Queen often mentions the religious significance of Christmas and the role of families and communities. However, in 1992 The Sun newspaper managed to get hold of a copy of the Queen's Christmas Message and decided to publish it on its front page two days before Christmas, thus breaking the usual embargo. It is often thought now that this was the speech in which the Queen used her famous phrase of, “Annus Horribilis” to describe the 40^th year of her reign which saw the break-up of three of her children's marriages and a devastating fire at Windsor Castle. In fact this was said at a dinner the month before at the Guildhall in London in mark her 40 years on the throne. The Christmas Day message itself contained nothing controversial and did not stray from the usual format so the scoop that The Sun thought it had was in fact rather a damp squib.

Microwave Chocolate Sponge Pudding - P is for...Pudding

Microwave Chocolate Sponge Pudding

I love Christmas Pudding. It really is a once a year treat. The one I shall be eating this year was in fact made last year. For some years now we have been deliberately making a Christmas Pudding and storing it carefully for over year. All this came about when one year whilst getting the ingredients together to make that year's Christmas Pudding my Father found on the top shelf a carefully wrapped Christmas Pudding. We could only think we had made two the previous year so to have one when guests came over just before Christmas but it was never used. No wonder my Mother had spent a year thinking where one of her Pyrex bowls had gone...We made another Christmas Pudding but not ones to waste anything we cooked the year old pudding on Christmas Day (in our slow cooker as usual) and it was delicious. It's no surprise now that 'vintage' Christmas Puddings cost so much more.

With the additions to my family over recent years it seems that the love of a traditional Christmas Pudding has not been passed on. I wouldn't want to leave them out but at the same time there's enough going on during Christmas Day to have the perfect excuse not to make something just for them. The solution is this recipe which I used to make when I was at University and spent three years cooking with no oven. It's a basic sponge mix but needs just basic equipment to make and takes just 5 minutes to cook.

Equipment: 2 pint/1 litre Pyrex bowl, scales, sieve, electric whisk

Ingredients

4oz (100g) Unsalted butter, softened or baking spread

4oz (100g) Caster sugar

2 Eggs

3oz (75g) Self-raising flour, sifted

1oz (25g) Cocoa powder

2-3 tbsp (30-45ml) Milk for mixing

Method

1. Grease the bowl.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs one at a time with a tablespoon of the sifted flour and cocoa.

4. Gradually add the milk and remaining flour and cocoa.

5. Put the mixture into the bowl and level the mixture across the top.

6. Cook in the microwave on High for 4½-5 minutes (based on a 750w microwave).

Serve with your choice of cream, custard, ice cream or yoghurt. My top thrifty tip is one packet of Value, Basics, Savers Instant Custard mix (15p) plus 1tbsp of Cocoa powder equals very cheap and quick chocolate custard.

Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake - O is for...Orange

Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake

Oranges became popular in the USA in the 1880s with the expansion of the railway system. This meant that oranges from California and Florida could be transported around the country and the tradition of having fruit in the bottom of your stocking began. This idea was not a new one though and for its origins we have to return back to St. Nicholas. When he was still a lowly Bishop he heard of a poor man with three daughters. They were unable to marry as their father could not afford the marriage dowries. The next night Nicholas decided to find the poor man's house and drop three bags of gold down the chimney. The three daughters had hung their stockings by the fire in order to dry them after being out in the freezing snow all day. The bags of gold happened to land in each of the three daughters' stockings and then turned into balls of gold. In religious icons and paintings St. Nicholas is often pictured with three balls of gold or symbolized by three oranges.

Although the tradition of putting an orange, clementine, tangerine or satsuma in the bottom of a child's stocking may not be so popular today oranges are still used in a symbolic context in Christingle services. Since 1968 The Children's Society has been organizing Christingle church services. The orange given to each child symbolizes the world. The red ribbon round the orange is the blood of Jesus, the four cocktail sticks with sweets and dried fruit the four seasons and the candle or glow stick the light of Christ.

As an alternative Christmas cake for a Clandestine Cake Club meeting I made a Chocolate Orange Bundt cake. The idea was to replicate the flavour of a well-known brand of chocolate oranges that are always on sale at this time of year. If you are a bit unsure of making a Bundt cake do try this one as it is one of the easiest recipes to make.

Equipment: 10-cup/26cm Bundt tin, electric whisk.

Ingredients

6oz (175g) Plain flour

1 tbsp (15ml) Baking powder

6oz (175g) Unsalted butter, softened or baking spread

6oz (175g) Caster sugar

3 Large eggs, beaten

1 tsp (5ml) Orange extract

2 tbsp (30ml) Cocoa

2 tbsp (30ml) Milk

Icing

2½oz (70g) Icing sugar, sifted

1 tbsp (15ml) Cocoa

1 tbsp (15ml) Water

½ tsp (2.5ml) Orange extract

Method

1. Prepare the Bundt tin by greasing it and then shaking flour around it. Tip out the excess.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/Gas mark 3.

3. In a large bowl sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the butter, sugar, eggs and orange extract and beat well using an electric whisk.

4. Mix the cocoa and milk together and stir it into the mixture.

5. Spoon the mixture into the tin. Bake for 45 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

6. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out to cool on a wire rack to cool completely.

7. Once cooled mix the icing sugar, cocoa, water and orange together. Beat well until the icing is smooth. Spread over the cake and leave to set.

N is for...Noel

Xmas as a shortened version of Christmas can seem rather harsh so it is no surprise that Noel has been popularised as an alternative. The simple origin of the word Noel is that it is just French for Christmas but spelt Noël, and us Brits have never been very comfortable with accents or in this a diacritic. Noël itself comes from the Latin natalis meaning birthday.

As a first name it is often given to babies born on Christmas Day or in December. One famous example is Sir Noël Coward who was born on 16^th December 1899.

The Christmas carol The First Noel could date from as early as the 13^th Century. It first started to gain popularity in the 16^th Century but its current arrangement was put together in the 18^th Century. It never started off as The First Noel as the original first Cornish version published in 1823 was, “O well, O well, the Angels did say”. By 1871 this had been changed to, “The first Nowell the angels did say” Nowell in this case being the ancient English Anglo-Saxon spelling of Noel. An American version of the Carol published in 1916 had the first line as, “The first Noel, the angels say”.

M is for...Mince Pie

L is for...Last Posting Dates

In recent years there has been a decline in the amount of Christmas cards and mail in general that is being sent. There are a number of reasons for this – environmental, high cost of postage, the increased use of email, social media and internet messaging services and the basic fact that some people simply cannot be bothered to write or send cards.

For many of us we still can't escape the need to send post at this time of year and get it in the letter box by the dreaded last posting date to ensure a Christmas delivery. Most of the lasting posting dates for abroad have already gone but if you're quick you'll be able to get those precious cards sent in time. Here's a rundown of those vital dates:

USA – Friday 13^th December 2013

Airmail to Static BFPOs – Friday 13^th December 2013

Western Europe (excluding France, Greece, Poland as these were 10^th December) - 14^th December 2013

UK Second Class Mail and Signed For – Wednesday 18^th December 2013

UK First Class Mail and Signed For – Friday 20^th December 2013

Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed – Monday 23^rd December 2013

So that's all your Royal Mail post sorted but what about all that online shopping? There's too many companies for me to list here but I have found a rather handy website called Last Post For Christmas that has trawled the internet and complied all the information for you.

This panic is all a far cry from when the postal system as we know it today first started in Victorian times. In London there were between six and twelve deliveries each day. Letters posted in London were usually delivered on the same day. The last posting date was Christmas Eve and there was even a single delivery on Christmas Day.

K is for...Kings

After Jesus was born the Gospels mention he has a variety of visitors of which one set brought him the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Since Jesus was given three gifts it is always presumed that it was three people who came although the exact number is not stated. By the time they had travelled hundreds of miles by following the star to find Jesus they locate him him in a house and as a child rather than a baby. The traditional nativity scene always shows these three men present just after Jesus' birth in the stable when it fact they probably arrived when Jesus was about one year old.

The Bible refers to these men not as 'Kings' but as 'the Magi' who had come from the east. As the Magi are called to a secret meeting by an actual king, Herod, to find out where Jesus has been born it is unlikely that they were kings themselves. The idea they were kings has been popularized over the years including the 1857 Christmas carol We Three Kings of Orient are. An explanation for describing them as kings is in Psalm 72:10 which states, “ The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts.”

The Magi are also referred to as 'the Three Wise Men' and this is more likely that this is what they were. They would have been scholars in astronomy and royal advisers. Although their names are not mentioned in the Bible, in Britain and other parts of Europe they are known as Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar.

J is for...Jesus

You can't have a Christmas A-Z of Christmas without making sure Jesus has a starring role as after all he is the reason for the season. Unlike today when we can browse the bumper book of baby names (or see what catches your eye in the pages of the Daily Telegraph like I did) Jesus' mother, Mary, had the Angel Gabriel visit her. It should be noted that Gabriel was an angel messenger from God and not an Archangel. In Luke 1:31 Gabriel informs Mary what is going to happen, “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.” This is also recalled in Matthew 1:21 when Joseph has a dream after having doubts about taking Mary as his wife, “she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

There are many different given meanings of the name Jesus. The most widely accepted in terms of biblical accuracy is it is said to be the the Greek form of Joshua. This means 'Lord saves' or the Lord is salvation'. Jesus is still a popular name today in many countries. This is particularly the case in Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries such as Chile, Mexico, Brazil and Spain. Whereas in other countries the name Jesus is avoided out of respect and Joshua is favoured instead.

I is for...Icicle

Snow, frost and icicles all form stereotypical winter scenes which are depicted on Christmas cards and decorations. Despite all the many practical reasons why such cold weather is not a good idea at any time of year let alone Christmas we still hold on to the romantic notion of having a 'white Christmas'.

Icicles are created when snow or ice melt with the resultant water running off and then re-freezing when the temperature drops again. Being the shape of spikes they are potential very dangerous if they break off. Also if there is a number of icicles on a building the weight of them can bring a structure down.

Bing Crosby's 1942 recording of 'White Christmas' is the best-selling single of all-time, notching up over 50 million sales worldwide. In many American States the chances of a white Christmas are quite high and even more so in Canada. In Britain a white Christmas is technically when at least a single snowflake falls at a specific location on 25^th December. According to the Met Office 38 times in the last 52 years Britain as seen some snow falling on Christmas. The traditional snow scene though is much rarer with it being reported only four times in the last 51 years.

So will you be dreaming of icicles and a white Christmas this year?